Key developments on Feb. 5: * Ukraine brings back 150 POWs from Russian captivity in prisoner swap * Ukraine strikes Russian oil facility, Buk air defense system overnight, military claims * UK pledges $69 million to boost Ukraine's resilience, grain deliveries to Syria * Ukraine's Defense Ministry introduces robotic units into army * Ukraine should
"We are open to the idea that mineral resources can be developed with our partners who help us protect our land," Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The project, funded by the Italian government, aims to make Ukraine's energy system "more resilient and decentralized" in accordance with the "Build Back Better" principle.
U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to have Ukraine supply the U.S. with rare earths as a condition for aid for the war-torn country. "We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things,
Key developments on Jan. 31: * North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Special Forces say * Ukraine deploys long-range drone capable of 2,000 km strike, military says * Ukrainian drones strike "one of 10 largest oil refineries in Russia," military says * Russian missiles
Norway’s government has effectively become a war profiteer, we argued in a commentary in December. It is an opinion shared by a number of European politicians, and by European and Norwegian media. But rather than paying attention, Norway’s government is getting defensive. The basic facts are not up
Key developments on Jan. 30: * Rescue operations end in Sumy with 9 killed, 13 injured after Russian drone attack on residential building * Sweden unveils its largest military aid package for Ukraine worth $1.2 billion * Lithuania open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, chief commander says * Russia's Soviet-era military stockpile running
The package includes 16 CB90 combat boats with weapons stations, a million rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition, 146 trucks, 1,500 TOW anti-tank missiles, as well as 200 AT4 anti-tank launchers.
Editor's Note: After this op-ed was published, the Kyiv Independent launched a fundraiser to save three Ukrainian newsrooms that suffered from the aid freeze. It probably made sense on paper. In his first week in office, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a 90–day freeze on U.S. foreign
Key developments on Jan. 28: * Putin claims Zelensky doesn't have a right to sign any potential peace deal * 'Pure propaganda' — Kharkiv Oblast governor denies Russian claims of capturing Dvorichna * Italian parliament extends military support for Ukraine through 2025 * SBU says it dismantled Russian spy network targeting F-16 jets * Government dismisses
Earlier, the Italian Senate approved the measure with 192 votes in favor and 41 against.
Following his visit to Kyiv, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced 27 million euros ($27.8 million) in new aid for Ukraine on Jan. 16.
The German government is still discussing a proposed 3 billion euros ($3.09 billion) aid package for Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Jan. 14, according to Ukrinform.
Key developments on Jan. 13: * Russia claims to occupy 2 more villages in Ukraine's east; Kyiv hasn't confirmed * Ukraine's special forces claim to repel North Korean assault in Russia's Kursk Oblast, killing 17 soldiers * Ukraine opens doors to foreign firms for military equipment modernization * Germany announces first deliveries of promised
Kyiv and Rome are discussing the possibility of purchasing Italian-made air defense systems and ammunition using profits from immobilized Russian assets, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Jan. 11.
The initiative reportedly included the provision weapons including three additional Iris-T air defense batteries, 10 howitzers, and more artillery ammunition.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings during the summit, which could be the group's last meeting in the current format.
The order for a new batch of rounds of HEI-T ammunition (High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer) was booked in December 2024 and is funded by the German government.
The meeting will be the first since October 2024, when a leader-level summit in Germany was postponed after U.S. President Joe Biden canceled his foreign trips to handle Hurricane Milton.
The aid package was conditional on Hungary implementing reforms to bring the country into compliance with EU standards by the end of 2024. Budapest failed to meet the requirements, a European Commission spokesperson said.
In a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Zelensky expressed his gratitude for Japan's previous aid to Ukraine, which has totaled $12 billion and "makes it possible to save thousands of lives."
Berlin supplied Ukraine with 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, one short-range and one medium-range IRIS-T air defense system with missiles, two Patriot air defense launchers, and other aid in the latest delivery, the German government said on Dec. 23.
The package is expected to include air defense interceptors and artillery ammunition, one of the sources told Reuters.
The announcement comes amid intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine, including one of the largest aerial strikes on Dec. 13, which targeted energy infrastructure across Ukraine.
At a press conference in Brussels on Dec. 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent threats of using the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Kyiv to test Western air defense systems in what he called a "high-tech duel" with the West.
According to media reports, the package includes over 92 million pound ($115 million) in equipment to support Ukraine's navy, including small boats as well as reconnaissance drones. A further 39 million pounds ($49 million) will be used to supply over 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems.
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has received an order to supply Ukraine with 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles, the company announced on Dec. 17.
The United Kingdom sanctioned 20 vessels of Russia’s "shadow fleet" and pledged 35 million pounds ($44 million) in aid to repair Ukraine’s energy grid, the British government said on Dec. 17.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), one of Germany’s leading political parties, has reaffirmed its support for Ukraine as part of its platform in the upcoming German parliament elections, European Pravda reported on Dec. 14.
French Ambassador to Ukraine Gael Veyssiere expressed confidence that France's policy of assistance to Ukraine would remain unchanged following the appointment of a new prime minister, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Dec. 12.
"I believe that we have enough funds, enough weapons, missiles, and artillery shells to resist at least during the first half of 2025," Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said.
Ukraine is exhausted. Low on manpower, ammunition, and, most importantly, morale, the country is slowly reckoning with the fact that the ongoing war may be unwinnable on the battlefield — at least for now. According to a Gallup survey published on Nov. 19, 52% of Ukrainians now say they want their
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