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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Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began the second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Uzbekistan is accelerating plans to expand uranium production and deepen international nuclear cooperation, positioning the sector as a pillar of long-term industrial growth and resource security.
A landmark gathering of commercial and political minds has convened in the Kyrgyz capital, signalling a significant shift in Washington’s foreign policy approach towards the Eurasian heartland.
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 18 people, including four children, in Gaza on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said, as Israel halts the passage of patients through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
Mexico said it will stop sending oil to Cuba as U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the Caribbean nation.
Web Summit Qatar 2026 opened in Doha on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands of founders, investors, policymakers and technology leaders to what organisers describe as one of the region’s largest digital economy gatherings.
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has acquired his artificial intelligence firm xAI, as the billionaire moves to bring more of his technology businesses under one structure.
Uzbekistan is accelerating plans to expand uranium production and deepen international nuclear cooperation, positioning the sector as a pillar of long-term industrial growth and resource security.
A landmark gathering of commercial and political minds has convened in the Kyrgyz capital, signalling a significant shift in Washington’s foreign policy approach towards the Eurasian heartland.
Syrian government security forces entered the Kurdish-controlled northeastern city of Qamishli on Tuesday (3 February), security sources and witnesses said.
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 18 people, including four children, in Gaza on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said, as Israel halts the passage of patients through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Abu Dhabi, February 4, reaffirming momentum in their peace process and highlighting growing trade, connectivity and confidence-building measures.
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