A snapshot of recent news from sources around the world on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Political Developments
American and Russian officials met in Riyadh this week to discuss a possible resolution to the war in Ukraine. This meeting took place without representatives from Ukraine, prompting criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that Russia could also see sanctions relief if it negotiates an end to the Ukraine war, emphasizing President Trump’s commitment to a swift resolution.
Negotiations are likely to be lengthy, but Washington has already ruled out deploying troops to Ukrainian soil as part of a peace agreement — and won’t seek Kyiv’s admission into NATO, either.
Alongside its demands related to the war in Ukraine, Moscow has also pushed for the U.S. to withdraw troops from eastern European members of NATO, according to the Romanian government.
China backs the “recent consensus” between the U.S. and Russia on ending the Ukraine war, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasizing the need for a lasting solution and Beijing’s willingness to play a constructive role in peace efforts.
In remarks that shocked European allies and angered Ukraine, Trump blamed Ukraine’s leaders for Russia’s invasion, suggested they shouldn’t be part of peace talks, and called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” who has “done a terrible job.” Behind the scenes, the Trump administration continues to talk a potential mineral deal with Kyiv, and the Ukrainian government’s rejection of an earlier draft is a likely factor in Trump’s outburst towards Zelenskyy.
The sides are now discussing an “improved” version of the mineral deal, sources told Axios this week. The Trump administration is reportedly seeking 50 percent ownership of Ukrainian rare earth deposits.
Military Assistance to Ukraine
The status of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine was thrown into doubt on Thursday after a Ukrainian lawmaker stated that U.S. weapons deliveries have been halted. His comments were later contradicted by another lawmaker, however, who denied that any freeze was in place.
Kept in the dark about the U.S.-Russia talks, European leaders scrambled to meet in Paris this week for an emergency summit that sought to find common ground on European policy towards supporting Ukraine. Some leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, voiced willingness to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping operation. That proposal received pushback from other European leaders, but Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are still attempting to forge ahead with plans for a ‘reassurance force‘.
Three diplomatic sources told POLITICO this week that E.U. countries are putting together a EUR6 billion military aid package to Ukraine, which could be unveiled early next week. This package would include contributions from across the bloc, proportional to economic size.
Battlefield Updates
Amid political dialogue over the war’s future, Russia has been attempting to reestablish full control over Kursk, launching major operations against Ukrainian positions this week. Russian Colonel-General Sergei Rudsky said in a statement that Russian troops have retaken 64 percent of the territory lost to Ukraine in the province since the summer.
Heavy fighting continues along the frontlines in the east, where Russia has made steady gains towards the logistics hub Pokrovsk. On Sunday, however, Ukraine announced that it retook the village of Pishchane near Pokrovsk.
One of Russia’s new S-350 surface-to-air missile systems was destroyed in a Ukrainian attack this week, the first loss of the system since its induction into service.
Ukrainian F-16s have spotted in flight sporting GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, confirming that at least some of the F-16 fleet is being utilized for air-to-ground missions alongside air-defense roles. The Ukrainian Air Force began receiving F-16s from several partners in Europe last year.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga said this week that Ukraine produced 1.5 million drones (of all types) in 2024, adding that capacity will reach 4 million this year.
As it leans on unmanned technology, Ukraine intends to establish a ‘drone line‘ along the front, employing continuous reconnaissance UAVs along the frontlines to detect and engage troops before they reach Ukrainian positions.
Ukraine is also continuing long-range drone strikes, performing a strike on a pumping station in southern Russia on Monday.
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