The Kyiv Independent's Chris York sits down with Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and political scientist, to discuss the Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the ideological parallels between Putinism and MAGA.
Key developments on Feb. 27: * Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator' * First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says * Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says * Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg
"I don't use those words lightly... I think we're going to see how it all works out," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 24 when asked if he would call Vladimir Putin a dictator the same way he labeled President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Today, we are not talking about any peace agreement... A peace deal cannot be signed in Munich because it is Munich. We remember what things were signed here. I do not repeat such things," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Slovakia, a landlocked country on Ukraine’s western border, is undergoing a dramatic political shift under Prime Minister Robert Fico. As Fico meets with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and cracks down on opposition voices at home, protests are erupting across the country. Tens of thousands of Slovaks have taken to the streets, fearing that their democracy is at risk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held his first official phone conversation on Feb. 12 with Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine but declined to say how many times they had spoken, the New York Post reported on Feb. 8.
North Korea is expected to begin drone production this year with Russian technical assistance, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported on Feb. 8, citing undisclosed sources.
British national Khan is the first to be targeted under the sanctions authorized by newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump that "target the war crimes tribunal over investigations of U.S. citizens or U.S. allies," Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
"It is very important, otherwise it will look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine," Zelensky told Reuters. "It is still important for partners to discuss their issues first, and then have a conversation with the enemy."
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he wanted to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible to end the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Jan. 23.
NATO Chief Mark Rutte said on Jan. 23 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no authority to influence NATO's future membership decisions.
This comes as reported peace proposals, including freezing the front lines, have been publicly rejected by Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that his country would begin peace negotiations if Kyiv agreed to withdraw from the four Ukrainian regions Moscow partly controls.
Moldovan officials have condemned recent remarks by Nikolai Patrushev, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed that Moldova “will either become part of another state or cease to exist” due to its “anti-Russian policy,” Moldovan media outlet NewsMaker reported on January 14.
"When Putin invaded Ukraine, he thought he'd conquer Kyiv in a matter of days ... He has failed thus far to subjugate Ukraine, failed to break the unity of NATO, and failed to make large territorial gains."
Responding to questions from journalists, Putin said that Slovakian officials "would be happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations. We are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not? Since Slovakia takes such a neutral position."
Key developments on Dec. 21-22: * For the first time, Ukraine attacks Russian positions using solely ground, FPV drones * Over 12,000 civilians killed in Ukraine during Russia's full-scale war, UN says * Two Russian airports suspend flights after Ukrainian drones target Kazan, media, officials report * Slovak PM Robert Fico meets with
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on December 22, according to the state-owned TASS news agency.
The FT said Syria's central bank flew nearly two tonnes of $100 bills and €500 notes into the country, which were then deposited in sanctioned Russian banks.
According to Putin's new law, gas purchases are no longer tied to Gazprombank and can be settled by offsetting mutual debts. The U.S. sanctioned Gazprombank on Nov. 21.
Key Development on Nov. 30 - Dec. 1: * 'Article 5 cannot apply to entire territory of Ukraine during wartime,' Zelensky says on potential NATO invite * Russia loses almost 46,000 troops, over $3 billion worth of military equipment in November, Defense Ministry says * Ukraine destroys 3 more Russian radar
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning the adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal, the Russian government’s legal information website published on Nov. 23.
"Russia likely possesses only a handful of these experimental missiles," a U.S. official told the Kyiv Independent, adding that Ukraine has withstood countless attacks from Russia, including from missiles with significantly larger warheads than this weapon.
With Ukraine's future hanging in the balance ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, Ukraine’s president turned up the heat, invoking the specter of nuclear weapons to nudge whoever lands in the Oval Office toward offering more conventional weaponry and robust security guarantees to Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelensky
A total of 6,662 Russian troops have been killed, 10,446 wounded, and 711 captured since Aug. 8, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
The leaders discussed Russia's war against Ukraine, the BRICS agenda, and bilateral relations. Russia hopes to increase cooperation with China on "all international platforms," Putin said.
The Kyiv Independent fills in the gaps in the story of Sergey Korolev, Vladimir Putin’s second-main spy chief, stripping him of a significant portion of his long-lived anonymity.
As the Nov. 5 presidential election in the U.S. approaches, debate is intensifying over whether one of the two potential winners, Donald Trump, will act in the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although discussions on the topic have raged since Trump’s first presidency, they accelerated this week
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a presidential decree on Oct. 10 expanding visa-free entry for Georgian citizens who are working or studying in Russia, as Moscow continues to cozy relations with Tbilisi amid concerns over the country's democratic backsliding.
The Russian president insisted things are going according to plan, two years after annexing southeastern parts of Ukraine that his army still does not fully control.
As President Volodymyr Zelensky kicked off a visit to the U.S. this week in a bid to secure more firepower for his army, Ukrainian soldiers on the ground monitored the news with half-hearted hope, questioning whether Kyiv’s top Western ally would provide enough to help them defeat Russia.
Mongolia laid out the red carpet — literally — for Russian President Vladimir Putin when he arrived in the country on Sept. 2. But as the country is a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s Rome Statute, the visit should have meant Putin’s arrest. Putin was issued an arrest
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