France sends ‘survival manual’ to citizens in case of war as Europe goes it alone– www.mirror.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
The 20-page booklet will be sent to households across France, offering guidance on how to respond to emergencies such as armed conflict, natural disasters, industrial accidents, or a nuclear leak
Trump says he had “very good” call with Zelenskyy one day after speaking to Putin– www.cbsnews.com Source Link Excerpt:
Washington — President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke on the phone Wednesday morning in a call that lasted roughly an hour, according to Mr. Trump.
“Just completed a very good telephone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “It lasted approximately one hour. Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs.”
The call comes a day after Mr. Trump’s lengthy call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which Mr. Trump said Putin agreed to a 30-day ceasefire against Ukraine’s energy and infrastructure. The commitment fell short of the full ceasefire pushed by the U.S. and agreed to by Ukraine. Hours after Mr. Trump and Putin hung up, Russia launched a series of drone strikes that struck civilian areas and damaged a hospital.
Trump and Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire for energy infrastructure in Ukraine conflict – AP News Source Link Excerpt:
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a lengthy call Tuesday to an immediate pause in strikes against energy infrastructure in the Ukraine war, but the Russian leader stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the U.S. administration is pressing for.
The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to peace” that it hopes will include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and eventually a full and lasting end to the fighting. But there was no indication that Putin has backed away from his conditions for a prospective peace deal, which are fiercely opposed by Kyiv. And shortly after the call ended, air raid alerts sounded in Kyiv, followed by explosions in the city. Local officials urged people to seek shelter.
Trump eyes Ukraine’s power plants, as he pushes peace plan on Zelensky– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
‘A FANTASTIC PHONE CONVERSATION’: President Donald Trump is a big fan of being told what he wants to hear, and both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have played to that character trait to stay on Trump’s good side while pursuing their own agendas.
In a one-hour phone call with Trump yesterday, Zelensky was heavy on gratitude while treading carefully about his reservations as he discussed the next steps in Trump’s plan to end the war and divide up Ukraine by ceding a large swath of the east to Russia.
It was “a fantastic phone conversation,” according to a readout provided by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz. “Zelensky thanked President Trump for the support of the United States, especially the Javelin missiles that President Trump was first to provide, and his efforts towards peace.”
Zelensky Says Discussed With Trump US Idea Of Owning Occupied Nuclear Plant– www.ndtv.com Source Link Excerpt:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said that he and US counterpart Donald Trump had discussed possible US ownership of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
His comments to reporters came after Trump told Zelensky on Wednesday that the United States could own and run Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as part of his latest bid to secure a ceasefire in Russia’s invasion.
“We talked only about one power plant, which is under Russian occupation,” Zelensky, who was on an official visit to Finland, said during an online briefing, referring to the plant in Zaporizhzhia.
The power station, Europe’s largest, was captured by Russian forces early in their invasion launched in February 2022 and since has been a flashpoint of concerns over a possible nuclear incident.
Polish right takes hard line on Ukraine ahead of presidential vote – MSN Source Link Excerpt:
With the Polish presidential elections just two months away, two of the country’s leading right-wing candidates have become increasingly antagonistic toward Ukraine and its leadership.
Kyiv can ill afford another hostile head of state among its key partners, as U.S. PresidentDonald Trump’s foreign policy shift has already thrown the pro-Ukraine coalition into disarray.
Brit spyplane buzzes Russian convoy packed with weapons stalking in Channel as UK to draw up Ukraine ‘peacekeeper’ plan– www.thesun.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
A ROYAL Air Force spy plane roared over a Russian warship in a dramatic Channel showdown – as Europe’s top generals “swoop into London” to discuss putting troops in Ukraine.
The Poseidon P-8A patrol plane buzzed the destroyer Severomorsk as it led a Russian convoy retreating past the cliffs of Dover.
US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor will travel to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with Russia – CGTN Source Link
Trump touts agreement after ‘very good and productive’ phone call with Putin, while critics say he’s being played, bigly– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link
Trump and Putin discuss Ukraine war, White House says the talks are going well– www.channelnewsasia.com Source Link Excerpt:
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed moves to end the Ukraine war on Tuesday (Mar 18) and the White House said their phone call was going well.
Zelensky arrives in Saudi Arabia for crucial peace talks with US officials– www.france24.com Source Link Excerpt:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Saudi Arabia for crucial talks on ending the war with Russia. He is scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before joining US and Ukrainian officials for negotiations on a peace framework and potential ceasefire. The talks in Jeddah mark the first meeting between the two sides since Zelensky’s White House visit last month. Here is Philip Turle’s analysis.
News24 | Ukraine launches drone attack wave on Moscow, killing one and shutting down airports– www.news24.com Source Link Excerpt:
Ukraine has launched a “massive” drone attack against Moscow that killed at least one person, injured several others and saw the shutdown of airports and damaged residential buildings, officials and aviation authorities said.
Russian Army Reports Major Advances in Kursk Region After ‘Operation Pipeline’– www.themoscowtimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
Russia has reclaimed more than 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) of territory and 12 villages from Ukrainian forces in the southwestern Kursk region over the past 24 hours, the Russian military said Tuesday.
“The North Group of Forces has liberated 12 settlements during offensive actions… and more than 100 square kilometers of the Kursk region,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a daily briefing.
The retaken settlements include Agronom, Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Dmitryukov, Zazulevka, Ivashkovskiy, Kolmakov, Kubatkin, Martynovka, Mikhaylovka, Pravda and Yuzhny, all located just north or east of the Ukrainian-held city of Sudzha.
Russia’s significant advances this past month, which analysts say put Ukrainian forces at risk of encirclement, appear to have taken advantage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine.
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Playing his ‘Trump card,’ Putin goes for the kill to force Zelensky’s hand– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
PUTIN’S POWER PLAY: Emboldened by President Donald Trump’s suspension of military aid and intelligence to Ukraine, Russian forces have stepped up the pace of air attacks and redoubled efforts to take back captured territory in the Kursk region in what appears to be an attempt to solidify its battlefield position ahead of a forced surrender by Kyiv.
Ukrainian troops in the field suspect that the U.S. is not just hurting Ukraine, but helping Russian forces in the Kursk region, who seem to have new intelligence about Ukrainian positions as they attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces and retake the tiny sliver of Russian territory that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hoped to use as one of his few bargaining chips in any peace negotiation. Ukrainian soldiers in the border region have complained on X that they come under instant heavy attack as soon as they activate their Starlink terminals.
“Throughout this week, Russia has carried out hundreds of attacks against our people using various types of weapons: around 1,200 guided aerial bombs, nearly 870 attack drones, and over 80 missiles of different types,” Zelensky posted on X over the weekend, ahead of a scheduled trip to Saudi Arabia today. Zelensky said a Saturday attack in Dobropillya, a city in the Donetsk region, was “one of the most brutal” striking civilians targets, including nine residential buildings, a shopping center, and killing 11 people.
Musk and Rubio spar with Polish minister over Ukraine’s use of Starlink – BBC.com Source Link Excerpt:
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk have clashed with Poland’s foreign minister over the use of the tech billionaire’s Starlink satellite internet system in Ukraine.
Musk said on X that Ukraine’s “entire front line” would collapse if he turned the system off. Radoslaw Sikorski responded, saying his country paid for its use in Ukraine and a threat to shut it down would result in a search for another network.
Rubio dismissed Sikorski’s claims and told him to be grateful, while Musk called him a “small man”.
The exchange appeared to lead to Polish PM Donald Tusk calling on his country’s allies to show respect for their weaker partners, rather than arrogance.
Starlink’s system is part of SpaceX’s venture to provide high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas. It has been used extensively by the Ukrainian military.
Elon Musk floats drastic measure against Ukraine that would ‘immediately’ end war with Russia – Daily Mail Source Link Excerpt:
Tech titan Elon Musk has suggested crippling sanctions on Ukraine’s oligarchs is the key to halting the nation’s bloody conflict with Russia
Musk, 53, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, called for sanctions targeting Ukraine’s wealthiest elite in a post on X Sunday morning.
The stunning intervention was a radical departure from the current strategy focused on punishing Russia for its unprovoked invasion of the country.
‘Place sanctions on the top 10 Ukrainian oligarchs, especially the ones with mansions in Monaco, and this will stop immediately. That is the key to the puzzle,’ Musk wrote bluntly.
The remark comes at the end of a week of intensive debate in Washington over whether continued US financial and military aid to Kyiv is sustainable as the war drags on with no clear end in sight.
Republican Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) recently argued that the US shouldn’t offer ‘another penny’ to Ukraine – a view echoed by growing segments of the American public weary of the seemingly endless bloodshed and multibillion-dollar aid packages.
US demanding Ukraine trade land for peace, as talks with Rubio open in Saudi Arabia– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
RUBIO: ‘THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION’: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Saudi Arabia for face-to-face talks with a delegation consisting of Ukraine’s foreign minister, defense minister, and national security adviser to determine what concessions Ukraine is willing to make to end the three-year war with Russia.
Rubio told reporters en route to Jeddah that Ukraine must utter no magic words, but he is looking for signs that Ukraine is ready to make painful concessions to achieve a lasting peace deal. “I mean, right now, we’re really in listening mode,” Rubio said. “We have to understand the Ukrainian position and just have a general idea of what concessions they’d be willing to make, because you’re not going to get a ceasefire and an end to this war unless both sides make concessions.”
“We’re not going to be sitting in a room drawing lines on a map, but just get a general sense of what concessions are in the realm of the possible for them and what they would need in return, and then find out what the Russian position is in that regard,” Rubio said. “At some point soon, obviously, we’ll have to go back and establish a process by which we can determine what the Russian positions are in this regard and see how far apart we are,” he said.
Zelensky Says ‘Sorry’ To Trump For Oval Office Showdown: Big Revelation Before U.S.-Ukraine Talks – The Times of India Source Link Excerpt:
U.S. President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has said that the Ukrainian President apologized to Trump in a letter after the unruly public argument during an Oval Office meeting. “Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologized for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office,” Witkoff told Fox News, adding that that was an important step toward rapprochement between both sides. The revelation comes just hours before Zelensky is set to meet Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia for talks to end Russia’s war.
News24 | ‘Ready to work under Trump’s strong leadership’: Zelensky appeals to Trump after US halts Ukraine aid– www.news24.com Source Link Excerpt:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said he wanted to “make things right” with Donald Trump and to work under the US President’s “strong leadership” to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine.
In his first public comments since Trump halted US military aid to Ukraine overnight, Zelensky called for a “truce” in the sea and sky as a first step to securing an end to the three-year-long war.
“Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
He said Ukraine was ready to agree to a “truce in the sky – ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure – and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same.”
That Was Quick: Polish PM Confirms US Military Aid to Ukraine Has Been Suspended – Including Supplies Already En Route | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com Source Link Excerpt:
Globalist Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk
That was quick – Polish Prime Minister Tusk says US aid to Ukraine has already been shut down.
President Trump on Monday announced he was immediately canceling all US military aid to Ukraine.
Trump made this announcement after President Zelensky spoke out in London to a reporter insisting the end to the Ukraine War was still “very, very far away.”
President Trump, who has made it a personal goal to end the killing and war in Ukraine lashed out at the unpopular Ukrainian leader and announced that the US was pausing all military aid to Ukraine due to its leader who will not seek peace.
President Trump: This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer! It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking? apnews.com/article/russia-ukra
Zelenskyy, congressional allies seek new cards in high-stakes Ukraine fight – Roll Call Source Link Excerpt:
A White House official said Monday evening that the administration had frozen all deliveries of U.S. military and other aid to Ukraine following Friday’s dust-up between the two leaders.
“The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution,” the White House official said. The official did not disclose how long that “review” might last, but it was clear the next move was Zelenskyy’s.
One longtime Senate ally, who has supported the billions in U.S. aid allocations to Ukraine, already appears to be playing a new hand.
“The Europeans are piling on in support of Zelenskyy. Here’s my message to the Europeans: Maybe it’s time for you to defend your continent. Maybe it’s time for you to stop hollowing out your military,” Sen. Lindsey Graham told SiriusXM on Saturday.
“And if you want to use tough rhetoric toward [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, how about back it up with some muscle? When a European leader speaks, no bad guy listens,” the South Carolina Republican said. “When Trump speaks, everybody’s on edge. I was never more proud of President Trump than I was [Friday]. He stood up for America. He refused to be lectured to.”
State Department Stops Funding to Rebuild Ukraine Power Grid– legalinsurrection.com Source Link Excerpt:
NBC News reported that the State Department stopped a USAID program that sent money to Ukraine to help rebuild its power grid earlier this week:
Power outages have been applied overnight in some regions of Ukraine due to the attacks on energy facilities. The country’s systems have sustained near-constant impact throughout the course of the three-year war.
“It significantly undercuts this administration’s abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire, and it’d signal to Russia that we don’t care about Ukraine or our past investments,” one USAID official involved in the Ukraine mission told NBC News.
The official continued: “Russia is fighting a two-pronged war in Ukraine: A military one but also an economic one. They’re trying to crush the economy, but USAID has played a central role in helping it be resilient, [including] shoring up the energy grid…We’ve provided vast amount of support to the Ukrainian government to avoid a macro economic crisis.”
Was Volodymyr Zelensky’s bust-up with Donald Trump a brilliant calculated risk?– www.mirror.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
The truth behind Volodymyr Zelensky’s Oval office bust-up – has the Ukrainian President played a brilliant but risky hand, taking the US to the brink, risking everything to save his country?
