Ukraine has declared a state of emergency in its energy sector after sustained Russian attacks severely damaged power and heating infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy said the move would give authorities greater flexibility to address widespread electricity disruptions, particularly in Kyiv, where repairs are ongoing after strikes last week. Freezing temperatures, with night-time lows nearing minus 20 degrees Celsius, have worsened conditions for residents.
In a statement on social media, Zelenskyy said the consequences of the attacks and harsh weather were “severe” and required urgent action. He later said the emergency would allow faster decision-making to restore power, expand heating centres and, where possible, ease nightly curfews.
The president criticised preparations in Kyiv, saying the capital had done less than other major cities to respond to the crisis.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, rejected the criticism, saying heating had been restored to most affected buildings and support centres were operating around the clock.
Zelenskyy said a permanent coordination would be set up in Kyiv, overseen by Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal. He also said Ukraine was working to increase electricity imports and called on the military and diplomats to maintain pressure on the battlefield and in international talks.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that Ukraine - not Russia - is holding up a potential peace deal, rhetoric that stands in marked contrast to that of European allies, who have consistently argued Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine.
In an exclusive interview in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to wrap up his nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy, the U.S. president said, was more reticent.
"I think he's ready to make a deal," Trump said of the Russian president. "I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal."
Asked why U.S.-led negotiations had not yet resolved Europe's largest land conflict since World War Two, Trump responded: "Zelenskyy."
Trump told Reuters he was not aware of a potential upcoming trip to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner, which Bloomberg reported earlier on Wednesday.
Asked if he would meet Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week, Trump said he would but implied no plans were set.
"I would - if he's there," Trump said. "I'm going to be there."
Asked why he believed Zelenskyy was holding back on negotiations, Trump did not elaborate, saying only, "I just think he's, you know, having a hard time getting there."
Zelenskyy has publicly ruled out any territorial concessions to Moscow, saying Kyiv has no right under the country's constitution to give up any land.
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Peace-making has a habit of creating new enemies—especially when it reduces someone else’s leverage. As Azerbaijan and Armenia move toward a settlement architecture that no longer depends on Moscow as the indispensable broker, pressure has not vanished; it has shifted shape.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heading to Beijing on for his first official visit as chancellor, aiming to strengthen political and economic dialogue with China before tackling pressing international crises.
Newcastle United secured a 3–2 victory over Qarabağ FK in the return leg of the UEFA Champions League play-offs at St James’ Park.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should block financial support to Russia rather than Ukraine, as Budapest opposes the European Union’s 20th sanctions package against Moscow.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” following President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating his previous global tariff programme.
Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Times has reported. The agreement, signed in December in Moscow, will see Russia deliver 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
A British national was among at least 19 people killed when a passenger bus plunged off a mountain highway into the Trishuli river in Nepal before dawn on Monday (23 February), authorities said. A New Zealander and a Chinese national were among those injured.
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in an attack that comes amid rising militant violence and heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Peace-making has a habit of creating new enemies—especially when it reduces someone else’s leverage. As Azerbaijan and Armenia move toward a settlement architecture that no longer depends on Moscow as the indispensable broker, pressure has not vanished; it has shifted shape.
Iran is prepared to take any necessary steps to secure a deal with the United States, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Tuesday (24 February), as the two countries prepare for a fresh round of negotiations in Geneva.
Expanding cross-border commerce and strengthening regional trade corridors topped the agenda in Baku on Tuesday (24 February), as senior lawmakers from Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia met to discuss deeper economic integration across the South Caucasus.
The European Union has formally declared that Russia must withdraw its troops from occupied territories - including those inside Georgia - as part of the conditions for achieving lasting peace in Europe.
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating within Afghanistan.
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