Social influencers and content creators on subscription platforms, including OnlyFans, are increasingly applying for O-1B visas in the US for people with outstanding achievements in the arts, the Financial Times reported.
As noted in the publication, in such cases, lawyers use digital metrics — audience, reach, revenue, and commercial collaborations — as one way to confirm the applicant’s “notoriety” and professional success; a niche of lawyers specializing in such applications has also formed in the market.
This is not a “new visa for models,” but rather the existing O-1 (extraordinary ability/achievement) category, often referred to in the public sphere as the “talent visa.” The formal requirements for it are established by USCIS rules and federal regulations and do not include a separate criterion for the number of subscribers — the applicant must prove outstanding abilities or achievements through the prescribed sets of evidence.
According to US State Department statistics, in fiscal year 2024, consulates issued 19,457 O-1 visas, 13,922 O-2 visas (accompanying professionals), and 6,035 O-3 visas (family members).
In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, perceptions of the EU and the US are formed not through their own experience, but through the prism of Russian propaganda and information isolation. This was stated by sociologist, director of the Active Group research company Oleksandr Poznyi during his speech at the Forum on Countering Russian Propaganda and Disinformation, held on December 17-18, 2025 in Brussels.
In his speech, the expert relied on the results of sociological studies conducted in 2023-2025 and emphasized that residents of the temporarily occupied territories are virtually deprived of direct communication with Europe and the United States. In such circumstances, the perception of the West is formed mainly through narratives imposed by the occupation authorities. “For many people in the TOT, Europe and the United States are not partners or allies of Ukraine, but abstract, distant actors whose image is almost entirely shaped by the Russian media,” said Poznyi.
According to the sociologist, Russian propaganda systematically forms two dominant images of the West. The first one is aggressive and hostile, which allegedly “controls Ukraine”, “provokes war” and “uses Ukrainians in its own interests”. The second is cynical and indifferent, “tired of Ukraine” and ready to sacrifice its territories for the sake of stability. “These narratives contradict each other but coexist perfectly. They are not about logic, they are about emotion and fear,” explained Poznyi.
As a result, a part of the population has a distorted view of the role of the EU and the US, which has nothing to do with the real policy of supporting Ukraine, but directly affects public sentiment and expectations for the future. One of the key reasons for this perception is complete information isolation. Ukrainian and Western sources of information are blocked or criminalized, and any alternative viewpoints are viewed as “extremism” or “espionage.”
“People cannot verify information. They are forced to live inside an information bubble where the West is an image, not a reality,” the sociologist emphasized. According to him, even those TOT residents who support Ukraine internally often avoid talking about Europe or the United States, as these topics are considered “dangerous” and may arouse suspicion on the part of the occupation structures.
During the forum in Brussels, these observations were presented as a serious challenge for European policy. According to Poznyi, the perception of the EU and the US in the occupied territories will directly affect the processes of de-occupation and reintegration in the future. “If people have been hearing for years that Europe is an enemy or a traitor, these perceptions do not automatically disappear after de-occupation,” he emphasized.
The Forum on Countering Russian Propaganda and Disinformation, held on December 17-18, 2025 in Brussels at the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee, was dedicated to strengthening Europe’s cognitive and information resilience in the face of hybrid threats.
The event brought together representatives of European institutions, think tanks, media and civil society from Ukraine and the EU. The event was aimed at outlining the scope and mechanisms of Russian propaganda, showing its destructive impact on public consciousness, and discussing ways to counter it.
Vadym Honcharenko, a student at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture and a veteran, has joined the Ukrainian national team that will represent the country at the Air Force and Marine Corps Trials international veterans and military competition in the United States in 2026. This was reported by the Come Back Alive Charitable Foundation’s Center for Initiatives.
Based on the results of the selection process, 15 veterans—winners of the All-Ukrainian Defense Forces Competition “GART”—joined the team.
The formation, preparation, and participation of the Ukrainian team in international competitions are carried out jointly by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine and the Come Back Alive Initiative Center.
The Air Force and Marine Corps Trials are international adaptive competitions for military personnel and veterans, which are an official stage of selection for the Warrior Games. They are held annually in the United States and bring together participants from around the world, becoming an important element of the international sports and rehabilitation movement for veterans.
Vadym Honcharenko’s sporting achievements
Throughout 2025, Vadym Honcharenko demonstrated results in a number of adaptive and strength sports. He became the Ukrainian champion in para-arm wrestling and also represented Ukraine at the European Championships.
Throughout the year, Vadym repeatedly participated in functional and team sports competitions, including the Spartan Race, marathons, rugby, and CrossFit competitions. In November, he won the Zvytyaga Nezkonenyh (Victory of the Unconquered) strongman competition among military personnel and veterans, taking first place in several strength disciplines. The end of the year was marked by new prize places in rowing, powerlifting, and strongman multi-event competitions.
The bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will begin on Sunday, December 28, at the Palm Beach resort at 10 p.m. Kyiv time.
According to the schedule published on the website of the American parliamentary publication Roll Call, the meeting is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. local time.
It will take place in Palm Beach, near Trump’s private residence Mar-a-Lago, where Trump arrived for the weekend.
The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) approved a $40 million loan agreement for a 10-year term for one of the subsidiaries of Ukraine’s largest sugar producer, Astarta Agricultural Holding.
“DFC will co-finance with the International Finance Corporation capital investments and operating expenses related to the construction of a soybean protein concentrate (SPC) plant,” the agricultural holding company said.
According to Vyacheslav Chuk, director of commercial operations and strategic marketing at the agricultural holding, in September 2025, Astarta intends to continue investing in the construction of its soy protein concentrate plant in 2026, with investments amounting to approximately EUR 40 million.
In 2024, Astarta began investing in the construction of a plant for processing soybean meal into soy protein concentrate with a capacity of 500 tons/day (approximately 100,000 tons/year) in the Hlobyn Industrial Complex (Poltava region). The agricultural holding will invest over EUR 76 million in the purchase of equipment and technologies and will create 110 new jobs.
Astarta and its structural unit Astarta Agro Protein signed the first investment agreement with the Ukrainian government to receive compensation from the state for significant investments. Under the agreement, the state will provide the agricultural holding with a number of incentives, including exemption from import duties on new equipment, import VAT on new equipment, and income tax for up to five years.
Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding company operating in eight regions of Ukraine and is the largest sugar producer in Ukraine. It comprises six sugar factories, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 220,000 hectares, dairy farms with 22,000 head of cattle, an oil extraction plant in Hlobyn (Poltava region), seven elevators, and a biogas complex.
In the first half of 2025, Astarta reduced its net profit by 10.3% to EUR47.11 million, and its consolidated revenue decreased by 29.3% to EUR320.71 million.
The US has proposed a meeting between the national security advisors (NSA) of Ukraine, the US, and Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, expressing cautious optimism about the prospects for such a meeting.
“As for Umerov (Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, who is in the US, where he held talks with American and European partners on ending the war), he called me and said that America is now proposing a trilateral meeting of the NSA – America, Ukraine, Russia,” Zelensky said in comments to reporters on Saturday.
The president noted that he is not sure that this meeting will bring anything new, but pointed out that a similar meeting in Turkey resulted in the return of captured military personnel and civilians, so it is worth holding such meetings.
“I believe that this is not everything we wanted, but it is very important. I am very glad that we had exchanges. Our people, our military personnel, especially prisoners, have returned home. And civilians too. And that is why such steps must be taken. And if there can now be a meeting that will unblock the exchanges, or if the result of the trilateral NSA meeting could be an agreement on a trilateral meeting of leaders, and I have said this many times, there are complex issues that must be resolved by the leaders of the states. Therefore, if the results are exchanges or some other agreements, I cannot be against it, we will then support the proposal of the United States of America. Let’s see how it goes,” Zelensky said.
