Stand behind Ukrainian independent journalism when it’s needed most. Help us reach 20,000 members.

Skip to content
Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, March 24, 2025. (Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Brussels between April 2 and 4 to discuss a path toward peace in Ukraine and NATO's priorities, the State Department announced on March 31.

"In Brussels, Secretary Rubio will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting to discuss security priorities for the Alliance, including increased Allied defense investment and securing lasting peace in Ukraine," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Rubio's visit comes during an unprecedented time for the alliance, as U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly questioned the collective defense principle and threatened to annex Greenland from a fellow NATO member, Denmark.

The Trump administration has also brought a major shift to Washington's policy on Ukraine. Pledging to broker a swift peace deal, the U.S. has strong-armed Kyiv by temporarily cutting off military aid while exerting little pressure on Moscow, save for threatening tariffs on Russian oil.

Trump has not approved any new military aid packages for Ukraine, only permitting the continued flow of materiel approved under his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.

Washington also made it clear it expects European countries to take responsibility for their own security and Ukraine, urging them to increase their defense spending targets to 5% of GDP.

"Secretary Rubio will also discuss the shared threat of China to the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Alliances at a NATO session with representatives of the Indo-Pacific Partners," Bruce said.

"Lastly, the Secretary will discuss plans for The Hague Summit this summer."

Unless you act, ‘it’s just rhetoric’ — Baltic states skeptical of Western European leadership
As the U.S. chooses an increasingly hostile posture toward Europe, the U.K. and France have been gearing up to lead the continent’s defense without Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron has coined the term “strategic autonomy,” which envisions a self-sufficient Europe that can defend itself…

Independent journalism needs a community —
not a paywall.

We’re working hard to show the world the truth of Russia’s brutal war — and we’re keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all.

Our goal: reach 20,000 members to prove independent journalism can survive without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise. Will you help us do it?

Can we reach 20,000 members?

News Feed

6:20 AM

Russian economic growth slowing down, Rosstat reports.

Russia's economy is experiencing a sharp slowdown in growth, according to a report released by the governmental statistics agency Rosstat on May 16. GDP only grew by 1.4% in the first quarter of 2025 – a notable decline from 4.5% growth in the previous quarter and 5.4% in the same period last year.
6:57 PM

With Ukraine’s Peaky Blinders chasing Russian soldiers near Pokrovsk.

The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko spent a day with one of Ukraine's most effective drone units, "Peaky Blinders." As Russian forces continue to push across the front line, Peaky Blinders are tasked with stopping Russian assaults near the embattled city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.