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Why Trump’s capture of Venezuela’s Maduro is both a blessing and a curse for Russia
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Why Trump’s capture of Venezuela’s Maduro is both a blessing and a curse for Russia

by Oleg Sukhov

The U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, a Kremlin ally, is a blow to Russia's influence in Latin America. However, Russia may also derive some benefits from U.S. President Donald Trump's unprovoked intervention. First, Trump's apparent violation of international law plays into the Kremlin's handbook, analysts say. Russia is likely to use the legally dubious U.S. operation as a justification for its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Second, Russia may also ac

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Thursday, January 8

Ukraine war latest: Oil tanker en route to Russia hit by drone in Black Sea

Hello, this is Chris York reporting from Kyiv on day 1,415 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: An oil tanker en-route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk was struck by a drone on Jan.8, Reuters reported citing a notice by Lloyd's List Intelligence The Palau-flagged Elbus "experienced an unmanned marine-vehicle and drone attack" in the Black Sea after departing from Singapore. None of the 25 crew were reported injured and the vessel made its way to the Turkish port o

‘End of NATO’ — Trump’s Greenland ambitions put Ukraine in a diplomatic bind

The European-U.S. alliance, already buckling under the Trump administration's aggressive foreign policy, faces its most daunting challenge yet — Greenland. U.S. President Donald Trump recently reiterated his dubious claim on Denmark's autonomous island, fanning fears about the fragility of transatlantic unity at the worst possible moment. European leaders must now balance between standing up to Washington's expansionism and their reliance on the U.S. backing in the face of Russian aggression i

U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. on Jan. 6, 2026.

Zelensky's new inner circle: The power shift behind Ukraine's latest reset

The new round of peace negotiations felt different. Not because of the substance of the talks, rather due to the people leading them. In early January, President Volodymyr Zelensky conducted a major reshuffle of Ukraine's leadership, signaling a new approach to governing the country going forward. For key positions, Zelensky picked popular officials and military figures, many of whom had previously been sidelined by former President’s Office Head Andriy Yermak. The negotiations team now featu

Art of the (peace) deal: Ukraine teases $800 billion economic peace plan to keep Trump on side

Behind closed doors, Ukraine and its allies are discussing the war-torn country’s economic recovery alongside a potential peace deal. At the heart of these conversations is the new so-called Economic Prosperity Plan — a package "for economic recovery, restoring jobs, and bringing life back to Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Dec. 30. Ukrainian officials say rebuilding the country and jump-starting long-term growth will require as much as $800 billion over 10 years — rou

German Chancellor Merz, President Zelensky, U.S. envoy Witkoff, and Kushner in Berlin, Germany, on Dec. 15, 2025.

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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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'Embarrassing' — We asked 3 experts why Venezuela's Russian-supplied air defenses were AWOL

A fire burns at Fuerte Tiuna, after a series of explosions in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 3, 2026.

Of all the images that emerged from the U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3, one of the most surreal was the sight of a fleet of American helicopters flying unchallenged over the skies of Caracas. Video from Caracas, Venezuela shows U.S. military helicopters, including CH-47 Chinook and V-22 Osprey aircraft, operating over Caracas alongside multiple explosions. The cause and context of the blasts remain unconfirmed. pic.twitter.com/owOx9X7DPP — George

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