Ukraine's politics warms up as US focuses on war's endgame KYIV, Feb 4 (Reuters) - After Russia's 2022 invasion, Ukraine's normally febrile political life was becalmed under martial law. But there have been growing signs of activity picking up, as the United States has set its sights on finishing the war with Russia quickly. In the past week, one Ukrainian political camp has accused President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's team of caring more about elections than the war, Kyiv's mayor has said a presidential appointee is sabotaging his work and opposition figures have been travelling overseas. "It's to do with Trump, the expectation that there will be negotiations ... The activity has increased, there's clearly more domestic political nervousness," said Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kyiv-based political analyst. In what could fuel a sense of a looming return to politics, Reuters reported on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump's team wants Kyiv to hold a presidential election by the year-end, especially if it can agree on a ceasefire with Moscow. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-politics-warms-up-us-focuses-wars-endgame-2025-02-04/
The Endgame -- Preparing for a repeat of the Nuremberg trials. 38 countries announce 'major progress' on tribunal for Russian leadership https://kyivindependent.com/38-coun...-leadership-over-aggression-euronews-reports/ A coalition of 38 countries, including all EU members, announced on Feb. 4 that they had made "significant progress" toward establishing a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Euronews reported. "No one from Russia and no one from Russia's leadership is untouchable," said Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat. The tribunal, set to operate within the Council of Europe, will focus on Russia's political and military leaders, including President Vladimir Putin. "To wait is not an option. We must really act as fast as possible. And we will do the best way to try to finish the work this year," said Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset. Legal experts are reportedly drafting a statute to define the tribunal's jurisdiction, with the document expected to be signed in April at the 14th meeting of the coalition participants. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been a strong advocate for the tribunal, seeking to hold Putin accountable for launching the full-scale invasion nearly three years ago. Ukrainian authorities have documented thousands of war crimes by Russian forces, including deliberate attacks on civilians, cultural sites, and medical institutions, as well as cases of torture and forced deportations. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. In March 2024, the ICC also issued warrants for two Russian military commanders for strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the winter of 2022-2023. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide — charges that apply to individuals at all levels of a military conflict — the crime of aggression is a charge that can be brought exclusively against the top leadership of an aggressor state.
NATO is considering Ukraine's command & control system DELTA for joint operations: https://www.kyivpost.com/post/46619
Ukraine is performing some battalion sized attack in Kursk (oblast) but probably nothing major: https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3lhiupoxke22b Mirage-2000 has arrived: https://bsky.app/profile/stratcomcentre.bsky.social/post/3lhiuizimj22h https://mil.in.ua/en/news/macron-first-mirage-2000-5fs-arrive-in-ukraine-today/ The UK presides over the next Ramstein meeting: https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-po...ake-place-at-nato-headquarters-on-feb-12.html
Toretsk, just another example how every place Russia goes ends up looking like: https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3lhlovagzec2w Ukraine is working on a counter to the heavy KAB glide bombs and is starting to shoot them down: https://www-rbc-ua.translate.goog/u..._sl=uk&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Russia now moving to retaliate against the Europe and US seizure of Russian financial assets. A new law would allow Russian courts to seize US and Europe's financial assets in compensation for seized Russian assets. Now these NATO countries will suffer huge financial losses while, allowing Russia to recover most of its monies in foreign countries. Monies the NATO countries give to Ukraine from Russian assets will come out of their pockets not Russia.
Russia has already seized nearly all of the western assets within their reach. The cash the Russian just appropriated. The hard assets and real estate of western companies were simply turned over to Putin's cronies after being forced to sell at massive discounts. The new Russian law is next to meaningless and just performative nonsense.
Starting to see confirmations that Ukraine is capturing territory in Kursk, but there's a delay of course. Not looking like something huge to me still: https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-at...ounteroffensive-in-kursk-region-zelensky.html Supposedly the North Koreans have been brought back in to stop it. According to Zelensky Putin is planning to extend the war if he can: https://www.president.gov.ua/en/new...im-ne-do-peremovin-ne-do-nastannya-miru-95949 That's what I've been thinking, Putin knows he is done politically unless he wins this - either totally - or he can get an intermediate peace that gives him a better position to attack from.