Editor’s note: Ukrainian soldiers featured in this story are identified by first name only since they spoke without authorization from their command. Nearly four months after Kyiv launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, some Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly pessimistic about the costly operation. “Aviation is
With the fate of further U.S. support for Ukraine, and thereby the future of the country, up in the air as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the EU wants to send the message to Kyiv that it has its back. Kaja Kallas, the EU's new
Key Development on Nov. 30 - Dec. 1: * 'Article 5 cannot apply to entire territory of Ukraine during wartime,' Zelensky says on potential NATO invite * Russia loses almost 46,000 troops, over $3 billion worth of military equipment in November, Defense Ministry says * Ukraine destroys 3 more Russian radar
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Nov. 27 decision to choose Keith Kellogg as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia is not ideal for Kyiv but is an acceptable and reasonable choice for Ukraine, analysts say. Kellogg has co-authored a peace plan that would freeze the front line in Ukraine,
"Putin wants to escalate the situation now so that President Trump fails to end the war," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"Keith Kellogg is not a new person for Ukraine. The Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S. has maintained close ties with him, in particular within the framework of expert diplomacy in recent years, and has developed and maintained a good dialogue with him during this time," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
U.S. political commentator Tucker Carlson, a controversial figure who holds influence by having Donald Trump's ear, has slammed the outgoing administration's decision to provide Kyiv with landmines, warning the weaponry Ukraine claims it needs to defend itself from Russia's invasion will only "kill innocents." "There's no justification for using
Key developments on Nov. 27: * The Economist estimates 60,000-100,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in full-scale war * Russia claims Ukraine's drones, missiles attacked Crimea, explosion reported near airfield * Ukrainian soldiers repel attempted Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia sector, National Guard commander says * Trump nominates retired General Keith Kellogg for Ukraine peace
In June, Reuters reported that General Keith Kellogg proposed Donald Trump a plan that would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.
According to Ukraine's former diplomacy chief, Ukraine is a "personal obsession for Putin" but also a way to "show to the world how the West is incapable of defending itself or what it stands for."
Many U.S. officials now acknowledge that Ukraine could be pushed into talks within months and might be forced to cede territory to end the war, the Washington Post (WP) reported on Nov. 26.
"It is my belief that Trump has made considerable contributions to world peace, and that he can make more in the future," Merezhko, an MP from Zelensky's Servant of the People party and chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, wrote in his letter.
There are some $4-5 billion of frozen Russian assets in the U.S. and it will be up to President-elect Donald Trump to decide what to do with them when he takes office in January 2025. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western nations froze around $300 billion of
U.S. citizens remain split on whether to continue sending military support to Ukraine, with a razor-thin majority voicing opposition, according to a CBS/YouGov poll published on Nov. 25.
Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. election revived discussion among European allies on sending military personnel or private defense contractors to Ukraine, Le Monde reported on Nov. 25, citing undisclosed sources.
"You talk about sending American weapons to Ukraine, which you believe will lead to the Third World War. Putin’s Russia is in trouble, so Putin wants to scare you and people like you," Ukrainian former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko said.
Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter covering events from Nov. 24-Nov. 30. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events, delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. It is Thanksgiving next week. Expect significant disruptions
Rutte and Trump discussed a range of security issues facing NATO, according to the military alliance's press release.
Grenell has previously suggested a peace plan in Ukraine involving the creation of "autonomous zones" and has opposed Ukraine's membership in NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 21 announced his country had launched a new type of missile in an attack on Ukraine, a demonstration of military might meant to deter Kyiv's allies from further support against his full-scale invasion. "There are currently no ways of countering this weapon. The missiles
Donald Trump’s re-election has sent political shockwaves across the Atlantic, pushing Germany — Ukraine’s second-largest donor — into a decisive moment. The election has intensified internal divides and sparked a reckoning over Germany’s role in European security. For years, German leaders deferred tough decisions on Ukraine, relying on U.
Speaking on her podcast Nikki Haley Live, the ex-South South Carolina governor slammed Tulsi Gabbard’s past statements and actions, particularly her criticism of NATO and her remarks about Russia’s "legitimate security concerns" regarding Ukraine’s potential NATO membership.
"(Donald Trump) saw everything from the point of view of a property developer, which is what he was before he came into politics. Every plot of land could only be sold once, and if he didn't get it, someone else would," Angela Merkel says in her memoir.
Key developments on Nov. 20: * Ukraine strikes Russia with Storm Shadows for the first time, Bloomberg reports * Biden approves delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine in light of Russian gains in east * Ukrainian drones allegedly strike Russian factories, weapons arsenal * North Korean troops in Russia to be led by secrecy-shrouded
Whitaker, who served briefly as acting U.S. attorney general during Trump's first term, has no evident experience in national security, diplomacy, or foreign policy.
The first reports of Ukraine striking deep inside Russia with U.S.-supplied ATACMS emerged on Nov. 19, marking a long-awaited shift in White House policy that could bolster Ukraine's defense against a 50,000-strong joint Russian-North Korean force assembled against them. President Joe Biden's decision to finally grant Kyiv
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Nov. 19 that Ukraine had launched the U.S.-made ATACMS missiles against Russia's Bryansk Oblast. Hours prior, Ukraine struck a Russian military facility in Karachev, Bryansk Oblast, a two-hour drive from the Ukrainian-controlled part of Russia. President Joe Biden's decision to finally allow
President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that Ukraine risks losing the war if aid from the new U.S. administration is cut. "Of course, anyway, we will stay, and we will fight. We have production, but it's not enough to prevail. And I think it is not enough to survive."
For the first time, five current and former Russian officials outlined to Reuters the Kremlin’s potential terms for a Trump-brokered peace deal.
Despite warnings from some analysts ahead of the U.S. elections that a win by the Republican nominee Donald Trump could become a “worst-case scenario” for Ukraine, the mood in Kyiv after his victory was far more mixed. Some Ukrainians are optimistic that the president-elect could improve Kyiv’s standing
"Strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities must go hand in hand with maintaining the United States’ commitment to enhancing our security," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda accused German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Nov. 18 of undermining U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s potential role in Ukraine peace negotiations to rebuild Germany’s ties with Russia.
