Russia Deserves No Consideration in Settling its War vs Ukraine

Russian cutthroats again descended into hell by targeting a passenger train near Kharkiv that killed five passengers. Russian drones struck a passenger train on January 27, hitting a locomotive and passenger car and causing a fire, Ukrainian officials said.

“The strike on a passenger train is a direct act of Russian terror against civilians. There was no military target,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said.

Actually, the past few days were drenched in Ukrainian blood as the Russians used drones and missiles to hit civilian targets across Ukraine killing senior citizens, mothers and children.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the train attacked in the Kharkiv region was carrying 200 passengers. It can only be described as terrorism and genocide just as the effect of bombed out apartments and frigid temperatures that the civilians are compelled to endure. Prosecutors said fragments of five bodies had been found at the scene of the attack.

“There is not and cannot be any military justification for killing civilians in a train carriage,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, adding that two people were also wounded in the attack. Prosecutors posted images of the smoldering carriage on social media. 

Zelenskyy said the latest bombardment undermined peace efforts and urged allies to step up pressure on Moscow to end the war.

"Every such Russian strike erodes the diplomacy that is still ongoing and undermines the efforts of partners who are helping to end this war," he wrote on social media.

It is evident that regardless of Russia’s claims and promises and President Donald Trump’s naïve belief, Moscow will never abandon its mission of enslaving all of Ukraine. Afterward, the countries to the west will also be imperiled.

Russia struck cities across Ukraine with drones and a missile overnight, killing a couple near Kyiv a day after the attack on the passenger train, ahead of a new round of peace talks due at the weekend. According to all sides, the last remaining points pertain to security guarantees for Ukraine and surrendering Ukrainian land to Russia.

According to the Financial Times, Washington has indicated that security guarantees will only be promised to Ukraine if it agrees to surrender territory to Russia in the Donbas, according to a report.

Sources close to the discussions told the Financial Times that the Trump Administration would provide additional weapons to strengthen Ukraine’s military in the event of a peace deal if Kyiv withdraws its forces from the region. Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not give up any occupied land without a referendum on territory.

European and Ukrainian officials see Washington’s position as an attempt to place pressure on Kyiv to agree to a deal, with doubts raised over whether the White House is ready to make binding commitments on security. Without a doubt, this pressure on Kyiv will anger Ukrainian American voters, who have said that they will remember this offense during upcoming 2026 and 2028 elections.

In the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, a 58-year-old man was killed in a drone attack. A 72-year-old was killed in her home by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region.

Russian drone and missile attacks have knocked out power, lighting and heat to millions of Ukrainians across the country.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had launched 165 attack drones overnight, and officials said an infrastructure facility in the western Lviv region was hit.

State gas company Naftogaz said the attack had left one of its facilities on fire in western Ukraine, describing it as the fifth attack of its kind this month.

Media in southern Ukraine reported that the woman had a four-year-old daughter who survived the strike. Officials said four people, including two children, sought medical attention after the attack.

"When I carried her out, the girl started crying very hard, and then she began to shake violently," Marian Kushnir, a journalist who was a neighbor of the deceased couple, told Radio Free Europe.

Zelenskyy condemned the attack on the apartment block, as well as another strike with short-range rockets on what he described as a residential area without military targets in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.

“We will respond fairly to Russia for this and other similar attacks," he wrote on social media.

Ukraine and Russia met for US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi last week, with further meetings expected on Sunday, February 1, but Russia has not relented in bombing Ukrainian cities. Both countries have struck each other’s energy infrastructure.

A massive Russian drone attack on Odesa in southern Ukraine struck several apartment and university buildings, killing at least three people, injuring dozens of others, and leaving an unknown number still stuck under rubble, officials said on January 27.

Russia sent a swarm of over 50 drones into the city in an attack that began around 2:20 am. Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper wrote that the strikes damaged dozens of residential buildings, a preschool, and a church, initially reporting 23 injuries. That figure subsequently rose to 35, Suspilne reported, citing Public Health Director Olena Kolodenko.

“Emergency workers have pulled out 14 people, among them one child. It is tentatively known that people may still be stuck under the rubble,” Kiper said in his initial response to the attack.

Odesa Mayor Serhiy Lysak wrote on Telegram hours later on Jan. 27 that emergency workers had recovered the first known fatality from the attack after hours of excavations. That number had risen to three dead dug out of the ruins as of 3 pm, with work ongoing.

“The destruction is colossal, and repair work will require extended time to return equipment to working condition,” energy provider DTEK wrote in a statement identifying its facilities as among those hit.

Lysak specified in a separate Telegram post that 43 buildings and 122 apartment units fell under the drone attack in Odesa’s Prymorskiy Neighborhood, the downtown area near the Black Sea that includes much of the city's famous port. Three other buildings were damaged in the neighborhood of Perespylsky, which includes the rest of the main ports.

Overnight on January 28, Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv and surrounding areas, local authorities reported.

Russia launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 146 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 103 drones. At least 36 drones and the missile made it through, striking 22 locations.

Explosions were heard in Ukraine’s capital around 1:26 am local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Local authorities reported that air defense systems were activated to intercept incoming Russian drones.

Kyiv Oblast Gov. Mykola Kalashnyk reported that two people, a man and a woman, were killed in the Bilohorodka community, located on the outskirts of the capital. Several other people were also treated by paramedics but did not require hospitalization.

One of the victims was a mother who was at home with her 4-year-old child when their apartment came under attack, Hromadske reported.

The second victim was the woman’s partner. At the time of the attack, they were both on the second floor of the apartment, while the child was on the first floor. Both adults died from a direct hit.

The 4-year-old child was carried out of the burning building by Radio Liberty war correspondent Marian Kushnir, Ukrainian TV channel 1+1 reported.

These vicious attacks are leading up to yet another round of talks this Sunday, February 1. It is apparent to all that Russia will not change it demands and Washington will not stop supporting Moscow. Ukraine is left to fend for itself in a war that it didn’t start. Russia wants all of Ukraine though it hasn’t yet said so. Ukrainian soldiers and civilians across the country are locked in an existential war for their independence, sovereignty and future.

President Trump offered his ludicrous explanation for the continuation of the war. The media has quoted him as saying absurdly he’s having a difficult time ending the war because both Putin and Zelenskyy hate each other. Mutual hatred is not the reason for the war. Age-old, traditional Russian aggression, imperialism and hatred for Ukraine and Ukrainians were the causes of the war. Ukrainians have come to hate Russia and Russians with the number of deceased Ukrainians littering the streets and countryside. That’s the painful reason. 

There’s a New Global Leader in the Room: Zelenskyy

One theme was quite obvious in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s single-minded, prophetic speech today at the Davos World Economic Forum: Europe must evolve from being a cute continent of small countries to a formidable, united geo-political and military force that is capable of keeping unceasingly aggressive and dangerous Russia confined to its borders.

Motivated by his country’s four-year existential war against Russian aggression as well President Donald Trump’s vision of new world order of his design, Zelenskyy observed with thoughts of the future “Right now, all eyes are on Washington. But who’s actually watching Europe at the moment? That’s the key question for Europe. And it’s not just about ideas. It’s about people, first of all. It’s about how they’ll live in a world that’s constantly changing.”

Noting sarcastically at the outset that the world is caught in a “Groundhog Day” syndrome where war, peace, threats constantly rotate ad nauseum, the Ukrainian president asked “Most of the world’s now thinking – so, what’s going happen to their relationship with America? What will happen to alliances? To support? To trade? How does President Trump plan to end wars? But no-one is asking these kinds of questions about Europe. And we need to be honest about that.” Zelenskyy’s rhetorical reply is that Europe must take the lead in defending its territory from the Russian border to the Atlantic Ocean.

“Washington does not believe Europe can bring them something that is really substantial,” Zelenskyy claimed. Will President Trump even notice Europe? Does he see NATO as necessary? And will he respect EU institutions?”

In this pre-global conflagration, Zelenskyy posed a daring challenge: “Ladies and gentlemen, Europe can’t afford to be second or third in line for its allies. If that happens, the world will start moving forward without Europe, and that’s a world that will not be comfortable or beneficial for all Europeans.

Europe needs to compete for the top spot in priorities, alliances and technological development.

We’re at yet another turning point, which some see as a problem for Europe, but others call a chance. Europe must establish itself as a strong global player; as an indispensable player.”

Alluding to his recent calls for the establishment of a European army, Zelenskyy said “Europe needs to know how to defend itself.”

Zelenskyy continued “Next point. I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it again: Europe needs united armed forces – forces that can truly defend Europe. Today, Europe relies only on the belief that if danger comes, NATO will act. But no one has really seen the Alliance in action. If Putin decides to take Lithuania or strike Poland, who will respond? Who will respond?

“Right now, NATO exists thanks to belief – belief that the United States will act, that it will not stand aside, and will help. But what if it doesn’t?

“Believe me, this question is… It’s everywhere, in the minds of every European leader. And some try to get closer to President Trump. It’s true. Some wait – hoping the problem will disappear. Some have started acting – investing in weapons production, and et cetera, building partnerships, getting public support for higher defense spending…”

Furthermore, the danger posed by imperial Russia is enhanced by a clear boundary like the one enjoyed by the United States. “Let’s not forget – there’s no ocean separating European countries from Russia. And European leaders should remember this – battles involving North Korean soldiers are now happening in places geographically closer to Davos than to Pyongyang,” he said.

Russia is turning in a version of despotic North Korea and its economic potential is smaller than Europe’s, Zelenskyy said the evil Empire produces several times more ammunition and military equipment than all of Europe combined. “That’s exactly the path of wars Moscow chooses to take,” he said.

Russia has already signed comprehensive military treaties with North Korea and Iran that will be used against Europe and America – “all of us,” Zelenskyy warned.

“We must not forget about it. It is not by chance. These are their strategic priorities, and our priorities must match the challenge – in politics, and in defense, and in economy,” he advised.

This also pertains to the armed forces. Zelenskyy said Russia has about 1.3-1.5 million troops. Ukraine has more than 800,000 in its military but they’re dedicated to fighting Russia. Second comes France with over 200,000; then Germany, Italy and the UK. “Everyone else has less. This isn’t a situation where one country can secure itself alone. It’s about all of us standing together to mean something,” he said.

The Ukrainian president said it’s not clear whether Europe will even have a seat at the table when the war against Ukraine country ends.

“We see how much influence China has on Russia and we are deeply grateful to Europe for all the support it’s given our country during this war. But will President Trump listen to Europe, or will he negotiate with Russia and China without Europe? Europe needs to learn how to fully take care of itself, so that the world can’t afford to ignore it,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president reminded the assemblage of the defense of Greenland and Ukraine’s participation. “You either declare that European bases will protect the region from Russia and China – and establish those bases – or you risk not being taken seriously because 30 or 40 soldiers won’t protect anything.

“And we know what to do. If Russian warships are sailing freely around Greenland, Ukraine can help – we have the expertise and weapons to ensure not one of those ships remains. They can sink near Greenland just as they do near Crimea. No problem – we have the tools, and we have people.”

With unity in Europe being a maintain ingredient, because the world cares about Europe as a whole, Zelenskyy said “We need a united European security and defense policy, and all European countries must be willing, willing to spend as much on security as is truly needed – not just as much as they’ve gotten used to during years of neglect.”

Zelenskyy bemoaned the fact that Europeans turn against each other – “leaders, parties, movements, and communities – instead of standing together to stop Russia, which brings the same destruction to everyone.” Instead of becoming a truly global power, Zelenskyy said “Europe remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers. Instead of taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide, especially when America’s focus shifts elsewhere – Europe looks lost, trying to convince the U.S. President to change. But he will not change.

“President Trump loves who he is. And he says he loves Europe. But he will not listen to this kind of Europe. One of the biggest problems in today’s Europe – though it’s not often talked about – is the mindset. Some European leaders are from Europe, but not always for Europe. And Europe still feels more like a geography, a history, a tradition – not a real political force, not a great power.”

A united mindset must also be evident in joint actions against aggressors like Russia and punishments. For example, he continued, “But when the time came to use those assets to defend against Russian aggression, the decision was blocked. Putin managed to stop Europe. Unfortunately.”

It is unfortunate that the international community and America has been purposefully silent about the International Criminal Court, saying it’s an American historical position. Simultaneously, there has been no real progress on establishing a Special Tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine, against the Ukrainian people. And we have an agreement – it’s true. “Many meetings have taken place. But still, Europe hasn’t reached even the point of having a home for the Tribunal – with staff and actual work happening inside. What’s missing – time or political will? Too often in Europe, something else is always more urgent than justice,” he said.

And punishment. In the Western Hemisphere, Zelenskyy reminded the audience President Trump led an operation in Venezuela. “And Maduro was arrested. And there were different opinions, but the fact remains: Maduro is on trial in New York.

However, Sorry, but Putin – an international war criminal – is not on trial. And this is the fourth year of the biggest war in Europe since World War II – and the man who started it is not only free, he’s still fighting for his frozen money in Europe. And you know what? He’s having some success. It’s true.”

He revealed that Kyiv has already set-up models of cooperation for Ukraine’s defense that can make Europe stronger. “We’re building drones together – including some totally unique ones that no-one else in the world has. We’re producing artillery together – and in Ukraine, it’s much cheaper and faster than in any other country in the world,” he continued.

Investing in Ukrainian drones’ production is investing not only in security of Europe but the ability of Europe to be a security guarantor for other vital regions, he elaborated. Furthermore, he urged, Europe needs to build air defense systems together – ones that can deal with all types of cruise and ballistic missiles. Capitalizing on an Israeli concept that has lately been repeated by President Trump, Zelenskyy said Europe needs its own version of the Iron Dome, “something that can deal with any kind of threat.”

Energy is another vital ingredient and European countries cannot be dependent on a single energy supplier, especially not Russia. “Right now, things are on our side – President Trump is going to export more energy. “But Europe needs to step up and do more long-term work to secure real energy independence. You can’t keep buying gas from Moscow while also expecting security guarantees, help, and backup from the Americans. That’s just wrong.”

Europe’s participation in peace talks should not be relegated to social media, Zelenskyy said, but rather Europe must have a seat at the table when deals about war and peace are made: “Europe deserves to be more than just a bystander, with its leaders reduced to posting on X after an agreement has already been made. Europe needs to shape the terms of those deals.”

He urged European lead in weapons production and technological development and “Europe must become the most attractive market in the world – and that’s achievable.”

With wars erupting around the world, Zelenskyy said Europe must be able to guarantee peace and security for everybody in the world who matter to Europe.

“Europe deserves to be strong. And for this, Europe needs the EU and NATO. Is this possible without Ukraine and without a just end to Russia’s war against Ukraine? I’m certain the answer is ‘no,’” he continued.

“Only real security guarantees for us will serve as real security guarantees for everyone in Europe. And we must ensure that America also sees us as essential. For that to happen, America’s focus must shift to Europe. So that one day, in Washington, they will say – all eyes on Europe. And not because of war, but because of the opportunities in Europe,” Zelenskyy explained.

“Hundreds of millions of people visit Europe to see its landmarks, to learn from its cultural heritage. Millions in the world dream of living like the Europeans do. Will we be able to keep it and pass it to our children? If we in Europe can answer positively, America will need Europe as well as other global players. Europe must shape history for itself and its allies to remain not just relevant, but alive and great."

With this speech, President Zelenskyy not only possesses the distinction of being a heroic national leader, keeping at bay its vicious enemy Russia, but he’s also a leading global visionary player in building a new democratic, secure, prosperous world.

Not a Novel Idea but a Vital One – European Army

With President Donald Trump belittling the NATO alliance, European military and political leaders are reheating the idea of a European Army that would serve purpose except without the fair weather-United States.

“The idea of a common European army has been discussed continuously since the European project began in the early days of the Cold War. The Eisenhower administration even successfully cajoled European leaders to agree to create a common European army only to be thwarted by the French parliament. The European project was a few votes from launching as a military project rather than an economic one. The idea of a common European force was revived in the 1990s as the European Union was formed, but the concept lost favor due to U.S. opposition and commitment to NATO,” Max Bergmann, director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center wrote on the Center for Strategic and International Studies website last year.

Eurocorps, another example, is an autonomous military force of France, Germany (founding states), Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Poland (framework states), Austria, Greece, Italy, Romania and Turkey (associate members) whose aim is to maintain common headquarters and command of selected national military units, up to 65,000 personnel.

The soldiers of Eurocorps are provided by their respective nations. The missions of the Eurocorps are generally assigned under the United Nations, the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, under the European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), or pursuant to a joint decision taken by the contracting parties. According to a separate agreement, Eurocorps forces can be put under the command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

The Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian Brigade is another example.

The idea of a European army was first discussed in the 1950s. It was proposed by France and would have consisted of the “inner six” countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany), in order to strengthen defense against the Soviet threat without directly rearming Germany in the wake of World War II. In 1952 the Treaty establishing the European Defense Community was signed but not ratified by the signatories.

However, during the Cold War, Western Europe relied on NATO for defense, precluding the development of European cooperation. Immediately after the “fall of communism,” the defense apparatus was preoccupied by NATO expansion into the former Soviet bloc. The idea of a European army gained popularity after the September 11 attacks and NATO's involvement in conflicts outside of Europe. In a phenomenon dubbed diversification of European security, NATO has come to be responsible for "hard" threats while the European Union has taken a greater role in "soft" threats, including peacekeeping in the western Balkans. The 2009 Treaty of Lisbon also has furthered defense integration within the EU. This has led to support for a European Defense Union, which would be a step higher in collaboration than the current Common Security and Defense Policy.

Today, the threat to global peace, security, independence and sovereignty posed by Russia still exists.

European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has said earlier this year that the bloc should consider establishing a standing military force of 100,000 troops and overhaul the political processes governing defense because one army is better than a dozen armies.

Faced with Russian aggression and the U.S. shifting its focus away from Europe and threatening Greenland, Kubilius argued for a “big bang” approach to re-imagining Europe’s common defense.

“Would the United States be militarily stronger if they would have 50 armies on the States level instead of a single federal army,” he said at a Swedish security conference on Sunday. “Fifty state defense policies and defense budgets on the states level, instead of a single federal defense policy and budget?”

“If our answer is 'no,’ [the] USA would not be stronger, then — what are we waiting for?”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, whose country is the only one to be facing real bloody Russian aggression, the kind foreseen in the NATO principles, on January 20 reiterated his call for the creation of a joint European armed force of at least 3 million personnel.

“Russia plans to have an army of 2 to 2.5 million personnel by 2030. So a European army, while each country keeps its own sovereign forces, must be able to respond. It should be no smaller than 3 million,” Zelenskyy told journalists.

Zelenskyy’s statement comes nearly a year after he first called on European partners to create a new armed force at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2025, amid uncertainty over further U.S. support if Russian aggression escalates. Unfortunately, European leaders have taken no steps toward implementing the initiative in nearly a year, according to Zelenskyy.

“Maybe now, with all the new challenges, European leaders will take it more seriously,” the president added.

Zelenskyy said the newly created army would not aim to compete with the U.S. and would not require dissolving NATO. He added that Ukraine could become a cornerstone of such a force due to its combat experience, as well as its military technology and logistics expertise.

“Because we have real wartime experience, we share our technologies with our partners. They give us intelligence — for example, France provides intelligence, and other countries do as well,” Zelenskyy said.

Merciless Russian Bombardment of Ukraine Continues 

Russia mercilessly bombarded Ukraine with more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles in its latest nighttime attack on the Ukrainian power grid, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.

Despite President Trump’s belief that he can end the nearly four-year Russian war against Ukraine, Moscow is giving no public sign that it’s willing to end the invasion anytime soon. 

The latest attack continues to target Ukraine’s energy grid by knocking out heating in sub-zero weather to more than 5,600 apartment buildings in the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Nearly 80% of the affected buildings had recently had their heating supply restored after a major Russian barrage on Jan. 9 that plunged thousands of people into a dayslong blackout, he said. 

Ukraine is enduring one of its coldest winters for years, with temperatures in Kyiv falling to minus 20 C (minus 4 F).

At the same time, Russia has escalated its aerial attacks on the electricity supply, aiming to deny Ukrainians heat and running water and wear down their resistance almost four years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. 

Undeserved Recognition for Russian Fuhrer and His Henchman

Would you appoint Al Capone to be general manager of Fort Knox?

Would you name Adolf Hitler to be the spiritual leader of a synagogue?

Russian President Vladimir Putin, known for war crimes in Ukraine and elsewhere, and Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko have been invited to join President Donald J. Trump’s Board of Peace, the committee that will oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, his spokesman revealed on Monday, according to a variety of news sources including CNN.

The inherent conceptual contradiction defies morality and logic.

“This milestone perfectly aligns with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), which endorsed President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan and welcomed the establishment of the Board of Peace. The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development,” the White House stated on January 16.

Speaking to reporters during a regular media briefing, Dmitry Peskov said: “President Putin also received through diplomatic channels an invitation to join this Board of Peace.” He said the Kremlin is now reviewing the invitation and “hoping to get more details from the US side.”

“President Putin has indeed received an offer through diplomatic channels to join this Board of Peace. We are currently studying all the details of this proposal,” Peskov said, according to Russian state media outlet TASS. "We hope to contact the U.S. side to clarify all the details."

Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed receiving an invitation, saying in a post on X that President Donald Trump sent Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko a letter proposing the country become a founding member of the Board of Peace.

"We are ready to take part in the activities of the Board of Peace, taking into account and hoping that this organization will expand its scope and authority far beyond the mandate proposed in the initiative," the ministry said.

Putin’s invitation comes at a time when Putin shows no sign of ending his war in Ukraine, in which hundreds of thousands have been killed and Russian troops have carried out atrocities against civilians. Putin has repeatedly rejected proposals of ceasefire along the current frontlines.

This distinction raises many questions. Are Trump and Putin allies and friends as they seem to be? Will Putin continue to instruct Trump on how he should react to international calamities? Will Ukraine fare better or worse? Will Trump continue to say that Russia threatens Greenland and the USA? Will international terrorists be absolved of their crimes?

Signs of discontent have already started to appear. Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee issued a statement on Sunday warning that the body proposed by Trump “would have a mandate wider than the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan.”

“The United Nations has a unique mandate to maintain international peace and security, and the legitimacy to bring nations together to find common solutions to shared challenges. While it may be imperfect, the UN and the primacy of international law is more important now than ever,” she said in a statement.

Putin’s appointment to the board would mark an extraordinary return to the global stage for the Russian dictator, who has been mostly shunned from international cooperation projects since he ordered the latest full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Kremlin’s obvious involvement in the conflict between Israel and Hamas has been limited, although it did offer to mediate soon after the war started, touting its ties to both Israel and Hamas. Members of the committee will receive a permanent seat if they pay $1 billion, according to a US official, who told CNN that, while there was no requirement to contribute funds to the board, members who do not make the $1 billion payment will have a three-year term. All funds raised will go toward rebuilding Gaza, the official said, adding that “there will not be exorbitant salaries and massive administrative bloat that plagues many other international organizations.”

Apparently dictators, murderers and cutthroats can buy their way into good graces of the international community.

Likening Putin to Hitler, Mississippi Lawmaker Calls for More Air Defense for Ukraine

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, declared on the floor of the US Senate that “Putin should not achieve through negotiation what he has not managed to achieve on the battlefield.”

In his remarks, Wicker outlined on January 14 the key principles negotiations should center around, and commended President Trump for building consensus with our allies.

Read the Senator’s speech as delivered below:

Mr. President, we live in a dangerous time. There are a number of flashpoints all around the globe. In this hemisphere, in Europe, and the Indo-pacific. But I want to remind my colleagues today that, still, the most dangerous thing going on around the world today is Vladimir Putin’s war against freedom and the West in Ukraine. And I would point out that for the past year, Vladimir Putin has mocked the Ukraine peace process by steadily escalating his attacks on his neighboring country.  He’s recently launched the biggest air attack the conflict has ever seen and shown repeatedly that he is not interested in peace talks. He gives lip service to peace talks, but his acts show that he’s not interested.

Now, by contrast, in the last few weeks, the United States, Ukraine, and our European friends have come together on a common negotiating position centered on several key principles.

Here are the key points:

Ukraine should not be forced to give up the sovereign territory it deserves and it currently controls.

Also, Putin should not achieve through negotiation what he has not managed to achieve on the battlefield – and there have been great disappointments to Putin on the battlefield.

In addition, the United States should play a role in Ukraine’s security guarantees on a permanent basis. The Senate should ratify these security guarantees if they’re ever agreed to.

In the meantime, Mr. President, the Ukrainian people should be assisted in continuing to fight for their freedom.

I commend President Trump, President Zelenskyy, and European leaders for continuing to come together to reach a consensus.  As we seek to end this brutal, unprovoked war, I urge everyone in Washington, in Kyiv, in the great capitals of Europe to remain united and to remember who we are dealing with in the form and person of Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin is unrepentant. He is ever, and will always be, the KGB agent.  He is a dictator with decades of bloodshed on his hands. He is the biggest thief in the history of the world, a war criminal who should be behind bars at this moment, Mr. President.  And of course, Putin is a liar.  When Vladimir Putin smiles to American negotiators, he acts as our friend, and he acts as if we believe he’s our friend.  We have no reason to smile back at Vladimir Putin or trust him with anything but caution and contempt. 

After four years, Putin knows a Russian victory is not inevitable.  More and more, the American people see this and know this.  A November poll found that 70 percent of Americans do not trust Putin to honor any peace agreement with Ukraine.  He is cut from the same cloth as terrorists all over the world and terrorists down through history.

In Putin’s attacks on civilians for example, we see parallels with the Hamas terrorists who rampaged through Israeli neighborhoods on October 7th.  The terrorists are Putin’s friends.

And don’t forget this, and sometimes it’s not publicized as it ought to be, Putin has abducted over 20,000 Ukrainian children and subjected many to brainwashing schemes.  In those horrors, we see the likes of Xi Jinping and his Uyghur re-education camps.  

Putin routinely locks dissidents in jail—just like his kindred spirits in other censorship regimes. This tyrant who wants to be treated as a peer in the world’s great halls of democracy should be known by the company he keeps. When the brutal Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, thankfully, where did Bashar al-Assad run? He ran for safe haven to Moscow. That’s where he went to be under the protection of Vladimir Putin who seeks to make us believe that he is an honest negotiator.

Nicolas Maduro was wisely counseled to flee Venezuela.  If he had run, where would he have run, Mr. President? He would have run to Moscow.  For decades, Russia has been a friend to the murderous Cuban regime.  And now, as the Supreme Leader in Iran considers his options, where might he go for refuge?  The only place he could go is Moscow. So that’s the company Vladimir Putin keeps in the current day.

But Putin even echoes the likes of Adolf Hitler.  Putin routinely talks about—quote—“liberating” the Russian-speaking Ukrainians living in the Donbas, and other areas of Ukraine.  This is the same vile, absurd pretext that Adolf Hitler used when he invaded the German-speaking regions of neighboring countries including Poland. That’s who Vladimir Putin is.

Regrettably, the people of Russia are led brutally by Putin, this world-historical villain. Ukrainians will continue fighting against his unprovoked attacks, but not because they hate peace.  The Ukrainians continue to fight because their alternative is the extinction of their country.  The West needs to stand with them. We need to stand with Ukraine. 

And we must keep assisting our friends.  We need to send a clear message that Putin cannot wait us out.  In December, I'm grateful to say to my colleagues, that Congress overwhelmingly passed and President Donald Trump enthusiastically signed the National Defense Authorization Act.  That law extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and our commitment to sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Good for the President, and good for our friends in the House and Senate.  

Our allies across the Atlantic are taking the lead now, as my colleague from Kentucky just pointed out, in financing security assistance for Ukraine. NATO allies are buying equipment from us in the United States and giving it to Ukraine. I certainly applaud that, as all Americans should

Mr. President, the U.S. should increase the air defenses and long-range strike capabilities that we are sending to Kyiv.  More than any other capabilities, these will help show Putin his military aims are not achievable. For nearly four years, Ukrainians have demonstrated their resolve. The West must continue to stand resolved with them.

Trump: Zelenskyy is Impediment to Peace; Polish Official says ‘Not so!’

Before the end of 2025 I wrote that President Trump is the greatest impediment to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Today, Trump wrote that in his mind Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is standing in the way of peace while the Russian führer Putin is ready to reach peace.

Fortunately for Ukraine, Poland’s Prime Minster Donald Tusk countered by stating that the Kremlin is actually standing in the way.

The American president told Reuters on January 14 that Putin is ready to reach a deal to end Russia’s full-scale war but Ukraine is not.

“I think (Putin's) ready to make a deal. I think Ukraine is less ready to make a ‍deal,” Trump claimed, saying that Zelenskyy is holding up the effort. “We have to get President Zelenskyy to go along ‌with it," he said.

When asked if the US is open to providing security guarantees to Ukraine, Trump did not rule out the assurance. “If we can get something done, we’d help. They’re losing 30,000 soldiers a month between them and Russia. Now, Europe is going to help us with that,” he said.

Trump continues to be glib and inexact with his statements about the war. He should know by now that security guarantees for Ukraine are among the top promises that Kyiv demands. It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of must before the deal is sealed. Yes, troops on both sides, the victim and aggressor, are being killed with Russians suffering more. However, Ukrainian civilians are being killed by Russians in far greater numbers than Russians.

Zelenskyy is continuing to demand security assurances that would guarantee Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty in case Russia invades Ukraine again – a realistic likelihood taking into account Moscow’s long history of attacking Ukraine. The Ukrainian president said he would not entertain discussions about ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia.

As for Donald Tusk’s observation on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda, the Polish official’s comment came in response to Trump’s belief that Zelenskyy, rather than Putin, is slowing down a potential peace deal.

“It is Russia who rejected the peace plan prepared by the US, not Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” Tusk said.

He added that Russia’s only response to US peace efforts has been further missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, which haven’t abated since the New Year regardless of the severe winter weather.

“This is why the only solution is to strengthen pressure on Russia. And you all know it,” he said.

Indeed, pressure in the form of a united front against Russia and increased sanctions to the level of national pain could hopefully force Russia to end the war and evacuate from Ukraine.

Russia’s Bombing of Lviv & Other Ukrainian Cities Means Peace Isn’t on Moscow’s Mind

Russia’s unending bombardment of Ukrainian cities, especially the ballistic attack on Lviv last week, demonstrate Russia’s determination to continue its war against Ukraine and to demonstrate that there are no limits to its criminal intentions even in the face of international condemnations, according to Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN Andrii Melnyk.

“This new, horrific wave of terror, which also engulfed many other Ukrainian cities early last week, including Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa, demonstrates Putin’s determination to slap the American proxies in the face and continue his barbaric war,” Melnyk said Monday, January 11, during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council amid Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian diplomat noted that by launching the nuclear-capable MIRV Oreshnik strike on the night of January 9, Russia had moved to a new level of escalation. Furthermore, there's nothing new in Russia's attempt to justify the strike by citing a fabricated attack on Putin’s residence. Melnyk noted that this is reminiscent of the Gliwice provocation of August 31, 1939, when Adolf Hitler staged a fake attack on a radio station to justify his invasion of Poland.

"The insidious logic is identical. The aggressor state fabricates a pretext for war that doesn’t exist. Let me be clear. This so-called attack on Putin’s residence is an absolute lie," he emphasized. This statement has been corroborated by the US’s Central Intelligence Agency.

Melnyk pointed out that Russia repeatedly finds ways to prove that there are no limits to its criminal intentions. He said the enemy deliberately waited until January and then began attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure to leave millions of people facing terrifying freezing conditions.

“Russia deliberately waited until the beginning of January, when temperatures in Ukraine dropped to minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees F), to carry out a series of the most destructive drone and missile strikes on our energy infrastructure, as a result of which millions of citizens found themselves in conditions of severe frost,” Melnyk said.

He added that every time the international community believes Russia has reached the “limit of lies and barbarism,” Moscow once again surpasses itself.

“It finds a way to sink even lower, proving that there are no limits to its criminal intentions," Melnyk said.

He noted that by launching the Oreshnik strike on the night of January 9, Russia had moved to a new level of escalation.

"The insidious logic is identical. The aggressor state fabricates a pretext for war that doesn't exist. Let me be clear. This so-called attack on Putin's residence is an absolute lie," he emphasized.

Melnyk elaborated for his diplomatic colleagues that Russia is more vulnerable now than at any time since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Its economy is slowing and oil revenue is down. “Russia wants to sell to this council and the whole U.N. family the impression that it is invincible, but this is another illusion,” he told the Security Council. “The carefully staged image of strength is nothing but smoke and mirrors, completely detached from reality.”

On the night of 8-9 January 8-9, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 278 airborne weapons – 36 missiles and 242 drones of various types. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia used one medium-range ballistic missile (Oreshnik) launched from the Kapustin Yar test site in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russian air attack involving the Oreshnik missile requires a clear response from the international community, particularly the United States.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Russia’s Oreshnik missile strike on Lviv Oblast, near the borders of the EU and NATO, poses a threat to European security and requires a strong response from partners.

“We expect the UN Security Council not only to issue yet another condemnation of Russia's war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine but also to take very concrete steps to stop Russian aggression and to compel Moscow to a just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter,” Melnyk insisted.

The United States also accused Russia during the Security Council session of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine at a time when the Trump administration is trying to advance negotiations toward peace.

US deputy ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce singled out Russia’s launch of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile last week close to Ukraine’s border with Poland, a NATO ally.

She told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that the United States deplores “the staggering number of casualties” in the conflict and condemns Russia’s intensifying attacks on energy and other infrastructure.

Bruce reminded Russia that nearly a year ago it voted in favor of a Security Council resolution calling for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

“It would be nice if Russia matched their words with deeds,” she said. “In the spirit of that resolution, Russia, Ukraine and Europe must pursue peace seriously and bring this nightmare to an end.”

Moscow has given no public signal it is willing to budge from its maximalist demands on Ukraine. And Russia’s UN ambassador on Monday blamed the diplomatic impasse on Ukraine.

Europe’s leaders condemned the attack using the Oreshnik as “escalatory and unacceptable,” and U.S. envoy Bruce was equally tough.

“At a moment of tremendous potential, due only to President Trump’s unparalleled commitment to peace around the world, both sides should be seeking ways to de-escalate,” she said. “Yet Russia’s action risks expanding and intensifying the war.” 

2025 was Deadliest in Ukraine since Russian War Began 

The year 2025 was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, rising more than 30 percent since the previous year, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said today in its monthly update on civilian harm released January 12.

The UN confirmed that war-related civilian deaths numbered more than 2,500 last year.

Additionally, with winter temperatures in the negative teens Celsius, the UN agent said that disruptions to electricity, water and heating are placing civilians across the country at heightened risk.

HRMMU verified that conflict-related violence in Ukraine in 2025 killed 2,514 civilians and injured 12,142. The total number of killed and injured civilians in 2025 was 31 percent higher than in 2024 (2,088 killed; 9,138 injured) and 70 percent higher than in 2023 (1,974 killed; 6,651 injured).

The vast majority of casualties verified by HRMMU in 2025 occurred in government-controlled territory from attacks launched by Russian armed forces (97 percent; 2,395 killed and 11,751 injured).

“The 31 percent increase in civilian casualties compared with 2024 represents a marked deterioration in the protection of civilians,” Danielle Bell, head of HRMMU said. “Our monitoring shows that this rise was driven not only by intensified hostilities along the frontline, but also by the expanded use of long-range weapons, which exposed civilians across the country to heightened risk.”
 

Frontline areas

Increased efforts by Russian armed forces to capture territory in 2025 resulted in the killing and injuring of civilians, destruction of vital infrastructure, halting of essential services, and new waves of displacement in frontline areas. Sixty-three per cent (9,253) of all casualties in 2025 occurred in frontline areas. 

Older persons were particularly affected, as they constitute a large portion of those remaining in frontline villages. HRMMU documented that individuals aged 60 years and above accounted for over 45 percent (742 killed) of civilians killed in frontline areas in 2025, despite representing only 25 percent of the national population.

Civilian casualties caused by short-range drones increased by 120 per cent in 2025, resulting in 577 civilians killed and 3,288 injured, compared with 226 killed and 1,528 injured in 2024. For example, on 25 December, a short-range drone struck a car with volunteers conducting evacuations in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, killing one humanitarian worker and injuring two others. On 6 December, a short-range drone killed a woman and injured her two adult children in occupied Horlivka, Donetsk region.

“The expanded use of short-range drones has rendered many areas near the frontline effectively uninhabitable,” Bell said. “As essential services shut down and infrastructure is destroyed, it has become too dangerous in some communities even to provide emergency medical care or evacuate civilians. In 2025, many people who had endured years of hostilities were ultimately compelled to leave their homes.”
 

Urban centers across Ukraine

A massive increase in the use of long-range weapons by the Russian armed forces starting in June 2025 also caused an increase in civilian harm in urban centers across Ukraine.  Regular, hours-long, nightly attacks with hundreds of weapons killed and injured civilians, destroyed civilian property and infrastructure, and created anxiety across the country. 

Long-range weapons (missiles and loitering munitions) caused 35 per cent of civilian casualties in Ukraine in 2025 (682 killed and 4,443 injured), a 65 per cent increase in killed and injured compared with 2024 (531 killed and 2,569 injured).

In the deadliest attack in 2025, long-range weapons launched by the Russian Federation struck the western city of Ternopil on 19 November, killing at least 38 civilians, including eight children. Ten families lost at least two members each. At least 99 others, including 17 children, were injured.

Long-range weapons launched by the Russian Federation also killed 32 civilians, including five children, and injured 170, including 17 children, in Kyiv city on 31 July, the highest verified number of civilian casualties in the capital since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
 

Targeting of energy infrastructure

In October 2025, Russian armed forces resumed large-scale, coordinated strikes on energy facilities nationwide, causing emergency power outages and scheduled power cuts across the country.

The resumption of nationwide attacks on energy infrastructure occurred alongside continued region-specific attacks. For example, Odesa region was among the most affected areas in December, experiencing repeated strikes that resulted in prolonged power outages in several cities. These outages, which lasted for several days, severely affected residents, particularly people in vulnerable situations, by disrupting access to electricity, water and heating, as well as limiting the ability to preserve and prepare food and to use elevators in multi-storey buildings.

Attacks on energy infrastructure persisted and caused prolonged power outages as temperatures dropped in January 2026.

“The sharp increase in long-range attacks and the targeting of Ukraine’s national energy infrastructure mean that the consequences of the war are now felt by civilians far beyond the frontline,” Bell said. “With temperatures now down to minus 15 degrees Celsius, disruptions to electricity, water and heating are placing civilians across the country at heightened risk.”

Russian authorities have reported that in 2025 attacks by Ukrainian armed forces killed 253 civilians and injured 1,872 in the Russian Federation. Due to lack of access to the Russian Federation and limited publicly available information, HRMMU has not been able to verify these numbers.

January 12 – Ukrainian Political Prisoner Day: Names of Russian Regimes may Change but not Their Methods

Today, January 12, is recognized as Ukrainian Political Prisoner Day in memory of Ukrainian human, national and religious rights activists, the so-called dissidents of a previous generation, who demanded their universal right to be Ukrainian in a captive nation and fought for the independence of Ukraine from Moscow.

The Day was established by the late dissident and later Ukrainian presidential candidate Vyacheslav Chornovil in 1975 to protest Soviet Russian repression, particularly the mass arrests of Ukrainian intellectuals in January 1972. Originally it was marked in the camps and prisons but ultimately it made its way out into the free world. It was regularly commemorated by the Ukrainian diaspora around the world. In the United States it was the subject of numerous congressional resolutions, mobilized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA).

On the day that marked the beginning of the second wave of arrests in 1972, political prisoners issued political statements of protest against repression, human rights violations and the brutality of the regime, and announced hunger strikes. The camp administration fabricated pretexts for punishing those who took part in such hunger strikes. Since 1983 the refusal to eat was treated as an infringement of the regime for which you could be punished. As a sign of solidarity Ukrainians were supported by political prisoners from other national groups.

The late Russian dissident and political prisoner Lyudmila Alexeyeva had observed that when the nascent dissident movement was growing in Russia, the Ukrainian movement was already a fully developed, dynamic political machine dedicated to freedom, human and religious rights, and Ukrainian independence.

Even in independence, the commemoration remains relevant today, remembering Soviet-era victims like Valentyn Moroz, Yuriy Shyukhevych, Vasyl Stus, Ivan Svitlychnyi, Yevhen Sverstiuk, Lev Lukianenko, Ivan Kandyba, Vasyl Stus, Vasyl Symonenko, Valentyn Moroz, Leonid Pliushch, Zinovii Antoniuk, Ivan Dziuba, Mykola Rudenko, Mykhailo Osadchyi, Ivan Hel, Stefania Shabatura, Iryna Stasiv-Kalynets, Ihor Kalynets and hundreds of others including Crimean Tatars. Today, contemporary prisoners in occupied territories are also honored.

The Honor Roll of Ukrainian Political Prisoners includes not only those who fought for Ukrainian independence in the hallowed halls of academia and on the streets in post-World War Two Ukraine but also those who began the battle during the war and ended up in Russian concentration camps.

Many succumbed to Russian torture in prison, others died in exile, while others waged the fight until 1991, when Ukraine declared its independence.

Ukrainian political prisoners also commemorated the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in defiance to Soviet Russian authorities.

Today’s Russian regime continues to follow Soviet methods of dealing with dissidents in and out of Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014, a real terror campaign unfolded against Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Russians have continued to persecute Ukrainians in the occupied territories, committing war crimes and violating human rights and freedoms.

Kyrylo Budanov,  head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, addressed Ukrainians everywhere on the occasion of Ukrainian Political Prisoners Day, celebrated on January 12. He paid tribute to all those who were imprisoned for their love of Ukraine, for the right to think and speak freely – some died in captivity during the tsarist, Soviet, and modern Russian regimes.

As Budanov noted, repression was an instrument of suppressing freedom for the Kremlin and for keeping the prison of nations intact since the imprisonment of Taras Shevchenko by the Russian Empire to Soviet camps for the Ukrainian intelligentsia. A similar practice continues in the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops.

“The names of regimes change. The method does not change – prison as an instrument of Moscow's policy. Ukrainian political prisoners are persecuted not for crimes. They are punished for their identity. For the Ukrainian language. For refusing to accept the occupation. For loyalty to their state. Alongside them are thousands of prisoners of war and civilian captives. They are held in inhumane conditions, deprived of contact with their families, abused and tortured. This is part of the same system of fear that Moscow has been using against Ukrainians for centuries. Ukrainians not only remember those behind bars, but also about their families – mothers, wives, children, who are waiting and believing.

“We remember every Ukrainian political prisoner. We fight for every prisoner of war. And we will do everything to bring them home. Because freedom cannot be imprisoned,” Budanov said.

On this day, the grateful nation also remembers Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna and others who died or were killed in Russian captivity during Moscow’s latest war against Ukraine. Roshchyna was 27 years old when she was killed after being subjected to brutal torture and abuse.  She was a freelance journalist known for her courageous reporting from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. She disappeared in August 2023 during a reporting trip to the Zaporizhzhia region, where she was investigating the abduction and torture of civilians in Russian-run detention centers. 

As Budanov said, the name of the Russian regime may change along with its adjectives but its brutal methods against Ukrainian civilians, political prisoners and national activists on the outside remain the same. 

MIRV against Ukraine

UN to Review Russian Bombardment of Ukrainian Civilians 

UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on January 12 at Ukraine’s request to address Russian attacks, particularly the use of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.

The missile is an MIRV that is capable of carrying six independent nuclear rockets.

“Following our urgent request in the wake of Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine, which included the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on Monday 12 January,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

Russian ‘Fredo’ again Threatens Global Destruction

Dmitry ‘Fredo’ Medvedev, a high ranking Russian official, is again threatening the world with nuclear annihilation. He  posted a video showing the Oreshnik MIRV-type ballistic missile used by Moscow against Ukraine, issuing threats against European countries that are prepared to deploy troops to Ukraine after a peace deal is reached. 

In the aftermath of recent negotiations several European countries expressed their interest in doing so to ensure the safety and security of Ukraine.

Medvedev repeated Moscow’s long-standing position that it will not accept troops from any NATO country on the Ukrainian territory.

“The ruling European dimwits want a war in Europe after all. It's been said a thousand times: Russia won't accept any European or NATO troops in Ukraine, but no, Micron [French President Emmanuel Macron] keeps peddling this pathetic bullshit. Well, come on then. This is what you'll get,” the Russian “Fredo” was quoted as saying by Ukrayinska Pravda.

Police around the world advise that if someone threatens your life you should take it seriously and seek help immediately.

No Peace in Ukraine since New Year’s Day; Russia’s War Continues

With the world’s attention focused on events related to the conflict in Venezuela, the Russian war in Ukraine has merely fallen off Page 1. However, if you dig deep enough you’ll find reports of Russia’s ongoing killing of unarmed Ukrainian civilians and bombings of civilian residences and non-military targets such as the country’s energy infrastructure despite so-called ongoing peace talks. Russian drones and missiles have been raining death, destruction and fear across Ukraine since New Year’s Day.

Two people were injured as Russia launched an overnight missile and drone attack across Ukraine on January 8-9, targeting major cities including Kyiv and Lviv.

Many neighborhoods in the capital have been impacted in the attack, including the Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi districts. Residential buildings in the Pechersk and Desniansky districts were damaged by drones and falling debris, news media and authorities reported.

Explosions were initially reported in Kyiv around 11:45 p.m. local time as air defense systems engaged aerial targets, according to local authorities. Earlier, the Ukrainian air force warned of a ballistic missile threat and reported drones heading toward the capital.

In Lviv, Ukraine's westernmost major city, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reported explosions as critical infrastructure was targeted.

According to the Ukrainian military, Russian forces launched a missile—yet to be identified—from the Kapustin Yar missile range in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast.

Earlier in the day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia was planning a mass attack across Ukraine. “There is information that another massive Russian attack may happen tonight. It is very important to pay attention to air alerts today and tomorrow and to always go to shelters. The Russians haven’t changed one bit. They are trying to exploit the weather,” Zelenskyy said.

Despite ongoing peace talks, Russia has continued its bombardment of Ukraine, frequently targeting energy infrastructure in an effort to plunge entire regions into darkness as Ukrainians endure freezing winter temperatures. Russia continues to strike Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure across the country on a daily basis

Russia bombardment of Ukraine frequently targets energy infrastructure plunging entire regions into darkness as Ukrainians endure winter’s freezing temperatures. Consequently, Russian attacks have led 1 million people in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to tolerate the frigid temperatures without water and heating as of the morning of January 8.

Russian forces dropped a guided aerial bomb on the village of Mykilske in the Polohy district of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on the evening of January 6, injuring four people, including two children.

Two elderly men were killed in Kherson Oblast. One was killed by an explosive device he found, while the other was killed by a Russian drone.

In the city of Kherson, close to the border with Russia, Ukrainians are constantly under threat of drone attacks. To protect them, giant nets have been tied to trees and spread out over streets. Although it doesn’t always work, it makes life seem a bit safer.

A Russian strike on US-owned plant in Dnipro spilled 300 tons of oil onto roads. According to Mayor Borys Filatov “The Russians have bombed American-owned property because the plant belongs to Bunge, a company from St Louis, Missouri.”

President Donald Trump’s Administration and Ukraine’s allies converged toward an agreement to offer security guarantees long sought by Kyiv during a Tuesday, January 7, meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing. Special envoy Steve Witkoff, who represented the US at the Paris gathering, said officials made significant progress on a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and “largely finished the security protocols.” He vowed that the US-backed protocols would “deter” and “defend” Ukraine from future attacks. 

“They are as strong as anyone has ever seen,” Witkoff told reporters following the meeting, which included European, Canadian and other leaders. “The president does not back down from his commitments.”

Meanwhile, France and the UK separately pledged to send troops to Ukraine as part of a so-called reassurance force in the event of a peace deal. 

European officials hailed the day’s developments as an important breakthrough that meant they were now aligned with the US on robust security guarantees after months of negotiations. The ball is now in Russia’s court to say whether it is ready to negotiate.

“The statement from the coalition of the willing for the first time reflects an operational convergence between the 35 countries of the coalition of the willing, Ukraine and the US to build robust security guarantees,” French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters after the meeting.

In Washington, DC, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a prominent defense hawk, said President Trump “greenlit” a long-delayed bipartisan Senate bill to impose tough sanctions on Russia amid rising tensions Wednesday in the North Atlantic, where Russia deployed a submarine to protect a fleeing oil tanker.

Senate Republicans have talked for months about voting on a strong Russia sanctions bill sponsored by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) that would impose major sanctions on countries that buy Russian uranium and petroleum products.

“After a very productive meeting today with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that I have been working on for months with Sen. Blumenthal and many others,” Graham said in a statement released Wednesday evening.

“This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent,” Graham said. “This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine.”

The positive upshot of this whirlwind first week of the New Year is that the balance of understanding is tipping toward Ukraine.