Former French President François Hollande didn’t have an easy time in office, having been struck by one domestic crisis after another during his 2012-2017 tenure. Hollande also was in office when Russia first launched its war against Ukraine, now well in its eighth year. In February 2014, Russian troops
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Key developments on Dec. 27: * Putin, Lukashenko claim to have agreed on ‘many issues’ at regional summit * Ukraine’s State Border Service: Russia has not formed strike force at Ukraine-Belarus border yet * Ukraine’s Defense Ministry: Bakhmut ‘courageously’ standing amid Russia’s non-stop onslaught * Shmyhal: There will be no emergency
CHORNOBAIVKA, Kherson Oblast – Hours before the Ukrainian forces arrived to liberate this village outside Kherson on Nov. 11, a breathless local man sprinted into its one small hospital. The morning’s shelling had hit his neighbor — the local saw him screaming, covered in blood. With no mobile service or any
As Christmas Day approached, the team of one popular restaurant in the heart of Kyiv was running against the clock to bake a large batch of Christmas cakes. The cakes weren’t for sale, though. Restaurateur Tetiana Mytrofanova and her team are on a mission to bake hundreds of Christmas
Key developments on Dec. 26: * Foreign Ministry calls on United Nations members to expel Russia * Ukraine seeks peace summit with UN involvement by end of February * Over 60% of infrastructure in eastern city of Bakhmut damaged or destroyed. On Dec. 26, Ukraine called on United Nations member states to expel
Key developments on Dec. 25: * Governor: At least 16 killed, 64 wounded due to Russian shelling on Christmas eve in Kherson Oblast * Putin claims readiness for negotiations, blames West for refusing to talk. * World leaders deliver Christmas message to Ukraine * General Staff: Russia shells more than 20 settlements in Bakhmut,
Foreign leaders have voiced their support for Ukraine in their Christmas messages as the Ukrainians are facing their most difficult winter holidays in the country's independent history. Despite the holiday season, Ukrainian soldiers are putting their lives at risk to defend cities from deadly Russian assaults, with the fiercest battle
Key developments on Dec. 23: * Russia doesn’t want peace, but pause for regrouping, says NATO chief * Russia’s attacks across 7 Ukrainian oblasts kill 5, injure 14 over past day * 54 Russian torture chambers discovered in liberated areas NATO chief skeptical about Russia-Ukraine peace talks In an op-ed for
Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Belarus on Dec. 19 didn't deliver any particular results. Routine statements about joint exercises, a new round of nuclear blackmail, and assurances that Russia will not annex Belarus were among the key talking points during Putin's press conference in Minsk. Russia again began increasing
Key developments on Dec. 22: * Associated Press discovers over 10,000 new graves in Russian-occupied Mariupol * Zelensky meets with Polish President in Rzeszów on return from historic trip to US * US Congress approves amendment to transfer seized assets of Russian oligarchs to Ukraine * Putin calls Patriot missile systems 'outdated' after
Former Russian Deputy Prime Minister and ex-сhair of space agency Roscosmos Dmitrii Rogozin was wounded along with top proxy official Vitalii Khotsenko in an attack on a restaurant outside occupied Donetsk on the evening of Dec. 21. According to Russian media outlets as well as Rogozin himself, two people were
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Dec. 22 in Rzeszow, Poland. The meeting concludes Zelensky's first foreign trip since Russia launched its full-scale war in February. "We discussed future strategic plans, bilateral relations, and joint actions at the international level next year," Zelensky
For many Ukrainians, holiday celebrations will look different this year. Some are in foreign countries, separated from friends and family. Some will have an empty seat at the dinner table. Christmas lights will be a little dimmer. In this special festive bonus episode, we’re catching up with various Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky received a lasting standing ovation as he was about to deliver a historic address before U.S. Congress late on Dec. 21. “It is too much for me,” he said with a smile before proceeding with his remarks. Zelensky spoke in English for roughly 25 minutes and
Key developments on Dec. 21: * Zelensky visits Washington, meets Biden * US announces $1.85 billion military assistance, including transfer of Patriot air defense system * Washington Post: Kyiv’s long-sought Patriot system not expected to arrive before spring * Putin claims his army has ‘no financial limits,’ acknowledges ‘certain problems’ in fall
President Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Washington, D.C., on Dec. 21 to meet his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden, leaving the country for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two nations. Biden and U.S. First Lady Jill
This holiday season, as people celebrate with their families and stroll brightly-decorated streets across the world, Russia's war against Ukraine has reached a crucial point. Ukraine's autumn campaign has been a resounding success, with counteroffensives in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Kherson oblasts liberating thousands of square kilometers of territory. More importantly,
For Ukraine, the story of 2022 is the story of war. Russia's war against Ukraine started in 2014 in Crimea and Donbas, but it turned into a full-scale invasion in 2022. This year, the war has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes. Russia has bombed
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed early on Dec. 21 that he's on his way to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden for his first foreign trip since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in late February this year. "On my way to the U.S. to strengthen
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Dec. 20 signed into law a bill on the Constitutional Court that may derail Ukraine’s European integration. The bill regulates the selection of Constitutional Court judges. It has been criticized by Ukraine’s civil society and the West because it fails to give foreign experts
Key developments on Dec. 20: * Zelensky makes surprise visit to Bakhmut, meets front-line soldiers * Kuleba: Wagner Group should be recognized internationally as ‘terrorist organization’ * Governor: 80% of Kyiv Oblast left without electricity * EU's Borrell calls on Iran to ‘immediately stop military support to Russia’ President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise
In December 2021, most forecasts voiced in the media did not give Ukraine much of a chance in case of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ten months after it started on Feb. 24, 2022, experts and media discuss where Ukraine will strike next, and what else Russia can do to save
Key developments on Dec. 19: * Russia receives 250 more Iranian-made kamikaze drones, says Zelensky * Russia attacks Kyiv with 35 drones, air defense downs 30 * "Very high" risk of new Russian offensive towards occupied Transnistria, says Moldovan intelligence Russia launched another attack on Ukraine using Iranian-made kamikaze drones before sunrise on
Key developments on Dec. 17-18: * Ukraine issues warning ahead of Putin-Lukashenko talks on Dec. 19 * 2 killed, 4 wounded in Russian shelling of Kherson * Fierce fighting rages in Bakhmut, Avdiivka areas in Donetsk Oblast Ukraine’s military on Dec. 18 warned of potential border escalation ahead of Russian President Vladimir
Key developments on Dec. 16: * Military: 60 of 76 Russian missiles shot down during 7th mass strike on energy infrastructure * Officials: At least 3 civilians killed, around 9 power generating facilities damaged * EU condemns ‘Kremlin’s indiscriminate terror,” adopts 9th sanctions package against Russia * Mass power outages reported in Kyiv,
Following a visit by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu last week, Belarus conducted a sudden inspection of troops' and continues to engage in covert mobilization. Russia deploys additional military aircraft to Belarus, including those capable of carrying Kinzhal ballistic missiles. As Belarus launches the first in absentia trials against several
Editor's Note: This story is being updated as new developments regarding Russia's mass missile strike on Ukraine on Dec. 16 are emerging. Russia unleashed the seventh large-scale missile barrage on Ukraine on the morning of Dec. 16, targeting energy infrastructure across the country. Explosions were reported in Kyiv, and multiple
Key developments on Dec. 15: * Ukrainian officials predict Russia to launch new major offensive in January-February 2023 * Zaluzhnyi: Russia likely to attempt capturing Kyiv again, trains 200,000 new soldiers * European Parliament recognizes Holodomor as genocide against Ukrainian people * Prosecutors: Paramedic, elderly man killed during Russian shelling in Kherson Russia
The upcoming operation "is not visible yet," Chief Commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi said in an interview with the Economist.
The 20th century saw the development of an international rule-based order dictated by the United States, with countries tacitly abiding by certain rules in order to trade and prosper with guaranteed security. But now that Russia has removed itself from this system through horrific actions that many deem to be
Key developments on Dec. 14: * Russia attacks Kyiv with 13 Iranian-made drones; all shot down, no casualties * European Parliament approves 18 billion euro aid package for Ukraine after deal with Hungary * 64 Ukrainian soldiers, US citizen return from Russian captivity * Kremlin: Patriot air defense system would ‘definitely’ be target for
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