The U.S. will begin providing Ukraine with intelligence to support long-range missile strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, marking the first time the Trump administration has approved such aid, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Oct. …

After fighting for almost three years in Ukraine, Nate Vance, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and cousin of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, has some strong opinions about the ongoing, but faltering peace process.

"(Russian President) Vladimir Putin is just …

HELSINKI, Finland — Finland's President Alexander Stubb says he believes Donald Trump is shifting from persuasion to pressure in his effort to end the war in Ukraine.

"(U.S.) President Trump is working, if not around the clock, at least every day, …

"We will be eager to hear his thoughts on state sovereignty and independence once he has broken free from his dependence on Russian energy, as U.S. President Donald Trump and European partners insisted multiple times," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha …

U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed on Sept. 28 that the U.S. is "looking at" providing Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, as Moscow continues to refuse bilateral and trilateral peace talks brokered by President Donald Trump.

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In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur covers U.S. President Donald Trump’s shift in rhetoric after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York, including his support for NATO allies shooting down Russian …

U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down on his apparent shift in tone on Russian President Vladimir Putin during remarks in the Oval Office on Sept. 25, throwing stark criticism towards the Russian leader for his ongoing war in Ukraine.

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U.S. President Donald Trump's statements and public posts following his latest meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky have been… different.

Kyiv can "fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form," Trump wrote on Sept. 23, followed by a post by the …

Olena Zelenska thanked Melania Trump "for her support of Ukraine, particularly for her attention to children who have become victims of Russia’s brutal war."

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"With all of the heavy bombardment over the last two weeks, they’ve gained almost no land," Trump told the press in the White House during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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U.S. officials reportedly briefed Trump about current battlefield conditions and a planned Ukrainian offensive that would require American intelligence support.

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Responding to Trump's comment that Russia looks like a "paper tiger," Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said that "Russia is more commonly associated with a bear. There is no such thing as a 'paper bear,' and Russia is a real bear."

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Nova Ukraine enthusiastically welcomes the official meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald J. Trump at the White House. President Trump’s strong words in support of Ukraine, and his recognition of the determination and …

Key developments on Sept. 23:

• Trump says NATO should down Russian aircraft violating allied airspace
• Zelensky, Trump meet in New York amid surging Russia-NATO tensions
• Ukraine hits Russian oil facilities in Bryansk, Samara oblasts, military claims …

Russia has already significantly increased its drone and missile strikes across Ukraine this year, repeatedly breaking its records of civilian casualties and weapons launched.

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It was just a puppet show. What was there to fear?

For eight years, the Russian television program ‘Kukly’ mocked politicians of all stripes, Western and Russian.

By the time Vladimir Putin became president around the turn of the millennium, the show …

The United States would help secure peace after Russia's war in Ukraine ends, U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Sept. 18 on Fox News.

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"The one (war) that I thought would be the easiest (to end) was because of my relationship with President Putin," Trump said. "But he’s let me down. He’s really let me down."

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Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, has arrived in Kyiv on an official visit, multiple Ukrainian news outlets reported on Sept. 11.

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Key developments on Sept. 10:

• NATO engages Russia for first time ever as Poland downs drones amid mass attack on Ukraine
• Belarus expands military infrastructure near Ukraine, may host Russian Oreshnik ballistic missiles
• Trump sees no reason to …

Once a settlement is reached, Washington could have "a very productive economic relationship" with both Kyiv and Moscow, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said.

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Von der Leyen, who began her second five-year term last year, plans to focus on strengthening Europe’s defense posture and boosting economic competitiveness, especially in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

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"The attack was not a signal that Russia wants to diplomatically end this war," U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg wrote the day after Russia launched its largest attack of the full-scale war.

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Key developments on Sept. 6-7:

• Record Russian drone, missile attack kills at least 4, injures 44 across Ukraine, hits government building for first time
• Ukraine hits 'strategically important' oil infrastructure in Russia, General Staff confirms
• Trump …

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur looks at the two summits that took place in China and France, delivering two starkly different messages about the future of Russia’s war — and the world.

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"I'm very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that, and we'll be doing something to help people live," Trump said in an interview on the Scott Jennings Radio Show. "It's not a question of Ukraine. It's help people live," he added. "7,000 are …

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sept. 1 that the Trump administration is considering new sanctions on Russia after Moscow intensified strikes on Ukraine despite recent peace talks.

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Key developments on Aug. 30-31:

• Ukraine's ex-parliament speaker shot dead in Lviv
• 'Wishful thinking, outright lies' — Ukraine dismisses Russia's claims of battlefield success
• Russia says the quiet part out loud — war in Ukraine to continue, more mass …

The meeting was described by Trump administration officials as both a progress report and a reaffirmation of efforts to bring Ukraine and Russia to the table for an eventual peace deal, according to Fox News.

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A face-to-face meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin won't happen unless the U.S. ups pressure on the Russian leader, a source in Ukraine's President's Office has told the Kyiv Independent.

Nearly two weeks after U.S. …

Brian Dooley is a Senior Advisor at Washington-based NGO Human Rights First and Honorary Professor of Practice at Queen’s University, Belfast. He specializes in working with human rights activists in war and other conflict zones and is a regular …

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy react to his August 2025 meeting at the White House by suggesting that Donald Trump rejects a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, believing it would hurt his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize? No, …

In an exclusive interview with NBC News' “Meet the Press,” on Aug. 24, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance expressed optimism about diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and claimed that Russia has made “significant …

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down Monday’s meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which came just a few days after Trump’s Aug. 15 meeting with …

Key developments on Aug. 22:

• Ukraine hits Russian drone base at occupied Crimean airfield, Navy claims
• Putin-Zelensky meeting 'not ready at all,' Kremlin says despite Trump push for peace deal
• Ukraine shoots down Russian Orlan 'mother drone' carrying …

“I told (Putin) I’m not happy about it,” Trump claimed a day after a Russian missile hit an American electronics plant in western Ukraine.

Russia’s top military and political officials joined Putin in the closed city of Sarov, which houses the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, on Aug. 22.

“Viktor, I do not like hearing about this — I am very angry about it. Tell Slovakia you are my great friend,” Trump wrote in response to a complaint about the strikes from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

U.S. intelligence sources told CBS News that Gabbard signed a directive barring the sharing of information with the Five Eye alliance, which includes the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.

We will know in within two weeks whether there will be peace in Ukraine. After that we will have to maybe take a different tact," U.S. President Donald Trump told conservative commentator Todd Starnes.

Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, illegally occupied by Russia since 2014, is roughly 26 times smaller than Texas.

Key developments on Aug. 20:

• Around 10 European allies willing to send troops to Ukraine, talks accelerate on security guarantees, Bloomberg reports
• US may provide air support for Ukraine under peace deal, Trump says
• Putin discusses Ukraine war with …

U.S. President Donald Trump has walked away from his ceasefire demand, saying that he supports its “concept” but can push for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine without one.

Ignoring Ukraine and Europe’s repeated calls that a peace deal be …

Key developments on Aug. 19:

• US troops won't be sent to Ukraine as part of security guarantees, Trump says
• Zelensky, Putin may meet within 2 weeks, German chancellor says
• Zelensky outlines $90 billion US arms deal as part of Ukraine's security …

The Kyiv Independent’s deputy chief editor, Toma Istomina, sits down with Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s former foreign minister, to discuss why the White House meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, …

Five people were killed and 11 injured on Aug. 17, followed by eight killed and 35 injured on Aug. 18, and at least eight killed and 53 injured on Aug. 19.

BRUSSELS, Belgium — European leaders are set to meet to coordinate the next steps on security guarantees for Ukraine after high-level talks in Washington, as diplomatic efforts intensify ahead of a possible trilateral summit involving Kyiv and …

According to Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, the call took place after midnight Moscow time. Trump reportedly briefed Putin on his negotiations with Zelensky and the European leaders.

Key developments on Aug. 18:

• 'We'll give them very good protection, very good security' — Trump says in White House meeting with Zelensky
• EU leaders to hold video conference on Ukraine after Washington talks, Costa says
• Zelensky says Putin undermines …

Russian President Vladimir Putin has laid out a number of demands that he would require to stop his country's war against Ukraine.

Most of these demands are non-starters for Ukraine, analysts say.

Russia has demanded a full Ukrainian withdrawal from …

The strikes come as Moscow continues rejecting calls for an unconditional ceasefire, instead intensifying its use of drones and missiles against Ukraine.

Zelensky cautioned that any new deal must prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from using concessions as a “springboard” for another attack, citing Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014.

“I don’t believe (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wants peace, Macron told reporters after co-chairing a meeting of the coalition of the willing. “I believe he wants Ukraine’s surrender."

Key developments on Aug. 16-17:

• Trump, Zelensky to meet in Washington next week after US-Russia summit ends without agreement
• Top European leaders to join Zelensky in Washington for Trump talks
• Putin offers Trump frozen battle lines, written promise not …

First face-to-face meeting between Russian President Putin and U.S. President Trump since the latter’s second term to the major push of Russian forces in the embattled Donetsk Oblast.

Nova Ukraine welcomes the increasing diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a just and lasting peace
for Ukraine. We recognize the importance of negotiations at the highest level, including the recent exchanges between President Trump, President …

“We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,” Trump said during a press conference after his meeting with Putin. “A couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there, but we’ve made some headway. …

Oksana Berezina stood holding a Ukrainian flag with a photo of her husband, Oleh, who went missing in Russia’s Kursk Oblast late last year and is believed to be a prisoner of war.

Like others gathered in protest, she is pinning her hopes on a meeting …

The Kyiv Independent visited the front-line city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast to hear from its residents what they think about the prospects of land swaps between Ukraine and Russia ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska.

The event will mark their first face-to-face talks of Trump’s second term and their first meeting in six years, as well as Putin’s first visit to U.S. soil in a decade.

“We must always seek a ceasefire. The violence, the many deaths, must stop. Let’s see how they can come to an agreement,” Leo XIV said.

Russia launched 97 Shahed-type drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, as well as two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 63 drones, while 34 drones struck 13 locations.

Pro-Ukrainian demonstrators took to the streets in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 14 ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin the next day.

Security arrangements follow strict reciprocity protocols, with each side matching the other’s personnel and resources — from motorcade composition to the number of translators and secure waiting rooms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's first trip to the United States in a decade signals a break from the diplomatic isolation that followed his 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The visit comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a ceasefire …

Key developments on Aug. 14:

• Trump says Putin ready to make a peace deal with Ukraine
• July saw highest civilian casualties in Ukraine since 2022, UN says ahead of Trump-Putin summit
• Russia may be preparing to test nuclear-powered missile ahead of Trump …

Editor’s Note: Some of the service members interviewed for this story are introduced by callsign or first name only due to security reasons.

As U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin prepare for talks on ending the war …

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering offering Moscow access to Ukraine’s natural minerals in the Russian-occupied territories, a move Ukrainians say would be illegal and damaging to Washington’s reputation.

The news comes as Trump is set …

“I believe now he’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.

The package includes geographical maps intended to justify Russia’s territorial claims and ongoing military aggression, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation claimed.

“Only the first three months after the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine saw more killed and injured than in this past month,” said Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to offer Russian President Vladimir Putin access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine and natural resources in Alaska in an effort to secure a ceasefire, The Telegraph reported on Aug. 13.

KRAMATORSK, Donetsk Oblast — U.S. President Donald Trump began to actively push Ukraine to accept losing its land and people to Russia, following years of brutal, all-out war.

People in Kramatorsk, the largest Ukrainian-held city in Donetsk Oblast — a …

Key developments on Aug. 13:

• Trump to push ceasefire in Alaska meeting with Putin, says Zelensky after call with US president
• Ukraine strikes oil facility in western Russia in overnight drone attack, Kyiv confirms
• Ukraine open to discussing aerial truce …

After months of failed peace talks and extensive diplomatic efforts seeing minerals and weapons deals reached, the eyes of the world will be on the remote shores of Alaska on Aug. 15, as U.S. President Donald Trump meets with his Russian counterpart, …

As Russia prepares for a diplomatic push to pressure Kyiv into withdrawing from the Ukrainian-controlled parts of Donetsk Oblast during negotiations with the U.S. this week, its forces have pierced through Ukrainian lines in a dramatic advance that …

As U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, prepare to meet face-to-face in Alaska on Aug. 15, Ukraine is left to watch the talks that could shape its future.

"It's not entirely clear what happens next," a source in the …

The rally, scheduled for Aug. 14 in Anchorage, is being held to protest the “presence of an international war criminal” and as a show of solidarity with Ukraine, Stand Up Alaska said.

When Russia launched its invasion into Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in 2014, the battle was not only over territory but also historical memory.

In the city of Kostiantynivka, the struggle played out not just with weapons, but with …

“The only sensible action for EU leaders is to initiate an EU-Russia summit, based on the example of the U.S.-Russia meeting,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

According to a statement released by the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, the discussion concluded that Ukraine’s allies must maintain pressure on Russia to end its aggression and that any peace deal requires a “robust and …

Key developments on Aug. 11:

• Russian forces pierce Ukrainian defense near Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast, monitoring group says
• Trump says Zelensky won't attend Alaska summit with Putin, but Ukraine-Russia talks should follow
• Ukrainian drones strike …

As U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, prepare for a bilateral meeting on Aug. 15 in Alaska, the aims of the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine appear to contradict each other.

"At the end of that meeting, probably in the …

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on Aug. 15 to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine — most likely without Ukraine’s participation.

Trump announced the meeting on Aug. 8, saying the talks could …

“He wasn’t part of it,” Donald Trump told reporters.

We asked Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv how they feel about Trump’s plan to negotiate a peace agreement with Putin without Ukraine’s involvement, and what they think about such a territorial exchange.

“This is what the situation in the war looks like. And the situation in diplomacy must correspond accordingly,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

A planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be a test for the Kremlin leader, and Ukraine will be involved in upcoming peace efforts if the summit goes well, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

“We understand the Russians' intention to try to deceive America — we will not allow this,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Aug. 10.

President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening address on Aug. 9 rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for Kyiv to cede Ukrainian territory to end Russia’s war, warning that a lack of a “genuine peace” may give …

European leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity on Aug. 9 after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to the U.S. a ceasefire plan that involves halting hostilities in exchange for Kyiv ceding its eastern …

Ukrainian and European officials rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a ceasefire in exchange for Kyiv to cede its eastern territories to Russia, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Aug. 9.

At their meeting next week, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss a peace plan that would see Ukraine surrendering new territories to Russia.

Putin passed the plan to special envoy Steve Witkoff during their …