Wednesday, January 22
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A bus passes over a new bridge built alongside one that was destroyed during the Russian occupation, on Jan. 21, 2025 in Izyum, Ukraine. (Carl Court / Getty Images)
Zelensky says he wants to end war ‘quickly but fairly and reliably’ in 2025. “We want to end the war this year - not just quickly but fairly and reliably for all of us, for Ukrainians,” he said. “So that they can return home, live in safety, and work.”
Ukraine-Russia peace deal would require at least 200,000 peacekeepers, Zelensky says. At least 200,000 European soldiers would be required to serve as peacekeepers on Ukraine’s eastern front for a peace deal to be enforced, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21.
US ‘likely’ to sanction Russia if Moscow refuses peace negotiations, Trump says. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 21 that he would likely impose additional sanctions against Russia if Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
Ukraine attacks Russian oil depot, aviation plant, command post overnight, military says. Ukrainian forces struck the Liskinskaya oil depot in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast, the Smolensk Aviation Plant, and a command post in Donetsk Oblast overnight on Jan. 21, Ukraine’s General Staff said.
Israel proposes sending seized Russian weapons in Lebanon to Ukraine, deputy FM says. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel proposed transferring Russian weapons seized by Israel in Lebanon to Ukraine during a Jan. 21 meeting with Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Korniychuk, Ukraine’s embassy reported.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
Europe must become stronger in face of Russian hostility, Zelensky says. “Europe must establish itself as a strong global player,” Zelensky said, adding that, while the United States remains an indispensable ally, Washington doubts Europe’s ability to contribute meaningfully to global security.
Albania signs 10-year security cooperation agreement with Ukraine. The wide-ranging agreement includes cooperation between the two countries in areas including defense, intelligence sharing, cyber security, nuclear safety, as well as mutual support for each others accession into the European Union, among other topics.
Ukrainian soldier reports harsh conditions, fatal accidents in regiment; unit launches investigation. The 78th Air Assault Regiment on Jan. 21 announced an internal investigation after a soldier of the unit pointed to excessive demands on his comrades that supposedly lead to exhaustion and fatal accidents when handling explosives.
Zelensky says Ukraine working on arranging his meeting with Trump. “The teams have been working on a meeting; they are currently in the process,” Zelensky said, emphasizing Ukraine’s commitment to ending the war with Russia.
Trump team may meet Ukrainian delegation in early February, MP says. We are now working to ensure that the relevant meetings are held at the inter-parliamentary level and other levels,“ he said, as cited by Interfax Ukraine.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian soldier reports harsh conditions, fatal accidents in regiment; unit launches investigation
The 78th Air Assault Regiment on Jan. 21 announced an internal investigation after a soldier of the unit pointed to excessive demands on his comrades that supposedly lead to exhaustion and fatal accidents when handling explosives.
Photo: Vitalii Holovnia / Facebook
‘A team of attention-seekers’ — Ukrainians react to Trump’s Inauguration speech
The hack posed a major threat, highlighting how vulnerable government and Ukrainians’ personal data is to cyber attacks. In pushing to digitize its services quickly, the government may have taken shortcuts that opened the door to digital onslaughts.
Photo: Morry Gash / Pool / Getty Images
Following Trump’s inauguration, Russian pundits and politicians show some enthusiasm, some reserve
Donald Trump was long seen as Russian candidate of choice, in Moscow, however, reactions following inauguration are mixed.
Photo: Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images
International response
EU has reduced Russian gas imports by 75%, von der Leyen says. The EU has reduced Russian gas imports by 75%, while only 3% of its oil is imported from Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 21.
Xi declares readiness to bring China-Russia ties to ‘new height’ in call with Putin. Xi Jinping stressed that bilateral cooperation between Beijing and Moscow is gradually expanding and that joint trade is trending upward.
Chinese imports of Russian coal reportedly dropping due to sanctions, price. China has been decreasing coal imports from Russia despite a steady growth in demand, turning instead to Australian and Mongolian supplies, The Moscow Times reported on Jan. 21, citing Chinese customs data.
Early voting begins in Belarusian presidential election. Alexander Lukashenko announced last year that he intended to run again in the presidential election.
Syria reportedly cancels deal with Russian construction firm following Assad’s downfall. The contract, signed in 2019, had committed Moscow to invest at least $500 million in modernizing the port. With the agreement now void, all revenues from the port’s operations will go directly to the Syrian state, and its management will revert to local authorities.
Opinions and insights
Russia’s Baltic Sea sabotage is no accident, it’s strategy
Russia’s reckless actions in the Baltic Sea demand a unified, decisive response, not narratives that signal Western discord and undermine deterrence.
Photo: Charly Truballeau / AFP / Getty Images
In other news
Germany’s KNDS launches joint venture with Ukraine for military equipment repair, minister says. Germany’s KNDS Deutschland, a manufacturer of Leopard 2 tanks, has officially opened a joint venture with a Ukrainian defense company, Ukraine’s Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin reported on Jan. 21.
Ukraine’s SBU detains chief military psychiatrist over suspected illicit enrichment. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained the chief psychiatrist of the Armed Forces over suspected illicit enrichment, the agency reported on Jan. 21.
Kyiv court arrests former host of pro-Russian channels Max Nazarov. Former host of shuttered pro-Russian news channels, Max Nazarov, was taken into custody on suspicions of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda, Suspilne reported on Jan. 21, citing a court ruling.
This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Contact partnerships@kyivindependent.com for more details.
Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Kateryna Hodunova, Boldizsár Győri, Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Denisova, Oleg Sukhov, Tymur Zadorozhnyy, Dmytro Basmat, and Abbey Fenbert.
If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to react!