Today I said on CNN:

Ukrainians are exhausted, but people and businesses keep working even under no electricity and constant Russian attacks.

Ukrainians agree to peace, but only if there are real clear guarantees. 0/ Me: I think negotiations are great. But we need less talk, more action.

The mood in Ukraine is indeed that of exhaustion. But also that of determination.

It's great that talks are ongoing, but they won’t lead to too much progress unless there is real pressure on Russia. 1/

Scholz: I didn't discuss with Schröder his path [friendship with Putin]. We are helping Ukraine to defend its sovereignty against Russian aggression.

Putin's going against all the agreements we had decades before that borders should not be changed by force. 1/ Scholz: The decisions of selling parts of the gas storage infrastructure to a Russia were done before I entered government.

Pipelines were already built. In January 2022, I asked that we should look at LNG terminals and find a way how we can import gas from other places. 2/

Keir Starmer: War in Ukraine remains the most critical issue of our age.

It asks the question of whether Ukrainian and European freedom will endure. Our answer, together, is unequivocal. Russia is not winning this war. They will not win this war — Politico. 1/ Britain announced £20 million for emergency repairs to energy supplies damaged by Russian attacks over winter, help to resist "Russification" tactics, helicopter training for Ukrainian pilots in UK.

Announcement ahead of virtual "coalition of the willing" meeting Tuesday. 2/

Russia suffered 367 soldiers killed for every 100 km² of Ukrainian territory captured.

In 4 years, Russia occupied additional 75,000 km² in eastern Ukraine but gained only 1.3% of territory since early 2023.

Rutte: Russia suffers "crazy losses" — Reuters. 1/ CSIS: Russian forces suffered average of 26,000 monthly casualties — dead, wounded, missing — or 1.2 million total since 2022.

Russia losing 2-2.5 soldiers for every Ukrainian killed. NATO Gen Sec Rutte: 65,000 russian dead or injured over last two months. 2/

He blew himself up and stopped the Russian advance on Henichesk.

Marine Vitalii Skakun was killed on February 24, 2022, after detonating the Henichesk road bridge with himself on it.

It slowed the Russian push from Crimea, gave Ukraine time to prepare defenses in the south. 1/ He became the first serviceman of the full-scale invasion to receive the title Hero of Ukraine with the wording: “for exceptional personal courage and heroism,” — ArmyInform. 2/

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko: If you are a foreigner and you think war in Ukraine won’t affect you personally — you are making the biggest mistake.

Everyone must do whatever they can to stop this war. It’s danger, it’s tragedy. For everyone.

1/ Klitschko on hate towards him: It’s not smart. I’m not responsible for air defence. It’s russian rockets that damage our infrastructure.

We must go through challenges united.

2/

Today marks 4 years of Russia’s full-scale invasion. I remember everyone who gave their lives for our freedom.

Those who became light in a dark time. Because of them, we can study, laugh, go to work, and dream about the future. 1/ Daria Lopatina. Iryna Tsybukh. Yar Batoh. Timur Abubakarov. Oleksii Sokolovskyi. Ruslan Chop’iuk. Oleksii Rubtsov. Yevhen Khrapko.

Maksym Petrenko. Denys Antypov. Eduard Horoshochok. Valerii Nikanorov. Oleksii Hubskyi. Our students. 2/

Zelenskyy: The Russians are playing games and aren’t serious about ending the war. They are very poor actors.

They are playing with Trump and the entire world. Putin thinks he looks convincing and can be trusted. No, he is a bad actor — FT.

1/ Zelenskyy: Russia and Ukraine are at the “beginning of the end” of Europe’s biggest conflict.

Without firm Western security guarantees, Moscow will use any ceasefire to rebuild its forces for another assault.

2/

Zelenskyy: Today is exactly 4 years of Putin “taking Kyiv in 3 days.”

In this little bunker, Biden told me: “Volodymyr, you should leave.”

And here I said: “I need arms, not a taxi.”

We all were scared. But we don’t have another Ukraine.

1/ Zelenskyy: Millions of Ukrainians didn’t raise a white flag. But defended blue and yellow.

Russians thought they would be welcomed with flowers. But they only saw more people going to fight them.

Civilians were blocking Russian tanks as a living wall.

2/

It is easier to show partners Ukraine retakes land than explain Russia burning thousands of soldiers for a few kilometers.

Ukraine recaptured 300+ sq km on the Oleksandrivsk axis, fastest gains since 2023, and pushes Russian troops from the Dnipropetrovsk border. — United24 1/ Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces launched the offensive to block Russia’s push toward Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia.

Gen. Oleh Apostol leads the operation. The 82nd Bukovyna and 95th Polissia Brigades drive the assault. 2/

Zaluzhnyi: The old rules no longer work, but people still have high hopes for them. The new ones have not yet even been formulated yet.

Personally, for me, the main condition is the preservation of democracy and freedom and the standard of living. 1/ Zaluzhnyi: The reconstruction process should begin now, without waiting for a peace deal, which may never happen.
The energy system has become a new front in the war. Its stability determines the outcome of the conflict and the country's ability to survive, therefore to win. 2/

Trump's new parlor game is asking advisers "Vance or Rubio?" for 2028. He favors Vance but increasingly praises Rubio.

His dream ticket? "Vance-Rubio, and to be clear, that's Vance on top."

But he'd also be "absolutely" happy flipping it — Axios. 1/ Trump's thinking: "Vance-Rubio is the president's dream ticket for 2028," a Trump adviser says.

Vance has the political infrastructure to run. Rubio lacks it and has made clear he's fine with Vance being the guy. 2/

X’s algorithm amplifies conservative content and shifts users’ political attitudes to the right within 7 weeks, with no reversal when switched off.

Evidence come from a 2023 randomized field experiment — Nature. 1/ Active US users were randomly assigned to either the algorithmic “For You” feed or the chronological “Following” feed for 7 weeks.

Researchers measured engagement, policy priorities, and views on major political events. 2/

Putin will fight Ukraine until he dies.

In address on Feb 2023, he announced plans to scale up military capabilities, modernize nuclear triad, and called on society for total militarization. 2026 declared year of unity of Russia's peoples around sacred duty — UkrainskaPravda. 1/ Putin promised to increase military capabilities of all branches of russian armed forces.

Special attention to modernization and creation of new weapons, and nuclear triad. Promised to increase army readiness and ability to act in "most difficult conditions." 2/

Ukraine starts exporting weapons to Europe.

Kateryna Mykhalko, who led Ukraine's Technological Forces for 2.5 years: "Cheap Shaheds cannot be shot down with multimillion-dollar missiles.

This is ineffective defense strategy. Europe needs asymmetric solutions" — Hromadske. 1/ On Feb 8, Zelenskyy announced start of Ukrainian weapons export. 10 export centers to open in Europe in 2026.

Germany already started production of Ukrainian drones. Similar production lines began operating in Britain. Technological Forces unite 80+ defense companies. 2/

Budanov: Moscow is testing world order for strength, international institutions for viability.

Independent Ukraine is a challenge to Russian imperialism and great Russian chauvinism. Without Ukraine there can be no new empire. 1/ Budanov: Work is not easy, but we are definitely moving forward and approaching the moment when all sides will need to make final decisions - continue this war or move to peace.

I hope that justice will still prevail. 2/

Serhii Plokhy, Ukrainian historian: Ukraine now is like David against Goliath.

In 2025, they recieved less arms than the year before. And still fighting because of their belief in victory.

AI and drones are important in this war.

1/ Plokhy: In fall 2022, Russian former DM Shoigu called NATO and said Ukraine planned a ‘dirty bomb.’

Russia signaled it could use tactical nuclear weapons.

That changed the course of the war — arms deliveries slowed, and the 2023 counteroffensive lacked resources.

2/

Kasparov: Putin has vast capacity to create chaos in Europe. He wouldn’t even need to cross a border.

A few drones over key hubs, Frankfurt, Schiphol, De Gaulle, Heathrow, could paralyze European air travel. The West hasn’t shown an antidote, and Russian networks are active. 1/ Kasparov: Putin could stage a major provocation this year — I can’t put a percentage on it.

But if you look at his pattern of managing conflicts, a provocation against the Baltics is very likely — drones, “green men,” crossing near Narva or Daugavpils, or both.

2/

Applebaum: At the same time the U.S. says it’s stepping back, it’s supporting far-right politicians and think tanks in Europe, movements that are pro-Russian, oppose defense spending, and undermine European unity.

So people ask: which is it? What is U.S. policy really?

1/ Applebaum: Nobody wants to break the NATO.

Beneath the politics, U.S.–Europe military ties are still strong — joint training, exercises, operations, intelligence cooperation. It’s not as if everything is broken.

2/

Zelenskyy: Ukraine will for 100% return all of its land. It’s only a matter of time.

If we do it today, we lose millions of people. And what is land without people? Nothing.

Ukraine also doesn’t have enough of the needed weapons.

1/ Zelenskyy: Donbas isn’t just a land.

I see retreat from Donbas as abandoning thousands of people, and as weakening our positions.

Giving up Donbas would divide our society.

2/

Former Ukraine PM Yatsenyuk: If we get a ceasefire, Ukrainians will cast ballots and elect the president. But that’s not on the radar right now.

Russians are playing this game, believing they can embroil Ukraine in domestic infight. The Ukrainian president is legitimate. 1/ Yatsenyuk: I do not see any intention on the side of Putin to cut any kind of peace deal with Ukraine. These so-called talks are a sham, with the idea to drag its feet and to outlast us. 2/