4+ hour, 19+ min ago (524+ words) The U.S. is keen to finalize Ukraine's position on territorial issues and security guarantees in ongoing talks in Florida. KYIV " Ukrainian and American delegations traded warm words Sunday before heading into a key meeting on how to end Russia's war in Europe, but beneath the surface Kyiv remains concerned the U.S. only has ears for Vladimir Putin. The talks are Ukraine's best chance to lobby Special Representative Steve Witkoff before he heads to Moscow next week for talks with Russian officials including the country's president. "In general, Ukrainians have the impression that the Americans want to bypass[President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy in their consultations with Putin now, agree on something with Putin, and then return to talking with Ukraine," a senior official familiar with the negotiations told POLITICO. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details. The American side wants to…...

1+ day, 15+ hour ago (368+ words) Andriy Yermak, who was abruptly fired on Friday in a blockbuster corruption scandal, told the New York Post that he was going to fight for his country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's former chief of staff said that he would go to the frontline and fight for Ukraine after being embroiled in a corruption scandal. Andriy Yermak, who was abruptly fired on Friday hours after his home was raided by the national anti-corruption watchdog, told the New York Post that he was going to fight for his country, the U.S. tabloid reported late Friday. "I've been desecrated, and my dignity hasn't been protected," Yermak told the outlet. "Therefore, I don't want to create problems for Zelenskyy; I'm going to the front." Yermak's ouster came after Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies revealed that people close to Zelenskyy were involved in a plot to skim around…...

2+ day, 4+ hour ago (667+ words) The top aide's firing will fuel opposition calls for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to bring in a national unity government in Kyiv. Andriy Yermak's exit as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's all-powerful chief of staff is a tectonic shift for Ukraine that sets the stage for a fierce battle over how the country is governed. Nicknamed the "green cardinal" for wearing the military-inspired outfits his boss popularized, Yermak " a once little-known lawyer and B-movie producer " rose to wield immense influence as Zelenskyy's top aide and was seen by many as virtually a co-president. Opposition politicians will use his firing over a $100 million corruption scandal to press home their demand for a national unity government in Kyiv, something they've urged ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago, and Yermak's exit will embolden those factions. And there can be little doubt…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (873+ words) Running fleets of incompatible aircraft creates problems with logistics and pilot training, and Kyiv also faces cash issues. PARIS " Serious complications await Ukraine's plan to build a massive new air force comprising large numbers of French and Swedish warplanes. While the deals "which are not yet contracts "send a positive signal about Ukraine's future air force and Europe's backing as Kyiv fights off continued Russian attacks in the east of the country, there are financial, logistical and industrial hurdles ahead. The Ukrainian air force is still largely dependent on Soviet-era aircraft like the MiG-29, the Su-25 and the Su-27, but also operates Lockheed Martin F-16s as well as a limited number of French Mirage 2000-5 jet fighters. If Kyiv succeeds in building a modern air force with more than 200 new Western warplanes, it would wind up operating a mixed fighter jet fleet…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (673+ words) The EU's continued support for Kyiv is "just crazy," Hungarian prime minister says. Ukraine has "no chance" of winning against Russia's ongoing invasion, and the EU's continued financial support for the country is "just crazy," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb'n said. Orb'n's comments come as hopes fade for a ceasefire anytime soon and Europe scrambles to shore up Kyiv's finances ahead of a budget cliff-edge next year. In an interview with the CEO of German media group Axel Springer, which owns POLITICO, Orb'n said financial support for Ukraine "kills" the EU "economically, financially" and is "just crazy." Hungary has previously blocked the prolongation of EU sanctions against Russia and financial support for Ukraine, and has lobbied for an exemption from U.S. oil sanctions on Moscow. "We have burned already "185 billion, and " our intention is to to burn even more. So we…...

2+ week, 1+ hour ago (364+ words) Technical talks to finalize details of the exchange "will be held in the near future," top Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov said. Ukraine is working on a prisoner exchange with Russia that could see the return of 1,200 Ukrainians from captivity, as Kyiv also seeks to resume negotiations on ending Russia's invasion. "We are working to ensure another start to negotiations, so that after all there is a prospect to end this war," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday. "We are also counting on the resumption of POW exchanges " many meetings, negotiations, and calls are currently taking place to ensure this," Zelenskyy added. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary, Rustem Umerov, said on Telegram that he had "held consultations with the mediation of partners in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the resumption of the exchange…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (339+ words) Russians are hitting residential buildings," local official said in a Telegram post. KYIV " Russian forces launched a massive attack Friday on Kyiv, killing four people and wounding 27, including a pregnant woman, Ukrainian authorities reported. "This was a deliberately calculated attack aimed at causing maximum harm to people and civilian infrastructure," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a morning statement. In Kyiv alone, dozens of apartment buildings have been damaged. The Azerbaijani embassy was hit by debris from an Iskander missile. The main target of the attack was Kyiv, and strikes also hit Kharkiv and Odesa regions," he added. The bombardment, which included 430 drones and 18 ballistic missiles, started at midnight and continued until early morning Friday, with multiple fires burning around Kyiv. Russians are hitting residential buildings. There are a lot of damaged high-rise buildings throughout Kyiv, in almost every district,…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (356+ words) German government officials worry that news of corruption in Ukraine will undermine public support for the embattled country. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a call Thursday to sort out the country's corruption problems as Kyiv faces the fallout of a massive scandal involving kickbacks. "The chancellor emphasized the German government's expectation that Ukraine will vigorously advance the fight against corruption and continue reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law," the chancellor's spokesman said. The government in Kyiv has been rocked by a corruption scandal this week involving allegations of kickbacks at a state nuclear energy company adding up to roughly $100 million. Zelenskyy wasn't directly implicated, but the scandal strikes close to his inner circle and has led to the resignation of two ministers. German government officials worry news of corruption in Ukraine…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (174+ words) Tymur Mindich fled Ukraine for Israel as authorities closed in on him. Mindich was implicated in a $100 million corruption scandal in Ukraine's battered energy sector, where prosecutors alleged this week he masterminded a scheme manipulating contracts at Ukraine's state nuclear energy company to extract kickbacks worth 10-15 percent of contract values. Mindich " co-owner of production company Kvartal 95 Studio, which Zelenskyy co-founded " fled Ukraine to Israel the day before the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) launched raids. He was later charged with managing a criminal organization that laundered millions of dollars of state funds through a secret office in Kyiv. Mindich could not be immediately reached for comment. This article is being updated. Your questions answered about the snowballing investigation that is shaking Kyiv. A 15-month investigation and 1,000 hours of wiretapping culminated Monday in 70 raids. President Cyril Ramaphosa's government launches bid to repatriate…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (495+ words) Diplomats are looking at ways to move Kyiv's application forward despite Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb'n's veto. BRUSSELS " Top European ministers will travel to Ukraine next month in a show of support for the country's application to join the EU, a move that comes as allies work around delays caused by opposition from Hungary. The informal summit of ministers for European affairs will be held in the Western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Dec. 10 and 11, according to an invitation sent to capitals Monday. The letter was sent jointly on behalf of Denmark, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, and Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Taras Kachka. "The main focus of our discussions will be Ukraine's progress on its path to EU membership," the document reads. "The meeting will provide an opportunity to take stock of the…...