Today's Contents
Just The Facts:
- Slovakia-Ukraine dispute over transit of Russian gas escalates as bilateral meeting scrapped
- Russia says it captured Kurakhove logistics hub in Ukraine's Donetsk
- Biden prepares 'substantial' final package for Ukraine before leaving office, officials say
- Iceland foreign visits Ukraine to discuss development of geothermal energy, equipment needs
Here's What They Think:
- PRIF: Ukraine peace talks should include nuclear risk reduction measures
- CFR: Neutrality is alternative to Ukraine's NATO membership
- The Irish Times: Europe's role in Ukraine's security key issue if war ends
Sober Second Thought:
- Ukrainian students' grade point averages drop amid war; 44% show 'significant' PTSD symptoms
Slovakia-Ukraine dispute over transit of Russian gas escalates as bilateral meeting scrapped
A dispute between Bratislava and Kyiv over transit of Russian gas through Ukraine has escalated further after a proposed meeting with European Union officials on Tuesday was called off.
Ukrainian and Slovak ministers, alongside European Commission officials, were scheduled to meet in Brussels to address the consequences of the termination of a deal that allowed Russian gas to transit to Europe via pipelines through Ukraine, which ended on Jan 1.
Slovakia was advocating for extending the deal and continuing to import Russian fuel, but Ukraine rebuffed Bratislava's requests. The dispute lead to threats from Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to cut electricity exports to Ukraine and slash support for refugees, Politico reported.
Fico's government issued a statement just hours before the Brussels' meeting stating: "Due to the fact that the Ukrainian side will not attend ... the European Commission has decided to cancel the meeting."
Speaking to Politico, Ukraine's EU Ambassador Vsevolod Chentsov denied Slovakia's claims, saying the meeting was initiated by Kyiv to discuss Fico's warnings.
"Ukraine triggered the early warning mechanism on electricity supplies because of Fico's threats to stop the supplies, not gas transit talks," he said.
Chentsov said Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko was scheduled to attend the discussions in Brussel, but was forced to stay in Ukraine due to the "difficult situation in the energy sector." Kyiv offered holding an online meeting, but Commission officials suggested rescheduling for another day, Chentsov clarified.
"The Commission has been ready to follow up and discuss the impacts of the end of the transit agreements with all parties concerned," said an EU Commission spokesperson. "We continue to stay in close contact."
Fico has confirmed a trip to Brussels on Thursday to discuss the suspension of gas transit through Ukraine, according a TASR report.
At the beginning of the year, Fico said Slovakia could lose €500 million a year in transit feed due to Ukraine's decision to stop Russian gas supplies, according to a separate TASR report.
"The Russian Federation won't be harmed practically in any way," Fico said. "Only the United States will benefit from President Zelenskyy's decision through increased gas exports to Europe."
Russia says it captured Kurakhove logistics hub in Ukraine's Donetsk
The Russian forces said they have captured the "important logistics hub" of Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.
The capture of the key industrial town Kurakhove would deprive Ukraine of "the ability of shelling peaceful residents of Donetsk … with artillery systems," said the Russian forces in a press release.
Khortytsia spokesperson Viktor Tregubov told CNN that the fighting had continued Tuesday morning in the western part of the town and near its thermal power plant.
"Despite reports from Russian forces that the town is under their complete control and captured, we have not confirmed this information," he added.
The Ukrainian forces did not confirm Russia's claim, noting that Russia was only "conducting assault operations in the urban area of Kurakhove," according to a report by France 24.
Kurakhove and Pkrovsk are linked by roads that are vital parts of the infrastructure to move troops and supplies along the Ukrainian front line, BBC reported. Russia's capture of the town would allow it to move north to attack Pokrovsk from a new direction, analyst Roman Pohorily said.
Biden prepares 'substantial' final package for Ukraine before leaving office, officials say
The Joe Biden administration is set to announce a final weapons aid package for Ukraine as part of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's visit to Germany on Thursday, two unnamed senior defense officials said.
Austin will meet in Germany with representatives of around 50 partner nations who have come to support Ukraine's defense against Russia. It will mark Austin's final meeting with the group, who together provided more than $126 billion in weapons and training to Ukraine.
The sum of the package was not disclosed, however it would not include all the $4 billion left in the authorized fund for Ukraine. The fund would leave "more than a couple of billion dollars" remaining for the incoming President-elect Donald Trump's defense team to provide to Ukraine if they choose, the officials told reporters.
One official told The Associated Press that Biden defense officials have been in contact with Trump's transition team to discuss "all the issues that we believe are important."
Separately, Laura Cooper, the Pentagon official in charge of coordinating US military aid and international support for Ukraine, has resigned days before Trump takes the White House, Politico reported, citing four unnamed sources.
Cooper's departure is a reflection of growing anxiety within the Defense Department over Trump's return to the White House. She will be temporary replaced by Steven Schleien, who heads the Defense Continuity and Mission Assurance office.
Iceland foreign visits Ukraine to discuss development of geothermal energy, equipment needs
Iceland Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir met with Ukrainian Deputy Energy Minister Roman Andarak to discuss the development of geothermal energy in Ukraine and other issue related to the country's energy sector.
The officials discussed the priority requirements for power equipment needed in restoration efforts, along with strategies to enhance distributed generation capacity and develop alternative energy sources.
"Increasing the capacity of distributed generation and the use of alternative energy sources is one of Ukraine's key priorities," said Andarak.
"We are grateful to our international partners, in particular Iceland, for their support in strengthening the resilience of our power system," Andrak added. "Thanks to our joint efforts, we will have an opportunity to ensure stability and development even in the extremely difficult conditions of war."
Andrak expressed gratitude to the government of Iceland for its contribution to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, which was used to procure necessary energy equipment needed for repairs and restoration of energy facilities following attacks.
The two discussed potential bilateral cooperation in energy, including the development of geothermal energy in Ukraine and the use of Iceland's expertise in this field.
Gunnarsdottir also met with Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha during her visit to Kyiv.
"We are grateful to Iceland for the recent contribution of over €2 million to the production of Ukrainian weapons under the 'Danish model,'" said Sybiha. He also expressed gratitude to Iceland for supporting the energy sector.
PRIF: Ukraine peace talks should include nuclear risk reduction measures
German and transatlantic policymakers should incorporate practical arms control and risk reduction measures into Ukraine ceasefire talks to enhance European security and prevent nuclear escalation, Sascha Hach und Mikhail Polianskii, researchers at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) wrote in an op-ed.
Including Russia's nuclear-military ties with the U.S. and NATO in talks could secure Russian concessions for Ukraine while enhancing Europe's nuclear security, the authors wrote, adding that the parties should draw from the experience of the Cold War when several arms control deals between Russia and NATO were concluded.
CFR: Neutrality is alternative to Ukraine's NATO membership
With NATO membership seemingly out of reach, armed neutrality could be Ukraine's best alternative to deter future Russian aggression, Eugene Rumer, a director and senior associate for the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in an op-ed for the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
Drawing from the experiences of Denmark, and Sweden, Ukraine could craft its own security policy blueprint. Neutrality or nonalignment need not prevent it from sustaining well-trained, highly capable armed forces supported by a robust reserve force, Rumer noted.
The Irish Times: Europe's role in Ukraine's security key issue if war ends
If the war in Ukraine ends, the critical question will be whether European nations are prepared to fill the void left by a US withdrawal by guaranteeing Ukraine's security, potentially including deploying troops to enforce that guarantee, the Irish Times editorial board wrote in an op-ed.
Donald Trump's nomination of Florida Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state could reduce the likelihood of an abrupt abandonment of Kyiv, but US Republicans show little interest in sustaining support for Ukraine's war effort. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's EU allies may be unable to cover the resulting gap, the op-ed said.
Ukrainian students' grade point averages drop amid war; 44% show 'significant' PTSD symptoms
The war in Ukraine has seriously affected the psychological well-being and academic performance of medical students in the country, a study from Ukraine's I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University revealed.
Some 62.5% of students reported signs of stress, 59.6% suffered anxiety, and 58.8% displayed symptoms of depression. Severe or extremely severe levels of these conditions were reported by 29.7% for stress, 31.9% for anxiety, and 25.6% for depression. Female students were more affected than males, with 1.54 times the anxiety level and 1.43 times higher stress, according to the study.
Academically, grade point averages (GPAs) in 2023 were lower across all years compared to 2019, reflecting the negative impact of wartime stressors on performance, the study found. For example, second-year students' average GPA dropped 2.9%, from 2019 to 2023, from 166.93 to 162.05. Similar declines were observed in other years, with p-values consistently below 0.001.
The issues "can lead to a decrease in empathy, humanity, compassion, patience, and other essential qualities of medical students that are crucial for future successful medical practice," the researchers wrote. "Additionally, untreated mental health issues among medical students are thought to be a major contributing factor to poor mental health among practicing physicians, which in turn affects the quality of the healthcare system."
The research used a cross-sectional design to analyze the mental health and academic achievements of second- to fifth-year medical students. Data collection involved two validated tools: the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), which measure emotional distress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, respectively. A total of 776 students completed the DASS-21 survey, while 491 responded to the IES-R questionnaire.
Participants were recruited through email invitations containing a link to anonymous online surveys, ensuring voluntary participation. The study compared academic performance by analyzing GPAs from the autumn semesters of 2019 (pre-war) and 2023 (war period), using data from the university's dean's office. The research also considered demographic factors such as gender, year of study, and place of residence.
"Significant" PTSD symptoms were observed in 44.2% of respondents, with scores exceeding 37 on the IES-R scale. When students with less significant symptoms are included, female students exhibited significantly higher rates of PTSD than males, with 72.41% displaying symptoms compared to 45.61% of their male counterparts, the study found.
Regression analysis highlighted a complex relationship between mental health and academic outcomes. While stress negatively correlated with academic performance, mild to moderate levels of anxiety and hyperarousal were positively associated with higher GPAs, while depression showed a nuanced effect, sometimes acting as a motivator under certain conditions.
The study concluded that the psychological toll of the war has profoundly affected Ukrainian medical students, emphasizing the need for institutional support. Recommendations included establishing wellness programs, regular mental health screenings, and accessible counseling services. Universities were also encouraged to adapt curricula to reduce academic pressure and offer flexibility to students affected by conflict.
Invest in Lviv, the investment promotion agency of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, posted a calendar of events related to construction, business and other subjects for 2025, including the KyivBuild Ukraine Exhibition next month.
UkraineInvest, the country's national investment promotion agency, highlighted that the Cabinet "has approved the signing of the first special investment agreements, which will result in investments of approximately EUR 95 million and the creation of more than 200 new jobs."
DTEK, the largest private investor in the Ukrainian energy sector, announced that Ivan Gelukh, the former CEO of D.Trading, has been appointed CEO of DRI, DTEK's renewables arm, succeeding John Stuart, who served three years in the role.
Ukrainian Economy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted about ongoing foreign private investment in Ukraine despite the war, including "the new Biopharma plant in Zakarpattia region and the launch of a new production line by the Austrian company Kronospan in Rivne region."
Yevhen Udod, first deputy mayor of the city of Kryvyi Rih, said he met with US financier Charles Whitehead, founder of EO Business Incubators, to outline a 2025 strategy to create "an ecosystem where innovations transform into real success stories" in the city.
Ukraine House Davos, the organization setting up the Ukraine pavilion for the annual Davos meeting later this year, announced some details of the event and highlighted Ukraine's status as a "mineral superpower," with its reserves of rare earth minerals and hydrocarbons.
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