Politics

Bohdana self-propelled howitzer at Russian positions in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on May 31, 2026
Politics

Why Ukraine is talking about ending 'hot phase' of Russia's war before winter

by Tim Zadorozhnyy

Kyiv hopes U.S.-mediated peace talks with Moscow could yield results before winter as Ukrainian officials grow concerned about shortages of anti-missile systems and signs Russia may be preparing a new mobilization. President Volodymyr Zelensky told lawmakers from his Servant of the People party in late May that Kyiv sees what he described as a realistic opportunity to end the war, according to two people familiar with the matter. Head of Zelensky's office, Kyrylo Budanov, later publicly echoed

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'Enough of the war' — Zelensky throws down gauntlet to Putin in open letter

"Almost half of your 26 years of power in Russia you have spent in the war against Ukraine," Zelensky wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Whatever you say about NATO, geopolitics and the Russian language, this war is your personal choice — a war without a real reason. This is how history will remember it."

Ukraine war latest: Russians in panic after Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg

Editor's note: Got an opinion on anything you've read in the Kyiv Independent so far? Send it to letters@kyivindependent.com, and it may appear in our Letters section. Key developments on June 4: * 'What should we do?' Russians in panic after Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg * Ukraine strikes Russian patrol ship in Sea of Azov, confirms damage to St. Petersburg oil terminal * Why Ukraine is talking about ending 'hot phase' of Russia's war before winter * Ukraine strips 8 military units of ri

Russia is flooding Ukraine with fake migrant stories — and it's working

Claims of an alleged migrant "influx" have become increasingly common in Ukraine in recent months, in what experts describe as a coordinated disinformation operation. The central theme in these claims is that foreign labor migrants are allegedly arriving in Ukraine to replace the country's population while Ukrainian men continue fighting at the front. The claims have spread quickly across social media and Telegram channels, and even appeared in mainstream reporting. Although Ukrainian media o

A builder works at an underground school construction site in Shyroke, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 15, 2024.
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