The U.S. administration has expressed displeasure with Kyiv’s decision to reject a proposed natural resource deal from President Donald Trump. Washington views Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal as “short-sighted,” reports AP, citing a …
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Spies, Lies, and Algorithms
Amy B. Zegart
Ukraine
Russia
USA
U.S. criticizes Ukraine's rejection of Trump’s resource deal as Kyiv refuses 'colonial pact'
Ukraine
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Poroshenko claims Zelensky’s office requested parliament votes in exchange for avoiding sanctions
Former President and current lawmaker Petro Poroshenko on Feb. 17 accused the Presidential Office of offering to support his faction’s involvement in drafting legislation on the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in exchange for avoiding …
Ukraine
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Expert guide to US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York speaks with Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations, about the upcoming U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and why he thinks Ukraine should not be overly concerned about U.S. …
Russia
USA
New Cold War? Can Trump Convince Russia & China to Slash Military Spending?
Ukraine
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Ukraine 'progresses meaningfully' in talks on foreign troop presence, Zelensky says
Ukraine has made progress towards establishing a foreign military contingent on its territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 17, following his visit to the United Arab Emirates.
Zelensky described the development as a concrete step beyond …
Ukraine
Russia
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USA
Ukraine’s long-awaited weapons tech investment boom is finally kicking off
Ukrainian weapons startups are finally seeing an inflow of funds from Western investors who have long been intrigued by the Ukraine’s defense tech sector but have so far kept their money out of the war-torn country.
Financial analysis firm …
Ukraine
Russia
USA
High-stakes diplomacy: Russia-U.S. talks in Riyadh seek resolution to Ukraine conflict
Russian and American officials are gearing up to orchestrate a summit between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin, a prospect that could mark a significant diplomatic engagement between the two countries. Another critical subject on …
Ukraine
Russia
Ukrainian Forces repel major Russian assault near Velyka Novosilka
Ukrainian forces have thwarted a powerful assault by Russian troops near Velyka Novosilka. Following substantial losses, Russian forces were forced to halt their assault, affording Ukrainian troops an opportunity to fortify defenses and brace for …
Ukraine
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Russia close to deal with Syria for post-Assad military presence, Bloomberg reports
Russia is reportedly nearing a deal with Syria to maintain a limited military presence in the country after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 17, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Since …
Ukraine
Russia
Ukrainian Attack on Key Russian Oil Refinery. UK Troops in Ukraine. Zelenskyy's Visit to UAE
Ukraine
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USA
Russia's Lavrov rules out territorial concessions as part of Ukraine peace talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Feb. 17 said there could be “no thought of” territorial concessions to Ukraine on the eve of talks with the U.S. over how to end Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Russia illegally annexed …
Ukraine
Russia
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Film 'Rock, Scissors, Paper' about war in Ukraine wins BAFTA award
The film “Rock, Paper, Scissors” won the Best British Short Film award at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) on Feb. 16.
The film was directed by Franz Bohm, a 26-year-old British man of German descent. It stars Ukrainian actors …
Ukraine
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USA
Zelensky to visit Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, Reuters reports
President Volodymyr Zelensky will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, he said during a press briefing in the United Arabic Emirates, Reuters reported.
The Ukrainian president’s visit coincides with the U.S.-Russia talks on ending the war in …
Ukraine
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USA
Zelensky hopes Kellogg will visit front lines during trip to Ukraine
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Ukraine calendar: Events to look out for this week
Editor’s note: This article is an on-site version of KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter covering events from Feb. 17-Feb. 23. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events, delivered directly to your inbox every …
Ukraine
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USA
'Drone sanctions' — Ukraine strikes Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says
Ukrainian drones, operated by the Special Operations Forces (SSO) and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), hit the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai and the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station in the Kavkazsky District of Kuban overnight on Feb. 17, …
Ukraine
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USA
Russia's Lavrov to meet US delegation in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine peace talks, Kremlin says
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov will fly to Saudi Arabia for talks with a U.S. delegation about how to end the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 17.
“They are …
Ukraine
Russia
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USA
Macron hosts summit of European powers to discuss plan for Ukraine's 'automatic NATO membership'
French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting a Paris summit of European powers on Feb. 17 to discuss Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, among other issues, The Guardian reported.
The summit will be held on the same day a U.S. delegation arrives …
Ukraine
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'23 invaders destroyed' — Ukraine's special forces release video of operation behind Russian lines
Soldiers of Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Special Forces Regiment on Feb. 17 released footage of what they claim was a successful operation to clear an industrial enterprise behind Russian lines.
In a post accompanying the video, the unit said a …
Ukraine
Russia
Russia’s war on Ukraine. 16.02.25
On the Kursk direction, the “Siversk” Operational-Tactical Group (OTG) attacked near Sverdlivkovo, Kurilovka, Russkaya Konopelka, and Cherkasskya Konopelka. A strike by Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a UAV launch site of the enemy’s 28th Rifle …
Ukraine
Russia
Fact Check: Edited Clip Shows Zelenskyy Saying "The Risk That Russia Will Occupy Europe Is 100%" -- Context Was About U.S. Leaving NATO
Did Ukrainian President Zelenskyy say "the risk that Russia will occupy Europe is 100%" without adding conditions to that statement or qualifying it? No, that's not true: A viral video of an interview on Meet The Press left out the part of the video …
Ukraine
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Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 3, injure 8 over past day
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed three and injured eight civilians over the past day, regional authorities reported on Feb. 17.
Russian forces launched 147 drones from the Russian cities of Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Shatalovo, Millerovo, and …
Ukraine
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Over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since start of Russia's full-scale war, Zelensky says
Over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with NBC published on Feb. 16.
Zelensky previously revealed …
Ukraine
Russia
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General Staff: Russia has lost 859,920 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost 859,920 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Feb. 17.
This number includes 1,530 casualties Russian forces suffered just over …
Ukraine
Russia
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USA
Ukraine will 'never accept' outcome of peace negotiations without Ukraine's participation, Zelensky says
Ukraine will “never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia” regarding the outcome of peace negotiation without Ukraine’s participation, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC News in an interview published Feb. 16. …