Key developments on Feb. 22-23:
- Zelensky keen to step down in alternate for peace
- Russia launches largest drone assault since begin of full-scale invasion
- US mineral deal provides no safety ensures for Ukraine, NYT studies
- Zelensky received't signal pure useful resource deal that 'will likely be paid by 10 generations of Ukrainians'
- Trump-Putin assembly preparations already underway, Russia claims
President Volodymyr Zelensky is able to step down as president if it means “peace for Ukraine,” he stated through the Ukraine: Yr 2025 discussion board in Kyiv on Feb. 23.
Talks about elections in Ukraine have amplified in current months regardless of martial legislation prohibiting them. Zelensky, who was elected in 2019 for 5 years, got here underneath fireplace from U.S. President Donald Trump who just lately accused the Ukrainian chief of not wanting to carry elections.
“I’m specializing in safety in the present day and never in 20 years time. I don’t plan to be in energy for 10 years,” Zelensky instructed the discussion board.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it received’t maintain elections till the warfare is over, according to martial legislation as Russia continuously bombards the nation and occupies one-fifth of its territory.
With Trump amping up peace negotiations with Russia this month, many anticipate an election to observe shortly after a ceasefire is agreed.
These constraints haven’t stopped Trump from repeating Russian propaganda factors and accusing Zelensky of being “a dictator.”
Ukrainian NGOs have stated organizing an election through the warfare is “impossible,” as elections have to be preceded by a steady ceasefire backed by safety ensures and correct preparations for the election course of, together with restoring related infrastructure.
Zelensky's administration pledged to carry elections "immediately" after the top of the warfare, thus permitting troopers and refugees to securely participate within the vote as effectively.
"The Ukrainian consensus on elections no sooner than six months after the top of martial legislation is supported by the authorities, the opposition, and the society," the assertion by the Ukrainian NGOs learn.
In keeping with a February survey, 69% of Ukrainians consider that Zelensky ought to stay in workplace till the following elections might be held after the top of martial legislation. A number of opposition politicians additionally supported this place, warning in opposition to Russian makes an attempt to make use of the elections to divide society.
The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court
Russia launches largest drone assault since begin of full-scale invasion
Russia launched its largest single drone assault in a single day because the begin of the full-scale invasion with 267 drones coming into Ukrainian airspace, Air Power spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat stated on Feb. 23.
Explosions have been heard throughout the nation, together with in Kyiv the place drone debris fell within the heart of the capital and different districts that two homes and a publish workplace, Kyiv’s navy head Tymur Tkachenko reported. Ukraine’s air protection shot down 138 drones whereas 119 decoy drones have been misplaced.
Whereas there have been no reported casualties in Kyiv, three folks have been injured in Odesa Oblast after a hearth broke out at a residential home, reported Odesa Oblast navy head Oleh Kiper.
Along with the drone attacks, Russian forces additionally launched missiles at Ukraine. In Zaporizhzhia, a 53-year-old girl was injured after Russian shelling hit residential areas inflicting a hearth.
The worst assault occurred in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the place a missile strike killed one individual and injured 5. The assault inflicted heavy injury on the town's civilian infrastructure, together with 12 residence buildings, an infrastructure facility, a retirement house, and a church.
The strike additionally brought on injury to social and industrial buildings, a gasoline station, and a number of autos.
The evening earlier than, a Russian drone assault killed a person in Kyiv Oblast. A number of civilian buildings have been broken within the metropolis, together with an residence block and an academic facility.
The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell
US mineral deal provides no safety ensures for Ukraine, NYT studies
The present U.S. proposal relating to Ukraine's vital minerals seeks 50% of revenues from Ukraine's pure sources whereas providing no safety ensures in return, in keeping with a draft of the settlement seen by the New York Occasions (NYT).
The U.S. and Ukraine have been working intensively over the previous few days to hammer out the small print of a revised model of the settlement. Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine's parliament, stated Kyiv goals to conclude the agreement on Feb. 24, the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The phrases of the revised draft are just about the identical as these of an earlier model rejected by Zelensky, the NYT reported, citing a draft of the settlement dated Feb. 21. In some circumstances, the U.S. calls for are much more stringent.
The settlement calls for 50% of revenues from Ukraine's pure sources, together with critical minerals, oil, and gasoline, in addition to stakes in ports and different key infrastructure via a joint funding fund.
The brand new model says that the U.S. would maintain a 100% monetary curiosity on this fund, and that Ukraine ought to contribute to the fund till it reaches $500 billion.
This quantity vastly exceeds Ukraine's precise useful resource revenues, which totaled $1.1 billion in 2024, and is over 4 occasions the worth of U.S. help to Kyiv.
That $500 billion determine was not listed within the authentic proposal offered to Zelensky by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Feb. 12. Trump has cited the quantity in public feedback, claiming on Feb. 10 that Ukraine had "basically agreed" to a $500 billion useful resource deal.
When Zelensky then refused to sign the proposed settlement on the grounds that it supplied no safety ensures, Trump lashed out on the Ukrainian president, echoing Kremlin speaking factors by calling him an "unelected dictator."
A go to from Trump's Particular Envoy on Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, appeared to ease tensions and revive negotiations on the useful resource deal. U.S. and Ukrainian officers have reportedly been working through the night to hammer out an settlement.
Trump stated on Feb. 21 that the U.S. and Ukraine have been "pretty close" to reaching a deal.
The brand new doc gives no particular safety ensures, in keeping with the NYT. It as an alternative says the U.S. will present long-term financial growth help for Ukraine.
Trump stated in early February that he wished to strike a cope with Ukraine involving entry to rare earth minerals in alternate for continued help — a change in U.S. overseas coverage that turned help for Ukraine's protection and sovereignty right into a enterprise transaction.
Ukraine stated it was open to such a deal and has confused the necessity for concrete safety ensures. A former senior Ukrainian official referred to as the primary U.S. proposal "a colonial agreement"and stated Zelensky couldn’t signal the doc on these phrases.
Reuters reported on Feb. 21 that the U.S. has threatened to cut off Ukraine's access to Starlink web terminals it it doesn’t signal the settlement — a declare SpaceX CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk has denied.
Zelensky received't signal pure useful resource deal that 'will likely be paid by 10 generations of Ukrainians'
Zelensky pushed again on the U.S.’ demand for a $500 billion fund to be financed with Ukrainian pure useful resource income, saying that the U.S.’s help grants aren’t money owed, through the Ukraine: Yr 2025 discussion board in Kyiv on Feb. 23.
Zelensky stated that he won’t acknowledge such a big sum because it vastly outweighs the $100 billion the U.S. has despatched to Ukraine underneath former President Joe Biden.
The president added that the help given to Ukraine can’t be counted as money owed since they’re grants and confused that safety ensures have to be included within the deal. To this point no such guarantees have been put in place, he stated.
“I’m not signing one thing that will likely be paid by 10 generations of Ukrainians," Zelensky stated, including that he desires a dialogue with Trump.
The preliminary White Home proposal sought a 50% interest in Ukraine’s pure sources, together with critical minerals, oil and gasoline, in addition to vital infrastructure and ports. Zelensky stated Ukraine just isn’t able to “cut up 50/50 with out figuring out what’s forward.”
The Ukrainian chief additionally identified that the U.S. proposed to return future help with an curiosity of 1:2. “For each U.S. greenback, Ukraine should return two. In easy phrases, that is 100% of the mortgage,” he stated.
The precise particulars of the present proposal have been stored secret however the administration of President Donald Trump has ramped up strain on Kyiv to signal. Ukraine has had a backwards and forwards with its American counterparts for practically two weeks and Kyiv will begin working to conclude an settlement with the U.S. on Feb. 24, stated Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine's parliament.
The worth and quantity of Ukraine’s vital minerals are unknown with the determine hotly debated amongst specialists as assessments are based mostly on outdated Soviet-era figures. Nonetheless, $350 billion price of pure sources are situated within the Russian-occupied territories, First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic system Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated on the discussion board.
The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell
Trump-Putin assembly preparations already underway, Russia claims
Preparations for an in-person assembly between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are already underway, Russia's Deputy International Minister Sergei Ryabkov claimed on Feb. 22.
Trump beforehand stated he would "in all probability" meet Putin earlier than the top of February.
The 2 leaders might focus on a broad vary of world matters along with the war in Ukraine, Ryabkov instructed Russian state media.
"The query is about beginning to transfer towards normalizing relations between our nations, discovering methods to resolve essentially the most acute and probably very, very harmful conditions, of which there are various, Ukraine amongst them," he stated.
Preparations for the assembly are nonetheless within the early levels, Ryabkov stated, and organizing the summit would require "essentially the most intensive preparatory work."
U.S. and Russian delegates might maintain conferences over the following two weeks in preparation for the Trump-Putin talks, he added.
The U.S. and Russia have already held their first direct talks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, signaling and finish to Moscow's political isolation from the West. Representatives met in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 to debate preliminary steps in direction of ending the warfare in Ukraine.
Trump introduced that U.S. and Russian envoys will maintain another round of talks in Riyadh on Feb. 25.
Ryabkov didn’t present any particulars as to a possible date or location for the assembly between Trump and Putin. Trump has stated that the leaders' first assembly will take place in Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned the chances of a Trump-Putin assembly together with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, through the Saudi Arabia talks. Rubio stated on Feb. 20 {that a} face-to-face assembly between the 2 leaders would depend upon whether or not "we can make any progress" in direction of a peace settlement.
Ukraine and European leaders have objected to Ukraine's exclusion from the U.S.-Russia talks. Zelensky stated he wouldn’t settle for the result of any negotiations that didn’t contain Kyiv's participation.
Trump has already spoken to Putin relating to his aim to dealer a fast ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump spoke to Putin for practically 90 minutes in a phone call on Feb. 12, holding a separate name with Zelensky later that day.
Following the Riyadh talks, Putin introduced that he would "gladly" meet with Trump and stated he hoped Washington and Moscow would work out the warfare in Ukraine prematurely of their assembly.
The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell