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U.S. President Donald Trump in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S., on Oct. 23, 2026.
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Putin's two-war advantage over Trump

by Katie Marie Davies

Two wars are testing U.S. President Donald Trump's ability to shape world events — and Russia is using the situation to its advantage. As the U.S. pushes Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is also involved in the war between the U.S. and Iran. Major news outlets have reported that Russia is sharing military intelligence with Tehran, even as Trump has praised Moscow for staying out of the fighting. The contradiction was clear last week. During high-level talks in St. Petersburg, U.S.

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Exclusive: Trump envoy's push to reopen Lithuanian ports to Belarus exposes rift in Washington

The Trump administration's push to reopen Lithuanian ports to Belarusian potash exports is being driven by U.S. envoy John Coale and does not reflect a broader policy shift in Washington, multiple U.S. and European officials told the Kyiv Independent. The initiative has little support within the administration, with U.S. officials describing it as Coale acting independently rather than advancing an agreed government policy. Lithuania, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, also has no plans to change

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv water supply disrupted after power fluctuations due to Russian attacks

Key developments on Nov. 5: * Water supply disruptions return in Kyiv, metro service temporarily suspended due to power fluctuations * Death toll of Russian strike on Komyshuvakha rises to 43 as search continues * Russian strikes on Ukraine’s drug supply chain leave pharmacy shelves empty * Poland detains 6 suspects working for Russian intelligence, Polish official says * Ukrainian woman dies in illegal Russian detention in Crimea * Pro-Russian Latvian moves to Russia, gets forcibly consc

100 days in, what changed for Ukraine's soldiers under Commander-in-Chief Drapatyi?

Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi marked 100 days as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in late October, as Ukraine regains ground in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast and seeks to improve defensive positions before winter. Drapatyi, one of Ukraine's most popular generals, was appointed in July with high expectations that he would deliver much-needed reforms to the armed forces. His promotion to commander-in-chief came after President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed his unpopular pr

About Russia

The Kyiv Independent’s coverage of news on Russia. Spanning eleven time zones across Eastern Europe and Asia, Russia has an estimated population of 146 million people. Russia’s capital city is Moscow, which is home to almost one in 10 Russians. Russia’s official currency is the Russian Ruble.

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