Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 02-17-2024

A further report from this important annual international security forum in Munch from Kyiv Post’s special correspondent. What did Zelensky and Sholtz have to say.

Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine dominated the discussion during the second day of the annual Munich Security Conference (MSC) as Olaf Scholz and Volodymyr Zelensky took the center stage to deliver their key messages.

It was clear that the reluctant leader of Europe, Germany, has finally come to terms with its responsibility to lead the way in defense spending and Ukraine aid.

Expressing confidence in Kyiv's biggest financial and military contributor, Zelensky said that he did "not think that our strategic partner will allow itself to stop supporting Ukraine".

The United States must not allow aid for Ukraine to be held up by political brinksmanship, Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday, as wrangling in Congress blocks $60 billion worth of military backing.

"As it relates to our support for Ukraine, we must be unwavering and we cannot play political games," she said, next to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference.

The decline in mergers and acquisitions market raises the question: What happens if there’s a need to exit an investment sooner, especially right before economic challenges arise?

In 2013, Ex-Sequoia Partner Michael Moritz, who previously led investments in Google, PayPal and Yahoo, decided to take a calculated risk.

The firm poured $8M into an online grocery growing business from San Francisco after the devastating failure of Webvan, a delivery startup from the dot-com era that had burned through a staggering $375 million before collapsing just 1.5 years after its inception.

The 47-year-old Kremlin critic died in an Arctic prison on Friday after spending more than three years behind bars, prompting outrage and condemnation from his supporters.

Police detained dozens of Russians paying tribute to opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Saturday, as his spokeswoman accused authorities of stalling the release of his body to relatives.

While working for the FBI, American Billy Reilly travelled to Russia in 2015 and soon went missing. As a Wall Street Journal reporter discovered – both the FBI and FSB wanted this story to die.

Brett Forrest, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, has spent years tracking the case of an American working for the FBI, who vanished in Russia. Adding to the intrigue, US and Russian authorities shared an interest in keeping the story from reaching the press.

Following the release of his 2023 book, Lost Son: An American Family Trapped in the FBI’s Secret Wars, Forrest speaks to Kyiv Post.

Zelensky told the Munich Security Conference he had invited Trump to Ukraine because policy makers should see what real war entailed.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he was ready to take Donald Trump to the frontlines, as fears grow over sustained US aid to Kyiv should the ex-president return to the White House.

Zelensky told the Munich Security Conference he had invited Trump to Ukraine because policy makers should see what real war entailed.

In an intercepted call, Russian soldier's wife reveals that Russian conscripts are being killed and raped by their own counterparts in training camps before even getting to the Ukraine.

Russian military's wife reveals that Russian conscripts are being killed by their own counterparts in training camps before even getting to the Ukraine frontline.

In an intercepted call published by Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), she says, "Oh, goodness. The main thing is, don't go to Ukraine, you know what I'm going to tell you, right?"

Unfortunately for Ukraine and the world, Russia is managing to evade many of the sanctions intended to cripple its war machine. More stringent measures must be taken.

As Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine stretches into its third year, the international community finds itself at a critical juncture, grappling with decisions crucial to Ukraine’s self-defense. In Europe and the United States, political leaders face the daunting task of determining the level of aid and support they can provide to bolster Ukraine’s resilience against the continuing onslaught.

The European Union has already taken a significant step forward by committing a substantial $54 billion in aid over the next four years, aimed at strengthening both Ukraine’s military capabilities and its struggling economy. In the United States, however, the situation remains uncertain. As we write this, Congress has yet to approve the Biden administration’s request for continued American assistance.

Preparation for drone and missile attacks has become a necessity of everyday life in Ukraine, and safety instructions are an integral tool for any business – for its employees, customers and visitors.

Are you an employer or a private entrepreneur with hired labor in Ukraine? Do you own an establishment in Ukraine where guests and visitors are welcome? If so, you should be aware that you are responsible for their safety. 

Specifically, you should have instructions in place whenever air raid sirens resound over your area during martial law to get your employees, visitors and guests to safety. Here is an overview of the current legislation.

The battle for the industrial hub, less than 10 kilometres (six miles) north of the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk, has been one of the bloodiest of the two-year war.

Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the frontline city of Avdiivka to avoid being encircled, new military chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Saturday, handing Russia its biggest symbolic victory following Kyiv's failed summer counter-offensive.

"Based on the operational situation that has developed around Avdiivka, in order to avoid encirclement and preserve the life and health of military personnel, I decided to withdraw our units from the city and switch to defense on more advantageous lines," wrote Syrsky.

UN Chief in Ukraine says humanitarian assistance remains a lifeline for millions of Ukrainians, and community recovery will have to co-exist with it.

From the editors:  These are the remarks made by the UN's Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, during the launch of the joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA3) released on Feb.15, 2024 by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations.

I stood here in exact same spot last year when we launched the RDNA2, with the same actors, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the European Union and the World Bank.

What the historic security agreements Ukraine has just concluded with Germany and France amount to.

Germany and France on Friday both signed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine, a stop-gap solution for Kyiv while it waits in hope of someday joining the NATO defense alliance.

The two new pacts follow a similar deal with the British in January and come as Ukrainian troops face a challenging situation on the battlefield almost two years after the Russian invasion.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky will urgently request financial and military assistance to aid Ukrainian soldiers amid escalating tensions.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will make a crucial appeal to international allies on Saturday, Feb. 17,  to bolster support for his country as it faces intensified attacks from Russia.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky will urgently request financial and military assistance to aid Ukrainian soldiers amid escalating tensions.

According to the ministry, the program aims to create a “10:1 technological advantage” over Russia by fostering experience exchange and providing feedback and mentorship to domestic tech talent.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced the creation of a new defense tech community to gain a “10:1 technological advantage over the enemy.”

According to the ministry’s announcement, members of the community will receive “mentoring support from leading industry experts” and “feedback from the military as end users of [their] solutions.”

Most of them have been killed, narrowly escaped death or been exiled. Here are Putin's best-known critics and where they are now.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died Friday at the Arctic prison colony where he was serving a 19-year-term, is the latest critic to fall foul of President Vladimir Putin.

Others have been killed, narrowly escaped death or been exiled. Here are Putin's best-known critics and where they are now:

The shock announcement came as Putin is gearing up to extend his two-decade hold on power in a stage-managed presidential election in March.

Prominent Kremlin critics and ordinary Russians in self-exile blamed President Vladimir Putin for the "murder" of opposition leader Alexei Navalny Friday.

They argued that his death would make "immortal" and possibly a bigger threat to the Russian leader in death than in life.

Disinformation campaigns against Ukraine are reportedly costing Russia less than financing its war on the battlefield.

Since November 2023, Russia has been waging what is code-named “Maidan-3” – an information campaign aimed at destabilizing Ukraine. The goal is to stir up internal conflict that could weaken the country's position both on the front line and in the international arena.

The “Maidan-3” plan appears to refer to the Revolution of Dignity, which originated from the Euromaidan protest movement in Kyiv's Independence Square, known as Maidan Nezalezhnosti.