Friday, February 14
Russia’s war against Ukraine
The aftermath of Russian drone attacks on Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, on Feb. 13, 2025. (State Emergency Service / Telegram).
Zelensky approves sanctions against ex-President Poroshenko, oligarchs, businessmen. The sanctions freeze all assets held by the targeted individuals in Ukraine and block them from conducting financial transactions, among other restrictions.
US special envoy Kellogg to visit Kyiv as part of European tour, State Department confirms. While in Ukraine, Keith Kellogg is expected to meet with officials and civilians affected by nearly three years of war, the announcement said.
Russia’s largest steel mill reportedly targeted by ‘massive’ Ukrainian drone strike. The drones allegedly targeted the Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) which produces about 20% of the country’s steel output, according to pro-Kremlin media outlet Shot.
Russia preparing delegation for US talks on war with Ukraine, consider Minsk ‘experience’, Kremlin says. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that “work will be started quickly.”
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Trump says talks with Zelensky, Putin were ‘great,’ optimistic about ending ‘very bloody war’. “Great talks with Russia and Ukraine yesterday. Good possibility of ending that horrible, very bloody war,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
NATO ‘taking over’ Ukraine’s security assistance, military training, Umerov says. The remarks come amid ongoing uncertainty over U.S. aid commitments to Ukraine.
US is Russia’s ‘main counterpart’ in talks to end war, Kremlin says. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Kyiv “will definitely take part in the negotiations in one way or another,” but there will also be a “bilateral Russian-American track.”
‘No talks with Russians planned in Munich’ — Ukraine denies participation in US-Russia meeting on Feb. 14. A Ukrainian official on Feb. 13 denied Ukraine will participate in a joint meeting between U.S. and Russian representatives in Munich after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested talks will be held on Feb. 14.
Read our exclusives
‘Totally screwed’ — How Trump, Hegseth are damaging Ukraine in talks with Russia
After promising to quickly resolve the war in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump and his top officials’ actions on Feb. 12 appeared to undermine Ukraine’s leverage in peace talks, renewing fears that his plans for a quick resolution could amount to a victory for Russia.
Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik / AFP / Getty Images
Following an attack on opposition, Zelensky effectively begins election season
President Volodymyr Zelensky had imposed sanctions against the official leader of the opposition, ex-President Petro Poroshenko. The following decree was published on Feb. 13.
Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
A ‘very bloody war:’ What is the death toll of Russia’s war in Ukraine?
After holding a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 12, U.S. President Donald Trump once again claimed the “horrible, very bloody war” in Ukraine had cost “millions” of lives.
It’s not the first time Trump has claimed that such numbers of people have been killed in the war.
Photo: Hnat Holyk / Gwara Media / Global Images Ukraine / Getty Images
‘A push for Ukraine’s capitulation’ – Baltic, Eastern Europe react to Trump’s rush to negotiate peace with Putin
European nations, particularly Ukraine’s neighbors and the Baltic states, were stunned when the U.S. President Donald Trump suddenly announced the start of peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Human cost of war
1 killed, 20 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over past day. Russian attacks on multiple Ukrainian regions killed at least one civilian and injured 20 over the past day, regional authorities reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 854,280 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,250 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Opinions and insights
Trump has the economic tools to end Russia’s war. He should use them
“There are still many questions about what to expect from the Trump administration’s approach to ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
With some in Congress questioning continued military aid and loans for Ukraine, the application of economic statecraft measures —such as sanctions, export controls, and tariffs — could be used more aggressively to push for Russia’s withdrawal,” writes Daniel Tannebaum, Partner at Oliver Wyman and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council
Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
Dmytro Kuleba: Trump’s rare earth deal risks Ukraine repeating history’s mistakes
“World politics is ruthless. You shouldn’t expect mercy without internal unity and leverage to protect your interests. And when nearly the same scenario unfolds a hundred years later, it’s time to think,” writes Dmytro Kuleba, Former Ukrainian foreign minister
Photo: Oliver Contreras / AFP / Getty Images
Europe can no longer view Trump’s foreign policy through a binary lens
“Traditionally, Europeans have interpreted American foreign policy through a binary lens: either a U.S. administration is Atlanticist, in which case all is well (for the most part); or it is isolationist, which spells trouble. But Trump fits neither category,” writes Zaki Laïdi, professor at Sciences Po
Photo: Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images
International response
China proposes to host Trump-Putin talks without Ukraine’s Zelensky, WSJ reports. The White House declined to confirm whether it had received China’s proposal but reportedly dismissed it as “not viable at all.”
Europe fears bearing Ukraine’s post-war costs amid exclusion from US-Russia talks, FT reports. European nations fear they will be left to shoulder the costs of post-war security and reconstruction in Ukraine as they remain excluded from U.S.-Russia talks on ending the war, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 13, citing senior European officials.
EU cannot replace USAID funding but sees opportunity to boost visibility, Kallas says. “We agreed that we are not automatically filling the void with European money because, first, we don’t have those funds,” Kallas said.
‘We cannot defend ourselves’ — Russian drones crash, explode in Moldova during attack on Ukraine. “Russian drones and bombs are falling and exploding in our villages. And we must recognize that we cannot defend ourselves against them,” Moldovan President Maia Sandu said.
European stock and currencies rise on Ukraine peace deal hopes, Reuters reports. Europe’s main stock market and currencies are gaining amid growing optimism about a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported on Feb. 13.
Recognizing Ukraine won’t restore pre-2014 borders ‘not a concession’ to Putin, Hegseth says. “I think realism is an important part of the conversation that hasn’t existed enough inside conversations amongst friends, but simply pointing out realism like the borders won’t be rolled back to what everybody would like them to be in 2014 is not a concession to Vladimir Putin,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
Russia should be readmitted into G7, Trump says. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 13 that he would “love” to see Russia readmitted into the Group of Seven (G7), calling Russia’s 2014 expulsion from the group a “mistake.”
Starmer reiterates UK’s support for Ukraine’s NATO membership following US dismissal. “My position is the NATO position,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Feb. 13. “This was discussed at the summit that we had last year in Washington, where it was agreed amongst all NATO members that there should be an irreversible path of Ukraine to NATO membership.”
Ukraine’s possible territorial losses may be ‘formalized without recognition by US,’ Kellogg tells Fox News. “I think there will be a certain agreement on the potential loss of territory. But, look, you don’t have to admit it,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said on Feb. 13.
German company to manufacture 6,000 AI-powered drones for Ukraine. Ukraine is set to receive 6,000 AI-powered HX-2 attack drones from the Munich-based defense technology firm Helsing.
In other news
‘Not very pleasant’ — Zelensky comments on Trump calling Putin first. “I don’t perceive this call as it was a priority that he (Trump) talked to Russia first. Although it’s not very pleasant,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
EU-Ukraine agri-trade reaches record $17 billion in 2024. Agricultural trade between Ukraine and the EU reached $17 billion in 2024, exceeding the previous record of $16.5 billion in 2022 by 3%, the Kyiv-based research Institute of Agrarian Economics (IAE) reported.
European Business Association calls on Ukraine to declassify mineral deposit data. The European Business Association (EBA) urged the Ukrainian government to declassify its information on mineral deposit data, in a statement on Feb. 13.
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