Ukraine War - Intel News

French President Emmanuel Macron has called a second emergency EU leaders' meeting in just three days to discuss Ukraine and European security - Reuters. Countries invited include Norway, Canada, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Greece, Finland, Romania, Sweden, and Belgium. Yesterday, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovenia expressed frustration for not being invited to the first meeting. Now, Slovenia is notably absent from the new list released by the agency.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky:

"The fact that Ukraine was not invited to the meeting in Saudi Arabia was a surprise to me and many others . You can't make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. I don't know who will stay there, who will go, I don't care . I don't care if our partners think something unnecessary about us. I don't want any coincidences, so I won't go to Saudi Arabia".

The EU must be at the negotiating table at some point, since it imposed sanctions on Russia - Rubio.

Rubio said that Russia and the United States have agreed to restore the staff of embassies in Moscow and Washington - Associated Press. The US has sent Russia a request to approve Richard Norland for the post of US ambassador to Moscow.

The delegations of Russia and the United States have concluded negotiations in Saudi Arabia, which lasted 4.5 hours. Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, stated that the talks went “quite well” but added that “it is still difficult to say that Russia and the US are getting closer”. No specific date for a Putin-Trump meeting was agreed upon, and it is unlikely to take place next week.

Putin is ready for negotiations with Zelensky but questions his legitimacy, says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He also stated that Ukraine can join the EU since it is not a military alliance, but added that Russia should closely monitor the creation of a European army.

Talks between US and Russian delegations have begun in Saudi Arabia, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Ukraine is not participating in these negotiations. President Zelensky stated that Kyiv will not recognize the outcomes of this dialogue, as it does not accept the possibility of any negotiations without Ukraine’s involvement. Earlier, Axios reported that the discussions would focus on a potential agreement to end the war in Ukraine and preparations for a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

A Russian delegation has arrived in Saudi Arabia. They are set to meet with an American delegation tomorrow to discuss the initiation of negotiations with Ukraine. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov dismissed claims of Ukraine’s involvement, stating that the talks are strictly bilateral between Russia and the United States.

"Ukraine is an economic colony of the US" - The Telegraph writes about the Americans' alleged plans. Such concerns are spreading among Ukrainian officials, the publication writes. All this against the backdrop of Washington's desire to control Ukraine's national assets in exchange for aid.

EU ambassadors to discuss providing 5 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine "in the near future". According to data, the EU plans to provide: • 1,500,000 artillery shells; • additional air defense systems; • long-range precision missiles; • UAV; • support in the restoration of the Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Europe has no place in Ukraine peace talks.

"At the Munich Conference there were calls for a ceasefire and to use it to strengthen Ukraine militarily. The European philosophy has not changed. I don't know what they should do at the negotiating table. If they are going to wheedle out some sly ideas about freezing the conflict, while in their own way, morals and habits they think about continuing the war, then why invite them there?"

Europe does not have enough troops to participate in a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine after the end of hostilities, stated Dariusz Łukowski, head of the Polish National Security Bureau.

US President Donald Trump:

"Putin wants to end the war quickly and my meeting with him could happen very soon".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unexpectedly arrived in the UAE.  At the same time, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov is also there.  Meanwhile, Russian and American delegations are arriving in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky:

"I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never".

A total of 12 Tu-95MS bombers are kept by Russian Aerospace Forces at the Olenya/Engels-2 airfields. - "Olenya" - 8x Tu-95MS. - "Engels-2" - 4 Tu-95MS.

Washington disappointed by Zelensky’s refusal to sign rare earth agreement with US – The Washington Post. White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes expressed disappointment over Zelensky’s refusal to sign a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth resources.

“President Zelensky is shortsighted regarding the tremendous opportunity that the Trump administration has provided to Ukraine” Hughes stated.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend the meeting of European leaders convened by French President Macron - The Guardian. It is expected that he will later convey the messages from the meeting to U.S. President Donald Trump, whom he is set to meet in Washington next week. The summit, scheduled for February 17, will also include NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland, according to the publication. During the meeting, politicians are likely to discuss U.S. efforts to exclude European leaders from peace negotiations and the position Europe should take regarding Ukraine’s future NATO membership. The conversation will also address what security guarantees could be offered to Ukraine, either through NATO or some form of European forces.

The US has asked European countries to submit proposals on military aid, peacekeeping forces, and security measures for Ukraine - Financial Times. The State Department requested detailed information on the military equipment that European capitals could provide and the number of brigades they would be willing to deploy to Ukraine. A U.S. official described the request as “specific proposals or ideas” on what a Europe-led security agreement could look like. - Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg, stated that Europe will not physically be at the negotiating table between Russia and Ukraine, but its interests will be taken into account. - Axios, which detailed the conversation between Zelensky and Trump, reported that the U.S. president supports the idea of deploying European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine as part of its security guarantees. - AP later reported that a group of European countries is discreetly working on a plan to send troops to Ukraine to assist with post-war security.

Drone strike on Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant shelter: IAEA team inspected the incident site. The agency confirmed that radiation levels remain normal. On February 14, a Russian drone pierced a hole in the roof of the New Safe Confinement, the massive arched shelter covering the old sarcophagus of Chornobyl’s fourth reactor, which prevents radiation from spreading. The IAEA recorded damage to both the outer and inner layers of the arch, as well as to some equipment and electrical cables. However, the support beams remained largely intact. Repairs to the shelter have been postponed due to a fire. As of yesterday, emergency crews were still working to extinguish the blaze. Their efforts are being complicated by freezing temperatures, snow, and ice buildup on the structure.