UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine has received an invitation to Trumpβs βPeace Council.β
Responding to a question from UNIAN, the president said the invitation had indeed been received and that diplomats are currently working on it.
At the same time, Zelenskyy stressed that it is difficult for him to imagine Ukraine participating in the same body as Russia and Belarus.
βRussia is our enemy. Belarus is their ally. It is very difficult for me to imagine how Russia and I could be together in any council. And this is not only about this peace council. Russia is simply a war council. And Belarus is with them β namely, the Lukashenko regime,β the president said.
Russiaβs reserve funds have grown for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.
In 2025, liquid assets in Russiaβs National Welfare Fund β the main budget reserve used to offset oil and gas revenue losses and finance major projects β rose by 7% to 4.1 trillion rubles (about $52.6 billion), according to the Finance Ministry. This marks the first increase since the full-scale invasion.
However, Bloomberg notes the growth is likely temporary. Available assets remain nearly 60% below pre-war levels after heavy spending in the early years of the war to cover budget deficits.
In 2025, the government for the first time financed the entire budget deficit through borrowing rather than reserves. The deficit reached a record 5.6 trillion rubles (2.6% of GDP), while debt servicing costs doubled compared to pre-war levels.
Authorities have also begun using the remaining reserves more cautiously as the price of Russian Urals crude fell to about $34 per barrel following tighter US sanctions, pushing reserves closer to the minimum acceptable level. Under Russiaβs budget rule, oil and gas revenues are added to the fund when prices exceed $60 per barrel and withdrawn when they fall below that threshold.
The Finance Ministry expects the fund to continue shrinking this year, with inflows resuming only in 2027 β not due to higher oil prices, but because of planned changes to budget rules. To curb the deficit and preserve reserves, Russia has already raised taxes and plans to freeze growth in military spending.
While the Finance Ministry says sufficient reserves are key to βlong-term financial stability,β Bloomberg notes that the current rebound does not yet look sustainable.
Ukraine plans to deploy a new generation of domestically produced, artificial intelligence-powered air-defense interceptors and has signed an agreement with US defense software company Palantir to build an advanced data platform aimed at predicting and defeating Russian missile and drone attacks, according to The Washington Post on January 20.
In an interview at the defense ministry in Kyiv, Ukraineβs new
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the government had βa clear plan about how to stop Russia in our skies,β the newspaper reported, adding that he then signed an agreement with Palantir to build an AI βDataroom.β
Find out more: https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraine-and-palantir-aim-to-build-a-nationwide-ai-air-defense-framework-in-months-15185
Ukraine has received additional energy assistance from partners, β Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
π¦πΏ Azerbaijan sent energy equipment to restore power supply in regions affected by Russian attacks. The shipment includes 12 low-voltage panels, 11 generators, five transformers, and 27,000 meters of cable.
π³π± The Netherlands announced an additional β¬23 million in energy support for Ukraine. The funds will be used to purchase gas, equipment for urgent power plant repairs, and energy equipment from Dutch companies, including generators and cables.
πΊπ¦ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent three generators yesterday. By the end of the week, another 10 generators will be delivered to the most affected communities of the Kyiv region.
πΈπ° By the end of January, Ukraine expects the arrival of energy and medical equipment from Slovakia, as well as from other countries.
βWe are grateful to our partners for their support, which is warm in both the literal and figurative sense. This support proves that we are not alone. And therefore, we will defeat Russian terror,β the minister emphasized.
π€‘ Lukashenko signed a document on Belarusβs accession to the Trump Peace Council and commented on the alleged $1 billion contribution.
According to him, Belarus is ready to become a founding member of the organization and comply with its charter.
Lukashenko denied rumors about a required $1 billion payment, stressing that participation is free for the first three years.
He added that the $1 billion would be needed only to extend membership afterward, but said that with active cooperation βin the name of peace,β it would be possible to remain a member without making financial contributions.
πΊπΈ The US has detained another tanker from Russiaβs shadow fleet in the Caribbean Sea.
The tanker Sagitta was used to transport Russian oil while evading sanctions imposed by Ukraine, the EU, the US, the UK, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Earlier in January, the US intercepted several similar tankers suspected of violating sanctions.
βοΈRussian attack on Zaporizhzhia: three killed, nearly 1,500 subscribers left without electricity
A married couple was killed: a 48-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman. Their 57-year-old neighbor also died.