Thursday, February 13
Russia’s war against Ukraine
People stand near a damaged building in the Kurenivka neighborhood in Kyiv after a Russian missile attack. The Russian army attacked the capital and Kyiv Oblast with missiles and drones overnight on Feb. 12, causing fires to break out in several districts. One person died and four others were injured. (Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Trump announces first meeting with Putin to take place in Saudi Arabia. “We’ll meet in Saudi Arabia,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House following his conversation with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky ready to meet Trump in US once details are arranged. “As for President Trump, he said he was waiting for me in Washington. And we are very much looking forward to our teams agreeing on the dates and other details for a meeting in the U.S.,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Trump holds talks with Zelensky following his 1.5-hour-long conversation with Putin. “The conversation went very well. He, like President (Vladimir) Putin, wants to make peace. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the war, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the delegation,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Kremlin rejects territorial exchange in potential Ukraine peace talks. “This is impossible. Russia has never discussed and will never discuss the topic of exchanging its territory,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
‘Restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is unrealistic objective,’ Pentagon chief says. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Feb. 12 at the Ramstein summit that it is unrealistic to expect that Ukraine can restore its 2014 borders in any negotiations with Moscow on ending its war.
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Ukraine must ‘build NATO on its territory’ if not invited to alliance, Zelensky says. Ukraine is not giving up on its NATO aspirations, but if denied an invitation to the alliance, it “must build NATO on its territory” by strengthening the military, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Economist in an interview published on Feb. 12.
Ukraine’s SBU detains its counter-terrorist center chief accused of working for Russia. The suspect’s activities were documented in 14 separate episodes, according to SBU head Vasyl Maliuk. He emphasized that the operation required “all possible overt and covert methods,” including advanced operational and technical measures.
US Treasury Secretary meets Zelensky, passes along draft agreement on critical minerals. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Feb. 12.
Russia’s military spending surpasses Europe’s as Putin ramps up war budget, study finds. In 2024, Russia’s total defense expenditures surged by 42% in real terms, reaching 13.1 trillion rubles. When adjusted for purchasing power parity—which accounts for differences in what money can buy in different countries—this amounts to $462 billion.
Mixed reactions as Ukraine introduces 1-year military contract for young volunteers. The contract includes basic general military training, vocational training, and an adaptation course in an army unit. Volunteers will receive a one-time monetary aid payment of Hr 1 million ($24,000) and a monthly allowance of up to Hr 120,000 ($3,000).
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Trump says negotiations to end war in Ukraine to start ‘immediately’
U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 12. “Ukraine wants peace more than anyone else. We are defining our joint steps with America to stop Russian aggression and guarantee a reliable, lasting peace,” Zelensky said.
Photo: Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
Trump says peace talks to start ‘immediately.’ But what terms would be acceptable for Ukraine?
Following the most recent comments by U.S. top officials, Kyiv will most likely be pressured to make concessions to Russia. Ukraine will likely refuse to recognize any of the occupied territories as Russian, reduce its army or officially abandon aspirations to join NATO, experts say.
Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
We asked young Ukrainians what would make them sign up for the armed forces
Ukraine faces a delicate balancing act — mobilizing enough people to fend off the immediate threat posed by Russia’s full-scale invasion, and preserving enough of the country’s youth to weather longer-term demographic concerns.
Photo: Ashley Chan / SOPA Images / Getty Images
Human cost of war
‘People were killed inside Presidential Office’ — Zelensky comments on Russia’s assassination attempts in 2022. An attempt to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky at the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 resulted in people being killed inside the Presidential Office, Zelensky said in a segment of an interview with The Guardian published on Feb. 12.
Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast injure 5. Russia attacked 13 communities in Sumy Oblast on Feb. 12, injuring five people, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.
Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv kills 1, injures 4. Russia launched a missile attack against Kyiv on the morning of Feb. 12, killing one person and injuring four others, including a child.
Russia’s growing shadow fleet sends a dangerous signal, expert warns
International response
‘Surrender & betrayal’ — US, EU officials condemn Trump, Hegseth’s comments on Ukraine peace negotiations. Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. said on Feb. 12 that “to prevent Putin from dining in Kyiv, we need to mobilize the bipartisan Congressional coalition standing with Ukraine.”
NATO reaction to Russian attack would be ‘devastating,’ Rutte warns. “If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin attacks NATO, the reaction will be devastating. He will lose,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
Netherlands to supply Ukraine with 25 YPR armored medical evacuation vehicles. The Netherlands will soon send Ukraine 25 YPR armored vehicles, the Dutch Defense Ministry reported after the Ramstein-format meeting in Brussels on Feb. 12.
US to release Russian cybercrime boss in exchange for American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, Reuters reports. Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cybercrime boss who was serving a prison sentence in the U.S., will be released in exchange for the return of American teacher Marc Fogel, Reuters reported on Feb. 12, citing an unnamed U.S. official.
US Senate confirms Ukraine-skeptic Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence on Feb. 10. The former lawmaker has previously blamed NATO for Russia’s war against Ukraine, and faced scrutiny for her controversial foreign policy views.
In other news
Oil prices drop 2% as Trump takes first step toward Ukraine peace talks, Reuters reports. Oil prices dropped more than 2% on Feb. 12 after U.S. President Donald Trump took a significant step toward ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has contributed to higher oil prices due to concerns over global supply disruptions.
Zelensky imposes sanctions against ex-President Poroshenko, former president says. “Everyone who destroyed the national security of Ukraine and helped Russia must be held accountable (for their actions),” President Volodymyr Zelensky said, without specifying who exactly would be penalized and what that would mean.
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