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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that there was no reason to be enthusiastic about US President Donald Trump’s pressure on Europe and Ukraine as there was still a long way to go in talks on peace in Ukraine, RIA reported on Tuesday. Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine and France agree to start joint weapons production
France and Ukraine have signed a letter of intent paving the way for “large-scale joint projects in the defence-industrial sector”, Ukraine’s defence minister said Monday after hosting his French counterpart for talks in Kyiv.
Mykhailo Fedorov did not specify what arms would be produced with France or when manufacturing would start.
“We are moving from supplies to joint production and long-term solutions that systematically strengthen our defence,” Fedorov said on Telegram after the meeting with France’s Catherine Vautrin.
Oil exports have been a cash cow for Russia – but sanctions are eating into revenues
Oil and gas exports have sustained Russia’s finances throughout its war against Ukraine, but those cash flows have suddenly dwindled to lows not seen in years, AP reports.
In January, Russian state revenues from taxing the oil and gas industries fell to 393 billion rubles ($5.1 billion), down from 587 billion ($7.6 billion) in December and 1.12 trillion ($14.5 billion) in January 2025.
The sharp decline is the result of new punitive measures from the US and the European Union, Trump’s tariff pressure against India, and a tightening crackdown on the fleet of sanctions-dodging tankers carrying Russian oil.
The drop in revenue is pushing President Vladimir Putin to borrow from Russian banks and raise taxes, keeping state finances on an even keel for now.
Russian attack damages energy facility in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region
A Russian attack has damaged an energy facility in Ukraine’s southern region of Odesa, power company DTEK has said.
“The damage is extensive. Repairs will take a long time to restore the equipment to working order,” DTEK said on the Telegram messaging app.
Zelensky defends Ukrainian athlete’s helmet at Games after IOC ban
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has defended a Winter Olympian’s right to wear a helmet featuring athletes killed during the war with Russia after skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych said the IOC banned it at the Games.
Heraskevych wore the helmet during a training session in Cortina and had intended to use the Games in Italy to help maintain international pressure on Russia.
The 27-year-old said in a social media post on Monday that the International Olympic Committee had banned his custom helmet — which has portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed since Russia’s 2022 invasion — from training and competition.
The IOC has yet to publicly confirm that.
Ukraine’s skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych during training. © Athit Perawongmetha, Reuters.
Welcome to our liveblog
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that there is no reason to be enthusiastic about US President Donald Trump’s pressure on Europe and Ukraine as there is still a long way to go in talks on peace in Ukraine, RIA reports.
Summary of yesterday’s main events:
- Russian overnight drone attacks killed at least four people in Ukraine‘s northeastern Kharkiv region and the southern port city of Odesa, including a mother and her 10-year-old son, Ukrainian officials said Monday.
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Ukrainian skeleton competitor Vladyslav Heraskevych said he was banned from wearing a helmet at the Winter Olympics showing images of the country’s athletes killed during the war in Ukraine.
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German prosecutors said they indicted a Ukrainian national in connection with allegations of a plot linked to Russian intelligence to detonate parcel packages in Europe.
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