"I think the Russians want to see the war end, I really do. I think they have the cards a little bit, because they've taken a lot of territory. They have the cards," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Editor's note: The interview has been edited for clarity. Storm clouds are intensifying in Europe as Ukraine approaches the fourth year of the full-scale war with Russia. Initial hopes that U.S. President Donald Trump's new administration might adopt the "peace through strength" approach towards Moscow are beginning to unravel
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Feb. 19 that he had been briefed on the outcome of U.S.-Russian talks in Riyadh, expressing willingness to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The following is the Feb. 18, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. Ukraine's natural resources — We'll take them all please It all seemed to be going swimmingly at first. President
Moscow suggested that American oil companies may return to the country, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said before the talks started in Riyadh.
The second line of the Ukrainian national anthem — “Fate/luck still smiles on us, fellow Ukrainians” — sadly no longer holds. Much worse, we should extend this retreat of luck to Europe itself: Fate/luck no longer smiles on us, fellow Europeans. The situation is now so serious that the same
European foreign ministers and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, Kallas said on X on Feb. 18.
Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants to occupy all of Ukraine and thinks he can outlast Ukraine and Europe in its armed aggression, unnamed intelligence officials said.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Feb. 18 that Russia was prepared to end the "barbarianism" in Ukraine.
U.S. and Russian officials reportedly insisted to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that they wanted to hold the meeting without Ukrainians.
Russia on Feb. 18 ended years of political isolation sparked by its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as a delegation of Kremlin officials met with their U.S. counterparts in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to end the very war it started. The talks ended with little in the way of
Key developments on Feb. 18: * Russia, US conclude Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia, Kremlin advisor says they were 'not bad' * Zelensky postpones Saudi Arabia visit amid Russia-US talks * Over 10,000 applications to join military submitted by young recruits following introduction of 'special contracts,' Defense Ministry says * Explosions
The emergency Ukraine summit held in Paris by European leaders on Feb. 17 exposed divisions between European countries, highlighting how they have so far failed to agree on a coherent plan for supporting Kyiv, analysts have told the Kyiv Independent. French President Emmanuel Macron convened the summit after Brussels and
The package is expected to include 1.5 million artillery shells, air defense systems, and equipment for military brigades. According to Politico, the value of the aid could increase to 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) depending on individual EU member states' contributions.
As U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war in Ukraine kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, appears to have been partially sidelined from the negotiations. Kellogg will focus on talks with Ukraine and Europe,
As many others have now concluded, this year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC) was pretty remarkable. Indeed, it may have been as defining an event as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s infamous 2007 speech, which marked a shift toward a more openly hostile Russian policy toward the West. That shift
The European Union must take greater control of its sanctions policy against Russia as U.S. priorities shift, EU Economy and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Feb. 18.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted Turkey's previous mediation efforts, including the Black Sea grain deal, which enabled Ukrainian agricultural exports until Russia withdrew in 2023.
"We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I don't want any coincidences, so I'm not going to Saudi Arabia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
For nearly three years, all of Ukraine has been living under martial law. The introduction of martial law temporarily suspended some civilian rights and freedoms and gave the government additional emergency powers in order to fight off Russia’s invasion. Mandatory curfews keep people off the streets at night. Elections
Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, said it was a "very serious discussion of all the issues we wanted to touch upon."
Russia has widely used the claim that Volodymyr Zelensky is illegitimate in its propaganda to discredit the Ukrainian government.
"If you don't invest, if you're not strong, they handle you like kids," Armin Papperger said.
U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to bring peace to Ukraine. But his approach cannot work, because it fails to address the problem of security guarantees. There will be no peace as long as Ukraine must face Russia on its own. But perhaps this flaw can be overcome.
Though the U.S. and Russia are meeting without Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky will also head to Saudi Arabia this week.
"We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine," French President Emmanuel Macron said. "To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians."
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to provide American military backing for a proposed European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, arguing that only a U.S. security guarantee can deter Russia from launching further aggression.
Speaking to journalists in Brussels on Feb. 17, U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg confirmed his travel plans, saying he would first head to Warsaw on the following day before taking a night train to Kyiv.
Russia's UN Representative Vasily Nebenzya claimed that a ceasefire and freezing hostilities alone would not resolve the conflict, outlining Moscow's conditions for a settlement.
Presidential Office Deputy Head Ihor Zhovkva stressed the urgency of appointing a European representative, saying, "It should be a quickly made decision. I hope right after the Paris meeting. We should act, not reflect."
After years of political isolation sparked by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss how to bring an end to the war. Neither Ukraine nor Europe has been invited to the main discussion, setting off alarm bells in
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York speaks with Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations, about the upcoming U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and why he thinks Ukraine should not be overly concerned about U.S. President Donald Trump's first steps toward peace negotiations
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