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European foreign ministers and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, Kallas said on X on Feb. 18.
A U.S. delegation met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and top presidential aide Yuri Ushakov in Riyadh on Feb. 18 to initiate talks on ending the war, the first official meeting between the two sides since the full-scale invasion began. Ukraine was excluded entirely from the discussions.
"Russia will try to divide us. Let's not walk into their traps. By working together with the U.S., we can achieve a just and lasting peace — on Ukraine's terms," Kallas wrote on X.
No concrete decisions were announced following the U.S.-Russia talks, but Ukraine's exclusion from the meeting sparked alarm in Kyiv and Europe.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that no decisions about Ukraine's future can be made without Ukraine's participation.
Rubio claimed on Feb. 16 that the Riyadh talks were an exploratory first step rather than official negotiations and that Ukraine and Europe would participate once the official discussions began.
US-Russia talks on Ukraine peace — why Putin will be ‘very happy’
Russia on Feb. 18 ended years of political isolation sparked by its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as a delegation of Kremlin officials met with their U.S. counterparts in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to end the very war it started. The talks ended with little in the way of
The Kyiv IndependentChris York
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10:59 AM
EU ambassadors reportedly agree on 16th package of Russia sanctions.
EU ambassadors agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia, targeting aluminum imports and the "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, Euronews reported on Feb. 19.
10:36 AM
'Russia will try to divide us' — Kallas on US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.
European foreign ministers and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, Kallas said on X on Feb. 18.
10:02 AM
Trump's envoy Kellogg arrives in Kyiv.
Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, arrived in Kyiv on Feb. 19.
9:53 AM
1 killed, 14 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over past day.
Russia launched 167 Shahed-type drones and decoy drones against Ukraine overnight and launched two Iskander-M or KN-23 ballistic missiles against Sumy Oblast, the Air Force reported.
9:18 AM
Reported drone strike against Russian oil refinery in Samara Oblast causes fire.
Residents posted videos on social media purportedly showing a large blaze at the refinery. Sounds of explosions were reported at around 2:45 a.m. local time.
8:32 AM
General Staff: Russia has lost 862,390 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.
This number includes 1,300 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
8:16 AM
Russian strike on Odesa injures 4, causes massive power outages.
A children's clinic, a kindergarten, high-rise buildings, and cars were damaged in the attack, according to Governor Oleh Kiper.
6:48 AM
Ukraine and Moldova sign cooperation memorandum on EU accession.
Ukraine and Moldova have signed a memorandum of cooperation to strengthen their efforts toward European Union integration and accession, Ukraine’s government press service reported.
5:10 AM
Russian Shahed drones more dangerous after modifications, military intelligence reports.
Significant modifications have been observed in the Shahed-136 drones that Russia mass produces, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) reported on Feb. 18.
3:17 AM
Macron rules out sending French combat troops to Ukraine's front line.
France will not send its soldiers to the frontline in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a television interview on Feb. 18.
2:13 AM
Canada wants to participate in talks on Ukraine's security guarantees, official says.
"We want to be part of conversations linked to more Canadians being involved in protecting Ukraine," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Feb. 18.
1:03 AM
Western intelligence shows Putin not ready for 'real peace,' NBC News reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants to occupy all of Ukraine and thinks he can outlast Ukraine and Europe in its armed aggression, unnamed intelligence officials said.
12:44 AM
Trump blames Ukraine for war while pressing Zelensky to hold elections.
Trump alleged without evidence that Zelensky holds a "4% approval rating" in Ukraine and blamed his leadership, not Putin's, for "allow(ing) the war to go on."
12:09 AM
Trump 'much more confident' in peace deal after 'very good' US-Russia talks.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Feb. 18 that Russia was prepared to end the "barbarianism" in Ukraine.
11:48 PM
Smaller Western force could guarantee security in Ukraine, Guardian reports.
Such a force could number in the tens of thousands, or even fewer — a number far below President Zelensky's suggestion of 100,000 to 150,000 peacekeepers.
10:39 PM
Saudi Arabia wanted Ukraine represented at US-Russia talks, Bloomberg reports.
U.S. and Russian officials reportedly insisted to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that they wanted to hold the meeting without Ukrainians.
10:10 PM
9:58 PM
9:49 PM
9:33 PM
EU plans $6.2 billion military aid package for Ukraine ahead of US-Russia talks, Politico reports.
The package is expected to include 1.5 million artillery shells, air defense systems, and equipment for military brigades. According to Politico, the value of the aid could increase to 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) depending on individual EU member states' contributions.
9:25 PM
8:41 PM
France to host second summit on Ukraine, European security, Reuters reports.
Paris has now invited additional European countries and Canada to join the upcoming meeting, either in person or via video link, according to Reuters
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