Trump claims Putin wants to meet with him 'as soon as possible'
"President Putin said that he wants to meet with me as soon as possible. So we have to wait for this. But we need to end that horrible, horrible war."
Vladimir Putin
Slovak PM Robert Fico to visit Putin in Russia next week, Serbian president says
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had "learned unofficially" of the upcoming visit.
Russia buys acceptance with cash, plunging economy into uncertainty
For Russia's military recruiters, money talks. In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled the federal signing-on bonus for contract soldiers to 400,000 rubles ($3,850) — over five times the country's average monthly wage. Regional governments are expected to top this up further, although the exact amount differs in each
Belarus Weekly: EU imposes new sanctions on Belarusian officials, companies supporting regime
The EU imposes new sanctions on Belarusian officials and companies supporting the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. In response to Belarus and Russia’s artificial migration crisis, the EU pledged 170 million euros for border security and backed Poland’s plan to suspend the right to asylum. Belarus labels exiled National
Russia keeps key interest rate at 21%, defying expert expectations
To rein in accelerating inflation fueled by war spending, Russia's Central Bank has been raising its interest rate — from 7.5 percent in July 2023 to the current 21% - the highest level since the early 2000s.
Putin says full-scale invasion of Ukraine should have been 'earlier,' expresses willingness to meet Trump
When asked what he would have done differently if he could go back to February 2022, the month Russia launched its all-out war against Ukraine, Putin responded, "Knowing what's happening now, back in 2022, I would've thought the decision ought to have been taken earlier."
Ukraine war latest: Zelensky blasts Putin’s Oreshnik threats, calling him ‘dumbass’
Key developments on Dec. 19: * Zelensky blasts Putin’s Oreshnik threats, calling him ‘dumbass’ * Zelensky dismisses ceasefire as Putin’s ploy to regroup, seeks coordinated peace plan * Ukraine strikes 'only oil refinery operating' in Russia's Rostov Oblast, military says * Putin acknowledges sanctions have impact on Russia's economy * Ukraine’s Special
Zelensky dismisses ceasefire as Putin’s ploy to regroup, seeks coordinated peace plan
“We need coordinated work for a lasting peace, not just the suspension of hostilities that Putin seeks in order to buy time,” Zelensky said.
‘Dumbass’ — Zelensky blasts Putin’s Oreshnik threats, 'high-tech' duel proposal with the West
At a press conference in Brussels on Dec. 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent threats of using the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Kyiv to test Western air defense systems in what he called a "high-tech duel" with the West.
Putin claims Russia wasn't 'defeated' in Syria
"Everything what is happening in Syria is not a defeat for Russia," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Russia building road to connect Crimea, Mariupol, with Russia's Rostov Oblast, Putin claims
Moscow has already built a 40-kilometer-long segment between the Russian city of Taganrog and occupied Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin proposes to 'experiment' on Western air defenses by launching Oreshnik at Kyiv
Speaking during his annual press conference and a call-in program, Vladimir Putin again claimed that Russia's "new" Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) cannot be intercepted by air defenses.
Putin acknowledges sanctions have impact on Russia's economy
"The sanctions are having an effect, but they are not of key importance," Russian President Vladimir Putin said when talking about the surging inflation and prices in Russia.
MP Boyko calls Putin 'war criminal,' apologizes for pro-Russian statement after interrogation
“I do not want my words to be used by the Russian Federation or war criminal Putin to justify their aggression against our country,” Boyko said. "If my words insulted some Ukrainians who are fighting on the front line or working on the home front to achieve victory, I want to apologize."
Deals over ideals — Anne Applebaum explains the playbook of autocracies in new book, and how to undermine them
Autocratic regimes like Russia are becoming increasingly bold in their efforts to undermine the principles and norms that came to define the democratic world order in the aftermath of World War II. A month after the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even declared
Russia to mass-produce Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Putin claims
Large-scale production of Russia's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile is a goal for "the near future," Putin alleged at a defense ministry board meeting on Dec. 16.
Russia sets 2025 goal to fully occupy 4 Ukrainian regions, Defense Minister says
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said during a Defense Ministry meeting on Dec. 16 that Moscow aims to seize the entirety of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts in 2025.
South Africa will not invite Putin to next G20 summit over ICC arrest warrant
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be invited to the next G20 summit due to his pending arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a spokesperson of the South African president told Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency on Dec. 15.
How Kadyrov became so powerful, and why Chechnya remains vital for survival of Putin's regime
In December 1994, Russian troops launched a brutal and eventually unsuccessful military campaign against Chechen rebels, effectively beginning the First Chechen War. Thirty years later and two wars since, Chechnya, under strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, has become a key pillar of Russian President Vladimir Putin's oppressive regime. After losing the first
Belarus Weekly: Putin, Lukashenko sign security treaty, promise Oreshnik deployment in Belarus
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko sign a security pact, announcing the potential deployment of Russian Oreshnik missiles in Belarus. Lukashenko frees 29 more political prisoners amid an ongoing pre-election civil society clampdown. Exiled Belarusian activists to face a record 17 in absentia charges for aiding
How will the Russia-Ukraine war end? The good, the bad, and the ugly scenarios
Editor's note: This article is based on a publicly available research report on scenarios for the end of Russia’s war on Ukraine by KI Insights, the Kyiv Independent’s research unit. Read Francis Farrell's full report here. After nearly three years of heavy battles and mass strikes, Russia’s
Putin orders 'emergency support' for struggling Russian coal industry
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for urgent measures to support the country’s coal companies, which face multibillion-dollar losses and risk mass bankruptcies, The Moscow Times reported on Dec. 12.
Ukraine sentences Russian Duma chairman Volodin to 15 years in absentia
Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia’s State Duma, has been sentenced in absentia to 15 years by a Ukrainian court, Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) reported on Dec. 12.
Russia, India sign record oil supply deal, Reuters reports
Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft and Indian refining giant Reliance Industries have finalized a landmark agreement to supply 500,000 barrels of oil daily for the next 10 years, Reuters reported on Dec. 12.
Scholz ready to talk to Putin again despite 'frustrating' phone call
"I will do it again. But we must not have any illusions about it," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, according to Zeit.
'Russian colonialism is not reformable,' says historian Botakoz Kassymbekova
Most Russians seem unwilling to give up the privileges the government gives them at the expense of the country's ethnic minorities, says Botakoz Kassymbekova, a historian focusing on Eastern Europe at the University of Zurich. "Russian colonialism is not reformable," she says. "Russian dissidents want to retain the empire, which
'We hope that at least he won't call Assad' — Zelensky slams Orban for phone call with Putin
President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Dec. 11 following his hour-long call to Russian President Vladimir Putin during which the two discussed the war in Ukraine.
How the downfall of Russia-backed Assad in Syria may affect Ukraine war
The Kyiv Independent’s Natalia Yermak sat down with Neil Quilliam, a Middle East expert at Chatham House, to talk about what it means for Russia’s war in Ukraine and how it might put Kyiv and the West in a more favorable position in the potential peace negotiations with Moscow.
Russia convinced Assad to flee Syria amid rebel offensive, Bloomberg reports
Moscow persuaded Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia with his family after realizing his regime was bound to lose to the opposition's rapid advance, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 11, citing its sources.
Updated: Hungary's Orban calls Putin to discuss Ukraine
The Hungarian government has not yet commented on the call, which appears to have taken place after Orban's visit to Trump's Florida residence.
Politico lists Yermak, Putin among Europe's most influential people
Politico presented on Dec. 10 its end-of-the-year list of the most influential people in Europe, with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak and Russian President Vladimir Putin among the finalists for the "dreamers" and "doers" categories, respectively.
What does Assad’s downfall mean for Russia and Ukraine?
As Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime collapsed in a matter of days, Russia's influence in the Middle East appeared to wane. Preoccupied with its all-out war against Ukraine, Russia was unable to prevent the Dec. 8 downfall of its main ally in the region. The stunning rapidity of the rebels'
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