Tuesday, February 18
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers of the 117th Brigade fire D-30 artillery in the direction of Pokrovsk, Ukraine on Feb. 17, 2025. (Herrera Carcedo / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ukraine ‘progresses meaningfully’ in talks on foreign troop presence, Zelensky says. Zelensky described the development as a concrete step beyond diplomatic discussions, signaling a shift toward tangible international security cooperation.
Up to 30,000 European troops reportedly could be deployed to monitor Ukraine ceasefire, Washington Post reports. According to the publication, the estimated troop numbers emerged in response to a U.S. questionnaire sent to European countries asking them to assess their capabilities to support Kyiv.
Ukraine strikes Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says. Residents earlier posted videos on social media purportedly showing explosions at the refinery in the Seversky district of Krasnodar Krai.
Zelensky to visit Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, Reuters reports. The Ukrainian president’s visit coincides with the U.S.-Russia talks on ending the war in Ukraine, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
‘Hot phase’ of war in Ukraine may ‘end soon’ with new US leadership, Russian UN envoy says. Russia’s UN Representative Vasily Nebenzya claimed that a ceasefire and freezing hostilities alone would not resolve the conflict, outlining Moscow’s conditions for a settlement.
Russia’s Lavrov rules out territorial concessions as part of Ukraine peace talks. Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in 2014, as well as the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022.
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Zelensky hopes Kellogg will visit front lines during trip to Ukraine. In comments reported by Interfax-Ukraine, Zelensky said Kellogg will arrive in Kyiv on Feb. 20 and could stay for “two days and maybe more.”
US envoy Kellogg to visit Ukraine on Feb 19. Speaking to journalists in Brussels on Feb. 17, U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg confirmed his travel plans, saying he would first head to Warsaw on the following day before taking a night train to Kyiv.
Ukraine calls for Europe to appoint high-level negotiator for US, Russia peace talks. Presidential Office Deputy Head Ihor Zhovkva stressed the urgency of appointing a European representative, saying, “It should be a quickly made decision. I hope right after the Paris meeting. We should act, not reflect.”
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Lavrov rejects territorial concessions in Ukraine peace talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Feb. 17 said there could be “no thought of” territorial concessions to Ukraine on the eve of talks with the U.S. Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in 2014, as well as the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022.
Photo: Contributor/Getty Images
Ukraine’s long-awaited weapons tech investment boom is finally kicking off
Ukrainian weapons startups are finally seeing an inflow of funds from Western investors who have long been intrigued by Ukraine’s defense tech sector. Financial analysis firm Pitchbook provided the Kyiv Independent with data showing a four-fold rise in foreign venture capital deals in Ukraine-headquartered startups after the market flatlined in 2022.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images
Kurt Volker’s guide to US-Russia Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia
Neither Ukraine nor Europe has been invited to the main discussion, setting off alarm bells in Kyiv and capitals across the continent that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could reach an agreement without Ukraine and Europe’s involvement, and one that puts their future security in jeopardy.
Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
Human cost of war
Over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since start of Russia’s full-scale war. Nearly 380,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured since the start of the all-out war, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC.
Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 3, injure 8 over past day. Russian forces launched 147 drones from the Russian cities of Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Shatalovo, Millerovo, and Primosk-Akhtarsk at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
Expert guide to US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia
International response
Macron pushes for strong security guarantees for Ukraine after talks with Trump, Zelensky. “We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine,” French President Emmanuel Macron said. “To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians.”
Starmer urges US support for European peacekeeping force in Ukraine. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to provide American military backing for a proposed European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, arguing that only a U.S. security guarantee can deter Russia from launching further aggression.
In other news
Russia close to deal with Syria for post-Assad military presence, Bloomberg reports. The Kremlin is seeking continued access to the naval base in Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase, which have served as key military footholds in the region.
Film ‘Rock, Scissors, Paper’ about war in Ukraine wins BAFTA award. The film “Rock, Paper, Scissors” won the Best British Short Film nomination at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) on Feb. 16.
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