Ukraine's immediate focus is on adequately equipping its military, rather than further reducing the draft age, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 14, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
The development is the latest in an escalating conflict between Ukraine and Slovakia over Kyiv's decision to stop Russian gas transit.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the situation on the front line and the possibility of sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in a phone call on Jan. 13.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Jan. 13 imposing new sanctions on the Russian financial sector. The sanctions target 140 distinct entities.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he would like to hold a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Slovakia near the border with Ukraine "as soon as possible." "Okay. Come to Kyiv on Friday," Zelensky responded.
"The situation there is extremely challenging, and Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives. This matter is being worked out... We already have 150 firefighters prepared."
"Ukraine is ready to hand over his people to Kim Jong Un if he can organize their exchange for our soldiers who are held captive in Russia. For those North Korean soldiers who do not want to return, there may be some other ways."
"We offered our assistance to the people of Slovakia during their adaptation to the absence of Russian gas transit, but Fico arrogantly refused," Zelensky said on Jan. 12.
This Sunday, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur covers the trending news of the week from developments on the front lines to the Ramstein meeting with top officials. And what happened with the new brigade trained in France?
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called Ukraine an unreliable partner and accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of blackmailing European leaders for support at a parliamentary meeting on Jan. 10.
"It is our dream to obtain these (security) guarantees this year and to end the war this year. We will do everything to achieve this," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Italian broadcaster RaiNews24 on Jan. 10.
"I would like to thank the ministers of culture of Poland and Ukraine for their good cooperation. We are waiting for further decisions," Donald Tusk wrote in a post on X.
Belarus rejects President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claim that dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko apologized for Belarus’s role in Russia’s war, blames external forces for dragging Belarus into conflict. Belarus shows opposition leader Viktar Babaryka for the first time after nearly two years of incommunicado detention. Poland to complete border wall
The visit is now expected to occur after President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
The new measures targeted individuals and entities from Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Turkey, and North Korea.
Zelensky made this statement at the opening of the 25th Ramstein summit, which was dedicated to strengthening Ukraine's defenses, particularly its air defense.
Ukraine's president will travel to Italy on Jan. 9 following the Ramstein summit in Germany.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings during the summit, which could be the group's last meeting in the current format.
"An important task now is to help Moldova overcome its energy challenges and prevent Moscow from stirring up social tensions. ... We are ready to help," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 8.
President-elect Donald Trump blamed outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden on Jan. 7 for Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. Trump said Biden's support of Ukraine's NATO membership had led to Russia's war against the country. "I could understand their feelings," he said, referring to the country that launched the deadliest
Despite previous commitments to exhaust the remaining PDA funds, approximately $3.8 billion will remain unused, according to the Pentagon, leaving the funds at the disposal of the incoming administration.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill on Jan. 7 strengthening the process for the formation and designation of groups and organizations to Ukraine's terror list.
Some 52% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelensky, a drop by seven percentage points from October 2024, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published on Jan. 7.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his evening address that Ukraine "continues to maintain a buffer zone on Russian territory, actively destroying Russian military potential there."
Key developments on Jan. 6: * Ukraine strikes 3 Russian air defense systems in single day, Navy claims * 3,800 North Korean troops killed or injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says * Ukraine's position in Kursk Oblast important for possible negotiations, Blinken says * Zelensky offered to buy weapons from incoming Trump
In a newly released three-hour interview, U.S. podcaster Lex Fridman tried to persuade President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “a serious person who loves his country." “He loves his inner circle. It’s only a small part of the people. He doesn't love (the Russian people)
"No apologies have been made by the Belarus president to Zelensky, for the simple reason that we have nothing to apologize for," Lukashenko's spokesperson Natalia Eismont said.
Zelensky said Ukraine was pressured into signing the Budapest Memorandum, and those who came up with the agreement should be jailed.
"The Ukrainian army is the largest in Europe. The second place after us (France) is four times smaller than us," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky implied that half of U.S. assistance was "lost" due to corruption or lobbying from the side of U.S. companies. Ukraine's head of state said this in response to Fridman's question about corruption concerns in Ukraine.
"He does not love his people. He loves only his inner circle," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in response to U.S. podcaster Lex Fridman's suggestion that Putin is a "serious person who loves his country."
Shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion began, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko apologized to President Volodymyr Zelensky over the country's involvement in the war, Zelensky revealed in an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman published on Jan. 5.
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.
(Updated: )
