Diplomacy, politics, peace talks and other news at the national and international levels/
US diplomats have urgently requested an exemption for Ukraine-related programs from the 90-day foreign aid freeze and "stop work" order imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, according to documents seen by the Financial Times and unnamed sources who spoke to the publication. Senior diplomats in
Ukraine is ready to transit gas from Azerbaijan to western Europe, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday. Azerbaijan "has a large export capacity. The export capacity is 25 billion cubic meters," Zelensky said. "We can use our infrastructure if countries in Europe need gas.
Kyiv is in early stage talks with allies on the possibility of placing peacekeeping troops in Ukraine to act as a security guarantee, foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters in Kyiv. "Yes, the discussion is ongoing about... the military contingents of foreign powers, foreign nations that can be
Russian President Vladimir Putin is growing increasingly concerned about the country's economy as US President Donald Trump calls for the war in Ukraine to end, five unnamed sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Putin believes key objectives of the war in Ukraine, such as securing a land
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would impose new sanctions against Russia as well as taxes and tariffs on Russian products if a deal to end the war in Ukraine is not reached soon. "If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Europe to prioritize unity, security, and technological leadership in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “All eyes are on Washington,” Zelensky noted, questioning Europe’s visibility and influence on the global stage. He emphasized that Europe cannot afford to be “second or
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration, saying it presented an opportunity for a "just peace" in Ukraine. "President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve
Some 61% of American Chamber (AmCham) member companies in Ukraine believe a ceasefire in 2025 is likely, and 81% expect a ceasefire to positively impact business activity, signaling cautious optimism amidst wartime challenges. Over 40% of respondents expect an increase in business and economic activity in 2025 in comparison to
The UK has agreed with Ukraine to launch a Grain Verification Scheme to track grain stolen from occupied areas. The plan — which aims to strengthen the food security of Ukraine — will use cutting-edge science to determine where the grain has been grown and harvested.
US President-elect Donald Trump's pick for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said he would "100%" support sharply raising sanctions on Russian oil producers if Trump requests it. "If any officials in the Russian Federation are watching this confirmation hearing, they should know that if I’m
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday signed a 100-year partnership agreement to deepen cooperation between the two countries in defense, economy, education, science, technology, and other areas. The agreement, which consist both of public and confidential sections, includes a commitment by the UK to
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk promised to seek to speed up talks for Ukraine to join the European Union during Poland's six-month term as president of the bloc, which started this month. In 2022, Ukraine secured EU candidacy status in the months after Russia launched its attack on
Ukraine's European allies are growing becoming cautiously optimistic that US President-elect Donald Trump will not pressure Kyiv into early negotiations with Russia, unnamed European officials said. The development comes after several rounds of private talks with members in Trump's administration, where European allies advocated for ongoing
The outgoing Biden administration in the US is making a last push to seize hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to use as leverage in future negotiations for peace in Ukraine, two unnamed senior administration officials said. One official said that seizing Russian assets would send a
The incoming US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are expected to "at least" have a call in the coming days or weeks to discuss the situation in Ukraine, Trump's future national security advisor Mike Waltz said on Sunday. Waltz also said that
US President-elect Donald Trump has extended his vow to end the war in Ukraine in "24 hours" to several months, and will likely continue supporting Ukraine after inauguration on Jan 20, two unnamed European officials said. "The whole [Trump] team is obsessed with strength and looking strong,
