UK’s Starmer calls Russia-Ukraine war ‘most critical issue of our age’ on invasion anniversary
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth year since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer referred to the ongoing conflict as “the most critical issue of our age,” according to a press release announcing additional U.K. assistance for Ukraine.
“On this grim anniversary, our message to the Ukrainian people is simple: Britain is with you, stronger than ever. That is why we are announcing new support today and we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Starmer said, according to the press release.
“For all the noise in world affairs today, this war 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. Ukraine’s courage continues to hold the line for our shared values, in the face of Putin’s aggression,” Starmer continued. “We will stand by their side, until a just and lasting peace – and beyond. Slava Ukraini.”
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested that the Western world is “pussyfooting around.”
“Putin will not stop the slaughter until he faces much greater pressure. So for heaven’s sake let’s get on with it. Impound his entire shadow fleet. Unfreeze all his frozen assets and give them to Ukraine. Give the Ukrainians the weapons they need to take out all the Russian drone factories. Do all of it now. Putin will not negotiate sincerely until he feels he has no choice,” Johnson wrote in a post on X.
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“The Ukrainians fight like heroes while we in the West pussyfoot and delay. The West can end the war this year — if we stop pussyfooting around,” he said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has been attempting to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
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In its statement, the U.K. government said the country’s security is closely tied to Ukraine’s fate and outlined new assistance, including £20 million (about $27 million) in emergency energy funding to help repair and protect Ukraine’s power grid and expand generation capacity.
The package also includes £5.7 million (around $7.7 million) in humanitarian aid for frontline communities, including people requiring evacuation and those affected by airstrikes or internal displacement, according to the release.
Russia’s war against Ukraine enters fifth year as experts outline 3 possible outcomes
Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has settled into a grinding conflict defined by high casualties and incremental territorial shifts. Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives. Military estimates put Russian losses at about 1.2 million casualties since 2022, with Ukrainian losses between 500,000 and 600,000, underscoring the scale of attrition on both sides.
Diplomacy has intensified alongside the fighting. President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last August for high-stakes talks aimed at advancing negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has traveled to Washington multiple times since Trump returned to office, including a contentious Oval Office meeting in Feb. 2025 and a follow-up visit later in the year.
The most recent U.S. engagement with both sides came during trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi earlier this year and more taking place in Geneva on Feb. 17–18, where special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian and Ukrainian delegations as part of ongoing efforts to broker a settlement.
As the war enters its fifth year, former officials and analysts say the next phase could unfold along three possible paths: prolonged stalemate, shifting Ukrainian momentum, or a dangerous erosion of Western resolve.
Scenario one: Prolonged stalemate
The most immediate trajectory is continuation. The war remains defined by attrition, with neither side delivering a decisive blow and negotiations producing little progress.
Ret. U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO supreme allied commander of Europe, said Moscow is not winning despite its territorial hold, “There isn’t a winner right now.”
“Russia, supposedly a world superpower with one of the world’s probably top three world armies and top four world air forces, in 12 years has gained about 20% of Ukraine. And they have lost some, say, over 1.2 million in the conflict so far. It’s a conflict that Ukraine is working hard to manage. It’s also a conflict that Russia is not, I repeat, not winning,” he said.
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Scenario two: Ukrainian momentum reshapes diplomacy
Recent battlefield developments suggest another possibility. Breedlove pointed to rapid Ukrainian gains following disruptions in Russia’s command-and-control systems.
“In the last three or four days, because of the loss of the Starlink command and control system, Ukraine launched an offensive, and they have snatched back months of Russian gains in three days, three-pronged push, hundreds of square miles regained, and Russia is backing up in several places right now.”
Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, said such advances could shift leverage at the negotiating table. “Ukraine’s recent advances to recapture its territory is yet another signal that Putin’s war machine is continuing to atrophy as the world marks the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russia’s latest territorial losses shows that far from being invincible, Putin and his army are beginning to experience real failures in terms of capability and resources.”
She added that momentum matters. “Not only is this the most significant Ukrainian advance on the battlefield in more than two years, its importance may be felt even more concretely at the diplomatic table. Finding a lasting and equitable peace deal through negotiation is often about momentum – and right now the Ukrainians have it.”
If sustained, such gains could alter Moscow’s calculations and give Kyiv a stronger footing in negotiations as long as Ukraine has strong U.S. support, Breedlove argues, “The first thing and the most important thing Ukraine needs is a declaratory statement by the West and specifically by the United States that we are not going to allow Russia to win in Ukraine, and we will give Ukraine what it needs to stop Russia… where Putin hears it loud and clear and where the people of Russia hear it loud and clear that is a game changer. And I think that’s when Mr. Putin is going to have to make some tough decisions.”
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Scenario three: Escalation or Western fatigue
A third path worries some Western strategists: that inconsistent support could prolong or tilt the conflict in Russia’s favor.
Heather Nauert, who served as spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State from 2017 to 2019, framed the war as more than a territorial dispute. “As we now enter the fifth year of Putin’s war in Ukraine, we’re reminded that this conflict has never been only about territory — it’s about identity, faith, and the future of a free nation. Russia has destroyed more than 600 churches, persecuted millions of Ukrainian Christians under occupation, and abducted more than 19,000 children in an effort to break Ukraine’s spirit. President Trump’s push for a lasting peace must be backed by strength and accountability – one that protects innocent lives, defends religious freedom and brings stolen children home.”
Ret. Lt. Gen. Richard Newton said deterrence remains central. “Four years into this horrific war, the fundamental lesson remains unchanged: Peace is only possible when strength shapes the terms. Putin will continue to savagely test our resolve until the costs of his aggression outweigh any possible gain.”
“What Ukraine needs isn’t gestures from the world, but instead, unwavering support from the U.S. and Europe that convinces Moscow further advances carry unacceptable consequences,” he argued. “Russia must not prevail against Ukraine and the West. What are needed are credible security guarantees, robust offensive and defensive capabilities and a unified, long-term commitment by the West to ensure deterrence isn’t an elusive goal, but a lasting reality.”
Breedlove warned that negotiations alone will not shift the balance. “The most dangerous scenario is that we do not do what we should do in Ukraine and Russia takes over Ukraine because they’re not done. We have a policy of peace through strength and we’re using it in Iran. We’ve used it in Venezuela. We’re using it with oil tankers around the world… But when it comes to Putin and Ukraine, we are peace through weakness.”
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“Mr. Putin is making a point that he’s in charge in Ukraine, not the West and certainly not America. And so we need to change that dynamic. You got good guys and you got bad guys. And right now the bad guys have told America to take a hike. So now, rather than telling them what to do, we are going to the good guys and saying, you have to give up more because the bad guys are not playing well in the sandbox. That’s peace through weakness, not peace through strength,” Breedlove concluded.
Putin puts ‘nuclear triad’ on fast track, Zelenskyy claims ‘World War 3’ underway
President Vladimir Putin said the development of Russia’s nuclear triad was an “absolute priority” Monday as he outlined the country’s stance on its weapons program, according to reports.
Marking Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day, the Russian leader spoke about strengthening the country’s nuclear capabilities before presenting state awards to officers involved in the invasion of Ukraine, the Moscow Times reported.
In his speech, Putin referred to the Russian nuclear triad, which is the country’s three-pronged system for delivering nuclear weapons, designed to ensure a credible second-strike capability.
Putin described its development as “an absolute priority,” saying that it “guarantees Russia’s security and ensures effective strategic deterrence and a balance of forces in the world.”
Putin also emphasized his country would continue to strengthen its army and navy, “taking into account developments in the international situation, based on combat experience gained,” amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
He added that Russia would also “significantly” enhance the capabilities of other branches of the armed forces, increasing their combat readiness, mobility, and ability to operate in all conditions, even the most challenging.
“And, of course, we will accelerate the development of advanced systems for the armed forces,” he added.
Putin’s remarks came after Russia suspended its participation in the New START Treaty on Feb. 5, 2023, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Moscow and Washington.
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The treaty limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems each country could have.
Russian officials have said they will continue to take a “responsible” approach to managing their strategic nuclear arsenal and would respect previously established limits.
Putin’s announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the Russian leader had effectively launched “World War III” with his invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
“I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him… Putin will not stop at Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told the BBC in an interview Feb. 23.
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Zelenskyy described the war as part of Putin’s broader attempt to impose a “different way of life” on the world.
“Stopping Putin today and preventing him from occupying Ukraine is a victory for the whole world,” he said.
However, when asked about the possibility of ceding the embattled Donbas region to Moscow as part of a peace deal, he warned that Russia would likely rebuild its military strength within “no more than a couple of years” and launch another invasion.
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“Where would he go next? We do not know, but that he would want to continue [the war] is a fact,” Zelenskyy said.
1 dead, dozens injured in ‘terrorist attack’ in Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian authorities detained a suspect accused of carrying out a deadly “terrorist attack” in central Lviv that killed one police officer and injured 25 others, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday.
Zelenskyy said in a post on X that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko had reported the detention following the early-morning attack.
“My condolences to the family and loved ones… All necessary resources have been provided to the investigation. The required procedural actions involving the detainee are ongoing. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will provide further updates as needed,” he wrote.
Ukraine’s National Police said in a post on Telegram that authorities initially received a message around 12:30 a.m. about a break-in at a store on Danylyshyn Street.
After the first patrol police crew arrived at the scene, an explosion occurred. A second blast followed after another patrol unit responded.
Officials said preliminary findings indicate improvised explosive devices hidden inside garbage bins detonated in the city center.
Police launched a large-scale operation after the blasts, deploying explosives technicians, canine units and other specialized teams.
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The National Police said 23-year-old policewoman Victoria Shpylka was killed in the explosion, while 25 people suffered injuries of varying severity. Eleven victims were hospitalized, including six law enforcement officers who are in serious condition.
A 33-year-old woman from the Rivne region was detained several hours later in the border area of Stary Sambir in connection with the attack.
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Investigators allege she acted at the direction of a “curator” linked to Russian special services and manufactured and planted the explosive devices.
“There is every reason to believe that the crime was committed on the order of Russia. It is not the first time that the enemy purposefully creates death traps for Ukrainian law enforcement officers. And at the same time uses our recruited citizens,” said Klymenko.
Hungary threatens to block EU loan to Ukraine unless Russian oil shipments resume
Hungary is threatening to block a proposed 90 billion-euro European Union loan to Ukraine — worth roughly $106 billion — unless oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline are restored.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote Friday on X that Hungary would oppose the EU funding package until oil transit via the Russian-linked Druzhba pipeline resumes.
“Ukraine is blackmailing Hungary by halting oil transit in coordination with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition to create supply disruptions in Hungary and push fuel prices higher before the elections,” Szijjártó said.
He further claimed that blocking oil transit violates the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and breaches Kyiv’s commitments to the European Union.
The Druzhba pipeline has long been a key route for Russian oil deliveries to parts of Central Europe, including Hungary, even as much of the EU has moved to curb reliance on Russian energy following Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The European Commission in January adopted a legislative package to implement a previously agreed 90 billion-euro loan to Ukraine for 2026 and 2027, aimed at supporting the country’s budgetary and military needs, according to a press release.
The financial commitment, known as the “Ukraine Support Loan,” would be structured as a limited recourse loan, with roughly 60 billion euros allocated for military assistance and 30 billion designated for general budget support.
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The commission said the funding is intended to help Ukraine maintain essential state functions, bolster its defense capabilities and strengthen resilience as the war with Russia continues.
The loan would be financed through common EU borrowing on capital markets and guaranteed by the EU budget. The commission also noted that the EU reserves the right to use immobilized Russian assets within the bloc, in accordance with EU and international law, to repay the loan.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday rejected what it called “ultimatums and blackmail” from the governments of Hungary and Slovakia over energy supplies, accusing both countries of taking actions that are “provocative, irresponsible, and threaten the energy security of the entire region.”
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“Ukraine is in constant contact with representatives of the European Commission regarding the damage to Ukrainian energy infrastructure caused by daily Russian strikes. We have also provided information about the consequences of these Russian attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline infrastructure to the governments of Hungary and Slovakia,” the ministry said in a statement. “Security and stabilization repair work continues amid daily threats of new missile attacks. Ukraine has also proposed alternative ways to resolve the issue of supplying non-Russian oil to these countries.”
It added that Ukraine remains a “reliable energy partner” to the European Union and argued that “ultimatums should be sent to the Kremlin, and certainly not to Kyiv.”
As war losses near 2 million, Russia accused of trafficking foreign recruits from Africa, Asia
As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, the central challenge facing both Moscow and Kyiv is no longer territory alone. It is manpower.
Both Russia and Ukraine face a growing manpower crisis. Western estimates put Ukrainian military casualties at roughly 500,000 to 600,000 since 2022, including more than 100,000 killed, while Russia is believed to have suffered about 1.2 million casualties. Combined battlefield casualties on both sides may now be approaching two million, according to recent analyses.
Now, in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, the Ukrainian human rights organization Truth Hounds said Russia is increasingly turning to vulnerable foreign nationals, including recruits from Africa and Asia, through coercive and deceptive recruitment practices that in some cases may amount to human trafficking.
“The patterns of recruitment in different countries and regions are quite similar,” Truth Hounds said. “Two main categories for foreign fighters could be defined. First, persons who were already in Russia, such as students and migrant workers. Second, those who were recruited in their countries of origin.”
According to the organization, many recruits were promised civilian jobs with substantially higher salaries than in their home countries but were later compelled to sign military contracts written in Russian without translation.
“In many of these cases — both when recruitment happens outside and inside Russia — there are plenty of facts indicating potential human trafficking,” the group said.
Truth Hounds said it documented cases in which individuals detained inside Russia were beaten, tortured or otherwise coerced into signing military contracts.
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“Under such circumstances, it is difficult to characterize their enlistment in the Russian army as voluntary. Rather, these cases involve coercion into military service and exploitation — patterns that are consistent across documented cases globally, when it comes to Russian recruitment practices,” the organization said.
The group cited figures from Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War indicating that more than 18,000 foreigners had joined the Russian army as of late last year, with the number continuing to grow. Truth Hounds said its interviews with foreign prisoners of war, including several from African states, revealed similar recruitment patterns.
According to a report published by INPACT in February 2026, nearly 1,500 Africans were enlisted between 2023 and mid-2025, 316 of whom died because of a few kilometers of snow in Ukraine, a loss rate of 22%. Many others are missing or cannot be reached by their families.
At the same time, the organization cautioned that not all foreign recruits were forced to serve, noting that some joined with a full understanding of the purpose of their travel to Russia and the terms of the contract, though the proportion remains unclear.
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The allegations come as African leaders have begun publicly raising the issue. Kenya’s foreign minister said Nairobi would confront Russian authorities over the recruitment of Kenyan nationals, while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa raised concerns with Russian President Vladimir Putin following distress calls from South African citizens believed to be caught in the conflict, according to Reuters.
Truth Hounds said the legal status of foreign fighters presents a complex overlap between international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Individuals who sign contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Defense are treated as members of the armed forces and are entitled to prisoner-of-war protections, though some cases may also meet the criteria for human trafficking, creating additional legal questions.
“The main question remains how to effectively stop Russia from recruiting such individuals and hold it accountable for the ruined lives of those who have already ended up there,” the organization said.
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Moscow has previously said foreign nationals may voluntarily enlist in its armed forces. It has not publicly acknowledged coercive recruitment practices.
As the war grinds on, the battle for manpower is stretching beyond Europe’s borders, pulling in vulnerable populations from Africa and Asia and raising new diplomatic and legal challenges for governments far from the front lines.
Zelenskyy dismisses Putin’s ‘historical s—‘ in peace talks as ‘delay tactic,’ urges focus on ending the war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday dismissed what he described as Vladimir Putin’s “historical s—,” saying he has no interest in debating the past and wants peace talks focused squarely on ending the war.
In a pointed post on X, Zelenskyy described Russia’s historical arguments as a “delay tactic,” accusing Moscow of using them to stall meaningful negotiations. He argued the only issue worth discussing with Putin is how to bring the war to a swift and successful end.
Putin has long made claims about the history of Ukraine and Russia, including a 2021 piece he wrote that discussed his position that “Russians and Ukrainians were one people” and that the two countries are “essentially the same historical and spiritual space.” Zelenskyy said debates about history will not accomplish the goal of reaching peace, and will only prolong the process of reaching a resolution.
“I have been to Russia – to many cities. And I knew a lot of people there. He [Putin] has never been to Ukraine this many times. He was only in big cities. I went to small cities. From the northern part to the southern part. Everywhere. I know their mentality. That’s why I don’t want to lose time on all these things,” Zelenskyy wrote.
The remarks came after another round of talks between Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian officials in Switzerland; meetings the Ukrainian president suggested had produced limited progress.
“As of today, we cannot say that the outcome of the meetings in Geneva is sufficient,” Zelenskyy explained, saying that while military representatives had discussed certain issues “seriously and substantively,” sensitive political matters, possible compromises and a potential meeting between leaders have not yet been adequately worked through.
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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte questioned at the Munich Security Conference last week whether Russia is serious about negotiations, noting that Moscow again sent presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who has previously emphasized historical narratives in talks, to lead discussions in Geneva.
Medinsky characterized the two days of negotiations as “difficult but businesslike,” according to a translation of his remarks from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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NBC News reported that Medinsky, who has served as a Kremlin aide since 2020, is regarded as a close Putin ally whose views on Ukrainian history closely align with the Russian president’s.
“It would seem obvious to anyone familiar with history at the primary school level: Russians and Ukrainians are historically — one people,” he wrote in a November op-ed for the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Russia gets Paralympic slots under national flag; Ukraine officials boycott over ‘outrageous decision’
For the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s flag will be represented at a major international sporting event.
The International Paralympic Committee announced Tuesday that Russia’s National Paralympic Committee was awarded six entry slots for the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games and that Belarus, a close ally of Russia, was also awarded four slots.
“The IPC can confirm that NPC Russia has been awarded a total of six slots: two in Para alpine skiing (one male, one female), two in Para cross-country skiing (one male, one female) and two in Para snowboard (both male),” the statement said.
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“NPC Belarus has been awarded four slots in total, all in cross-country skiing (one male and three females).”
Should any of these athletes win gold in their respective sports, it will be the first time the Russian anthem has been played on the stage of any major global sporting event in the past four years. It has not been heard at any Olympics or Paralympics since the 2016 Games in Rio.
The announcement also marks the first time Russian athletes will compete at the Paralympics under their own flag in over a decade, both due to the war and a ban stemming from a state-sponsored doping program.
The IPC, which operates separately from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), announced a partial lift of suspensions against Russia and Belarus in September.
IPC President Andrew Parson told The Associated Press in November that no athletes from those countries would be at the Games, but Russia appealed the ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which paved the way for athletes to compete under a neutral flag at the Olympics and their own at the Paralympics.
The announcement was met with backlash, and Ukrainian sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi posted on social media that no Ukrainian official would be present for the Paralympics.
“In response to the outrageous decision by the organizers of the Paralympic Games to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete under their national flags, Ukrainian officials will not attend the Paralympic Games,” Bidnyi said.
“We will also not be present at the opening ceremony and will not attend other official Paralympic events,” his statement continued. “We thank every official from the countries of the free world who will also ignore the official events of the Paralympics. We continue the fight!”
In an earlier statement on social media, Bidnyi said that the flags of Russia and Belarus “have no place at international sporting events that stand for fairness, integrity, and respect.”
He also accused the IPC of giving Russia a platform “to voice war propaganda.”
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Tuesday’s announcement comes amid controversy at the Olympics after a Ukrainian athlete was disqualified from a men’s skeleton event after he refused to use any other helmet other than the one honoring his country’s athletes who were killed in the war with Russia.
The IOC said the decision stemmed from its rules prohibiting athletes from making political statements on the field of play.