Ukraine and the world: key events on February 16

Briefly: key events affecting several countries are reported in real time.

Ukraine and the war. On February 15, in the village of Stanislavchik, Lviv region, a father shot two children and then killed himself. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that if Trump reaches a 2-3 month ceasefire agreement with Putin, Ukraine is ready to hold elections. He made this statement at the Munich Security Conference and emphasized it in an interview with Politico.

Talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are scheduled for February 17-18 in Geneva, with the main topic being an energy ceasefire—a moratorium on attacks against energy infrastructure, including the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The Russian delegation will be led by Mikhail Medinsky.

European leaders, including Kaja Kallas, noted that under current methodology, Ukraine's EU accession cannot happen before 2027 without reforming the accession process.

US and global politics. US military forces intercepted the tanker 'Veronica III' in the Indian Ocean, violating sanctions, according to a Pentagon statement.

Mikhail Lukashenko, during a live broadcast, urged not to criticize Trump's policies, calling the dialogue-based approach 'minimally necessary,' and emphasized that Belarus resolves its issues without 'brotherhood' with Russia.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki publicly supported the idea of developing its own nuclear capability as a security measure amid US-Russia tensions.

In the UK, the government of Keir Starmer's party announced new guidelines regarding transgender children: full social transition may be allowed from age 4, provided parents and specialists act together.

China in the military sphere: according to Statista, by 2026 China surpassed Russia in the number of nuclear submarines, ranking second globally (≈32) after the US (71).

Belarus and local events. Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov discussed sanctions against Cuba with his Cuban counterpart, while security secretary S. Volfovich outlined military priorities: kamikaze drones, electronic warfare, and the new VSK-100 assault rifle.

Three suspects in an armed robbery were detained in the Smolevichi district; the investigation is ongoing with urgency.

Major corruption scandal. On February 15, NABU and SAPO charged former Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko (alongside a close ally of Zelenskyy) with laundering nearly $112 million through the 'Midas' fund in Anguilla, established in 2021.