Monday, March 3
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Following this week’s meetings between Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and U.S. President Donald Trump, a meeting convenes in London on March 2, 2025, with European leaders to discuss future peace in Ukraine. (Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Zelensky meets with King Charles following European leaders’ summit. President Volodymyr Zelensky met with King Charles III on March 2 following the conclusion of the European leaders’ summit hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
US FBI Director calls on Congress to investigate Ukraine aid transparency. Kash Patel, the newly Trump-nominated director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), called on the US Congress to investigate how aid money sent to Ukraine has been used, The Epoch Times reported on March 2.
‘Once in a generation moment’ — Zelensky, Ukraine’s partners gather for key London summit after White House fallout. French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and other top Western officials arrived for a London summit to discuss support for Kyiv, the Guardian reported on March 2.
Reported Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tanker, detained over damaged undersea cables, allowed to leave Finland. In January, the Swedish Navy found an anchor at the site of the sabotaged cables in the Baltic Sea. Finnish authorities suspect the Eagle S intentionally dragged its anchor along dozens of kilometers of the Baltic seabed, according to AFP.
Elon Musk publicly supports call for US to exit NATO, UN. Both NATO and the U.N. were founded by the U.S. and other victors of World War II to promote diplomacy and cooperation between nations as well as to prevent another global war.
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Kremlin says perceived US foreign policy shift aligns with its ‘vision.’ Trump, echoing Kremlin rhetoric on the war in Ukraine, said at the end of February the country should “forget” about joining NATO, which the country sees as a security guarantee against a future Russian invasion.
UK, France, Ukraine to develop ceasefire plan to present to US. The U.K., France, Ukraine, and possibly other countries will develop a ceasefire plan that will be presented to the U.S., U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview with the BBC on March 2.
Hungary, Slovakia threaten EU unity on Russia, Ukraine ahead of key summit. In a letter obtained by Reuters, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reportedly urged the EU to abandon plans for a joint declaration and resume direction communication with Moscow like Washington did.
‘Zelensky will have no choice but to concede’ — Trump reposts commentary claiming mineral deal ensures Ukraine’s security. U.S. President Donald Trump reposted a claim on his social media network Truth Social on March 2 that President Volodymyr Zelensky “will have no choice but to concede” to Washington’s terms to the mineral deal because Kyiv cannot survive the war without U.S. backing.
Putin ally pushing for US, Russia restart of Nord Stream 2, FT reports. Matthias Warnig, who led Nord Stream 2’s parent company on behalf of Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom until 2023, is reportedly trying to establish contact with U.S. President Donald Trump’s team through American businessmen.
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Ukraine war latest: Europe developing ‘coalition of the willing’ to back ceasefire in Ukraine, Starmer says
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on March 2 that a number of European nations, including the U.K. and France, are developing a ‘coalition of the willing’ that will include “planes in the air and boots on the ground” in an effort to negotiate a successful ceasefire in Ukraine.
Photo: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
8 injured in Russian attack on Kharkiv, including child. Russia launched an attack on the city of Kharkiv on March 2, injuring eight people, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported.
1 killed, 10 injured after Russian drone drops explosive on bus in Kherson. A 53-year-old woman was killed in the attack, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. The attack took place in the afternoon in the city’s western Dniprovskyi district.
Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 2, injure 20 over past day. Ukraine’s air defense shot down 63 of the 79 drones Russia launched overnight, the Air Force said.
General Staff: Russia has lost 876,720 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. This number includes 1,110 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
International response
No consensus among EU states on giving frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, Tusk says. “There are fears of negative consequences for the euro and the banking system,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on March 2.
Canada imposes new sanctions against Russia. Canada introduced new sanctions on March 2 against 10 Russian individuals and 21 entities, including paramilitary groups.
UK to provide Ukraine with $2 billion for air defense. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on March 2 that the U.K. had reached an agreement with Kyiv to provide Ukraine with 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) for the purchase of 5,000 air defense missiles.
Top US officials, lawmakers lambast Zelensky over White House clash with Trump. A number of U.S. officials and Republican lawmakers are continuing their criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky, with some suggesting that Zelensky may have to resign, following the president’s heated exchange at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 28.
Macron, Starmer working to pacify Zelensky-Trump relations ‘because what is at stake is too important.’ “The manifest destiny of the Americans is to be on the side of the Ukrainians, I have no doubt about it. What the United States has done over the past three years is entirely consistent with its diplomatic and military tradition,” Macron said.
Norwegian fuel supplier halts sales to US Navy over Trump-Zelensky dispute, citing ‘moral compass.’ Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers will not deliver a “single liter” of fuel to the U.S. Navy until U.S. President Donald Trump “is gone,” the company’s CEO told media outlet Kystens Noeringsliv on March 1 after Trump’s highly public dispute with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Lithuania invests $21 million in Ukraine’s arms industry, agrees to joint production. Lithuania has already invested 20 million euros ($21 million) in purchasing weapons for Kyiv from Ukrainian producers and will produce arms in cooperation with Ukraine, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on March 1.
Czechs crowdfund money to purchase Black Hawk helicopter for Ukraine. The volunteer initiative, called “A Gift for Putin,” began crowdfunding money for the helicopter in November 2023, rallying more than 20,500 donors to contribute a total of 72.3 million Czech Koruna ($2.9 million).
Starmer aims to bridge Trump-Zelensky rift as US expects apology, Bloomberg reports. Amid the diplomatic fallout, the Trump administration has privately signaled that it expects a public apology from President Volodymyr Zelensky to mend relations, European officials told Bloomberg.
Italy, UK can help mediate Zelensky-Trump dispute, Meloni says. With Washington’s role seen as crucial to any lasting peace in Ukraine, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have also reportedly sought to work behind the scenes to ease tensions between the two leaders.
Trump-Zelensky clash and US talks with Russia
In other news
‘Anora,’ film with former Russian propaganda actor wins 5 Academy Awards. The movie won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Editing, and Best Original Screenplay (Sean Baker).
Americans split on Ukraine, CBS News poll finds. 52% of respondents said they backed Ukraine in its fight against Russia. 44% of respondents said they were neutral. Only 4% of respondents back Russia.
Ukraine calls out IAEA staff for passing via occupied territories but pins blame on Russia. The statement came hours after Russian occupation authorities claimed that a rotation of IAEA personnel had taken place through Russian-controlled territory.
Putin congratulates winner of ‘election’ in occupied Abkhazia. Abkhazia, an occupied region internationally recognized as part of Georgia, has been under de facto Russian control since the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.
Russian, Chinese intelligence seek to recruit fired US federal employees, CNN reports. Russia and China are attempting to recruit U.S. federal national security employees impacted by the Trump administration’s layoffs, CNN reported on March 1, citing four sources and a document.
Russia pushing disinformation to damage Ukraine’s ties with Armenia, Azerbaijan, intel claims. Russia is spreading disinformation that accuses Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) of trying to instigate an armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, HUR said on March 2.
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