Saturday, February 22
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade ‘Khartiia’ of the National Guard of Ukraine fire a Gvozdika howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line in Kharkiv Oblast on Feb. 21, 2025. (Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Zelensky is not ‘important’ to negotiations on ending war, Trump says. “I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Russia wants to declare ‘victory’ over Ukraine on Feb. 24, Ukrainian intel claims. According to the Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia aims to sow despair among Ukrainians, destabilize the situation in the country, and discredit Ukraine among its allies.
Russia may offer frozen assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction, demand funds for occupied territories, Reuters reports. According to Reuters, one source familiar with Moscow discussions said Russia could agree to allocate up to two-thirds of frozen assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction, provided accountability guarantees.
Zelensky to sign US minerals deal soon, Waltz says. “President Zelensky is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term,” U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said.
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Trump-Putin meeting depends on progress on ending war, Rubio says. “The only way is to test them (Russia), to basically engage them and say, okay, are you serious about ending the war, and if so, what are your demands. Are your public demands and your private demands different?” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “It may turn out that they don’t want to end the war.”
‘No appetite’ for new Ukraine aid bill, US House speaker says. “We have to bring (the war) to an end. And I can tell you that our European allies understand the necessity as well. It’s (dragged) on too long,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
63% of Ukrainians approve of Zelensky as president, poll shows. Some 26.1% of Ukrainians said they completely approve Zelensky, while another 36.9% said they tend to approve him. The overall figure is higher than in polls conducted years before Russia’s full-scale invasion, as well as in the spring of 2024.
Kremlin denies demanding NATO eastern rollback in talks with US. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said this in reaction to an article by the Financial Times claiming that during the talks in Riyadh on Feb. 18, Russian delegates asked for the NATO rollback as a condition for “normalizing relations.”
Trump’s envoy Kellogg praises Zelensky as ‘courageous leader’ after talks. “Extensive and positive discussions with (President Volodymyr Zelensky), the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war, and his talented national security team,” Keith Kellogg said.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Russia wants to declare ‘victory’ over Ukraine on Feb. 24, Ukrainian intel claims
Russia is instructing its propagandists to declare “victory” in the war “against Ukraine and NATO” on Feb. 24, the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion, Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) claimed on Feb. 21.
Photo: Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images
How Trump could help Russia achieve the original aim of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Ukraine’s president is an illegitimate “dictator” aligns with Kremlin war objectives and puts Volodymyr Zelensky in an almost impossible situation, experts and analysts have told the Kyiv Independent.
Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Kyiv Independent presents its first magazine — ‘The Power Within’
The Kyiv Independent has presented its first-ever magazine, “The Power Within,” as a record of Ukrainian resilience and life three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Photo: The Kyiv Independent
Why Ukraine can’t hold elections during wartime
Elections in Ukraine must be held only after sustainable peace is achieved, ensuring a free, fair, and democratic process that reflects the will of the people.
Photo: Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images
Human cost of war
One person killed in drone attack on Kyiv Oblast, warehouse on fire. A 60-year-old man was killed at a railway crossing in Kyiv Oblast, amid a Russian drone attack on the region, the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration reported.
With coal miners fighting to keep Ukraine’s lights on
International response
UK, Norway discuss Arctic defense pact over Russian threat. “With Russia continuing to militarise the High North and Arctic, this new agreement will boost security for the U.K., Norway, and our NATO allies, bolstering defenses on NATO’s northern flank,” the British government said in a statement.
Sweden suspects sabotage after new undersea cable damage. The fiber-optic cable, running between Finland and Germany, was damaged near the Gotland Island within the Swedish economic zone, Sweden’s Coast Guard said.
EU seeks more US gas to replace Russian supplies. The EU is also looking to develop renewable energy faster to reduce its overall dependence on the fuel, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said.
Most Danes back sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, poll shows. Some 53% of Danes are in favor of sending peacekeepers into the country after Russia’s full-scale war ends, according to a poll, published by Ritzau news agency on Feb. 21, Bloomberg reported.
Putin orders ministers to prepare for Western companies’ return to Russia. “We can adjust accordingly the return to our market of those who want to return,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said, suggesting potential restrictions or conditions for Western firms looking to resume operations in Russia.
Canada opposes Russia’s return to G7, vows to ‘stand its ground,’ ambassador says. “Canada is not ready for a change in the membership of the G7 and is standing its ground,” Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc said.
Trump’s Ukraine remarks ‘shocking,’ echo Russian narratives, German opposition leader says. “This is the Russian narrative; this is how Putin has presented it for years, and I’m frankly shocked that Donald Trump has now apparently embraced it himself,” German opposition leader and chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz said.
Bulgarian parliament votes against deploying troops to Ukraine. The Bulgarian parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a non-binding declaration on Feb. 21 that would seek to halt any deployment of military forces to Ukraine.
Opinions and insights
After 3 years of war in Ukraine, sometimes I think: Stop the planet, I want to get off
After three years of full-scale war, Ukrainians have regressed from dreams of victory to hope for an unjust peace
Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images
In other news
Ukraine launching faster drone supply model for military. According to the new model, military units will be able to choose the unmanned systems best suited to their needs. The system also aims to support manufacturers through advance orders, allowing them to plan for scaling up their production.
Azerbaijan suspends local BBC News office. The British broadcaster confirmed that it had taken the “reluctant decision” to close the office following verbal instructions from the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
Over 130 Ukrainian NGOs say elections ‘impossible’ during war. “The legitimacy of the Ukrainian government is the exclusive prerogative of the Ukrainian people,” the statement read.
5.2 million Ukrainian refugees remain abroad, less than half plan to return, poll says. The Center for Economic Strategy projects that between 1.7 and 2.7 million Ukrainians may permanently remain abroad, potentially reducing Ukraine’s annual GDP by 5.1% to 7.8%.
Lawmaker from Zelensky’s party resigns after corruption charges, MP says. Kormyshkina was charged by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) on Oct. 17 with illicit enrichment worth more than Hr 20 million ($480,000).
Ukraine periodically loses up to 40% of gas production due to Russian attacks, Reuters reports. Russian strikes have repeatedly hit Ukraine’s gas infrastructure over the course of the war, reducing production by as much as 40% at certain periods following an attack.
91% of Ukrainians oppose peace talks without Ukraine’s participation, poll finds. A total of 91% of Ukrainians surveyed oppose peace negotiations between the U.S. and Russia without Ukraine’s participation, a poll released on Feb. 21 by Ukrainian polling firm Rating suggests.
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Comments
February 23, 2025 03:07
@the_kyiv_independent
Wow, virtual fantasy land. Maybe they'll just pretend the Ukranian army isn't there when it takes St. Petersburg because they are pretending it isn't important.