Ukraine

Nearly one year after leaving their city of Dnipro to escape the Ukraine-Russia war, 37-year-old Maria Shvetsova and her 4-year-old daughter have gradually adjusted to life in San Antonio.

Laika Cheesecake and Espresso plans a fundraising event this weekend and is asking the community for donations to aid Ukraine forces.

Viewers may watch the event in English and Spanish. The speech represents a chance for Biden to address the nation on where he thinks the country stands, where it is headed and what his priorities are ahead.

The volunteers — some in their 70s — are helping educate Ukrainians about unexploded munitions and training Ukrainian forces to disarm them.

The United Ukrainian Ballet Company is made up of dancers taking refuge in the Netherlands. The company travels to Washington, D.C., to perform Giselle, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky.

NPR's Tim Mak is in Ukraine as people there celebrate their first Christmas since the invasion.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Washington to meet with President Biden and Congress on Wednesday. The trip comes as lawmakers are debating billions more in aid for Ukraine.

Ukraine's culture minister said his country's allies could stop Russia from weaponizing its culture by temporarily boycotting Russian artists, including The Nutcracker composer Tchaikovsky.

A Ukrainian chorus first performed Shchedryk in the U.S. in 1922. A century later, during another fight for freedom, Ukrainian singers performed the folk song at the site of its North American debut.

"Carol of the Bells" is a Christmas staple in the U.S., but it was written by a Ukrainian composer and first came to the U.S. 100 years ago — when Ukrainians were fighting for freedom.