US, Russian participants held unofficial talks on Ukraine in Switzerland, Reuters reports
The informal meetings were described as "track two meetings," a type of unofficial diplomacy meant to lower tension, three unnamed sources told Reuters.
Diplomacy
State Secretary Rubio holds phone call with Russia's Lavrov
"Both sides expressed a mutual willingness to engage on key international issues, including the situation in Ukraine," the readout from the Russian Foreign Ministry read. "Lavrov and Rubio reaffirmed their readiness to work together to restore a mutually respectful interstate dialogue in line with the tone set by the presidents."
US envoy in Moscow holds talks with Russian deputy FM
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the meeting focused on "the activities of foreign agencies." The last reported meeting of this kind was in December 2022.
Ukraine's ambassador to Poland gives more details on Volyn exhumation plans
Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, said on Feb. 8 that the preparations for the exhumation of remains of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy are underway.
US Senate confirms Marco Rubio as new secretary of state
The U.S. Senate confirmed Marco Rubio as the next secretary of state by a rare bipartisan consensus on Jan. 20.
US, Armenia sign strategic partnership agreement
The charter establishes a framework for expanded bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Armenia in the areas of economic cooperation, security and defense, and democracy.
Polish consulate in St. Petersburg closes after over 50 years
Poland closed its consulate building in St. Petersburg after 53 years. The decision follows Warsaw's order to close a Russian consulate in the Polish city of Poznan last year after accusing Moscow of sabotage plots.
Kyiv, Damascus hold 'similar view' on Russian military presence in Syria, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed Kyiv's position on Russia's military presence in Syria to leaders of the new Syrian administration during a diplomatic visit to Damascus on Dec. 30, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said at an online meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent.
2025 – A Turning Point for Ukraine
Editor's note: This article is a special edition of the KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter, looking at challenges and opportunities facing Ukraine in 2025. 2025 is gearing up to be a decisive year for Ukraine. The country’s leadership will need to navigate a turbulent international landscape, as well
Russian missile attack damages 6 foreign embassies in Kyiv, Foreign Ministry says
The embassies of Albania, Argentina, Palestine, North Macedonia, Portugal and Montenegro are located in a building that was heavily damaged by the Russian attack.
Ukraine 'strongly condemns' African delegation's visit to Russian-occupied territories
"Their statements during this visit about opposing colonialism, made on Ukrainian land illegally seized by Russia in the course of its neocolonial war of aggression against Ukraine, are completely absurd," the Foreign Ministry said.
Lavrov arrives in Malta on his first EU visit since full-scale war's start; Sybiha also present
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is also visiting Malta to address the plenary session of the OSCE meeting. Ukraine's chief diplomat left the hall before the start of Lavrov's speech, calling him a "war criminal."
Ukraine to pursue 'diplomatic' liberation of Crimea, will not acknowledge occupied territories as Russian, Zelensky says
"We cannot spend dozens of thousands of our people so that they perish for the sake of Crimea coming back ... We understand that Crimea can be brought back diplomatically," Zelensky told Fox News.
Ukrainians optimistic about Trump feel a mix of Biden fatigue and hope for change
Despite warnings from some analysts ahead of the U.S. elections that a win by the Republican nominee Donald Trump could become a “worst-case scenario” for Ukraine, the mood in Kyiv after his victory was far more mixed. Some Ukrainians are optimistic that the president-elect could improve Kyiv’s standing
'We must do everything to end this war next year through diplomatic means' — Zelensky speaks on negotiations, war
Ukraine must do everything possible to end the war through diplomatic means, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a wide-ranging interview with Suspilne broadcast on Nov. 16.
Germany, China expected to discuss war in Ukraine, North Korean troops next week
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Chinese President Xi Jinping plan discuss the war in Ukraine and involvement of North Korean troops in the fighting during the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil next week, German media reported on Nov. 15.
Trump's victory offers chance for renewed dialogue with US, Russia's UN envoy says
"Regardless of domestic political shifts, (Washington) consistently pursues a sense of containing Moscow...the change of administration does little to alter it," Ambassador Gennady Gatilov said.
Ukraine reacts warily to Trump appointments as Russia’s war rages on
Ukrainians awoke a week after Donald Trump's election victory to hear that the president-elect had tapped Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary — one of the most eyebrow-raising appointments announced so far by the incoming administration of Kyiv’s top Western ally. Some in the U.S. on
‘It will not be like before’: Ukrainian politicians respond to Trump’s win with caution, uncertainty
With Republican candidate Donald Trump set to become the next U.S. president, Ukrainian politicians have reacted carefully – congratulating the former-turned-future president and emphasizing the need for diplomacy and cooperation, while also expressing uncertainty about what his victory means for Ukraine. Most politicians indicated no surprise at the outcome, which
Russia's Foreign Ministry renames Europe branch to Department of European Problems
"Changes in geopolitical realities," such as "the obvious degradation of multilateral cooperation structures in Europe," led to the renaming, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Russian pro-state news agency RBK.
Zelensky arrives in Iceland for 4th Ukraine-Northern Europe Summit
This is President Volodymyr Zelensky's first official visit to the island country, during which he will meet the prime ministers of Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
Ukraine's FM visits South Africa to conclude his Mideast, Africa tour
The visit to Johannesburg and Pretoria will conclude Andrii Sybiha's tour across the Middle East and the African continent as he seeks to strengthen ties and drum up support for Ukraine's peace formula.
Poland shuts down Russian Consulate in Poznan amid claims of sabotage
"Russia is waging a hybrid war," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Oct. 22. "It is attempting sabotage on Polish territory."
Media: Biden to visit Germany on Oct. 18, Ramstein summit remains postponed
Biden was supposed to convene a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany on Oct. 12, where President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected to present his victory plan. However, he put off his visit in order to oversee the emergency response to Hurricane Milton.
‘Time is currency,’ constrained US congressional trips to Ukraine stymie diplomatic efforts
A series of logistical constraints on U.S. Congressional members’ travel to Ukraine is increasingly raising worries about the effectiveness of American diplomacy to Kyiv, members of Congress and Congressional advisors told the Kyiv Independent. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, members of the U.
Cuba asks to join BRICS as partner country in letter to Putin
"Cuba has officially requested to join the BRICS as a 'Partner Country' through a letter to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, who holds the presidency of the group," said Carlos M. Pereira, the director of bilateral relations at the Cuban Foreign Ministry, in an X post shared by the ministry's official account.
Poland-Ukraine relations deteriorate as historical grievances resurface, threatening to stall Kyiv’s EU accession
The meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Sept. 13 in Kyiv did not exactly go as planned. Sikorski demanded Ukraine finally allow the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn massacre in World War II and warned against expecting a quick EU accession, sparking
Russia and its 'accomplices' want to disrupt global unity, Zelensky tells UN
"The same small group of seven accomplices, led by Russia, has once again acted destructively, always opposing any global initiatives that strengthen the effectiveness of the U.N. charter," Zelensky said at the U.N. Summit of the Future on Sept. 23.
US, India, Japan, Australia issue joint statement calling for peace in Ukraine
"(W)e reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Sybiha to visit Romania in first official trip as Foreign Minister
Sybiha will visit Bucharest to hold bilateral negotiations with his Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu and other high-ranking officials.
Zelensky's office denies report that victory plan includes ceasefire along existing lines
An advisor for President Volodymyr Zelensky denied a news report suggesting Zelensky's peace plan will include a partial ceasefire, calling it a "fake."
Russia releases 45 Indians tricked into fighting in Ukraine
Forty-five Indians tricked into joining the Russian military fighting in Ukraine have been released, with 50 more yet to be discharged, NDTV reported on Sept. 12, citing the Indian Foreign Ministry.
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