As the war in Ukraine continues, prospects for a swift resolution appear increasingly dim, according to assessments from both European intelligence officials and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The ongoing conflict and its potential for escalation remain a central concern for the international community.
Key Developments
- Intelligence Chiefs Contradict Trump“,”position”:”1″,”storyElementPosition”:”8″,”storyElementCount”:”55″}}”>Five Intelligence Chiefs Disagree with Trump – Insider: Putin’s Talks are Merely “Theater”
- Kremlin Accuses Telegram of Soldier Espionage“,”position”:”2″,”storyElementPosition”:”8″,”storyElementCount”:”55″}}”>Kremlin Accuses Telegram of Soldier Espionage – Company Rejects Claims as “Invented”
- Merz Sees No Imminent Complete to the Ukraine War“,”position”:”3″,”storyElementPosition”:”8″,”storyElementCount”:”55″}}”>Merz Sees No Imminent End to the Ukraine War – “One Side Must Be Exhausted.”
- Zelenskyy Warns of Putin’s Potential Return”,”position”:”4″,”storyElementPosition”:”8″,”storyElementCount”:”55″}}”>Zelenskyy Warns of Putin’s Potential Return – “No One Can Promise That Putin Will Not Return.”
Update, 10:59 PM: According to the Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska, 684 Ukrainian children have been killed since the start of the war in Ukraine. More than 2,000 children have also been injured, as reported by Ukrinform. Zelenska shared these figures during a video conference with the European Economic and Social Committee, detailing the impact of the Russian invasion on Ukrainian children. She stated that even children’s hospitals are “no longer a safe place, as they are the target of Russian attacks,” adding that “more than 800 medical facilities have been destroyed.”
Transparency Note
The information processed here comes from news agencies and international sources, as well as from parties involved in the Ukraine war. This information cannot be independently verified.
Update, 8:50 PM: The defense ministers of the E5 nations – Germany, France, Poland, Italy, and the United Kingdom – are meeting in Krakow on Friday. The group will discuss hybrid threats and the war in Ukraine, with a press conference scheduled for noon.
EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas and Deputy NATO Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska are also participating in the meeting. The E5 group was formed in 2024 on the initiative of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to strengthen defense cooperation. Transatlantic relations and European defense capabilities are also on the agenda.
Sweden Announces Additional Aid Package for Ukraine
Update, 7:16 PM: Sweden has pledged an additional 1.2 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine. The package, announced Thursday, includes additional units of the Swedish Tridon MK2 air defense system, as well as further ammunition for air defense systems.
Defense Minister Pal Jonson described the package to AFP as Sweden’s third-largest aid package to Ukraine to date. Sweden had previously committed to delivering the Tridon MK2 system. Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Sweden has pledged or delivered a total of around 9.6 billion euros in aid to Ukraine.
Russia Opposes European Involvement in Peace Talks
Update, 5:53 PM: Russia is rejecting European participation in Ukraine peace negotiations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that there is no point in the participation of European representatives, according to the Interfax news agency. European officials from Germany, the United Kingdom, and France were present in the background during talks between Ukrainian, Russian, and US mediators in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised European support and called for a greater role for Europe in the negotiation process. Russia views this as a maneuver by Zelenskyy to delay talks. “The Europeans are not at the negotiating table, they are not involved in the negotiation process at all. The majority of the positions voiced in European capitals rather contribute to the continuation of the war than to attempts at a peaceful settlement,” Peskov said. Negotiations are to continue in the existing format between Russians and Ukrainians with US mediation. The date and location have not yet been determined.
Controversy Surrounds Drone Procurement for German Military
Update, 4:02 PM: The German parliament’s budget committee is expected to discuss the purchase of combat drones for the Bundeswehr next week – initially for around 536 million euros, with an option for over four billion euros. The contractors are German startups Stark Defence (Berlin) and Helsing (München). There is cross-party concern, focusing on the involvement of US investor Peter Thiel in Stark Defence.
Green politician Sara Nanni warned of hidden influence from the Trump ally, Defense Minister Pistorius (SPD) called for clarification, and Left Party politician Dietmar Bartsch demanded a complete halt to the deal. CDU committee chairman Röwekamp, however, believes the concerns are unfounded and is urging rapid procurement – the drones are intended to protect the Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania. There is also criticism of reports of poor hit rates in tests.
Hundreds of Kenyans Recruited for Ukraine War, Intelligence Reports
Update, 12:46 PM: More than 1,000 Kenyans have reportedly been recruited for the Russian army, according to an intelligence report. The men were recruited for combat operations in Ukraine and often travel on tourist visas via Istanbul or Abu Dhabi.
Kenyan Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wah reported to parliament that 39 Kenyans were hospitalized after combat deployments, 28 others are missing, and 89 are currently fighting on the front lines. Many were allegedly coerced into combat. Recruitment occurred through personnel agencies in Nairobi, promising monthly salaries between 920 and 2,400 euros, according to AFP. Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi plans to travel to Moscow in March.
Five Intelligence Chiefs Disagree with Trump
Update, 11:55 AM: European intelligence chiefs have dismissed hopes from US President Donald Trump for a quick peace in the Ukraine war as unrealistic. Representatives from five European intelligence agencies doubt a breakthrough this year, according to insiders who spoke with Reuters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has no genuine interest in a rapid end to the war and is using US-mediated talks merely to obtain sanctions relief. “Theater” is how one intelligence chief described the recent round of negotiations in Geneva, according to Reuters. Putin continues to pursue strategic goals, such as the removal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukraine War Update: Another Blow to Russia’s Economy – Oil Refinery on Fire
Update, 10:32 AM: Russia reported intercepting more than one hundred Ukrainian drones overnight. The air defense reportedly “destroyed 113 Ukrainian drones,” the Defense Ministry in Moscow stated. The attacks targeted, among other locations, the northwestern region of Pskov. An oil tank caught fire at the Veliki Luki oil refinery, according to regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov. There were no casualties.
Kremlin Accuses Telegram of Soldier Espionage
Update, February 19, 9:56 AM: Telegram has rejected accusations from the Russian government. “The claim by the Russian government that our encryption has been compromised is invented,” the messaging service said in a statement to Reuters.
Digital Minister Maksut Shadayev had reportedly claimed, according to the Interfax news agency, that foreign intelligence agencies could be spying on communications of Russian soldiers via Telegram. Access for Russian troops will not be blocked for now, as they need time to switch to other communication methods, it was said. Telegram is one of the most popular apps in Russia and is also widely used by troops fighting in Ukraine.
Initial Report: Kyiv/Moscow – In the ongoing effort to find an end to the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and Moscow held renewed talks in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday (February 17th and 18th) under US mediation. The talks ended without tangible results.
Merz Sees No Imminent End to the Ukraine War
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has issued a grim forecast for an end to the Ukraine war. The Chancellor does not expect a conclusion to the conflict until one of the sides is militarily or economically exhausted.
“In my assessment, this war will only end when one of the sides is exhausted, either militarily or economically,” Merz told the newspapers of the Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft and the Rheinpfalz.
The Russian power clique “cannot manage without war in the foreseeable future,” Merz said. They must “keep the war machine running because they have no plan for what to do with the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, some of whom are severely traumatized, returning from the front.”
Zelenskyy Warns of Putin’s Potential Return
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has strongly warned against a possible comeback by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, while also highlighting the limits of American security guarantees. “With all due respect for the powerful American president and the United States as a whole, no one can give us a really firm promise today,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with Piers Morgan, as reported by Ukrajinska Prawda.
The President emphasized that Ukraine needs strong international security guarantees if Putin “returns with his aggression.” “America is a strong country, and we need its security guarantees. But despite everything, no one can tell us and promise that Putin will not return,” Zelenskyy said, according to Pravda.
Russia’s Soldier Losses in Ukraine War Far Exceed One Million
Russia’s losses in the Ukraine war continue to rise. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, Putin’s army lost 830 soldiers in the past day. The fighters were either killed or wounded. Total combat losses for the Russian armed forces between February 24, 2022, and February 18, 2026, amount to 1,256,910 soldiers. Russia has also lost 11,682 tanks, 24,054 armored fighting vehicles, and 37,384 artillery systems. (Editorial staff with news agencies)
