Ukraine Watch

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“The IOC Executive Board recommendation from March 2023 with regard to teams of athletes with a Russian passport remains in place,” an IOC spokesperson said, according to a report. “It is based on the fact that, by definition, a group of Individual Neutral Athletes cannot be considered a team.”

Affirmation of a continued ban, which began as part of sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, arrives after International Ice Hockey Federation President Luc Tardif was quoted as saying the IOC had planned to exclude Russia and its star-studded hockey team from next year’s games.

“We have been pressuring them to make a decision, one way or another, because we’re getting closer to the Olympics and we need to know,” Tardif said.

“Recently, they asked us to send them a schedule without Russia, so that’s where we are. The official statement is pending but the IOC has told us that they are informing the Russian Olympic Committee that they are not participating in the Olympics.”

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The US president earlier said the Ukrainian leader understood that Kiev was never going to join the bloc

Ukraine could still become a member of NATO despite opposition to the idea from the administration of US President Donald Trump, Vladimir Zelensky has insisted.

Trump lashed out at the Ukrainian leader earlier this week, saying “he wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that.”

However, during a meeting with the heads of territorial communities of Chernigov Region, Zelensky made it clear that he has not yet given up on his long-standing ambitions of joining the US-led bloc.

You know who does not support Ukraine’s membership in NATO so far, but in any case, no one is removing this issue from the table for the future,” Zelensky said, as cited by the Ukrinform news agency.

“At least, we are talking about the fact that even if now someone does not want to support [Kiev joining the bloc], we will see what happens in the future,” Zelensky added.

 

Despite Phone Call with Trump, Putin Abandons Ceasefire and Bombs Ukraine in a Major Attack– www.cbn.com
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There will be no 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine after all. That’s Russian President Vladimir Putin’s message to President Trump after the two spoke for nearly two hours on the phone Tuesday.

Air raid sirens blared in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine just hours after Putin refused Trump’s proposal for an immediate ceasefire on land, air and sea.

Residents in the Ukrainian capital were forced to shelter underground after Russia launched 147 Iranian-made drones and six missiles overnight.

Trump’s ‘Moved Beyond’ Critical Deal, White House Confirms Grander Plans– www.westernjournal.com
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Well before politics were even a glint in his eye, President Donald Trump often boasted about his business acumen and mastery of “the art of the deal.”

Now nearing close to a decade in the political spotlight, Trump is showing that he still holds both of those values quite dearly.

While answering questions during her Wednesday media session, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump has “moved beyond” the ballyhooed Ukraine mineral deal — and onto something much bigger.

“We have moved beyond the economic mineral deal,” Leavitt told the New York Post.

Apparently, Trump has now set his sights on two bigger targets in the region, the first being taking over Ukraine’s military facilities.

Zelensky Says Discussed With Trump US Idea Of Owning Occupied Nuclear Plant– www.ndtv.com
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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
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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
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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.

Trump and Putin discuss Ukraine war, White House says the talks are going well– www.channelnewsasia.com
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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.

Trump hopes to convince Putin to accept a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire and move towards a permanent end to the three-year-old conflict.

A White House official said the two leaders had been on the phone since 10am (10pm, Singapore time).

“The call is going well, and still in progress,” Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff, wrote in a post on social media platform X.

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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling on Europe to build a common army. This comes as President Trump has expressed no interest in talking to Zelinsky about terms for a peace treaty. Trump has also recently “offered” ways Ukraine can pay the U.S. back for the billions they’ve invested in the country.

Zelensky said “The armed forces of Europe must be created. Without Ukraine’s army, Europe’s army’s will not be enough to stop Russia. Only our army in Europe has real, modern battlefield experience but our army alone is not enough too. And we need what you can provide weapons, training, sanctions, financing, political pressure and unity.”

Zelenksy calls for ‘Army of Europe’ to take on Russia without US as Trump urges him to make a deal with Putin– www.thesun.co.uk
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… Speaking in Germany today, Zelensky proposed a new plan to achieve safety for Ukraine going forwards.

He said: “Many leaders have talked about Europe and that needs its own military, an army of Europe and I believe the time has come.

“The armed forces of Europe must be created.

“Without Ukraine’s army, Europe’s army’s will not be enough to stop Russia.

“Only our army in Europe has real, modern battlefield experience but our army alone is not enough too.

“And we need what you can provide weapons, training, sanctions, financing, political pressure and unity.”

Trump & Putin’s Ukraine deal – ‘they’ll try to redraw the map of Europe’

The Ukrainian president said Europe should be looking to create such a military separate from Nato in case “America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it”.

He added that after three years of fighting, Ukraine has managed to build up the foundations of a European army and should now act on it.

“As we fight this war and lay the groundwork for peace and security we must build the armed forces of Europe so that Europe’s future depends only on Europeans and decisions about Europe are made in Europe,” he said.

“Europe has everything it takes but it needs to come together.

“We need confidence in our own friends so that others have no choice but to respect Europe’s power and without European army that is impossible.”

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared to support Zelensky’s calls as he said Europe urgently needs a plan over security.