Editor's note: This article is a special edition of the KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter, looking at challenges and opportunities facing Ukraine in 2025. 2025 is gearing up to be a decisive year for Ukraine. The country’s leadership will need to navigate a turbulent international landscape, as well
The EU does not anticipate potential negotiations or a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia in the near future, a high-ranking EU official told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Premier Donald Tusk met on Dec. 12 in Warsaw. High on the agenda was how to support Ukraine in the “new Transatlantic context.” On the sidelines of the visit, the Élysée emphasized that “France’s position is that it is necessary to support Ukraine
The Hungarian side "did not discuss anything" with Ukraine and "did not warn about its contacts with Moscow," said Dmytro Lytvyn, the presidential communications adviser, referring to Viktor Orban’s recent phone call with Vladimir Putin.
Unlike during his first term in the White House, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump appears determined to keep many of his campaign promises. His cabinet nominations — from the Kremlin-friendly Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence to the conspiracy-loving vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as Secretary of Health and
Russian President Vladimir Putin denies Ukraine’s right to sovereignty, having invaded it twice since 2014. Thankfully, his efforts to subjugate the country have been thwarted by the courage of the Ukrainian people. After two and a half years of fiercely defending their homeland, it has become abundantly clear that
Plans for ending the war, rumors of a new “Minsk 3.0” contact group, preparations for elections in Ukraine… The casual observer might be excused for thinking peace in Ukraine is just around the corner. This is fueled by a lot of wishful thinking both in Ukraine and abroad, but
Ukraine’s bold incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast gives the country a much-needed breakthrough on the battlefield, and represents yet another setback for the Kremlin. Yet the operation is not a military game-changer. Even as Ukrainian forces have occupied more than 400 square miles (over 1,000 square kilometers)
"Many countries have proposed the idea of a ceasefire, but no one thinks about what it means. Some 25% of Ukrainian territory would remain under Russian control, which means buying time for Russia to strengthen its capabilities and resume its attacks on Ukraine," Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him he did not have positive expectations of enacting a ceasefire agreement before serious peace talks begin.
Retired General Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, who previously served on the National Security Council in the Trump administration, said the proposed ceasefire would freeze the frontlines in their current position.
President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Guardian in an interview he believes such an approach would green light further attacks by Russia, “reducing to zero” the U.S.’s global influence.
If Russia is able to rebuild its forces during a pause in fighting, it will be able to become strong enough to issue ultimatums to Ukraine, such ceding territory, a pledge not to join alliances (such as NATO), or other undesirable conditions, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year term as Ukraine’s president expired on May 20. For most Ukrainian citizens, including the country’s constitutionalists, the path forward is clear: Zelensky should continue as president until martial law in Ukraine ends and new elections can take place. But critics argue that Zelensky and
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for discussions on a ceasefire in Ukraine to begin following a diplomatic forum in the Turkish city of Antalya, Reuters reported.
