Ukraine

EBRD lowers Ukraine’s 2025 growth forecast amid inflation, war impact

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has lowered its 2025 growth forecast for Ukraine’s economy, now expecting 3.5% growth instead of the previously projected 4.7%.

General accused of botching Kharkiv defense released from detention facility, lawyer says

Lieutenant General Artur Horbenko, along with General Yurii Halushkin and Colonel Illia Lapin, was arrested on Jan. 21 on charges of mismanaging Ukraine's defense in Kharkiv Oblast during Russia's cross-border offensive in May 2024.

Rutte announces NATO allies will provide Ukraine with billions more in aid

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has announced that alliance members are ramping up their defense investments and preparing additional financial support for Ukraine.

Future peacekeeping force may patrol air, sea space, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says

"If our partners and allies are ready to discuss the possible deployment of these contingents to ensure peace and security in Ukraine... then we think it is quite possible to talk about the safety of the sky," Tykhyi said.

Trump extends some sanctions against Russia until 2026

The decision comes amid Trump's renewed engagement with Russia, including talks on Feb. 18 on ending the war in Ukraine and the potential reopening of embassies in Washington and Moscow.

Trump, Starmer meet as UK urges continued US support for Ukraine

The meeting took place ahead of President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled visit to Washington on Feb. 28, where he is set to sign a critical minerals agreement with the U.S.

Ukraine war latest: Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator'

Key developments on Feb. 27: * Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator' * First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says * Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says * Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg

‘Trump likes what Putin does,' Bernie Sanders says in exclusive interview

As Ukraine enters the fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion, shifting political dynamics in the U.S. threaten to influence the course of the war. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly misrepresented the war’s origins, excluded Ukraine from initial negotiations, and advocated for what many see as an

Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator'

"Did I say that? I can't believe I would say that," U.S. President Donald Trump responded when asked whether he still considers President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator."

63-year-old Russian film critic put under house arrest in Moscow for ‘fake news’ about war in Ukraine

Independent Russian film critic Ekaterina Barabash was placed under house arrest by a Moscow court for posting “fake news” on her Facebook account about the war in Ukraine, her son Yurii Barabash reported on Facebook on Feb. 26. Detained by the Russian Investigative Committee on Feb. 25, Barabash will remain

Trump considered canceling Zelensky's visit, changed his mind after meeting Macron, TV channel reports

According to the report, Kyiv received a message on Feb. 26 from Washington stating that President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit and meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump would not take place.

Lawmakers fail to summon ministers for explanation of Ukraine-US minerals deal

On Feb. 26, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved the decision to sign the deal.

‘As long as Russia is advancing, the war will continue’— military analyst Rob Lee on what awaits Ukraine in 2025

As Ukraine entered its fourth year of Russia’s full-scale war, it was geopolitics, not the war itself, that dominated headlines, as Kyiv’s relationship with new U.S. President Donald Trump nosedived over a proposed minerals deal. In the meantime though, the battlefield continues to rage on multiple fronts,

What the US-Ukraine mineral deal actually means

As Kyiv and Washington celebrate agreeing to jointly develop Ukraine’s natural resources after weeks of tense negotiations, the deal still has a long way to go before the money starts flowing. Officials, experts, and those close to the deal say the current version of the agreement is an improvement

Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly discussed the possibility with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russia seized boats, harassed volunteers, concealed gravesites ― Kakhovka Dam explosion investigation

According to an investigation by the Kyiv Independent, the Russian military interfered with the work of locals who were evacuating people from the flooded areas on their own — their boats were confiscated, while the volunteers were threatened and forced to stop their efforts.

As ‘negotiations’ weigh Ukraine’s land, the lives lost under Russian occupation are forgotten

For Viktoriia Hrinienkova, life came to a standstill in June 2023. Three of her family members — her mother, father, and grandmother — died in their own home in Hola Prystan, a Ukrainian town in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast. They were killed in the aftermath of Russia’s destruction of

Zelensky meets Irish prime minister ahead of Washington visit

President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Ireland for its support of Ukrainians who fled Russia's full-scale invasion.

Uncovering Russia's crimes after the Kakhovka dam explosion

Russian troops 'bogged down' near Pokrovsk, Ukrainian military claims

"I am not saying that Ukrainian forces caught some second, third, or 100th and 500th breath... But Russian troops have indeed begun to show some physical, moral, and material exhaustion," said Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces.

First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that some Western countries are dissatisfied with the restoration of Russian-American relations and wants to "create instability in the world."

France has led talks on Ukraine's minerals since October 2024, French minister says

France and Ukraine have been discussing the use of Ukrainian minerals for the purposes of the French defense industry since October 2024, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said, as France Info reported on Feb. 27.

Russia claims to recapture village north of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast

Russia's Defense Ministry claims that its troops continue to advance and push Ukrainian forces out of the salient. Kyiv has not commented on purportedly lost settlements in Kursk Oblast.

Revolut operating illegally in Ukraine without required license, National Bank says

According to Ukrainian banking law, a foreign bank can only operate in Ukraine if it opens a local branch or obtains a banking license. This process must first be approved by the NBU, the bank said in the press release.

Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says

"According to their (Russia's) strategy, if they don't get out of this war by 2026, they lose even a chance for world leadership. They will be left with a maximum level of regional leadership, which they are absolutely not satisfied with," Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) head Kyrylo Budanov said.

US 'backstop' necessary for peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, Starmer says ahead of Trump meeting

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is heading to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and convince him to continue playing a role in ensuring Ukraine's security amid Russian aggression.

MH17 victims' relatives want Russian admission of responsibility for crash to be part of peace deal, media reports

"Without this (Russia's recognition of the downing of MH17), there can be no lasting peace with Russia," the letter read.

Culture Ministry to suspend issuing recommendation letters for journalists, artists to travel abroad

The measure, which will take effect on March 3, comes in response to cases in which men used their permits to stay abroad longer than permitted.

US, Russia reportedly discuss Arctic cooperation as Trump seeks to pull Moscow from Beijing

"We could find ourselves in a situation where whether Russia wants to improve its relations with the U.S. or not, they can’t because they’ve become completely dependent on the Chinese because we have cut them off," said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 15

Editor’s note: This is issue 15 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from Feb. 17–Feb. 23, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Benchmarks

Ukraine Business Roundup — US, Ukraine agree on minerals deal

The following is the Feb. 25, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. After weeks of back-and-forth, during which U.S. President Donald Trump lobbed insults at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy,

Trump admin says it's cutting 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts

The Trump administration said on Feb. 26 that it is terminating over 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) foreign aid contracts, cutting $60 billion in foreign assistance, the U.S. media reported.