"This year will be a year of peace," Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares wrote on X, emphasizing Spain's commitment to a "just peace" that ensures Ukraine's sovereignty and freedom.
While the European Commission allegedly does not plan to reinstate pre-war trade rules, it is considering alternatives within the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) framework, including quotas for agricultural products and additional safeguards.
The decision follows ongoing tensions within the Defense Ministry over its weapons procurement process, which has been heavily scrutinized amid reform efforts.
A man attempted to ram the gates of Russia’s embassy in Sweden with a passenger car on Jan. 28, the Swedish television channel SVT Nyheter reported.
Germany's imports of Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) via other EU countries continue to rise despite efforts to cut off direct shipments, the Financial Times wrote on Jan. 28, citing a report by Belgian, German, and Ukrainian NGOs.
The calls are used to pressure relatives into cooperating with Russian forces by demanding money, sensitive information, or illegal actions in exchange for promises of better treatment or inclusion in prisoner exchanges, according to the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs.
A "large amount" of Russian military equipment vanished from the Syrian port of Tartus with the departure of the Russian cargo ship Sparta II, an investigative journalist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Mark Krutov, said on Jan. 27, citing satellite images.
Russian-Israeli oligarch Roman Abramovich evaded millions in taxes in EU countries through a fake yacht-for-hire scheme, according to a joint investigation by the BBC, The Guardian, and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism published on Jan. 28.
"It was necessary to exchange (nuclear arms) for real security guarantees, and at the time, that was only NATO. And to be honest, today, it is only NATO," President Zelensky said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Foglio.
"Due to the Jan. 20, 2025, Executive Order, Securing Our Borders, USCIS is pausing acceptance of Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, until we review all categorical parole processes as required by that order," the statement read.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least four civilians and injured at least 23 over the past day, regional authorities reported on Jan. 28.
This number includes 1,380 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Ambassadors of the Group of Seven (G7) countries called for a quick resolution of the Defense Procurement Agency dispute and urged uninterrupted continuation of weapons procurement, according to their statement on Jan. 27.
The Justice Ministry has requested the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court to confiscate the assets of the Russian oil company Tatneft in Ukraine, Deputy Minister Iryna Bogatyk announced on Jan. 27.
President Volodymyr Zelensky held separate meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron as well as European Council President Antonio Costa on Jan. 27 in Krakow, Poland amid a visit to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"The railway loading equipment has been damaged. There have been no railways loadings, they stopped oil processing," an industry source said.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko turned the country's presidential election into "a one-man political show," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 27.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski believes Trump's recent threats of sanctions against Moscow played a role in Hungary's decision to withdraw its veto.
"If tomorrow, for example, half of the army just goes home, then we should have surrendered on the first day. That's the way it is. Because if half the people go home tomorrow, Putin will kill us all."
Under the new legislation, draft board decisions for individuals deemed fit for service will remain valid for one year. This allows military commissions to send individuals to the army in subsequent drafts without requiring additional medical examinations or decisions.
The three-volume textbook, targeted at schoolchildren, claims Russia was "forced" to invade Ukraine in 2022, citing long-standing grievances such as NATO's eastward expansion and the 2014 ousting of Ukraine's pro-Russian president, which the textbook characterizes as a Western-backed coup.
"While we aim to move fast, the lifting of sanctions can be reversed if wrong steps are taken," EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas posted on X, adding that the EU plans to scale up humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in Syria.
Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys reportedly described the shift as part of a "new era. " Vilnius committed to spending between 5% and 6% of its GDP on defense annually until at least 2030. Estonia followed suit, pledging to raise defense spending from 3.7% of GDP to 5%.
"Fundamental rights and democratic values are core principles of EU integration. Officials that represent a country which trample down these values should not benefit from easier access to the EU," said Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's interior minister.
"Contracting and supplies may be blocked because we are in a legal conflict," Maryna Bezrukova, Defense Procurement Agency head, said.
"The elections in Belarus were transparent and absolutely legitimate. Moscow does not take into account the expected criticism of the elections in Belarus in the West," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media.
"The (European) Commission is ready to continue discussions with Ukraine on the supply to Europe through the gas pipeline system in Ukraine," the statement said.
Russian forces have intensified their assaults near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, deploying small groups in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops, Victor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, said on Jan. 27.
If Ukraine fulfills all the requirements, the Commission expects the launch of cluster negotiations, starting with Cluster I, "Fundamentals," "as soon as possible" in 2025.
A mural depicting Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak was covered with white paint within a day after a picture of it emerged online, the Glavcom media outlet reported on Jan. 27.
Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) denied on Jan. 27 that its head, Kyrylo Budanov, gave an assessment that predicted "serious consequences" for the existence of Ukraine unless negotiations began by the summer.
David Arakhamia, the parliamentary leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, was among the few foreign dignitaries that attended U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration last week, the Independent reported on Jan. 26.
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