Before the war, Ukraine’s own “Dancing with the Stars” was a cherished and popular television show, dazzling the audiences with performances by celebrities and professional dancers. The show is now back on for one special episode — this time with Ukrainian wartime heroes as the stars, underscoring the nation's resilience in difficult times.

Ukraine pulled out troops from a town in the east after fierce battles, it said on Tuesday, as relentless Russian strikes killed three civilians and cut power to thousands in freezing winter temperatures.

Ukrainian forces say they have hit an oil terminal, a pipeline, two parked jet fighters, and two ships in a series of strikes on Russian soil

Ukraine said a resistance agent was able to sneak into a Russian hangar and destroy two Russian fighter jets.

Russia has ordered a winter troop surge to break the stalemate in Ukraine, but Ukrainian drone attacks on logistics and resupply channels will undermine this offensive.

Apart from disagreements about peace efforts in Ukraine, Witkoff has been at loggerheads with Rubio and State Department officials about the way he handles security.

David Silbey, associate professor, Cornell University said the Ukraine conflict in 2025 showed: “The static warfare of the First World War all over again. In that war, any visible movement was punished by a hail of machine gun and artillery fire, here it’s drones.

The Ukraine “peace trade” delivered stellar returns in markets in 2025, lifting assets that theoretically stand to benefit from an end to the war. Polish bank stocks, the Czech koruna and Ukrainian debt are among those to have rallied to close out the year.