Latest Ukraine government News

Putin signs off record Russian defense spending as top EU officials visit Kyiv

Dec. 01, 2024 10:01 AM EST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin approved budget plans, raising 2025 military spending to record levels as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war in Ukraine. Around 32.5% of the budget posted on a government website Sunday has been allocated for national defense,...

Zelenskyy says NATO offer for Ukraine-controlled territory could end 'hot stage' of war

Nov. 30, 2024 13:49 PM EST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An offer of NATO membership to territory under Kyiv’s control would end “the hot stage of the war” in Ukraine, but any proposal to join the military alliance should be extended to all parts of the country that fall under internationally recognized borders, President...

UK intelligence chief accuses Russia of 'staggeringly reckless' sabotage campaign

Nov. 29, 2024 12:25 PM EST

PARIS (AP) — The head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service said Friday that Russia is conducting a “staggeringly reckless” sabotage campaign against Ukraine's Western allies, and that his spies are working to stop the consequences from spiraling out of control. And in a...

Ukrainian energy workers carry out repairs despite Russia's pounding of the country's power grid

Nov. 29, 2024 10:18 AM EST

On a bright winter day, workers at a Ukrainian thermal power plant repair its heavily damaged equipment as drops of water from melted snow leak through gaping holes in its battered roof. Several weeks earlier, the facility was targeted by a Russian air attack that left scorch marks,...

Russian defense minister visits North Korea for talks with military and political leaders

Nov. 29, 2024 04:16 AM EST

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday for talks with North Korean military and political leaders as the countries deepen their cooperation over Russia’s war in Ukraine. In announcing the visit, Russia’s Defense...

Desertion threatens to starve Ukraine's forces at a crucial time in its war with Russia

Nov. 29, 2024 00:31 AM EST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Desertion is starving the Ukrainian army of desperately needed manpower and crippling its battle plans at a crucial time in its war with Russia, which could put Kyiv at a clear disadvantage in future ceasefire talks. Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of...

Latest 'massive' Russian aerial attack cuts power to 1 million homes in Ukraine

Nov. 28, 2024 07:41 AM EST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia conducted a “massive” attack against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Thursday, firing nearly 200 missiles and drones and leaving more than a million households without power, Ukrainian officials said. Russia's second major aerial attack on...

White House pressing Ukraine to draft 18-year-olds so it has enough troops to battle Russia

Nov. 27, 2024 18:52 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of those as young as 18. A senior Biden administration official, who spoke...

Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia

Nov. 27, 2024 17:28 PM EST

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy...

South Korean leader meets Ukraine delegation and calls for response to North Korean troops in Russia

Nov. 27, 2024 08:00 AM EST

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president on Wednesday met a visiting Ukraine delegation and called for the two countries to formulate countermeasures in response to the threat posed by North Korea’s recent dispatch of more than 10,000 soldiers to support Russia’s war against...