Russia has demanded sanctions relief from the U.S. as part of talks over a possible energy ceasefire with Ukraine, while also seeking to link the initiative to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, U.S. and Ukrainian officials familiar with the talks told the Kyiv Independent. The demands come as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, with one senior Ukrainian defense official saying Moscow is trying to inflict as much damage as possible to gain leverage before potential negotia
Exclusive: 'It felt like a trap.' How Ukraine was blindsided by Trump's Putin pivot
When U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told Ukraine's delegation on Oct. 9 that President Donald Trump was preparing to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, the Ukrainians struggled to believe what they were hearing. The delegation had traveled to the United States to discuss a possible energy ceasefire with Russia. Instead, Kyiv's negotiators found themselves blindsided by a decision they feared would hand Moscow fresh revenue to finance its war against Ukraine while undermining
Exclusive: Ukraine, Russia are done with Steve Witkoff. Trump sees no problem
Kyiv and Moscow are growing increasingly frustrated with the U.S.-mediated peace process — and with Washington's Envoy Steve Witkoff, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has emerged as a key peace negotiator, traveled to Russia and Ukraine in early September in an attempt to restart stalled negotiations. They left both countries with little to show for the effort. Behind the scenes, however, several separate efforts are
Russia Is Planning Its Most Powerful Blow Yet to Try to Freeze Ukraine
Ukraine showed European partners what it said were intercepted Russian plans to cut off major cities from power, heat and water this winter.
Russia to Intensify Strikes on Ukraine After Zelensky Interview
Russia will intensify strikes on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday, responding to an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which he vowed increased attacks on Russian refineries. The ministry said Russian forces would step up attacks on military facilities, defense industry sites and related infrastructure in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine.
Ukraine will hold elections if Russia agrees to 60-day ceasefire, Zelensky says
Trump criticized Zelensky for attacking Russian oil refineries after the U.S. temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian fuel
There's one massive problem with Trump's Ukraine diesel price theory
U.S. President Donald Trump has a very simple solution to the very real problem of rising diesel prices. "(President Volodymyr) Zelensky has to do one thing — he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” he told reporters on Sept. 13. "Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he’s causing a shortage of diesel fuel… that’s hurting the world." Trump's implication was clear — halting Ukraine's long-running, long-range drone strike campaign against Russian oil refineries would
Russia Turns to Striking Kyiv’s Bridges, Threatening a Vital Lifeline
The bridges, used by many commuters in the Ukrainian capital, are the latest target in a broad Russian bombing campaign against infrastructure.
Ukraine marks Putin’s scripted election win with assault on Moscow refinery
The air attack hit an oil refinery in Moscow, contradicting President Donald Trump's claim that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt strikes on energy targets.
Who benefits from Russia’s war in Ukraine
While tens of millions of Europeans have suffered from Russia’s war in Ukraine, a few Russian businesspeople have gotten richer from it. This column documents four distinct trends in this enrichment: through foreign asset takeovers at heavily discounted prices, via companies operating in import-substituting industries, beneficiaries of the war’s disruptive effects on European markets, and beneficiaries of increased domestic demand. Due to these trends, the number of Russian billionaires went up since the start of the war, while billionaires under Western sanctions got wealthier on average too.
Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky after Putin meeting - report - i24NEWS
"We are all on the same side. We all want the war to end," Zelensky said following the conclusion of the first round of negotiations
A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them
Drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries, this exclusive account details how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans to invade, and why most of Europe – including the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy – dismissed them
Three Days, Six Bridge Strikes: Russia's Kyiv Campaign Moved From the Grid to the Crossings
Coral's Russia-Ukraine and "Trump Kyiv Diplomacy" clusters are large and old, so I went to the reporting instead. The new thing is narrow and checkable: since...
The economics of sanctions: From theory into practice | Brookings
Sanctions against Russia after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022 have failed so far to significantly alter Russia’s behavior.
Helping Save Kyiv From Drones: Volunteers, Caffeine and Vintage Guns (Published 2025)
On a “hot night,” when Russia tries to overwhelm Kyiv’s air defenses, Ukraine relies not only on Patriot missiles, but on civilians wielding searchlights and vintage guns.
Moscow Promised More Strikes on Sunday. By Wednesday the Pryluky Toll Went From 5 to 16.
The 07 October Russian strike on Ukraine is the latest step in a sequence I have been following since the Kyiv bridge strikes (10-03, 10-04). What follows is...
Witkoff and Kushner meet with Putin about ending Ukraine war
Russia paused airstrikes to allow the negotiations.
