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Volodymyr Zelensky

‘It will not be like before’: Ukrainian politicians respond to Trump’s win with caution, uncertainty

‘It will not be like before’: Ukrainian politicians respond to Trump’s win with caution, uncertainty

by Andrea Januta

With Republican candidate Donald Trump set to become the next U.S. president, Ukrainian politicians have reacted carefully – congratulating the former-turned-future president and emphasizing the need for diplomacy and cooperation, while also expressing uncertainty about what his victory means for Ukraine. Most politicians indicated no surprise at the outcome, which

Will Ukraine develop its own nuclear weapons?

Will Ukraine develop its own nuclear weapons?

by Oleg Sukhov

Amid the looming risk that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may pull the plug on Washington's support for Ukraine, Kyiv has begun to flirt with the option of nuclear deterrence. The prospect of such a scenario was raised weeks earlier when President Volodymyr Zelensky in October said he had told

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast

by The Kyiv Independent news desk

Key developments on Nov. 5: * Umerov confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast * Ukrainian Legion in Poland reportedly receives over 500 applications in a month * North Korean military involvement in Russia's war to be met with 'coordinated response,' G7 foreign ministers say * 'Zelensky wants

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine facing one of Russia's 'most powerful' offensives since start of all-out war

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine facing one of Russia's 'most powerful' offensives since start of all-out war

by The Kyiv Independent news desk

Key developments on Nov.2-3: * Ukraine facing one of Russia's 'most powerful' offensives since start of all-out war, Syrskyi says * North Korean soldiers sent to Ukrainian border equipped with standard infantry weapons, military intelligence says * Locations of Ukrainian weapons systems revealed on Google Maps, official says * Russia launched around 900

President Volodymyr Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky has been president of Ukraine since 2019. Born in Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city in central Ukraine, Zelensky was known as a media personality and actor before becoming Ukraine’s sixth president.

The 46-year-old’s transformation into a wartime leader saw his approval ratings rise from 37% before the full-scale invasion, to 90% in May 2022. His approval rating fell to 62% by the end of 2023.

Zelensky's five-year term officially ended in May 2024 but he remains president while martial law, enacted after the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, is in place. A February 2024 poll indicated that almost 70% of Ukrainians agree that Zelensky should remain in office and elections should be postponed until martial law is lifted.

News Feed

3:44 PM

Russian ICBM strike would be 'clear escalation,' EU says.

"While we're assessing the full facts, it's obvious that such (an) attack would mark yet another clear escalation from the side of (Russian President Vladimir Putin," EU foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano said, according to AFP.
1:40 PM

Merkel describes Trump as 'fascinated by Putin' in her memoir.

"(Donald Trump) saw everything from the point of view of a property developer, which is what he was before he came into politics. Every plot of land could only be sold once, and if he didn't get it, someone else would," Angela Merkel says in her memoir.
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