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Stay on top of Russia-Ukraine war 04-02-2025 developments on the ground with KyivPost fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated war maps.
Bipartisan US lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to develop a strategy to combat Russian malign influence in Europe’s nuclear energy sector. Kyiv Post was first to view the new bill.
WASHINGTON, DC – A bipartisan group of US lawmakers led by Congressman Bill Keating (D-MA) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI) introduced a bill early this week to urge the administration of President Donald Trump to take on Russian malign influence in the nuclear energy sector in Europe.
The draft bill, called The US-European Nuclear Energy Cooperation Act of 2025, exclusively obtained by Kyiv Post on Wednesday, also requires the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to strengthen US-European cooperation and to combat Russian attacks on energy sites.
The strike followed an overnight drone barrage on the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, which killed one and wounded a dozen others, according to officials.
A Russian ballistic missile strike killed at least four people and wounded nine others in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday, authorities said.
The strike followed an overnight drone barrage on the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, which killed one and wounded a dozen others, according to officials.
Trump delights in trampling international laws and ignoring economic or political agreements without concern for commitments or consequences.
Unsettling developments and policies tumble out of the Trump White House, upending geopolitics, unsettling millions, and disrupting markets and business.
Inside America, Trump breaches norms, and badmouths or defunds time-worn institutions.
Starting April 1, individuals in Ukraine can again send more than Hr.150,000 ($3,700) monthly to each other’s bank cards after the country’s central bank scrapped the restrictions.
Ukraine’s central bank, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), on Tuesday lifted a previously imposed Hr.150,000 ($3,700) monthly limit on outgoing transfers between users via bank cards, also known as peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions.
The previously imposed restrictions applied to outgoing transfers via all accounts opened in the same bank by the same individual.
Serbian President Vučić claims at least two major leaders secretly met with Putin after Russia’s invasion in Ukraine – despite publicly condemning Moscow’s actions.
At least two “major leaders” have held secret talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the start of the war in Ukraine, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in an interview with blogger Mario Nawfal.
Nawfal suggested the leaders in question might be Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, both of whom visited Moscow in 2024. However, Vučić denied this, clarifying that he was not referring to them. He hinted that the individuals involved in the secret negotiations with Putin were, in fact, those who had publicly condemned the Russian president’s actions.
Controversial Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, known for backing Putin and the “LPR/DPR,” will return to London’s Royal Opera House in September after a six-year absence.
Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, known for her support of President Vladimir Putin and the self-proclaimed “LPR/DPR” republics, is set to return to London’s Royal Opera House after a six-year hiatus, AP reported.
Netrebko will appear on the Covent Garden stage for the first time since 2019, performing in four shows from Sept. 11 to 21 in a new production by Oliver Mears set in a modern, war-torn Rome. She will be joined by Freddie De Tommaso and Gerald Finley.
In Washington, Moldova’s foreign minister praised Trump’s “peace through strength” approach to Ukraine, calls for lasting peace.
Moldova’s top diplomat Mihai Popșoi and Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu arrived at the US State Department Wednesday morning for talks with senior officials on current challenges facing the region and other key topics, Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent reports.
The closed-door meeting will also focus on Moldova’s security, its European path, and progress in key areas – including energy independence, cybersecurity, border control, etc, officials in Washington told Kyiv Post.
Ukraine’s children describe, in their own words, what war has taken from them – and how they’re trying to rebuild.
“No one will sleep again – except those who’ve been sentenced to rest in the earth’s embrace forever.”
That’s how 14-year-old Patritsia remembers a morning that began with birdsong and ended in wreckage after a Russian missile strike.
Pilot Denfix has over two dozen destroyed cruise missiles and drones to his name.
MiG-29 pilot Denfix, from the tactical aviation brigade of the Air Command “West,” shared insights into how he intercepts and destroys Russian cruise missiles and attack drones.
The Air Force Command published a short interview with him on Facebook, captioning it:
The footage shows the bomb falling, followed by a large explosion and a strong shock wave spreading in all directions.
Russian forces dropped a powerful FAB-3000 glide bomb on a dam in the village of Popovka in Russia’s Belgorod region. Video of the attack and its aftermath was shared on Russian Telegram channels.
The footage shows the bomb falling, followed by a large explosion and a strong shock wave spreading in all directions.
The latest revelation once again put the security practices of top US security officials into question following the Signal scandal.
US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz reportedly used his personal Gmail account to communicate sensitive information, once again putting the security practices of the US’s top security officials into question.
As personal Gmail accounts offer less protection than government-approved platforms and are frequently targeted by spy agencies, Waltz’s alleged practices have raised concerns over potential security breaches.
Pro-Kremlin outlets are now criticizing Trump’s “administrative chaos” and immaturity, signaling growing tension – despite earlier support for his stance on Russia.
One Russian newspaper today accused the Trump administration of “administrative insanity, inexperience, immaturity… (of) bragging and arrogance…,” according to BBC Russian editor Steve Rosenberg, who adds that criticism of Trump is growing in the Russian press.
Russian state media have begun to criticize US President Donald Trump more sharply, despite previously portraying him as a more favorable partner than former President Joe Biden.
The main Kremlin blow is predicted to hit the Donbas sector and last as much as six months. The Russian objectives are to squeeze concessions and then defeat Ukraine, the Ukrainians say.
Russia is uninterested in a long-term peace and is planning to launch a major ground offensive with the objective of defeating Ukraine in six to nine months, military and civilian sources in and outside Ukraine are saying.
The Kremlin’s intent is to drag out peace talks pushed by the US and to use Washington as a lever to wring concessions out of Ukraine, which will be weakened and less able to resist Russia’s next aggression, they said.
Unnamed US officials said Washington’s anger has shifted from Kyiv to Moscow in recent weeks, and it’s eyeing additional measures to begin pressuring Moscow.
The US might soon step up pressure on Kyiv and Moscow in an attempt to push for a peace deal.
Reuters, citing multiple senior US officials from the Trump administration, said US President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated over the Kremlin’s unwillingness to cooperate while Trump is seeking a swift end to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian companies can now use a new war risk insurance facility, as EBRD enables international reinsurers to return to the country.
Ukrainian companies can now use a new war risk insurance facility to protect up to €1 billion ($1.1 billion) worth of goods and vehicles annually, backed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Ukrainian insurance companies INGO, Colonnade, and UNIQA are offering war risk policies for inland cargo, motor vehicles, and railway stock, EBRD wrote in a press release.
Trump and Putin have held two known phone calls since February but have not met in person, while their officials have held talks in Riyadh.
The Kremlin on Wednesday said that President Vladimir Putin has no plans to visit Saudi Arabia, where US leader Donald Trump is due in the coming weeks, dismissing speculation the pair could meet there.
Trump and Putin have held two known phone calls since February but have not met in person, while their officials have held talks in Riyadh.
The world in focus, as seen by Canadian leading global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw in a quick review of the biggest news in international media today.
President Donald Trump is set Wednesday to announce a barrage of self-described “reciprocal” tariffs on friend and foe alike. The new tariffs — coming on what Trump has called “Liberation Day” — is a bid to boost U.S. manufacturing and punish other countries for what he has said are years of unfair trade practices. But by most economists’ assessments, the risky move threatens to plunge the economy into a downturn and mangle decades-old alliances. The White House is exuding confidence despite the political and financial gamble being undertaken. “April 2, 2025, will go down as one of the most important days in modern American history,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at Tuesday’s briefing while adding that the new tariffs will take effect immediately. The reciprocal tariffs Trump plans to announce follow similar recent announcements of 25% taxes on auto imports; levies against China, Canada and Mexico; and expanded tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trump has also put tariffs against countries that import oil from Venezuela and plans separate import taxes on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips. None of the warning signs about a falling stock market or consumer sentiment turning morose have caused the administration to publicly second-guess its strategy. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has suggested that the new tariffs would raise $600 billion annually, which would be the largest tax increase since World War II. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers that the tariffs would be capped and could be negotiated downward by other countries, according to the office of Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla. But the White House has yet to confirm policy details, despite Trump saying on Monday that he had made his decision. Importers would likely pass along some of the cost of the taxes on to consumers. The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates that a 20% universal tariff would cost the average household an additional $3,400 to $4,200 - AP
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says the military is expanding its ground assault on Gaza and plans to “capture extensive territory” that will be added to the so-called buffer zone in the Strip. This comes as Israeli forces continue bombarding Gaza, killing dozens of people, including 12 in an attack on southern Khan Younis. Tahani Mustafa, from the International Crisis Group, says most analysts aren’t surprised Israel has expanded its military assault to seize more land in Gaza and “depopulate” Palestinians from the territory. “Many of us anticipated these evacuation zones were going to be expanded in the coming weeks and months in order to concentrate Palestinian populations into these so-called ‘safe zones’, which we know over the last 17 months of open warfare that there is no such thing as safe zones,” Mustafa told Al Jazeera.
Ukraine’s president underlined the need for increased pressure to be applied to Russia if the war in Ukraine is to be brought to a decisive and equitable conclusion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Russia’s overnight attack, asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to ensure even a partial ceasefire.
Writing on his official Telegram channel on Wednesday, Zelensky addressed the continued use of strike drones by the Russian military, reporting that a total of 74 drones were launched overnight, 54 of which were “Shahed” kamikaze drones.
In a hypothetical Multi-Polar World proposed by various Kremlin mouthpieces and some of their US sympathizers, Trump would get North America and Putin would get Europe.
In the two months since he has taken office, President Donald Trump has launched a program of massive territorial expansion, demanding the US acquisition of Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal. Meanwhile, he has made it clear that under his leadership, America not only intends to withdraw the protection its forces have provided to Europe since the end of the Second World War, but will use its power to coerce Ukraine into surrender to Russia, thereby moving the Kremlin into position to attack America’s former NATO allies.
To best understand the method to Trump’s madness, a bit of history is in order.
Dan Caine, Trump’s nominee for Joint Chiefs Chairman, who appeared before a Senate hearing, said he backs US aid to Ukraine but says Europe must take on a bigger share.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to continue the war against Ukraine into 2025, despite suffering high casualties, according to retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, US President Donald Trump’s pick for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In a statement provided ahead of Caine’s Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, April 1, Trump’s nominee for the nation’s highest-ranking military officer said that Putin sees the war as working in “his favor” and remains committed to his objectives in Ukraine.
Kirill Dmitriev’s visit to the United States will be the first by a senior Russian official since travel sanctions were imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), is rumored to be traveling to Washington this week to meet with US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, sources told CNN.
Dmitriev’s visit to the United States will be the first by a senior Russian official since travel sanctions were imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. US authorities temporarily lifted sanctions against Dmitriev and issued him a visa to allow him to make the trip, according to sources.
US tariffs against the EU, threats to take over Greenland, offensive remarks by high-ranking US officials in a Signal chat - the tone between Washington and Brussels is becoming increasingly sour.
US tariffs against the EU, threats to take over Greenland, offensive remarks by high-ranking US officials in a Signal chat - the tone between Washington and Brussels is becoming increasingly sour. Commentators discuss what Europe’s focus should be and whether massive rearmament is the right strategy.
Russia no longer the biggest threat
Fox News sources reported that the White House is considering “aggressive sanctions enforcement” against Russia’s “shadow fleet” – oil tankers that export crude as they evade Western restrictions.
US President Donald Trump believes Moscow is deliberately “slow-rolling comprehensive ceasefire talks,” according to Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, who cited a source familiar with the discussions.
The source said Trump is “frustrated” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine may receive less financial aid from the IMF and the EU if it doesn’t meet the requirements on time, including amendments to the criminal code and strategy for capital markets regulator.
The Ukrainian government has not fulfilled a key structural benchmark required for the Seventh Review of the four-year, $15.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The RRR4U consortium, which prepares documents and advocates for the economic recovery of Ukraine, wrote in a press release.
US Legislators from both parties are uniting to press Russia into peace talks by threatening to impose sanctions on Russia if it stalls peace efforts.
A large group of bipartisan US lawmakers – half of the Senate, led by key Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) and Democrat Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) – on Tuesday introduced a bill intended to pressure Russia into peace negotiations.
The legislation calls for both primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and its enablers if the Kremlin refuses to engage in good faith negotiations for peace with Ukraine, “or initiates another effort, including military invasion, that undermines the sovereignty of Ukraine after peace is negotiated,” as they put it.
Ukraine’s energy operator YASNO created a chatbot as part of its April Fools’ joke that mimics the passive-aggressive tone of old, bureaucratic utility workers.
YASNO, a Ukrainian energy company, offered locals a nostalgic blast from the past via a chatbot that mimicked old utility workers as an April Fools’ joke.
The chatbot personified utility workers from the Soviet era when bureaucracy reigned supreme, a period when workers deemed the reading of electric meters – for which they were paid – as not a job but a favor for the customers, laced with sarcastic comments.
Russia launched a massive drone attack on Kharkiv, causing explosions, fires, and injuries, including a 9-month-old baby. At least 15 UAV strikes hit the city overnight.
Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on Kharkiv early Wednesday, April 2, causing multiple explosions, fires, and injuries, including a nine-month-old baby.
Explosions rocked Kharkiv in the early hours of Wednesday, April 2, as Russian troops carried out a large-scale drone attack.
Germany plans to station a 5,000-strong armored brigade in Lithuania, marking its first permanent foreign troop deployment since World War II.
The newly created 45th Armored Brigade will bolster NATO’s eastern flank amid the threat of Russian aggression.
It was officially activated during a ceremony outside Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, on Tuesday, Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, said in a statement. A temporary headquarters has also been set up.
Investigators claim Kyrylo Molchanov encouraged terrorist acts in Ukraine and used his Telegram channel to spread Russian intelligence propaganda.
Ukrainian and Polish authorities have detained a political analyst accused of working as a Russian agent to spread anti-Ukraine propaganda, Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) said Tuesday.
Kyrylo Molchanov, who has ties to pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, was first arrested in Poland before being transferred to a detention center in Kyiv, the SBU said. Medvedchuk, who faces treason charges, is believed to be in Russia.
A Czech milblogger spotted the vehicle in a video published on Facebook by a Ukrainian “Special Purpose Regiment” unit based in Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region.
The Czechia-based milblogger “Praise the Steph” posted a photo on his X and BlueSky channels that showed the US-made M1297 A-GMV “Flyer 72 Light Duty (F72 LD)” tactical vehicle in the hands of a Ukrainian special operations unit on Monday, March 31.
A brief glimpse of the F72 LD was seen along with several other armored vehicles in the video posted on Facebook by the commander of the 6th Separate Ranger Regiment of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces and is one of the first confirmations that this specialist vehicle had entered Ukrainian service.
By cutting funds to US media initiatives, the Trump administration is surrendering to Russia in the information war that began with Radio Free Europe 75 years ago.
Russia is celebrating America’s drastic cuts to funding for the US Agency for Global Media, whose origins date to the dawn of the Cold War. These cuts have led to the rapid dismantling of Voice of America News, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, which currently provide 400 million listeners around the world with information underpinned by an American worldview.
Moscow designated all of the news outlets as undesirable foreign organizations in 2017 due to their spreading of “anti-Russian propaganda,” and is now “elated” at their total disbandment.
Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.
Key Takeaways from the ISW:
Russia has singled out France, a key Ukraine ally, as a hostile European country, as new French attaché visits Moscow for the first time.
France’s new ambassador to Russia arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, several months after his predecessor left, as tensions between Paris and the Kremlin remain high over Ukraine.
The French embassy in Moscow said on social media Nicolas de Riviere arrived in the Russian capital. According to Russian news agencies, Moscow’s deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko accepted his credentials. The previous French ambassador, Pierre Levy, left his post in August 2024.
