eka tkeshelashvili

Russians killed a 12-year-old girl in her bed, destroyed an entire residential building, and called it a “retaliation strike.” Meanwhile, people like Mendel are on social media first thing in the morning encouraging the Kremlin to kill more Ukrainians, calling to end aid to Ukraine, and pushing for unconditional surrender. I will never stop being shocked by people with no soul, no morality, and an endless dark emptiness where empathy and basic human decency should be.

Russia continues to murder children indiscriminately. The “ceasefire” was opportunity for Russia to stockpile drones & missiles for a huge attack on Kyiv. The only reason more civilians weren’t killed is Ukraine has incredible air defense & shot down over 1,400 drones & missiles.

As of now, already 5 people have been reported killed in Kyiv as a result of last night’s Russian attack. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Around 40 people have been injured in the capital, and another 7 in the Kyiv region. There are already 28 injured in Kharkiv. And two people have been injured in the Odesa region. In total, 180 sites have been damaged across the country, including more than 50 ordinary residential buildings. A search and rescue operation is still ongoing in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district. Efforts continue to find people under the rubble. More than 10 people are reported missing. All necessary services are also operating in the Obolonskyi district. And recovery efforts are underway after Russian strikes in the Poltava region. Overall, more than 750 personnel of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and nearly 750 police officers have already been engaged across the country to eliminate the consequences of the attack. I am grateful to all who help the rescuers and the police Also, earlier today, during a humanitarian mission in Kherson, the Russians twice attacked a vehicle of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs with FPV drones, and the Russians could not have been unaware of which vehicle they were targeting. The Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and eight other staff members were inside. Fortunately, no one was injured. The mission personnel have been evacuated. Even so, a significant number of missiles and drones were shot down during these attacks – the overall interception rate is over 93%. Of course, it needs to be higher. And of course, the most difficult challenge is defending against ballistic missiles. I thank everyone who is helping us with this. There must be a just response to all these strikes. And pressure on Moscow must be such that they feel the consequences of their terror there. It is important that global sanctions against Russia remain in place. Russia’s accountability for this war, and our sanctions pressure, must work at full strength. And it is also very important that the world does not stay silent about this terror and stands with Ukraine.

What kind of world are we leaving behind? Unfortunately, it is a world distorted by war and war-like language. This pollution of reason comes from the geopolitical sphere and invades every social relationship. Any simplification that creates enemies must be corrected, especially in universities, through complexity of thought and wise exercise of memory.

I have embarked, with Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Pascal Lamy, and Enrico Letta on a major project, called Europe 2050. The idea is to think about what we want Europe to be in 2050, look at where it is today, and how we can go from here to there. (Thanks to Mr Putin and Trump for forcing us to think about the role of Europe, and hopefully, for Europe to do what needs to be done). To achieve this, we have invited a number of experts, be it on trade, on defense, on regulation, on European institutions, on populism, etc, to write short notes, which we shall put on the web as they come during the spring and the summer. Some contributions are likely to be more vision-like, others to be more narrowly focused and technical. (We shall write a stock taking paper at the end). I do not expect the project to come out with a generally agreed plan, but more to serve as a toolbox for what needs to be done. shorturl.at/Wr2QO I intend to tweet about each contribution, starting with the first two. Comments welcome.

A society that pays a woman half a million a month to show her body on OnlyFans but only eight dollars for her mind on Substack is telling you everything about its future.

President Zelensky’s former chief of staff and de-facto national security advisor Andriy Yermak has been jailed, with a $3.2 million bail set by the independent anti-corruption court this morning. Not many countries have the truly independent judiciary and anti-corruption prosecutors that exist in Ukraine. The United States doesn’t.

A rescue operation is currently underway in Kyiv at the site of a Russian drone strike on a nine-story residential building – an entire section of the building has been completely destroyed. Dozens of people have been rescued. Tragically, one person has been killed. My condolences to their family and loved ones. People may still be trapped under the rubble. Overnight, the Russians launched more than 670 attack drones and 56 missiles against Ukraine. Ballistic, aeroballistic, and cruise missiles were used in the strikes. The main target of this attack was Kyiv. There is damage at twenty locations across the city – ordinary residential buildings, a school, a veterinary clinic, and other purely civilian infrastructure. Destruction has also been reported in the Kyiv region, while similar terrorist strikes targeted energy infrastructure in Kremenchuk, as well as port and residential areas in Chornomorsk. In total, since midnight yesterday, Russia has used more than 1,560 drones against our cities and communities. These are definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end. It is important that partners do not remain silent about this strike. And it is equally important to continue supporting the protection of our skies. The PURL initiative is needed so that Ukraine can defend itself against ballistic strikes like these. And likewise, in the interests of everyone seeking peace, pressure on Russia must continue. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine.

Spoke to my 79-year-old Dad. After surviving this horrible night he said: “Can’t even imagine what Kyiv would’ve looked like without air defense”… That’s the thing: helping Ukraine is not “prolonging war”, but saving people. The noblest rescue operation in history.

Kyiv is under a massive Russian attack from ballistic missiles and drones right now, according to the Air Force and local authorities, with explosions reverberating across the Ukrainian capital. Air defense is actively working to beat back the threat. Authorities warning residents to seek shelter.

Grateful to @antiguagov and Prime Minister @gastonbrowne for putting forth my candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations. My vision for a United Nations for the 21st century: #CourageToAct  #DutyToDeliver #AbilityToConvene  #DeterminationToTransform  #SkillToRebuildTrust

While bombing Ukraine, the Russians sent politicians to the world’s most prestigious art show and turned Venice Biennale into a playground for war criminals. I confronted the ambassador and exposed dirty money behind the scenes. Watch my investigation:

There is a massive attack underway against Kyiv tonight. Missiles and drones are once again being directed at a civilian capital in the heart of Europe while families shelter underground and air defense crews fight through the night to keep the city alive. Russia continues to demonstrate that when it cannot achieve decisive strategic gains on the battlefield, it turns instead to fear, destruction, and the targeting of ordinary people far from the front lines. Americans should understand clearly what this means - adversarial regimes are watching how we (and the West) respond to sustained brutality, coercion, and attacks on civilians.

Défendre l’ONU, c’est avoir le courage de la changer. Ce n’est pas un slogan : c’est l’exigence que j’ai appliquée à chaque institution que j’ai dirigée. C’est ce que j’entends apporter à la fonction de Secrétaire général. #UNSG

JUST IN: House Democrats secured the 218 signatures needed to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson and force a vote on Russia sanctions and Ukraine aid after Rep. Kevin Kiley joined Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick and Don Bacon in backing the petition.

Good debunking of falsehoods here. Even I didn't know Ukraine has just overtaken the United States in the Press Freedom Index, but it's true. kyivindependent.com/ukraine-overta…

Ukrainian and German Defence Ministers Fedorov and Pistorius making a joint visit to a command centre just behind the front, a visit not many foreign politicians of Pistorius's seniority have dared to make.

🇮🇪 Ireland has become the fifth state whose parliament has approved the ratification of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Compensation Commission for Ukraine. Yesterday, the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland – Dáil Éireann – approved the relevant bill. This was announced by Minister of State for European Affairs @ThomasByrneTD. I quote: “Russia must be held accountable for the serious damage inflicted on 🇺🇦 Ukraine.” This is another important step toward launching the Commission’s work, bringing closer the moment of genuine justice for those affected by Russian aggression. 📍Ratification status: as of today, the Convention has also been ratified by the parliaments of 🇺🇦 Ukraine, 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇱🇻 Latvia, and 🇮🇸 Iceland. For the Convention to enter into force, 25 ratifications and sufficient initial funding are required. 📌 In brief – what this is about: the Convention on the Establishment of the International Compensation Commission for Ukraine was opened for signature on 16 December 2025 in 🇳🇱 The Hague. It has been signed by 35 states and the 🇪🇺 European Union – an unprecedented level of international support. The Compensation Commission is the second element of the international compensation mechanism being created within the framework of the Council of Europe to hold Russia accountable for the damage caused by its aggression against Ukraine. The mechanism consists of three components: 🔹 The Register of Damage (@RD4U_claims) – operational since April 2024, accepting claims through the Diia portal. As of today, more than 150,000 claims have been submitted to the Register. New categories have recently been opened for legal entities and the state of Ukraine regarding damage to critical and other infrastructure. 🔹 The International Compensation Commission – an independent international body that will review claims, assess damage, and award compensation for losses, damages, and harm caused since 24 February 2022. 🔹 The Compensation Fund – the source of payments. Ukraine is consistently working with partners to ensure that frozen Russian sovereign assets become the primary source of the Fund’s financing. I thank 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇱🇻 Latvia, and 🇮🇸 Iceland for their leadership and swift action – your ratification sends a clear signal about the inevitability of accountability. I call on the other states that have signed the Convention to complete their domestic procedures as soon as possible. Each new ratification is another step toward launching the Commission and delivering real solutions for people who have suffered from Russian aggression. 🇮🇪 🤝 🇪🇪 🤝 🇱🇻 🤝 🇮🇸 🤝 🇺🇦 🤝 🇪🇺 Russia will pay. #StandWithUkraine #JusticeForUkraine

The Russians want Ukraine’s permission to hold their parade – so they can safely take to the square for an hour once a year, and then go back to killing *our* people and waging war. The Russians are already talking about strikes after May 9. A strange and certainly twisted logic from the Russian leadership. There are also messages from some states close to Russia that their representatives intend to be in Moscow. An odd desire at a time like this. We do not recommend it.

Hungary has returned funds and valuables belonging to Ukraine’s Oschadbank that were seized by Hungarian security services in March, Zelensky said.