Kurt Volker, former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine negotiations, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that he doesn't believe that there will be any results from negotiation attempts with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Volker, who also served as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, said that Putin has already made up his mind to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state and destroy its people and he won't stop as long as he has this "imperialist mindset." Volker added that Putin is in "an increasingly weak position" due to Moscow's failure to capture Ukraine despite the high number of casualties.

A Ukrainian Coast Guard official said that Russian authorities officially denied earlier information that the Azov Sea would be closed to maritime traffic on Feb. 13-19 due to Russian naval exercises. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had earlier said that Russia's planned exercises would fully block the Azov Sea and severely limit the passage in the Black Sea. The planned naval gunnery exercises, along with land exercises in Belarus, have raised concerns that Russia will use them to initiate a f

When it comes to bomb shelters, Ukrainians are facing an unpleasant surprise.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held a briefing for journalists from foreign media outlets on Feb. 2, to address recent developments in Russia's ongoing military build-up around Ukraine.

Russian authorities have started to openly discuss the possibility of supplying the Russian-led militants in Ukrainian Donbas with weapons. Andrei Turchak, the general council secretary of United Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin's party, said on Jan. 26 that Moscow should supply militants with weapons "to deter Kyiv's, clearly planned, military aggression." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that there is a possibility of Russia supplying militants with "certain types of wea

Ukraine has slipped in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released annually by the watchdog Transparency International. In 2021, Ukraine earned 32 points out of 100, one point less than in the previous year. It placed 122nd out of 180 countries analyzed. "This decline in error indicates a period of stagnation. The authorities are delaying the implementation of many important anti-corruption promises," said Andriy Borovik, executive director of Transparency International Ukraine. Compared

The U.K. began to recall non-essential staff from its embassy in Kyiv on Jan. 24, amid growing fears of a full-scale Russian invasion. The U.K. Foreign Office had issued a statement saying that “some embassy staff and dependents are being withdrawn from Kyiv in response to growing threat." Despite the decrease in its staff, "the British Embassy remains open and will continue to carry out essential work,” the statement reads. The U.S. has made a similar decision a day prior and has advised U.S.

The British government has accused the Kremlin of seeking to install a pro-Russian leadership in Ukraine, in a statement on Jan. 22. "We have information that indicates the Russian government is looking to install a pro-Russian leader in Kyiv as it considers whether to invade and occupy Ukraine," the statement published on the UK government website reads. Former Ukrainian pro-Russian lawmaker Yevhen Murayev, owner of Nash TV channel, is "being considered as a potential candidate" to lead the p

President Volodymyr Zelensky concluded a two-day visit to Poland, where he met with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Jan. 20. After being brought up to date on Russia's looming threat of invasion, Duda pledged to stand with Ukraine. "In the face of the (Russian) threat, Ukraine can count on Poland's support," said Duda's press secretary Jakub Komuch. "Ukraine's security is part of our own security." The presidents warned Russia that aggression against Ukraine will be extremely costly, in term

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov made a statement on Jan. 20 which has been perceived as a veiled threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Peskov expressed his concerns that implementation by the U.S. of new financial sanctions on Russia will encourage Ukrainian leadership to "start a new civil war," a remark which was interpreted in Ukraine as a threat of a Russian attack justified by a false-flag operation. Russia maintains that the current conflict in Ukraine, ongoing sinc

The Ministry of Health announced the beginning of a new Covid-19 outbreak, as 18,479 new cases were recorded nationwide on Jan. 19. The ministry identified western Ukraine, specifically Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, as having the highest number of cases. On Jan. 20, Health Minister Viktor Lyashko asked local authorities to place Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast under the strictest quarantine designation level, the red zone. The current set of red zone rules stipulates that most non-essential shops and venues

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv on Jan. 19 and met with Ukraine's top officials, amid the ongoing Russian threat. Blinken met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and discussed military aid, Ukraine's slowly-moving reforms, and the possible sanctions against Russia should it further invade Ukraine. Blinken warned that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine at “very short notice.” “We know that there are plans in place to increase that forc

The assistance was approved in late December but the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden only confirmed it on Jan. 19, without sharing any details. Ukraine will get this package in addition to the $300 million in military aid that the U.S. also approved in December as part of the annual defense spending bill. The State Department revealed the additional aid during Secretary of State Antony Blinken's Jan. 19 visit to Kyiv, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minist

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Kyiv and Berlin on Jan. 18-20. Blinken will first visit Kyiv, where he will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Jan. 19, to reaffirm the United States' support for Ukraine as Russia is threatening to further invade it. According to the U.S. State Department, Blinken will also meet employees and families of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv to discuss "potential contingencies, should Russia choose to escalate furt

A group of U.S. senators is visiting Kyiv to show support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian military buildup. A bipartisan delegation consisting of seven U.S. senators — Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Murphy, Amy Klobuchar, Richard Blumenthal, Rob Portman, Kevin Cramer, and Roger Wicker — met with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Jan. 17. "We are here to send an unequivocal message to Russia," said Senator Portman. "We stand with Ukraine; it is important for the stability of Europe and a beacon of