Ukraine, Russia agree on energy ceasefire, EU puts Russia on financial blacklist - Thursday brief

Ukraine-Russia energy ceasefire

In the morning of January 29, Telegram channels widely circulated reports about a possible halt to Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system starting Thursday, January 29.

They claimed that the Russian military had received an order banning strikes on “any facilities in Kyiv and Kyiv region” and on “any infrastructure facilities across Ukraine.”

Later, US leader Donald Trump said that he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to strike Kyiv for a week, and the Russian leader agreed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed that an energy ceasefire was discussed during talks with the United States and Russia in Abu Dhabi.

EU officially restricts financial transactions with Russia

The European Union has officially added Russia to the blacklist of countries with a high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing.

The decision entered into force on January 29 and provides for enhanced scrutiny by European banks over any transactions linked to Russia.

Ukraine and SpaceX seek solution to Russian drones using Starlink

The Ministry of Defense, together with SpaceX, is already working on resolving the issue of Starlink being used on Russian unmanned aerial vehicles.

Just a few hours after Russian drones equipped with Starlink communication appeared over Ukrainian cities, the Ministry of Defense team promptly contacted SpaceX and proposed ways to address this problem.

Ukraine war in 2026: Three scenarios analysts see

Despite the optimism surrounding the Abu Dhabi talks, experts predict either a war of attrition or pressure on Ukraine to make major territorial concessions.