We reported on what a second Trump presidency might mean for Ukraine: Here's what your contributions have helped us accomplish this week (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members,

Thank you for your continued support.

This week Donald Trump was elected for a second term as U.S. president. Our editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko explained how this was perceived in Ukraine in her op-ed: "Trump won’t be my president, but he may decide my future."

We'd like to give a warm welcome to the 140 new members who joined our community this week. Whatever the future may hold, we're grateful to be able to depend on members like you. Thank you for standing with us.

Here are some highlights from the Kyiv Independent this week:

Our most popular story this week was Chris York's explainer on what we know about Trump's plans for ending Russia's war, following his claims that he would end the war within 24 hours of taking office. We also interviewed the former U.S. negotiator on the Russia-Ukraine war Kurt Volker on Trump's plans to seek a "quick deal" to end the war. Watch the video interview here.

We reported on how a second Trump presidency might affect Ukraine. We asked both Ukrainian soldiers and civilians on the streets of Kyiv what they thought of the results of the U.S. elections, with opinions ranging from "Biden was impotent" to "we are f*cked like the Poles in 1939." Pictured above are two Kyiv residents who gave their opinions to the Kyiv Independent.

We also wrote about the potential of Ukraine to opt for nuclear deterrence with Trump in office. Oleg Sukhov's article explains why an attempt by Ukraine to develop nuclear weapons would likely be too costly an investment. You can also read why Ukraine doesn't have nuclear weapons now and why the country chose to give them up under the Budapest Memorandum in 1991.

We reported on the Russia's steady advances on the front line in southern and eastern Ukraine. Francis Farrell's article breaks down how chronic manpower shortages are at the heart of the retreats and collapses in Ukraine's defenses that are translating to quicker Russian gains across the front.

We also reported on Russia's use of unidentified gas on the front lines. Asami Terajima's article looks at how Kyiv is caught in limbo amid lack of equipment to detect and treat soldiers affected by Russia’s increased use of new, unknown chemical weapons.

Russian losses in Ukraine passed 700,000 this week. Chris York's article explains how Russian losses spiked so quickly, how Russia has made rapid territory gains, and how Putin may try to replenish manpower.

Thank you for standing by our side as we bring independent, locally sourced news about Ukraine to the world.