Team
Olena Goncharova
Head of North America deskOlena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Articles
Zelensky outlines $90 billion US arms deal as part of Ukraine's security guarantees
By tying its defense needs to a major boost for U.S. industry, Ukraine hopes to turn its request into an investment opportunity that appeals directly to American interests. The proposal also includes a separate $50 billion agreement for producing drones with Ukrainian companies.
Pipeline attack stops Russian oil flow to Hungary, Slovakia
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha neither confirmed nor denied the account of the latest attack but wrote on X that Hungary "can now send complaints and threats" to Moscow, not Kyiv.
Trump phones Putin, prepares for direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian leaders
According to Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, the call took place after midnight Moscow time. Trump reportedly briefed Putin on his negotiations with Zelensky and the European leaders.
'We could reach an agreement that could deter any future aggression against Ukraine,' Trump tells European leaders
"And we will come to a resolution today, I think, on almost everything, including probably the security," Trump said in the East Room, speaking alongside Zelensky and European leaders.
Trump says no NATO path or Crimea return for Ukraine as Zelensky comes to Washington for peace talks
Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on Zelensky ahead of Aug. 18 peace talks in Washington with European leaders, saying on Truth Social that the Ukrainian president could end the war "almost immediately."
Russian strike on Kharkiv kills 7, including toddler, injures 18 as Zelensky arrives to Washington to meet with Trump
Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities late on Aug. 17, mere hours before President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet for peace talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
Norway blames Russia for cyberattack on hydropower dam
The Norwegian Police Security Service said the April attack targeted the Bremanger dam near the town of Svelgen, releasing 500 liters of water per second until it was detected and stopped.
Anchorage security ramps up before Trump-Putin talks on Ukraine’s future, Bloomberg reports
Security arrangements follow strict reciprocity protocols, with each side matching the other’s personnel and resources — from motorcade composition to the number of translators and secure waiting rooms.
US sanctions Russian crypto exchange over cybercrime — day before Trump-Putin summit in Alaska
The U.S. Treasury Department has re-designated the Russian-linked cryptocurrency exchange Garantex Europe OU, accusing it of directly enabling ransomware gangs and other cybercriminals by processing over $100 million in illicit transactions since 2019.
'We went to hell and back to achieve this result' – SBU chief on Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb strike on Russian bombers
To prepare for Operation Spiderweb, Ukraine’s Security Service adopted tactics used in fighting transnational organized crime, studying how international drug cartels move contraband past customs and border controls, SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk said in an interview aired on Aug. 12.
Finland charges crew of Baltic tanker with ties to Russia over undersea cable damage
The National Prosecution Authority in Helsinki indicted the captain and two first officers of the Eagle S, a Cook Islands-registered tanker believed to be part of a "shadow fleet" transporting Russian oil in violation of international sanctions.
Canada's Carney, Zelensky speak ahead of Trump-Putin peace talks in Alaska
According to a statement released by the Canadian Prime Minister's Office, the discussion concluded that Ukraine's allies must maintain pressure on Russia to end its aggression and that any peace deal requires a "robust and credible" security guarantee.
Azerbaijan, Armenia publish text of initialed peace agreement
The 17-point document affirms mutual recognition of each country’s borders, and both countries agree not to deploy third-party forces along their shared borders.
Russian strikes on Azerbaijani energy sites in Ukraine may reportedly push Baku to arm Kyiv
Overnight on Aug. 8, Russian forces targeted a SOCAR oil depot in Odesa Oblast with five Shahed drones, igniting a fire and damaging a diesel pipeline. "These are deliberate attacks not only on these facilities, but also on our cooperation (with Azerbaijan)," Volodymyr Zelensky said.
European leaders seek talks with Trump before Putin meeting, Bloomberg reports
As part of ongoing U.S.-Russia discussions, Putin told special envoy Steve Wikoff during an Aug. 6 meeting that Russia would agree to a full ceasefire if Kyiv withdrew its forces from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, granting Moscow full control of those partly occupied regions as well as Crimea.
Editors' Picks
As Zelensky, Trump prepare to talk about peace, most Russian demands are non-starters for Ukraine
Editorial: That meeting was sickening. Putin loved it
Our readers' questions about the war, answered. Vol. 9
