Key developments on the 1,097th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Here is the situation on Tuesday, February 25:
Fighting
Politics and diplomacy
- Tatyana Moskalkova, Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner, announced that Moscow and Kyiv have reached an agreement with the Red Cross to evacuate residents from the occupied Russian region of Kursk.
- The United Kingdom has posted a notice on its government website, announcing 67 new sanctions against Russia. The targeted entities include global companies providing supplies to the Russian military and extending the regime on shipping by 40 vessels.
- According to the AFP news agency, citing an anonymous diplomatic source, Washington and Moscow officials are scheduled to meet again in Saudi Arabia. Senior US and Russian officials met in Riyadh last week to discuss a potential end to the war.
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has submitted a new claim against Russia at the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning the arbitrary arrest and deportation of 19 Ukrainian journalists.
- The European Union’s foreign ministers have adopted a 16th package of sanctions against Russia. This package includes measures targeting cryptocurrency exchanges for the first time and banning third-country airlines that continue operations in Russia.
- The United States has sided with Russia twice in votes at the United Nations, marking a shift in Washington’s stance on the war. Both countries opposed a European-drafted resolution passed by the UN General Assembly, condemning Russia and supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity. However, they pushed through a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict while refraining from criticism of Russia.
- US President Donald Trump has stated that he would meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as early as this week to sign a rare earth deal in exchange for US aid. Kremlin correspondent Pavel Zarubin noted that Russia is not concerned about the US-Ukraine deal on rare earth elements.
- President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia does not oppose Europe’s involvement in peace talks. He noted, however, that Brussels had previously declined to engage in dialogue with Russia.
