I honestly still don't understand why this war started, why it continues, and how, when and at what cost it could be brought to an end. To me, war is something archaic, a return to the logic of brute force, at a time when humanity is talking about colonizing Mars. When the war reached my homeland, I, a man who had never held a weapon in my hand, was faced with the choice of remaining a spectator or helping defend my country.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has opened a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of soldiers killed while fighting overseas amid the East Asian country's support for Russia's war against Ukraine. Kim said Saeppyol Street was a source of honour for our generation and a pride of Pyongyang and our state, North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Monday.
Fierce fighting continues on the front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces despite the frigid winter temperatures, said Ukraine's Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskii, who stated the front line now stretches about 1,200km (750 miles) in length along eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. Increasing technological improvements in drone warfare on both sides of the conflict mean that the so-called kill zone where troops are in greatest danger on the front line is now up to 20km (12 miles) deep, Syrskii told reporters.
We may be, in the course of 2026, coming to a point where the whole thing becomes unsustainable, because so much of the Russian economy has been distorted so much by the building up of the war economy at the expense of the civil economy. I think defying the laws of economic gravity can only go on for so long.
President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to lower tariffs on goods from India to 18%, from 25%, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. The move comes after months of Trump pressing India to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude. India has taken advantage of slacked Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy says Russia is focusing on attacking "primarily railway infrastructure." Meanwhile, the Kremlin has said talks with Ukraine will continue in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. DW has more. Ukraine has reported several attacks on railway in recent days [FILE: January 27, 2026]Image: Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP Photo/picture alliance Skip next section What you need to know Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported new Russian attacks on Ukrainian transport routes German authorities have arrested five over allegedly exporting goods to Russian defense companies Russia has confirmed trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi will continue on Wednesday Keep reading for the latest updates from Russia's war in Ukraine on Monday, February 2: Skip next section
Today in Florida, the Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev held productive and constructive meetings as part of the US mediation effort toward advancing a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, Witkoff posted on X. We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine. He said the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum also attended the talks.
Dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles. Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians. He says that means Russia can use more of its own long-range missiles for targets further from the front line. It adds to their capacity, and it fuels the war.
Ukraine does not shy away from the most difficult issues and will never be an obstacle to peace, Zelenskyy insisted, repeating a mantra designed to ward off accusations from Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump that Ukraine is not serious about ending the conflict. Peace must be dignified, he added. And this depends on the partners on whether they ensure Russia's real readiness to end the war.
Vladimir Putin's war has upended security and defence across the continent, and as the European Union and Nato dig in for a fourth year of fighting, senior officials have a message for countries around the globe. Almost everyone who spoke to Guardian Australia during a recent visit agrees: war in Europe has made conflict in the Indo-Pacific more likely and countries including Australia need to be better prepared.
Putin is ready to talk with France's Emmanuel Macron over the war in Ukraine, the Russian president's spokesman said in an interview published Sunday. Putin has "expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with Macron", Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti. "Therefore, if there is mutual political will, then this can only be assessed positively."
In the quiet village of Kozubivka in Ukraine's Poltava region, Nelia and her husband Oleksandr open their home to people displaced from Kharkiv, where bombing and shelling have forced thousands to flee. But rebuilding a life in rural Ukraine is not easy. City people must learn to navigate unfamiliar routines on the farm, endure physical labour and bear the emotional weight of displacement.
The European political elite still holds onto the belief that Ukraine can somehow prevail on the battlefield if funded. This week is shaping up to be crucial for the European Union's policy on Ukraine. EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday; EU heads of state will gather on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting United States envoy Steve Witkoff. At the top of the agenda is the peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump and continuing funding for Ukraine's war effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, United States envoys and European leaders are set to hold high-level talks in Germany as diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine increase. After five hours of talks on Sunday, Zelenskyy will again meet US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, with other European leaders also holding meetings in the German capital throughout the day.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned European powers on December 2 that if they start a "war" with Russia, Moscow is ready to fight. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a roundtable of ambassadors in Moscow on December 11 that the Kremlin has no plans to strike out militarily at either the European Union or NATO and is "ready to set out the relevant guarantees in writing and in a legal document" stating as much "on a collective, mutual basis."
Across the country, drone schools are training new operators for what has become one of the most important roles in Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion - flying the drones that scout Russian positions, find targets, and blow up tanks and troops. Three leaders working at two schools told Business Insider that younger students with gaming or tech experience tend to consistently pick up skills the fastest. These students often are already comfortable with controllers, joysticks, and staring at a screen for a long time.
