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Politics

Exclusive: Trump envoy's push to reopen Lithuanian ports to Belarus exposes rift in Washington
Politics

Exclusive: Trump envoy's push to reopen Lithuanian ports to Belarus exposes rift in Washington

by Jimmy Rushton

The Trump administration's push to reopen Lithuanian ports to Belarusian potash exports is being driven by U.S. envoy John Coale and does not reflect a broader policy shift in Washington, multiple U.S. and European officials told the Kyiv Independent. The initiative has little support within the administration, with U.S. officials describing it as Coale acting independently rather than advancing an agreed government policy. Lithuania, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, also has no plans to change

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How we got here: 5 years of the Kyiv Independent

Five years ago today, a group of journalists in Kyiv was fired for standing up to their newspaper's owner. He wanted to take control of editorial decisions and end their critical coverage of Ukrainian authorities. These journalists faced a choice — to accept it quietly or attempt to start something completely new. Driven by the belief that Ukraine needed a truly independent voice in English, they dared to launch the Kyiv Independent. “This was a perfect moment to sigh, tuck our tails and walk

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