About the author: Edward C. Chow is a non-resident senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Economic sanctions, by themselves, have never stopped wars once they started. Otherwise, the United States did not have to use military force in 1991 to evict Saddam Hussein from Kuwait after he invaded it in 1990, though Iraq was sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council. Nor do they prevent aggression. The U.S. applied economic sanctions, incl

Hello, this is Kateryna Hodunova reporting from Kyiv on day 1,387 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office said it has classified two explosions that killed one person and injured four others in Kyiv on Dec. 11 as a terrorist attack, the office said in a statement. The blasts occurred in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, killing a National Guard soldier. Another National Guard soldier and a security guard were injured. The first explosion wen

U.S. policy choices are forcing Europe into a strategic moment it long tried to avoid. As Washington sidelines allies, rewrites its National Security Strategy, and negotiates peace proposals for Ukraine, the foundations of the continent's security are shaking. For many in European capitals, the realization is sinking in: Europe may soon need to protect itself in ways it has never had to since World War II. Experts say the understanding is already there. What's missing is unity — and time. "T

The European Commission and Kyiv have agreed on a 10-point action plan to tackle corruption and strengthen democratic institutions in Ukraine as part of its path to membership, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos announced.

As the U.S. ramps up pressure on Ukraine to accept a swift and potentially painful peace deal with Moscow, European allies seek to reassure Kyiv it is not alone. For the EU, Ukraine is not merely a strategic partner standing between the bloc and Russian armies — it is also a future member. Top European officials met in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Dec. 10-11 to advance Ukraine's EU accession and reaffirm their support. But beneath the EU's confident tone, major obstacles persist — mo

"The Russians want the whole of Donbas — we don't accept that," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "I believe that the Ukrainian people will answer this question," he added.

About the author: Olena Havrylchyk is a Professor of Economics at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. The proposal to use immobilized Russian assets to finance a "reparation loan" for Ukraine will again be discussed at the next European Council meeting on Dec. 18 and 19. The purpose of this loan is to advance Russia’s future reparations in order to cover Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery needs, which are estimated at 506 billion euros (nearly $589 billion). At the previous summit, B

Washington's representative said the U.S. voted against the resolution not because it opposed nuclear safety measures, but because it objected to references to the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

At least 31 drones have been shot down over the Russian capital, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. All four airports in the region have suspended operations.

The National Bank of Ukraine voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 15.5%, amid steep uncertainty over the country's financing next year.

At least four hits were recorded on the offshore platform, according to the SBU source.

Ukraine’s Security Service used Sea Baby naval drones to hit the sanctioned tanker Dashan in the Black Sea, the latest strike in a campaign targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a source told the Kyiv Independent.

Just last year, the battlefield in Ukraine was most dangerous when the shooting started. Now it is often the moments before and after, when soldiers change positions under the eyes of prowling drones. For two Ukrainian soldiers — Oleksandr Tishaiev and Oleksandr Aliksieienko — this modern battlefield reality turned what should have been a relatively routine month-long deployment, into a gruelling 165-day battle against not only Russian forces but also starvation, dehydration, and insanity. "We

Novgorod Governor Alexander Dronov said 19 drones were shot down over the region — located between Moscow and St. Petersburg — amid what Russia described as a major Ukrainian drone attack.

Local energy facilities once again became the target of the Russian attack, Poltava Oblast Governor Volodymyr Kohut reported on the morning of Dec. 11.

The $900 billion spending package upholds many of U.S. President Donald Trump's national security policies but places limits on his ability to reduce American troops in Europe and withhold support to Ukraine.

Trump did not discuss specific conditions of the peace deal but said Zelensky needs to be "realistic" and asked when Ukraine would hold presidential elections.

"We discussed key elements for recovery, various mechanisms, and visions for reconstruction," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

As Ukraine negotiates a peace agreement with the U.S., soldiers on the ground face a different reality: holding the line with shrinking infantry numbers and almost no rotation. For nearly six months, two Ukrainian soldiers, Oleksandr Tishaiev and Oleksandr Aliksieienko, were trapped in the same battered position on the Zaporizhzhia front, unable to rotate as Russian drones monitored every path in and out.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, Ukraine cut diplomatic relations with Moscow, formally severing the main line of communication. Yet, as the war enters its fourth year, discreet communication between Ukraine and Russia has continued — through humanitarian contacts, backchannels involving officials and… oligarchs. While no diplomatic ties exist, multiple unofficial communication tracks have emerged. "An official communication channel is something we need, and it e

Thirteen children were illegally sent abroad and placed with foreign families for adoption, while law enforcemented intercepted the transfer of another 12.

Nuclear power has always been the bedrock of Ukraine's energy system, consistently providing roughly half of the country's power both before and after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. But beneath this veneer of stability is a sector in flux. The biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky's tenure, weak governance, and the relentless barrage of drones and missiles targeting the distribution network are just some of the recent woes engulfing the country's state-owned nuclear monopoly, Ener

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Hooley died after a "tragic accident" away from the frontline.

A Kyiv court placed Anti-Corruption Bureau's detective Viktor Husarov on house arrest on Dec. 9, freeing him from custody five months after his arrest. The detective is charged with treason for allegedly passing state secrets to an associate who is said to be working with Russia. Husarov, and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) Head Semen Kryvonos have alleged that the detective was deliberately held in custody to pressure the anti-corruption bureau and hinder its work. Both denied that

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained Russia's "shadow fleet" ship, which illegally transported agricultural products from the Russian-occupied Crimea, SBU said on Dec. 10.

Ukrainian troops in Myrnohrad are using a narrow “gray zone” corridor for rotations and supplies as frontline accounts of near-encirclement clash with official assurances.

Ukraine has recaptured 13 square kilometers (5 square miles) of territory in Pokrovsk after previously having no troops left in the city, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said during a Dec. 9 press briefing.

The new U.S. National Security Strategy stunned Washington's allies, casting doubt on the entire post-Cold War security order in Europe. The document takes a direct shot at the EU and questions some of the main principles of NATO, two pillars of Europe's political and security architecture. It also signals a retreat from the U.S.-led unipolar world while refocusing on the Western Hemisphere. Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, the document notably avoids criticism of Russia, which has already

Russia's Syzran oil refinery halted operations on Dec. 5 after sustaining damage in a Ukrainian drone attack, Reuters reported on Dec. 9, citing industry sources.

About the author: Hanna Novosolova is Chief Specialist at the Department for Coordination of State Information Policy on Corruption Prevention at the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP). On International Anti-Corruption Day, attention turns to those who expose wrongdoing from within organizations: whistleblowers. They are often the first to detect and report corruption, yet they may face threats, dismissal, and lasting damage to both their careers and personal lives. Even amid a f

The three texts cover a framework peace agreement, security guarantees, and Ukraine's reconstruction, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine's largest bank, the state-owned Privatbank, extended a Hr 5 billion loan ($118.6 million) to Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-run oil and gas giant, for emergency natural gas purchases, Naftogaz wrote in a press release on Dec. 9.