Pavlo Bashynskyi
On February 20, 2014, the occupation of Crimea by unmarked Russian troops began. Within a month, Russia seized the peninsula and held an illegal referendum at gunpoint.
The leaders of the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Norway, and Britain criticized Trump's statement calling Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections. ” The KIIS refuted Trump's words about Zelenskyy's 4% approval rating, pointing to 60% of Ukrainians' trust.
Former U. S. Vice President Mike Pence refuted Trump's statements about Ukraine, recalling Russia's unprovoked invasion.
Explosions are heard in Odesa, the mayor urges residents to stay in shelters. The Air Force reports the movement of enemy drones from the Black Sea towards the city.
Gitanas Nausėda presented a 5-step plan to support Ukraine, including accession to the EU and NATO, funding for the military-industrial complex, and sanctions against Russia. Lithuania has already provided €1.5 billion in aid to Ukraine.
US Vice President Vance warned Zelensky about the consequences of publicly criticizing Trump. The conflict arose after the Ukrainian president said that Trump was living in Russian disinformation space.
EU Ambassador Katarina Mathernova said that there is a reliable system for tracking funds provided to Ukraine. A significant part of the aid comes through the Ministry of Finance, and the rest is provided through grants to NGOs.
The decision on a large-scale EU aid package for Ukraine has been postponed until after the German elections. The package could be similar to the €724 billion fund from the coronavirus crisis.
Donald Trump said that the United States had spent $350 billion on “a war that cannot be won. ” He accused Zelenskyy of abandoning the election and disappearing half of the aid provided.
Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna believes it is premature to discuss the creation of an EU special envoy for Ukraine. According to her, it is necessary to wait for developments in the United States.
A Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group attempted to infiltrate the territory of Ukraine but was destroyed. Putin's statement about a large-scale offensive from the Kursk region turned out to be disinformation.
The Verkhovna Rada has registered a bill to ban the sale of energy drinks to minors. The document provides for new labeling requirements and restrictions on the sale of beverages with a high content of stimulants.
Lviv Rukh will play a match against LNZ on February 22, despite the outbreak of SARS in the team. The club has not received a response from the UAF regarding the postponement of the game and will use healthy players from the first team and youth squad.
The President of Ukraine announced a shortage of missiles for the Patriot air defense system and asked the United States to provide licenses for their production. Ukraine needs about 20 air defense systems for effective defense.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine produces 30% of the required defense products, which is higher than in some European countries. In 2024, domestic enterprises produced more than 1.5 million drones.
The President of Ukraine refused to sign an agreement with the United States on the transfer of 50% of rare earth metals due to the lack of security guarantees. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for clear security guarantees from partners, not from the Russians.
The President of Ukraine said that the total cost of the war amounted to $320 billion, of which $200 billion was foreign aid. The United States provided $67 billion in military and $31.5 billion in financial aid.
The Turkish President declared his support for the US diplomatic initiative to end the war through negotiations. Erdogan emphasized that Turkey is ready to host talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
The President of Ukraine warned against a rash end to the war, comparing the possible consequences to the situation in Afghanistan in 2021.
The President of Ukraine has canceled his visit to Saudi Arabia scheduled for tomorrow due to an unplanned Russia-US meeting. The visit has been rescheduled for March 10.
Aleksandar Dragovic has joined the Austrian Armed Forces to complete his basic military service, which was interrupted in 2011. The footballer will attend the army sports center for two months while continuing to play for Austria.
The government approved the Priority Action Plan for 2025, which contains 392 tasks for ministries and agencies. The plan includes European integration commitments, cooperation with the IMF, and modernization of public services.
The Cabinet of Ministers will allocate UAH 460. 5 million in subventions for the construction of shelters in schools and military lyceums in 7 regions and 18 communities. It is planned to build more than 200 shelters by 2025.
Ukrainian banks provided over UAH 13 billion in loans for the installation of energy equipment. This will increase energy capacity by 530 MW.
The Cabinet of Ministers allocates UAH 1. 5 billion to maintain the safe condition of the Chornobyl NPP shelter after it was damaged by a Russian drone. An additional €400 million is planned to be raised from the EIB for energy-efficient reconstruction.
FC Rukh asked LNZ to postpone the match of the 18th round of the UPL due to the epidemiological situation in the team. “LNZ agreed, the final decision is up to the UPL management.
Reuters set up a camera and broadcast live from Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv, causing outrage due to security restrictions imposed by martial law. Social media users and media outlets criticize Reuters' actions because of possible security threats.
xAI has presented a new artificial intelligence model Grok-3 with 10 times the computing power of its predecessor. The model includes DeepSearch and outperforms competitors, and will be available for Premium+ subscribers in X.
The NBU has set the official hryvnia exchange rate at 41. 5554 UAH/USD, which is 7 kopecks stronger. In banks and exchange offices, the dollar is trading at UAH 41.4-42, the euro at UAH 42.9-44.9.
On February 18, 2014, violent confrontation between security forces and protesters on the Maidan began. During the three-day clashes, 82 people died and 622 were injured.