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.
Vladimir Putin
‘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 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'
Russia’s defense spending surges to record levels, media reports
Russia’s spending on “national defense” reached an unprecedented $43 billion in the third quarter of 2024, The Moscow Times reported on Dec. 9.
Russia seeks Turkey’s help to withdraw troops from Syria, CNN Turk reports
According to the outlet’s correspondent in Ankara, Russia has proposed relocating its forces to Turkish-controlled areas of Syria before transporting them to Russia by air.
Trump 'formulating a concept' to end Russia-Ukraine war
Russian President Vladimir Putin should seek an end to the war as he lost 700,000 people to hostilities, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said in comments for the New York Post published on Dec. 8.
Trump urges Putin it's 'time to act' on ceasefire negotiations with Zelensky
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take action toward negotiating a truce, saying on Dec. 8: "I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!"
Syria's Assad, his family have arrived in Moscow after being granted asylum, sources tell Russian news agencies
Russian news agencies reported on Dec. 8 that Syria's Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Russia, where they have been granted asylum on "humanitarian grounds."
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine has lost 43,000 soldiers in action since start of invasion, Zelensky says
Key developments on Dec. 7-8: * Ukraine has lost 43,000 soldiers in action since start of invasion, Zelensky says * Russia claims control of village in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine has not confirmed capture * Situation in Zaporizhzhia Oblast 'difficult,' but 'predicted,' Freedom of Russia Legion spokesperson says * Ukrainian sea drones
Trump tells NBC News Ukraine should likely prepare for reduced US aid
Trump reiterated that he is working to end the hostilities in Ukraine, reinforcing his earlier campaign claim that he could resolve the war within 24 hours if he were in charge.
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