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Exclusive: Ukraine, Russia are done with Steve Witkoff. Trump sees no problem
Politics

Exclusive: Ukraine, Russia are done with Steve Witkoff. Trump sees no problem.

Kyiv and Moscow are growing increasingly frustrated with the U.S.-mediated peace process — and with Washington's Envoy Steve Witkoff, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has emerged as a key peace negotiator, traveled to Russia and Ukraine in early September in an attempt to restart stalled negotiations. They left both countries with little to show for the effort. Behind the scenes, however, several separate efforts are
As Russia targets Ukraine’s economy, keeping businesses alive takes priority
Business

As Russia targets Ukraine’s economy, keeping businesses alive takes priority

As Russian attacks on Ukraine's businesses escalate, the government's push to attract investment to Ukraine's wartime economy is coming up against a more immediate challenge: keeping businesses alive at all. "When the attacks started, we realized that the challenge was about more than raising investment. It's also about keeping supply chains and businesses going, like pharmacies, food and retail goods that are needed to survive," Deputy Economy Minister Yegor Perelygin told the Kyiv Independent
Inside Russia's 2026 parliamentary election: Banned opposition, rigging, and war
 (Updated:  Russia

Inside Russia's 2026 parliamentary election: Banned opposition, rigging, and war

A parliamentary election kicked off in Russia on Sept. 18 in what is expected to be a rubber-stamp ritual intended to legitimize President Vladimir Putin's rule. The election will be held over several days and will be completed on Sept. 20. The voting is taking place amid growing frustration among Russians with the war as its costs mount, and Ukraine intensifies drone strikes on Russian territory. However, there is little opportunity for voters to express their discontent since anti-war parti
Fact check: Zelensky's former press secretary says she speaks for Ukrainians. Her claims tell a different story

Fact check: Zelensky's former press secretary says she speaks for Ukrainians. Her claims tell a different story

A Zelensky aide-turned-critic, Iuliia Mendel argues that the Kyiv leadership and its Western allies stand in the way of peace — and that she is the genuine Ukrainian voice to cut through the lies. Since her controversial appearance on U.S. podcaster Tucker Carlson's show in May, Zelensky's former press secretary has been increasingly accused of echoing Kremlin narratives, dressed up as a persecuted call for peace. She sought another chance to deliver her message to international audiences on S
How a dissident poet became Ukraine’s moral compass

How a dissident poet became Ukraine’s moral compass

Editor's Note: This story is part of the "Hidden Canon"  – a special series celebrating Ukrainian classic literature and aiming to bring it to a wider international audience. The series is supported by the Ukrainian Institute. One Christmas Eve night, in a prison camp in the Russian republic of Mordovia, Ukrainian female political prisoners braved the cold to gather near the barbed wire that separated them from the men to sing carols. They gathered there for the poet Vasyl Stus, who had been g
Editorial: The world must force Russia to end mass starvation in occupied Oleshky

Editorial: The world must force Russia to end mass starvation in occupied Oleshky

Some 6,000 people — 200 of them children — are right now starving to death in a humanitarian catastrophe orchestrated by Vladimir Putin's Russia. The town of Oleshky and its surrounding district in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast exist under Russian occupation as a prison — and it is rapidly turning into a death camp. No one is allowed in or out. The last food delivery was on May 26. Medical supplies are close to non-existent. Russia's treatment of Oleshky's civilians is reminiscent of th
Life in Russian-occupied Oleshky was dire. Now it's 'hell'
 (Updated:  

The situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky was dire. Now it's 'hell'

Residents in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast face an escalating humanitarian crisis, as constant Russian drone attacks and artillery shelling have made it impossible to deliver essential food and medicine supplies or evacuate civilians by road. "These people need to be saved," Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said on Sept. 16, adding that residents are desperate to escape "from this hell." "People are driven to despair and are simply walking along mined roads (to e
Ukraine war latest: Russian missile, drone attack on Kyiv injures at least 20

Ukraine war latest: Russian missile, drone attack on Kyiv injures at least 20

Key developments on Sept. 16: * At least 20 injured, including children, in Kyiv following Russian missile, drone attack * Ukrainian collaborator involved in Russia's sham 'referendums' killed in Ukrainian drone strike, Russian media claims * Ukraine strikes 2 S-400 launchers in Russia's Bryansk Oblast, General Staff claims * Russian drone attack on Tanzania-flagged vessel kills captain, injures 3 crew members, Ukraine says * Russian forces strike major Ukrainian steel plant for 4th time i
'Sanctions from Hell' — Can West finally choke off Kremlin's war machine?
Opinion

'Sanctions from Hell' — Can West finally choke off Kremlin's war machine?

The U.S. House of Representatives just voted on sweeping new sanctions aimed at putting further pressure on Russia's economy and its war machine, including measures targeting Moscow's energy sector, defense industry, "shadow fleet" and foreign networks helping it evade sanctions. The effectiveness of these measures, however, will ultimately depend on how consistently they are enforced and how actively and responsibly U.S. President Donald Trump uses the authorities they provide. The legislatio