During a recent visit to Ukraine, I had the privilege of addressing the National Prayer Breakfast and events commemorating the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the former Soviet Union, and I was deeply moved by the faith and resolve of their people.
Traveling by plane and a dead-of-night train ride from Poland, one might have expected to find a nation weary after more than four years of Putin’s brutal and bloody war and the daily pummeling of their capital city by the Russian war machine in the days before we arrived.
Instead, on my third visit since the outset of the war in 2022, I found a Ukrainian people hardened and even more determined to win a victory for freedom no matter the odds.
While some Americans have grown callous to grim headlines describing an unmoving and grinding stalemate, President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have only become more resolved. With many of the loudest and least informed voices in our country on the Left and the Right arguing that Ukraine’s cause is hopeless or that the time has come to negotiate away its future, nothing I saw in Kyiv last week supports that conclusion.
By every measure that truly matters, Ukraine is winning this war. Ukraine remains free. Its government stands. Its soldiers have taken the fight directly into the heart of Russia with unprecedented drone warfare. Its people are unbowed and refuse to surrender. And the blue and yellow flag still flies defiantly over Kyiv.
The Ukrainian people are not asking the free world to fight their war. They are fighting it themselves, through extraordinary courage and sacrifice. They only ask of the free world: that America and our allies continue providing the support they need to repel Putin’s unprovoked invasion and return his aspirations for a new Russian empire to the ash heap of history.
Thirty-five years ago, the Soviet Union collapsed beneath the weight of Communism and its own corruption. The Iron Curtain fell, and captive nations like Ukraine reclaimed their freedom and embraced the Free World, unshackled from the chains of Communism.
Today, Vladimir Putin is trying to reverse history&#8217;s verdict. His invasion is not merely another territorial dispute between neighboring states. It is an attempt to resurrect an empire that deserved to die. Like the Soviet despots before him, Putin believes he can erase a distinct nation, language, culture, and people through fear and violence.
He cannot.
Vladimir Putin set out to conquer Ukraine in days, topple its democratically elected government, install a puppet regime, extinguish Ukrainian independence, and break the proud Ukrainian people. More than four years later, he has accomplished none of those objectives.
Russia has paid an enormous price in blood, treasure, and international isolation simply to gain small pieces of territory it cannot hold without constant reinforcement. That is not what victory looks like.
Unable to break Ukraine’s determination on the battlefield, the Kremlin has increasingly turned to terror from the skies, targeting innocent children and civilians. In recent days, Russia has unleashed wave after desperate wave of long-range drones and missiles against Kyiv and other civilian population centers. More than 1,500 attack drones were launched over just four days, as the Kremlin struggles in vain to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people.
The price of stopping dictators always rises when free nations hesitate. Putin will either be stopped in Ukraine or further west. The choice is ours, not his.
Ronald Reagan understood this when he warned, “No Western nation, including the United States, can hope to win its own battle for freedom and survival by sacrificing brave comrades to the politics of international expediency.”
For America and her allies, supporting Ukraine is not an act of charity. Giving Ukraine the means to defeat and repel the Russian war machine serves the vital national interests of the United States of America.
Every dollar invested in helping Ukrainians defeat Russian aggression today reduces the likelihood that American servicemen and women will one day have to confront that aggression themselves under our NATO commitments. This investment also rebuilds our own industrial base, providing jobs and ensuring our own security as the world becomes an increasingly dangerous place.
And more must be done right now.
Congress should act without delay to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act. Every additional sanction further isolates the Kremlin, weakens Putin’s ability to finance his war machine, and brings Ukraine one step closer to justice, peace, and victory.
Congress must also ensure that Ukraine continues to receive the military resources it needs to defend its people, protect its skies, and finish this fight.
Thirty-five years ago, Ukrainians reclaimed their freedom from one empire. Today they are ensuring that the dead empire is never resurrected.
Every generation will be tasked to defend freedom. This generation of Ukrainians has done so with extraordinary courage. They deserve more than our admiration. With the steadfast support of every free nation on earth and the arsenal of democracy, Ukraine can win a victory for freedom, for their people, and for freedom-loving people around the world.
***
Mike Pence served as the 48th Vice President of the United States. He is founder of Advancing American Freedom and author of “What Conservatives Believe: Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience.”

People holding Ukrainian flag and protesting against Russian invasion in Ukraine in streets.

Mike Pence: Why Supporting Ukraine Is An Investment In Freedom, Not Charity

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ukraine

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volodymyr zelensky

world

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly fears that ending the war in Ukraine without securing a victory could cost him his life, with Kremlin insiders claiming he has warned that he could be “hanged” if Russia fails to achieve its objectives.
The explosive claim was reported by the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/08/30/cornered-vladimir-putin-plans-to-escalate-his-war">Economist</a>, which cited sources close to the Kremlin as saying Putin believes he cannot safely end the nearly five-year war without at least capturing all of Ukraine’s Donbas region. “They will hang me,” Putin reportedly told people close to him at some point during the war, according to one insider cited by the outlet. 
The reported fear could help explain why Putin appears increasingly committed to escalating the conflict rather than pursuing an end to the fighting. According to the Economist, Putin is preparing to send as many as 400,000 additional Russians to the battlefield. Russia’s September 2022 mobilization decree remains in effect, meaning Moscow can reportedly recruit additional troops without formally announcing another mass call-up. Regional authorities could be tasked with meeting recruitment quotas, allowing the Kremlin to spread the manpower costs across individual regions.
The reported escalation comes as Russia continues a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/world/europe/ukraine-kyiv-drones-russia-sirens.html">massive aerial campaign against Ukraine</a>. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched nearly 1,500 drones over a four-day period, more than half of them jet-powered, as repeated strikes disrupted life in Kyiv.
Russian forces have also increasingly targeted Ukraine’s logistics and commercial infrastructure. Ukraine’s agriculture minister said roughly 90% of the food logistics infrastructure operated by major retail chains has been destroyed, but added that alternative delivery methods would prevent Ukrainians from being left without food.
Ukraine has meanwhile expanded its own long-range drone campaign against Russian oil, energy and logistics infrastructure.
The war is also reportedly becoming increasingly unpopular among parts of Russia’s elite. One insider told the Economist that the conflict has continued largely on “inertia,” imposing growing economic and political costs on Russia. Another argued that nearly five years of war increasingly makes the conflict appear to be a failure regardless of its eventual outcome.
Despite those concerns, Putin’s grip on power remains secure, according to the report. The danger may instead be what happens if he attempts to end the war without being able to claim a meaningful victory.
Putin has continued to publicly reject the idea that Russia is preparing to wind down its campaign. During an Aug. 22 address, he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-ukraine-opened-pandoras-box-with-strikes-economic-targets-2026-08-22/">accused</a> Ukraine of opening a “Pandora’s box” and threatened retaliation against what he called the country’s “most sensitive sectors.”
“The special military operation continues,” Putin told members of Russia’s ruling United Russia party. “We will move only forward.” The Kremlin has also increasingly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/27/britain-ukraine-war-russia">threatened</a> Ukraine’s Western supporters, including Britain, as Western governments expand military assistance to Kyiv.
The result is a war in which Putin may face pressure from multiple directions: growing costs at home, frustration among portions of the Russian elite and continued battlefield resistance from Ukraine. An exit without a clear victory could carry political consequences he reportedly fears could be even more severe.

Vladimir Putin

Putin Reportedly Fears That He’ll Be Hanged If He Loses Ukraine War

russian invasion of ukraine

Andrei Klepach, who was one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top macroeconomists, was fired after saying Russia was &#8220;falling behind&#8221; in the war with Ukraine. 
Two sources familiar with the matter <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/russian-state-bank-fires-economist-who-warned-moscow-was-losing-war-attrition-2026-08-17/">told</a> Reuters that the economist was fired over remarks he made in May that resurfaced in Russian media last week. 
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Speaking at a gathering at the Nikitsky Club of economists, academics, and government officials, Klepach said, &#8220;We are falling behind.” He added, “We are losing both the technological ​and economic competition in the world. And we are losing it not only to China and the United States. In some ways, we are losing it to Ukraine too.” 
Klepach attributed Ukraine&#8217;s resilience in part to financial support from the West. 
&#8220;We will not win the competition in this war of attrition,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have the illusion that everything there will collapse. It has not collapsed ‌and will not collapse. Our costs are mounting.” 
Klepach worked for Russia&#8217;s National Economic Development Institution, VEB, for 12 years. Before that, he worked at Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development for ten years. Klepach confirmed his dismissal to Reuters. 
Klepach’s economic diagnosis contrasts sharply with Putin&#8217;s assessment of the Russian economy. In June, Putin said efforts to cool the Russian economy were deliberate. Putin was directly asked whether Russia&#8217;s economy was struggling because of the war and said such claims were exaggerated.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve deliberately taken steps to cool the economy,&#8221; Putin said of Russia&#8217;s Central Bank putting the country&#8217;s key interest rate at 14.5%, which he called &#8220;a difficult decision.&#8221;
&#8220;You can say we&#8217;ve cooled off, or you can say we haven&#8217;t done everything yet, but these are deliberate steps. We don&#8217;t want inflation — hyperinflation — to reach 60-80%, as it is in some countries,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/putin-says-russia-will-bolster-its-air-defenses-against-ukraines-long-range-drone-strikes">said</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;re fighting for the health of the Russian economy as a whole.&#8221;
The United States is ramping up restrictions with the Senate <a href="https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/release/what-they-are-saying-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-draws-widespread-support-from-prominent-american-officials-and-ukrainian-leaders">passing</a> the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act on August 7. The Senate passed it 86 votes to 11, but it still has to pass the House. If the bill passes the House, President Donald J. Trump has indicated he would sign the legislation, which allows targeted tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas.
Charles Lichfield, director of economic foresight and analysis at the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, said cracks are showing in the Russian economy through inflation and the Russian government’s large deficit. “They are on course to double the deficit they had in 2025 and that was already double what they had in 2024,” Lichfield said. “On inflation, they managed to bring it down to basically the target of 4% late last year, which was a big achievement given all the internal and external inflationary pressures, but it looks like that will not last.”
Russia’s economy has also faced pressure from declining energy revenues, Western sanctions, and Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and vessels associated with Moscow&#8217;s shadow fleet.

Putin Fires Top Economist Who Said Russia Is Losing Ukraine War

russian economy

sanctions

ukraine russia conflict

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Russia has freed American citizen and former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman after more than four years in custody, saying Moscow released him on humanitarian grounds without receiving another prisoner in exchange.
&#8220;I am proud to announce that American Citizen Robert Gilman, a former United States Marine, is coming HOME!&#8221; Trump shared on Tuesday. &#8220;In a well known Media story, Robert was imprisoned in Russia in 2022, during the Biden Administration. After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis.&#8221;
&#8220;We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place,&#8221; Trump added.
Gilman, 32, was detained in Russia in January 2022 and later convicted of assaulting a Russian police officer. Russian authorities claimed that Gilman, who had been traveling by train, was intoxicated and kicked an officer after being taken into custody.
His supporters have disputed Russia&#8217;s account, saying Gilman was severely ill at the time and was struck with a baton by police before being arrested, reportedly vomiting and collapsing. Gilman was traveling through Russia in November 2021 en route to a new teaching job in Moldova. He had previously taught English and established a teaching business in Poland. Illness and problems with a tampered passport prolonged his trip in the country.
A Russian court sentenced Gilman to 3 1/2 years in a penal colony in 2022. Russian courts subsequently convicted him of additional assaults involving prison officials and an investigator while he was incarcerated, increasing his total sentence to 10 years.
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<div id="attachment_1155183" style="width: 1180px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rescues-tortured-american-citizen-imprisoned-by-russia-under-biden-administration/robert-gillman" rel="attachment wp-att-1155183"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1155183" class="wp-image-1155183 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Robert-Gillman.jpg" alt="Robert Gillman returns home with his mother. Photo: Donald Trump, Truth Social. " width="1170" height="877" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Robert-Gillman.jpg 1170w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Robert-Gillman-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Robert-Gillman-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a>Robert Gilman returns home with his mother. Photo: Donald Trump, Truth Social.</div>
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Gilman and his advocates say he was repeatedly drugged, tortured, and forced into compulsory exercise during his imprisonment, The Daily Wire&#8217;s Kassy Akiva previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-u-s-marine-imprisoned-in-russia-on-the-brink-of-death-as-family-begs-for-release?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=American+Near+Death+In+Russian+Prison+As+Family+Makes+Urgent+Plea">reported</a>. He also spent six months in an extreme punishment cell.
Concerns about Gilman&#8217;s condition intensified in recent weeks as advocates warned that he could die without urgent medical treatment. They said he had developed severe pneumonia, was unable to communicate, and was being fed through a tube as he lay with his eyes shut in the psychiatric ward of a civilian hospital in Russia.
“I am very worried that, if urgent action is not taken to release Robert so he can receive urgent medical care in the United States, his condition could become permanent, or he could die in Russian custody,” Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) said earlier this month. Markey warned that Gilman&#8217;s death could cause “a situation that will further complicate an already difficult relationship” between the United States and Russia.
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Trump said Gilman was traveling back to the United States with representatives of his administration and had already been reunited with his mother, who was accompanying him home. Gilman is expected to arrive in the United States Tuesday evening.
&#8220;I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;I will take care of that!&#8221;
&#8220;During my Administration, we have prioritized bringing home Americans Detained Abroad, and have done so at a level never seen before, returning hundreds of people to their families,&#8221; Trump noted. &#8220;We have also freed many non Americans who were under capture in different countries throughout the World.&#8221;
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also posted about Gilman&#8217;s release, saying he joins &#8220;over 100 Americans whom President Trump has freed during his second term in office.&#8221;
&#8220;We thank Russia for working with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to release Mr. Gilman and allowing him to receive the necessary medical treatment here in the United States,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;While we appreciate this positive step, we are still seeking the immediate return of all other unjustly detained Americans, including wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard. The President will not stop until all unjustly detained Americans are home.&#8221;

U.S. President Trump And Russian  President Putin Meet On War In Ukraine At U.S. Air Base In Alaska

Trump Rescues Tortured American Citizen Imprisoned By Russia Under Biden Administration

donald trump

marco rubio

robert gilman

Russia hammered Ukraine with missiles and drones on Saturday, killing six people and inflicting damage across several regions of the country, Ukrainian officials said.
Five of the dead were in Kyiv region outside the capital, where President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure, but also damaged residential buildings, schools and businesses. Fifteen people were injured.
Zelensky said the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions were also targeted in an attack that included around 430 drones and 68 missiles, most of which were downed by air defences.
Later in the day, the governor of the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, Ivan Fedorov, said a residential area of the city of Zaporizhzhia had been hit by Russian-guided bombs, killing one person and injuring three.
Reuters Television footage showed emergency crews at work amid piles of rubble and twisted metal. Windows and frames on balconies were smashed.
&#8220;The second attack was strong. The kitchen window flew out, as did those in the living room and bedroom, everything went into a roar. I ran and got slightly injured,&#8221; Olha Kiyashko, 65, told Reuters.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve got no strength left. They took away our pension years — the years we could have lived on, the years we&#8217;d planned and counted on. All our health is gone.&#8221;
Saturday&#8217;s strikes come as the Iran conflict has distracted international attention from a U.S.-backed peace push in the four-year war, which Kyiv says Moscow has no interest in ending.
&#8220;Russia will try to exploit the war in the Middle East to cause even greater destruction here in Europe, in Ukraine,&#8221; Zelensky wrote on X.
He repeated his call for Kyiv&#8217;s partners to boost production of air-defense weapons, stocks of which have been diminishing as the U.S. and its allies in the Gulf have fended off Iranian strikes.
Russia&#8217;s winter attacks on Ukraine have left swathes of major cities without power or heating, part of a campaign to weaken resolve as Moscow&#8217;s troops press a battlefield offensive and demand Kyiv cede more territory in the east.
Ukraine&#8217;s forces have targeted Russian strategic infrastructure such as oil refineries, depots and terminals in long-range strikes.
Ukraine&#8217;s Energy Ministry said on Saturday that consumers in six regions were without electricity after the overnight strikes and Russian shelling of frontline areas.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no way Russia will stop,&#8221; said local resident Natalia Fetko, 57, whose building was damaged in the strike. &#8220;Nothing is enough for them.&#8221;
Damage was recorded in four districts outside the capital, according to regional military administrator Mykola Kalashnyk.
Saturday&#8217;s attack also prompted NATO member Poland to scramble jets to protect its airspace, but no violations were observed, Warsaw&#8217;s military said.
In Moldova, on Ukraine&#8217;s western border, the Foreign Ministry denounced what it said was an intrusion by a Russian drone into its airspace in a border district, saying Moscow&#8217;s actions undermined regional security and posed a danger to its citizens.
(Additional reporting by Yurii Kovalenko, Serhiy Chaliy and Alexander Tanas; Editing by Toby Chopra, Gareth Jones, Rod Nickel, Ron Popeski and Diane Craft)

Ukraine

Russia Launches 400+ Drones, Dozens Of Missiles In Ukraine Strike, Killing 6

Global Politics

Ukraine-Russia War

American adversary Russia is reportedly providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces, including warships and aircraft.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/06/russia-iran-intelligence-us-targets/">cited</a> three officials Friday morning who spoke on the condition of anonymity and said that Moscow has indirectly joined the conflict between the United States and Iran. One of the Post&#8217;s sources said that Russia&#8217;s involvement &#8220;does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort.&#8221;
The Trump administration has not yet confirmed publicly whether Russia has stepped into the conflict to help Iran. The War Department declined to comment on the issue when asked by The Daily Wire. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly did not address the Washington Post report but said, &#8220;The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed.&#8221;
&#8220;Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight. Operation Epic Fury is meeting or surpassing all of its goals, and the United States will continue to dominate,&#8221; Kelly added.
After President Donald Trump launched &#8220;Operation Epic Fury&#8221; last weekend, Russia condemned the joint U.S.-Israeli military action targeting Iranian leadership, military assets, and nuclear infrastructure. Russia and Iran have long partnered on military efforts. Their ties were further strengthened last year when they signed a 20-year political and economic treaty partially focused on helping each nation fend off outside threats.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin condemned the United States and Israel after they took out Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Putin <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/putin-says-killing-khamenei-is-cynical-murder-2026-03-01/">called</a> the strike that killed Khamenei and members of his family and inner circle a &#8220;cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.&#8221; The Russian dictator, however, stopped short of committing to defend his ally as the United States continues to pummel Iranian forces and defense systems.
Even if Putin committed to back Iran against the United States and Israel, Russia&#8217;s ability to come to Iran&#8217;s aid would be severely limited as Moscow remains in the middle of a war with Ukraine that has entered its fifth year, with no sign of the conflict ending anytime soon. Iran also has close ties with China, but it appears that the communist regime in Beijing has yet to intervene.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth was recently asked about any potential role Russia and China could play in the conflict, and he replied by saying the countries are &#8220;not really a factor here.&#8221;
Iran has launched precision strikes this week that have hit their targets, including U.S. military bases and embassies. Six American troops were killed in one Iranian strike in Kuwait.
The United States, meanwhile, has decimated Iran&#8217;s navy and continues to hunt down the regime&#8217;s ballistic missile launchers. In an update at Central Command headquarters in Florida on Thursday, Admiral Brad Cooper said that U.S. forces have sunk more than 30 Iranian ships and recently struck an Iranian drone carrier roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. The Israeli Air Force also hit a military bunker on Thursday night that has been used by senior Iranian political and military leaders.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+Overnight+Win+Blows+Apart+Iran+Regime%E2%80%99s+Secret+War+Bunker">LIVE UPDATES: Overnight Win Blows Apart Iran Regime’s Secret War Bunker</a>

Russia/Iran

A U.S. Adversary Quietly Helping Iran In War With America? Here’s What We Know

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iran

israel

trump administration

U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called &#8220;troubling&#8221; a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using toxin from poison dart frogs, adding that Washington had no reason to question it.
&#8220;We obviously are aware of the report. It&#8217;s a troubling report. We&#8217;re aware of that case of Mr. Navalny and certainly&#8230; we don&#8217;t have any reason to question it,&#8221; Rubio told reporters at a news conference in Brastislava during a visit to Slovakia.
In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands on Saturday said analyses of samples from Navalny&#8217;s body &#8220;conclusively&#8221; confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia.
The Russian government, which has repeatedly denied any responsibility for Navalny&#8217;s death while he was held in an Arctic penal colony two years ago, dismissed the latest allegations as &#8220;a Western propaganda hoax,&#8221; according to Russia&#8217;s state news agency TASS.
When asked why the United States did not join the statement, Rubio said this was an endeavour by them.
&#8220;Those countries came to that conclusion. They coordinated that. We chose &#8211; doesn&#8217;t mean we disagree with the outcome. We just, it wasn&#8217;t, our endeavor. Sometimes countries go out and do their thing with based on the intelligence they&#8217;ve gathered.&#8221; Rubio said.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not disputing or getting into a fight with these countries over it. But it was their report, and they put that out there,&#8221; he added.
Russian opposition leader Navalny died in an Arctic prison colony in February 2024, after being convicted of extremism and other charges, all of which he denied.
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Jan Lopatka; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Susan Fenton)

Secretary Of State Marco Rubio

Rubio Says U.S. Does Not Dispute Navalny Poisoning Assessment By Europeans

Alexei Navalny

murder

Western governments accused the Russian state on Saturday of assassinating opposition leader Alexei Navalny using a rare toxin derived from South American dart frogs, rejecting Moscow’s long-standing claim that the Kremlin critic died of natural causes in prison.
The findings, announced at the Munich Security Conference by officials from the U.K., Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany, leave little doubt about the cause of Navalny’s death. For two years, questions lingered over whether his death was a natural consequence of imprisonment or a calculated act of state violence. Now, with scientific evidence confirming what Navalny&#8217;s widow and new leader of the Russian opposition, Yulia Navalnaya, and her allies long suspected, the focus has shifted to the Kremlin’s responsibility and the broader implications for Russia’s treatment of political dissent.
The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-by-the-uk-sweden-france-germany-and-the-netherlands-on-alexei-navalnys-death">statement</a> released by the European governments says forensic analysis of biological samples taken from Navalny’s body confirmed the presence of epibatidine. “There is no innocent explanation for the presence of this toxin,” the British Foreign Office said, adding that epibatidine is “not naturally found in Russia” and originates from poison dart frogs native to South America.
Navalny, 47, died on February 16, 2024, while serving a 30.5-year sentence in a high-security penal colony above the Arctic Circle. Russia’s prison service claimed at the time that Navalny collapsed after feeling unwell during a walk and could not be revived.
Western officials now say that explanation does not withstand scrutiny.
“Only the Russian government had the means, the motive, and the opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin against Alexei Navalny during his imprisonment,” said U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, in the U.K.&#8217;s own <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-confirmsrussia-poisoned-navalny-in-prison-with-rare-toxin">statement</a>. “By using this form of poison, the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition.”
The toxin identified, epibatidine, is estimated to be up to 200 times stronger than morphine. Officials said it remains unclear how the substance was administered, though they stressed that access to Navalny was tightly controlled by Russian authorities at the time of his death.
Navalny’s widow said the announcement was welcomed as closure, that it confirmed what she had believed since the moment she learned of her husband’s death.
“I’m satisfied,” Navalnaya said in an <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/international-telecasts/russian-opposition-leader-yulia-navalnaya-speaks-to-politico-at-munich-security-conference/673394">interview</a> following the announcement. “It’s difficult for me to say that it’s good news, because my husband was killed. He was very young — he was less than 50.”
Navalnaya said she never believed the Kremlin’s account that Alexei Navalny died suddenly of natural causes. The day before his death, she said, they spoke by video link and he appeared healthy.
“We saw him just one day before — yes, by video connection — but he was laughing. He looked absolutely healthy,” Navalnaya said. “So it was obvious to me that something horrible happened to him.”
From the outset, she said, she believed responsibility lay with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I was sure that it was Vladimir Putin who killed him,” she said. “And it’s not the first time.”
Navalnaya pointed to a 2020 assassination attempt, when Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent while traveling in Russia. After recovering in Germany, he returned home and was immediately arrested — a move widely condemned by Western governments.
“It was obvious to me that he was poisoned, that he was killed in this penal colony,” she said. “We didn’t know how exactly, and we knew it would take a long time to discover how it happened.”
That uncertainty, Navalnaya said, has now been resolved.
She said she was “very grateful to the governments of the U.K., Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany,” adding that “all the uncertainty is now dismissed.”
“This is not just our investigation,” she said. “This is an investigation based on very, very scientific sources.”
Navalnaya has since assumed a public leadership role in Russia’s opposition movement, vowing to continue her husband’s anti-corruption work despite mounting personal risk. For her, the Western findings represent an official, <a href="https://x.com/yulia_navalnaya/status/2022652772500316538">evidentiary record</a> of what she says the Kremlin tried to erase.
Moscow had delayed the release of Navalny’s body for more than a week. Thousands of mourners later attended his funeral in Moscow, while hundreds more were <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/hundreds-detained-in-russia-while-mourning-death-of-alexei-navalny-vocal-putin-critic">detained</a> across Russia for laying flowers in his honor.
The joint European governments have formally notified the Organisation on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of their findings, alleging that Russia breached the Chemical Weapons Convention. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot <a href="https://x.com/jnbarrot/status/2022683063637946838">said</a> the findings showed that Moscow was willing to use prohibited weapons against its own citizens to maintain power.
Throughout his imprisonment, Navalny remained the most prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, exposing corruption and calling for democratic reform. The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed allegations of wrongdoing, characterizing Western accusations as politically motivated.
As of publication, Russian officials had not commented on the latest findings.

COMBO-GERMANY-RUSSIA-POLITICS-NAVALNY

Western Allies Say Alexei Navalny Was Poisoned With Frog Toxin, Accuse Putin’s Kremlin Of Political Murder

europe

Russia launched a massive air attack on Ukrainian energy facilities overnight on Saturday, targeting electricity generation and distribution, Kyiv said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the overnight attack involved more than 400 drones and some 40 missiles of various types, targeting the grid, generation facilities and distribution substations.
Nearly four years into the war that began with Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine&#8217;s battered energy sector is crumbling under the Russian strikes, accumulated wartime damage and bitterly cold winter weather.
&#8220;Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes,&#8221; Zelensky posted on X. &#8220;It is crucial that everyone who supports the trilateral negotiations respond to this. Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine.&#8221;
Moscow did not immediately comment on the attacks.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said the strikes hit two thermal power stations in Ukraine&#8217;s western regions and core elements of the Ukrainian electricity distribution system &#8211; substations and key electricity distribution lines.
&#8220;Russian criminals carried out another massive attack on Ukraine&#8217;s energy facilities,&#8221; Shmyhal said on the Telegram app. &#8220;Energy workers are ready to start repair works as soon as the security situation allows.&#8221;
The strikes were launched as temperatures began to drop and are forecast to fall to minus 14 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days.
The new Russian attacks on the energy system also come just days after the latest round of the U.S.-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia on how to end the war.
Despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration and rounds of talks, diplomatic efforts have so far brought no tangible results.
Since autumn 2025, Moscow has intensified its attacks on the Ukrainian power grid and other energy infrastructure, forcing frequent blackouts across Ukraine and plunging millions into darkness for hours.
Ukrainian officials said that emergency power cuts were introduced across the country. Shmyhal said the government asked Poland for emergency power imports to help the Ukrainian grid.
Regional officials reported attacks across the country, including in the western regions of Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv.
The Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants in western Ukraine were hit, officials said.
DTEK, Ukraine&#8217;s largest private energy company, said that equipment was damaged significantly at its thermal power plants in different regions. DTEK said it was the 10th attack on its thermal power stations since October 2025.
&#8220;Since Russians have been targeting energy facilities in various regions of our country, power outages may last much longer,&#8221; said Maksym Kozytskyi, the Lviv regional governor.
He said air alerts lasted more than six hours in the western Lviv region, close to the Polish border.
Polish authorities said two airports in southeastern Poland were suspended from operations as a precaution due to Russian strikes on nearby Ukrainian territory. The airports in Poland later resumed operations.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by)

Severely damaged Darnytska CHPP in Kyiv after massive Russian attack

Russia Launches Massive Attack On Ukraine’s Energy System, Zelensky Says

U.S. envoys met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for over three hours to discuss a potential deal aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
Trump confidants Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with newly-appointed Board of Peace senior advisor Josh Greunbaum, met with Putin at midnight Thursday as the World Economic Forum in Davos comes to a close.
A video clip shared by the Kremlin on Telegram showed Putin, joined by his foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, and special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, shaking hands with the envoys prior to the meeting.
The group discussed the 20-point peace plan to end the Russian invasion, which has been held up due to key disagreements on Russian demands for land in Eastern Ukraine, much of which Ukraine has successfully defended at this point in the war.
The outcome of the meeting was unclear in the immediate aftermath of the talks, which were held shortly after President Trump said a deal was &#8220;reasonably close&#8221; and Witkoff <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-meets-us-envoys-late-night-talks-ukraine-2026-01-22/">said</a> a deal hinged on one last issue, according to Reuters.
Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hours earlier at Davos, describing the conversation as &#8220;good&#8221; to reporters aboard Air Force One.
&#8220;We&#8217;re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months, and he [Zelensky] came, and he said he wants to make a deal because I wasn&#8217;t necessarily sure. I think he should want to make a deal,” Trump said. “President Putin would like to make a deal. I think that President Zelensky would like to make a deal.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his meeting with President Zelensky in Davos: &#8220;We&#8217;re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months and he came and he said he wants to make a deal because I wasn&#8217;t necessarily sure. I think he should want to make a deal.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/89LxjlmJTs">pic.twitter.com/89LxjlmJTs</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014494433190817922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Zelensky blasted European leaders during his Davos speech on Thursday for what he called their inaction against Putin.
&#8220;Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today,&#8221; Zelensky <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-22/putin-starts-kremlin-talks-with-us-envoys-witkoff-and-kushner">said</a>. &#8220;Where is the line of leaders who are ready to act?&#8221;

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-US-DIPLOMACY

Trump Pushes Ukraine Peace Deal As Kushner, Witkoff Hold Talks With Putin

Davos

jared kushner

Steve Witkoff

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of targeting civilians over the New Year, with Moscow reporting a deadly strike on a hotel in territory it occupies in southern Ukraine while Kyiv said there had been another broad attack on its power supplies.
The reports coincide with intensive talks overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump and aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year-old war. Each country has said the other is doing all it can to influence his views and shape the outcome.
&#8220;On New Year, Russia deliberately brings war. Over 200 attack drones were launched onto Ukraine in the night,&#8221; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram, saying energy infrastructure in seven regions across Ukraine had been targeted.
Russia accused Ukraine of killing at least 24 people, including a child, in a drone strike on a hotel and cafe where civilians were seeing in the New Year in a Russian-controlled part of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine.
Ukraine&#8217;s military, which has accused Russia of killing many civilians in its own attacks on Ukrainian cities, said it targeted strictly military and energy targets, but made no specific reference to accounts of the strike on the hotel.
Zelensky said that Russia&#8217;s holiday season attacks showed Ukraine could not afford delays in air defense supplies.
&#8220;(Our) allies have the names of equipment which we are lacking. We expect that everything agreed with the United States at the end of December for our defense will arrive on time,&#8221; he said, without clarifying further.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the region, said three Ukrainian drones had hit the celebrations in Khorly, a coastal village, in what he said was a &#8220;deliberate strike&#8221; against civilians. He said that many people had been burnt alive.
Russia&#8217;s Foreign Ministry said that as well as the 24 dead, 50 people had been injured.
It said the strike, as well as other drone attacks blamed on Ukraine, sought to &#8220;divert attention from the failures of the Ukrainian military at the front. The Kyiv regime is trying to prove its viability through terrorist acts.&#8221;
On Monday, Moscow accused Kyiv of trying to strike a residence of President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian and European officials have said the incident did not happen and U.S. security officials were also reported to have found that Ukraine did not target the residence.
A senior Russian military chief handed to a U.S. military attache what he said was part of a Ukrainian drone containing data he said proved that the Ukrainian military had targeted the residence.
Reuters was not able to immediately verify the reported Kherson region attack or photographs of what Saldo&#8217;s press service said was the aftermath on Thursday. Saldo said he had briefed Putin on the details of the attack.
The images showed at least one dead body was visible beneath a white sheet. The building showed signs that a fire had raged and there were what looked like blood stains on the ground. Russia&#8217;s TASS news agency published video showing drone fragments, some with Ukrainian writing on them.
Ukrainian officials regularly report civilian deaths from Russian air attacks, including in the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson, which lies near the front line.
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The Ukrainian governor of Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said that one man had been killed and an 87-year-old woman injured in attacks on the city on Thursday.
Ukraine&#8217;s deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said rail facilities had been attacked in three regions.
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday its strikes had hit military targets, as well as energy infrastructure which it claimed was being used to support Ukraine&#8217;s military.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia&#8217;s Security Council, told TASS that those who carried out the hotel attack and their commanders should be targeted.
Kherson is one of four regions in Ukraine which Russia claimed as its own in 2022, a move Kyiv and most Western countries denounced as an illegal land grab.
Moscow&#8217;s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said Russian air defence units had downed 35 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours. He reported no casualties or damage.
(Reporting by Max Hunder and Reuters bureaux; writing by Philippa Fletcher; editing by Ros Russell and Ron Popeski)

Russia And Ukraine Trade Allegations Of Civilian Attacks On New Year’s Day

President Donald Trump talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, as the United States seeks to finally bring an end to the Ukraine-Russia war.
Trump&#8217;s discussion with Putin on Monday was &#8220;positive,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/2005668576771051870">according</a> to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who did not reveal any details of the phone call. Trump also <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115798213364038844">said</a> he spoke to Putin in a &#8220;productive telephone call&#8221; just prior to his meeting with Zelensky on Sunday.
During a press conference alongside Zelensky following their meeting, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-peace-deal-in-ukraine-is-closer-than-ever-save-a-few-thorny-issues">said</a> that he believes a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is &#8220;closer than ever,&#8221; adding, “In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other.” Zelensky added that Ukrainian negotiators have agreed to about 90% of Trump&#8217;s 20-point peace plan, while Trump said Ukraine agreed to 95% of it. Trump proposed a 28-point peace plan last month, but it was reduced to 20 points during negotiations.
“Our meeting was excellent, we covered — somebody would say 95 percent, I don’t know what percent — but we have made a lot of progress on ending that war,” Trump said on Sunday.
While Trump remains optimistic about the peace negotiations, Putin has shown no signs of slowing down his campaign to take over Ukraine.
Russia continued to pummel Ukraine with missiles and drones over the weekend, just ahead of Trump&#8217;s meeting with Zelensky. Kyiv, along with other parts of Ukraine, was targeted with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday. At least two people were killed, and 46 others were wounded in the attacks, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-drones-missiles-pound-ukraine-before-zelenskiy-trump-meeting-2025-12-27/">reported</a>. Zelensky argued that Russia’s aggression was a direct response by Putin to Ukraine’s negotiations with Trump.
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&#8220;Today, Russia demonstrated how it responds to peaceful negotiations between Ukraine and the United States to end Russia&#8217;s war against Ukraine,&#8221; Zelensky said on Saturday.
Russia also accused Ukraine of targeting a presidential residence in a drone attack that was thwarted by Russian defenses. Zelensky denied the accusation, calling it a &#8220;new lie&#8221; from Moscow.
Russia has signaled that it does not agree with some of Trump&#8217;s peace plan, including how large Ukraine&#8217;s military would remain under the conditions, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-29/trump-putin-held-positive-call-on-ukraine-white-house-says">reported</a>. Another major sticking point in the negotiations is Ukraine’s Donbas region, which is largely under Russian control despite continued fighting by Ukrainian troops.
Zelensky, meanwhile, said on Monday that he wants security guarantees from the United States to last up to 50 years if he agrees to the peace deal. Under the current proposal, the United States and Europe would provide security guarantees for 15 years, with the possibility for an extension.
“I would like the guarantee to be much longer,” Zelensky said. “We would like to consider the possibility of 30, 40, 50 years and then it will be a historic decision by Trump.”

Trump Holds ‘Positive’ Call With Putin After Zelensky Meeting

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