February 24, 2022
4:34 pm
LIVE – Russian invasion of Ukraine
Catch up on the headlines from Russia and Ukraine with our Live reporting from Ukraine.
You can follow all the news as it comes in – Live reporting invasion from Ukraine.
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has attracted an incredible amount of propaganda and fake news stories.
The people who are suffering are the Ukrainians who have been displaced, killed and captured. No-one disagrees with that.
But so many people are suggesting that their is an endgame that is involves Russian sanctions and isolation.
The cost of the war in Ukraine
Whilst Ukraine will be left in ruins and in need of a rebuild. The unfortunate cost of the war will leave the country with debt for the arms that have been supplied by the United States and being used as a proxy for the US.
Russia has a perspective which is monitored and blocked by major search engines.
Ukraine and specifically the President Zelensky is on a PR war. Rallying as many world leaders to join to condemn the Russian invasion.
Will Ukraine join NATO?
The questions everyone is still asking is Will Ukraine be able to join NATO and the EU.
And if that happens will Russia take this war to the next level.
On the Ground reporting from WTX News
Follow WTX News for the latest news from the ground in Ukraine.
We have staff and reporters on the ground in Ukraine who are reporting to us around the clock.
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You can also follow our YouTube Channel, where we bring you a constant stream of videos from the European Union.
On WTX News EU – A new channel after our last one was banned, for sharing the Truth about the War.
Ethnic Koreans in Ukraine feel at home despite the racism
Did you know that ethnic Koreans in Ukraine feel at home despite the racism, they see themselves as Ukrainians of Korean descent and are a forgotten element Ukrainian society, living in the red zone and fully part of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Ethnic Koreans in Ukraine
“Why did we Koreans come to Ukraine? To work in the countryside! The conditions here are good for growing vegetables,” said Olena Pak, a resident of the rural Shevchenkove settlement in southern Ukraine.
Her parents, like those of her husband Oleh, also an ethnic Korean, came to Ukraine from Uzbekistan in the 1970s, when both countries were part of the Soviet Union. “They leased land from the state, which they worked on, while making plans. There were many Korean farm workers,” recalled Oleh Pak.
The Mykolaiv region, in southern Ukraine, has been home to one of the largest settlements of ethnic Koreans in Ukraine for over half a century now. Most moved there in the 1950s and 1960s from Central Asia, to which they had been deported in the 1930s from the Russian Far East, where many had fled to at the beginning of the 20th century to escape the Japanese occupation of Korea.
‘We don’t want to leave, we feel at home here’
Olena and Oleh Pak have Ukrainian first names and passports, but they also speak Korean very well. They said their families always spoke the language at home and upheld various traditions, such as making kimchi, a Korean dish of preserved vegetables with salt and spices. Made by their own produce as Korean farmers in Ukraine.
“It’s passed down from generation to generation, without kimchi we wouldn’t have survived a single winter,” said Olena Pak.
Like their ancestors, the Paks are Korean farmers in Ukraine. They expanded their business in the 2000s and were soon growing vegetables in three greenhouses. But they almost lost everything after Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Half of the community was under Russian occupation for nine months, while the other half was in the line of fire. Today, only one greenhouse remains, in which the family continues to grow vegetables and herbs.
Korean migration to Ukraine
Korean migration to Ukraine has seen many influxes over the years, but many have stayed and made it their home. Much of the land is now contaminated by landmines. About a third of the families of ethnic Korean descent have left the settlement. Some families went to South Korea as part of voluntary programs and the racism they experienced in Ukraine.
A few have since returned, including the Kogai family, which was evacuated to Seoul, where 12-year-old Ksenia attended school and began to learn the language. However, like her mother, she did not want to stay in South Korea. “I wanted to go back because I realize that this is our home, and I don’t want to leave,” she said.
The Kogais’ home was destroyed by bombs in 2022, it is unclear if that was Russian or Ukrainian bombing, so they are currently living in a garden house. As per tradition, their pine tree will remain in the house until spring. They always celebrate the Korean New Year at the end of January, just as they were taught by their ancestors.
Koreans in the Russian-Ukrainian war
Ksenia’s mother, Alyona, was born in the Mykolaiv region. Her father was Korean, and her mother a local Ukrainian woman; they got married in 1975. At the time, Alyona told EU News, Koreans were still rather unusual so many people came from different villages to see the groom.
“I went to school here and always told all my classmates that I would never marry a Korean. But fate had other plans,” she said. She and her husband Leonid say such marriages are commonplace today.
Koreans in the Russian-Ukrainian war are fighting on both sides. Never would the Kogais have imagined that a member of the family would join the army. But in 2022, Alyona’s brother, Serhiy, joined the Territorial Defense Forces. He is currently fighting for the Ukrainian army on the front in Russia’s Kursk region. Other Koreans are serving on the Russian side
Many young people have left
Some ethnic Koreans in Ukraine from Shevchenkove joined the Ukrainian partisans during the Russian occupation. Community head Oleh Pylypenko said they actively supported the Ukrainian armed forces in the first months after the Russian invasion of 2022.
Oleksandr Hvan, whose home was converted into a hospital for Ukrainian military doctors, was among them. A bunker was also built in his yard.
Today, there is little left of his farm, but he plans to stay anyway. “I could escape somewhere, but I want to keep my property here. I came here after doing my military service in what was the Soviet Union. I built a life for myself and started a family,” he said.
Ukrainians of Korean descent
Most of the ethnic Koreans in the region describe themselves as Ukrainians of Korean descent, as does the governor of the Mykolaiv region, Vitaliy Kim.
The younger generation speaks fluent Ukrainian, as confirmed by the teachers at the local school, which is attended by children with Korean surnames such as Zoi, Li, Kim or Hagai. Despite the racism in Ukrainian society they feel patriotic to the Ukrainian cause.
One of the teachers, Lilya Kusevich, said many of the Ethnic Koreans in Ukraine have very good grades in Ukrainian language class. ” Elizaveta Zoi achieved the maximum number of points in the exam, for example. They are very hard-working children,” she said.
A fifth of the pupils in Shevchenkove are Ethnic Koreans in Ukraine. Since Russian attacks damaged the school, learning has been restricted to online classes. Some of the pupils are living in other cities or abroad.
Even though many young people have left, the ethnic Koreans in Shevchenkove hope one day they will be able to rebuild their homes and revitalize the community.
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US-Ukraine relations at Munich Security Conference leaves Ukraine in the lurch
US-Ukraine relations at Munich Security Conference leaves Ukraine in the lurch. A few days ago, US Vice President JD Vance shocked those gathered in Munich by calling into question whether the US and Europe still even shared the same values.
So when the Ukrainian diplomat? made a statement saying
“We have much more confidence, we are not alone, Peace Through Strength: A Plan for Ukraine,” explained Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to the astonishment of high-ranking officials gathered for Munich Security Conference. The statement seemed like a contradiction and raised some eyebrows considering the week’s revelations.
Trump Ukraine peace talks
Just days before, US President Donald Trump announced that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin then proceeded to reject NATO membership for Ukraine and said Kyiv would have to cede territory to Russia if it wanted peace.
Sybiha believes, his country is no longer alone. “We have hope,” as Trump Ukraine peace talks have begun without Ukraine, exclaimed the foreign minister.
Meanwhile President Zelensky has traveled to the United Arab emirates to garner support for negotiations.
What happened at the Munich Security Conference 2025
Sybiha’s words were spoken at the Munich Security Conference 2025 kicked off their official Ukraine discussion and the ensuing exchange picked up steam. The discussion, hosted by DW’s Sarah Kelly, offered an unusual situation, seating five participants in a circle entirely surrounded by interested attendees, many of them prominent political figures.
Those taking part in the discussion were the Ukrainian foreign minister, his Polish and British counterparts Radoslav Sikorski and David Lammy, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene and US Special Envoy to Ukraine General Keith Kellogg — who was afforded the most attention during the event.
US Envoy Kellogg on Trump: ‘America first? Yes! America alone? No!’
After Trump’s call with Putin and Vance’s performance in Munich (not to mention statements made by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Warsaw and Brussels), it was no surprise that all eyes were on Kellogg Saturday evening.
Kellogg on Ukraine negotiations surprised guests with an unexpected statement when taking the floor, telling those gathered that defining terms is key to productive dialogue as well as for allies seeking to forge a “comprehensive plan” for Ukraine.
Kellogg said that although the Trump administration often says “America first,” it has never said “America alone.” But key to any discussions pivot on an European defense spending increase.
Kellogg on Ukraine negotiations
That statement opened the door for Ukrainian and European hopes that the US is not intent on entirely abandoning support for Kyiv after nearly three years of war. Still, Kellogg was clear about Washington‘s belief that there is no way Ukraine can kill its way to victory in the conflict. He then referred to the discussion’s title — “Peace Through Strength” — calling it a “deeply American phrase.”
Kellogg also appeared convinced that sanctions could be a powerful tool against Russia — which continues to produce most of its wealth through oil and gas sales, causing Kellogg to describe it as a petrostate. Kellogg voiced confidence that sanctions would eventually leave Putin with no choice but to offer territorial concessions once negotiations begin.
European defense spending increase
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski continued on the topic of sanctions, describing how Russia’s economy is beginning to buckle under the strain of years of war, adding, we have “to convince President Putin to become more reasonable… we have to convince him that the price he would have to pay would be unacceptable.” And for that reason, according to the Pole, the EU should maintain its course on Ukraine.
It takes a lot of money to defend yourself
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he agreed with Trump on one point, that Europe needs to do more to protect itself. Lithuania’s Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene was of a similar opinion. Lots of money, she said, would be required to build as many arms manufacturing facilities on the continent as possible.
She also noted that Lithuania had far exceeded defense expenditures of at least 2% of GDP and that another major uptick is in the making.
That dynamic was something that Polish FM Sikorsky picked up on, calling it unfair. He said it was always the case that countries situated most closely to war zones were forced to pay more for their own defenses. Sikorsky made the case for more equitable burden sharing — though was clear that this would not be possible as long as Hungary (which maintains friendly ties to Moscow and has consistently fought to block EU Ukraine aid) continued to prevent such changes.
Sikorsky then won light laughs from the audience — which included US senators, former Russian opposition politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Mursa, exiled Belarus opposition leader and former presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and former NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg — by suggesting to Kellogg that Trump could lean on Hungary to make that happen.
Europe won’t be at ‘the table’ says Kellogg of Ukraine-Russia negotiations
When the discussion was over and the floor opened for questions, it was Kellogg alone to whom each was addressed. It was the only chance to ask questions of any US representative over the course of the MSC. US Vice President Vance, for instance, met with a select number of politicians while in the city and took no questions from journalists.
Now, it was up to Kellogg to answer both Kelly’s and the audience’s questions. Once again, terminology was an issue. For instance, when asked whether Europeans would have “a seat at the table” during ceasefire negotiations, Kellogg responded by saying: “define ‘at the table’…” Kellogg went on to say that the straight answer to the question would have to be “no,” simply because there would be no table at all. He added, however, that when it came time for negotiations, Ukraine would “naturally” have a place at the table.
As the event drew to a close, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhia, who voiced confidence early on, also called for clarity when defining terms like “deal” and “peace.” “We are talking about comprehensive long-lasting peace — not just the absence of war,” he said of plans to wind down the conflict, adding that Ukraine’s plan to meet those ends remain the same: “peace through strength.”
As US-Ukraine relations at Munich Security Conference are at their weakest so now, the Ukrainian diplomat said, is the time for Europe to show its strength.
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1 Comment
awesome – Thank you