Russia has warned that foreign military contingents in Ukraine would become "legitimate targets" for the Russian army. Moscow views the arrival of foreign troops as direct entry into the war.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will arrive in Kyiv on February 3, 2026, to speak in the Verkhovna Rada. Due to the visit of the foreign delegation, traffic in the city center will be restricted.
Five people have been detained in Germany on suspicion of organizing illegal supplies of industrial goods to Russia worth approximately 30 million euros. The investigation believes that the suspects used shell companies to circumvent EU sanctions.
Ukraine has imposed sanctions against 10 individuals and 6 legal entities associated with the Russian tanker fleet and cyberattacks against Ukraine, the EU, and NATO. These measures are synchronized with European Union sanctions.
Donald Trump said he could make countries pay their dues to the UN if the organization asked him to. He declined to comment on whether the US would repay its debts to the UN.
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka stated that his ministry would ignore the President's Office due to a conflict over SMS messages. Macinka refused to apologize for the messages, which the president interpreted as an attempt at blackmail.
Russia has begun reconstructing a Soviet-era garrison in Petrozavodsk, which, according to satellite imagery, may be used for a new 44th Army Corps. City authorities confirm the expansion of military presence as a Putin initiative.
ISW analysts claim that Russia has de facto annexed Belarus. Russia is using Belarus to invade Polish and Lithuanian airspace as part of its "zero-phase" efforts to create informational and psychological conditions for preparing for a potential war with NATO.
Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov met with NATO representatives to discuss defense assistance. Key cooperation priorities include strengthening air defense, developing Patriot, F-16s, and HIMARS, as well as joint work on technological superiority.
Around 10,000 veterans in Copenhagen protested against Donald Trump's words regarding the role of allies in the war in Afghanistan. They marched to the US embassy, placing flags in honor of the fallen.
German comedian Maxi Schafroth raised the US flag on a flagpole in Greenland for a satirical show, which caused outrage among local authorities. The film crew was fined, and an investigation has been launched.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the proposal for a joint European army's role in peacekeeping in Ukraine. He stated that these ideas are not immediate solutions to Europe's problems.
Rob Jetten, the prospective Prime Minister of the Netherlands, has announced a refusal to negotiate with Moscow and continued support for Ukraine. The new Dutch government has committed to providing annual military aid to Ukraine and supporting its path to EU and NATO membership.
The next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will take place on February 12 at NATO headquarters. It will be hosted by Great Britain and Germany.
Ukraine and Poland discussed the transfer of MiG-29 aircraft and deepening defense cooperation. Poland had already transferred such fighters in 2023.
Europeans are concerned about their own security due to Donald Trump's policies, which sparks discussions about NATO's future and the US role. Experts believe that NATO will survive, but the US role may diminish, and Ukraine will not join the Alliance in the next three years.
The French Air and Space Force conducted exercises simulating an offensive operation against a high-tech adversary. A key element was the launch of SCALP cruise missiles from Rafale fighters in a scenario close to combat operations with Russia.
Spanish EF-18Ms intercepted Russian Su-30SMs over the Baltic Sea. The Russian aircraft were flying without flight plans and with transponders turned off; one of them was fully armed.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will not attend the key NATO meeting on February 12, 2026; Elbridge Colby will go instead. Colby is known as a proponent of reducing the US military presence in Europe, which causes concern among allies.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Europe needs to regain dominance to assert itself in the new world order. He emphasized the importance of "power politics" for the realization of European ideas.
EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas commented on the idea of creating a European army. She stated that she cannot imagine countries creating a separate European army, and that the existing armies of 23 bloc countries are already part of NATO.
The US, Denmark, and Greenland held talks in Washington regarding a new security agreement in the Arctic. This was in response to pressure from Trump, who had previously threatened to annex the island.
The Center for Countering Disinformation reports on new Russian history textbooks for 10th and 11th grades that justify the war against Ukraine. They present the aggression as a "forced step" to save the world from NATO.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced successful negotiations on a security agreement in the Arctic. The US seeks to strengthen NATO's presence and limit Russia's and China's access to Greenland's mineral resources.
U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the need to rethink NATO, downplaying concerns about the alliance being undermined by the Trump administration. He emphasized a long-standing complaint about allies' insufficient contributions to defense spending.
Donald Trump welcomed the dollar's decline, calling it "great" for American business and exports. Following his statements, the dollar index fell by 1.2%, reaching its lowest level since February 2022.
The German armed forces are preparing for a worst-case scenario of a Russian attack on NATO in two to three years. Lieutenant General Funke does not rule out thousands of wounded daily and hybrid threats.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized European leaders for their indecisiveness and lack of strategic unity. He stated that Europe must become an independent global power, not a "salad of small and medium-sized states."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on the EU not to limit arms purchases for Ukraine with the 'buy European' rule. He stressed that Europe cannot meet all of Ukraine's defense needs without supplies from the United States.
German companies Rheinmetall and OHB are developing a satellite network for the Bundeswehr, which will become a European alternative to Starlink. The project will provide secure internet for the German army, reducing dependence on American technologies.
