Saturday, March 15
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A person attends a gathering to pay her respect to the Ukrainian nationalist activist Demian Ganul who was shot dead, in Odesa on March 14, 2025. Officials said that a suspect had been detained and that they were probing a possible Russian connection. (Oleksandr Gimanov / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine, US discuss fate of Russian-occupied territories, Zelensky says. Previously, U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said that Ukraine-U.S. talks included discussions about potential “territorial concessions” as part of a negotiated settlement with Russia.
Kyiv says Ukrainian troops ‘regrouped’ in Kursk Oblast, denies encirclement. The General Staff said that Russia had been reporting an alleged encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast “for political purposes and to put pressure on Ukraine and its partners.”
Trump claims he asked Putin to ’spare thousands of surrounded Ukrainian troops’ in Kursk Oblast. “At this very moment, thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military, and in a very bad and vulnerable position,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote, without providing any evidence.
Ukraine troops in Kursk Oblast must surrender, Putin claims. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 14 that Ukrainian soldiers must surrender in Kursk Oblast after U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to “spare” the troops he claimed are surrounded. Ukraine denied claims that the country’s troops are surrounded at any part of the front.
Putin still seeks control over Ukraine despite US peace efforts, WP reports.
Some officials believe that even if Russia agrees to a temporary truce, Moscow will use the pause to rearm, violate the agreement, and create provocations to blame on Ukraine.
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Putin sent ‘additional signals’ to Trump on ceasefire proposal, Kremlin says.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin late in the evening on March 13, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
US has received ‘some pretty good news’ on Ukraine-Russia ceasefire, Trump claims. “I think we’ve had some very good results. I haven’t been able to say that to anybody else, I haven’t wanted to say it until just before I came here, I got some pretty good news.”
Ukraine forming team to develop monitoring mechanisms for potential 30-day ceasefire, FM Sybiha says. Kyiv agreed to the U.S.-proposed truce during talks in Jeddah on March 11, contingent on Russian adherence.
Ukraine’s cyber chief wants ‘tens of thousands’ more computer whizzes to combat Russian hackers. In December, Oleksandr Potiy took charge of Derzhspetszvyazku, or the State Service of Special Communications. The agency guards the Ukrainian government’s digital infrastructure.
Ukrainian drones strike Russian gas facilities, air defense missile depot, source claims. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) drones struck two gas compressor stations and a warehouse storing missiles for Russia’s S-300/S-400 air defense systems, a security source told the Kyiv Independent.
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Ukraine war latest: Kyiv denies Trump’s claims of Ukrainian encirclement in Kursk Oblast
Ukraine’s General Staff denied claims that Ukrainian troops were encircled in Kursk Oblast amid Russia’s offensive in the region. The General Staff said that Russia had been reporting an alleged encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast “for political purposes and to put pressure on Ukraine and its partners.”
Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
‘I can’t sit and watch it’ – US volunteers join Ukrainian army after Trump’s sharp policy turn
One of the most elite Ukrainian units accepting foreign volunteers received “a massive spike” of applications after the heated exchange between Trump, his Vice President JD Vance and President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to an international serviceman involved in recruiting.
Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine, EU look to deepen cybersecurity cooperation as Russian threat rises
Ukraine and Europe’s cybersecurity agencies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Kyiv International Cyber Resilience Forum to support joint research, and EU-funded projects in cross-border cybersecurity projects.
Photo: Kyiv International Cyber Resilience Forum
With Putin demanding new concessions for a ceasefire, all eyes are on Trump’s next move
As a U.S. delegation in Moscow worked to hammer out a ceasefire agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader responded by demanding extensive concessions in exchange for a ceasefire deal in Ukraine.
Photo: AFP via Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih injures at least 12, including 2 children. Russian troops attacked a residential area in Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with ballistic missiles, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky, remains a frequent target of Russian missile attacks.
What Germany under Merz means for Ukraine and Europe, according to expert
International response
Finland sentences Russian neo-Nazi mercenary Yan Petrovsky to life for war crimes in Ukraine. Yan Petrovsky, co-leader of the Rusich paramilitary unit, was convicted of war crimes in Luhansk Oblast on Sept. 5, 2014, during Russia’s invasion of Donbas.
Germany on track to commit $3.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Merz says. A German parliamentary coalition has agreed to allocate 3 billion euros (approximately $3.2 billion) in new military aid to Ukraine as part of a plan to dramatically scale up Berlin’s defense spending, incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz said on March 14.
US ‘cautiously optimistic’ on ceasefire progress after Putin meeting. “There is reason to be cautiously optimistic, but by the same token, we continue to recognize this is a difficult and complex situation,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 14.
Macron urges Russia to accept US-Ukraine ceasefire proposal. Kyiv agreed to the U.S.-proposed truce during March 11 talks in Saudi Arabia, contingent on Russia’s adherence to its terms.
G7 ministers affirm support for Ukraine amid US tensions with allies. The group’s communiqué, released on March 14, affirmed Ukraine’s “territorial integrity and right to exist,” while condemning Russian “acts of aggression.” However, its language was softer than the G7 leaders’ statement from November 2024.
Chinese state oil firms cut Russian crude purchases over sanctions fears, Reuters reports. “They are taking a break for now while contemplating if there are ways to work around,” a source told Reuters.
Opinions and insights
How Ukraine’s defense tech is shaping the future of warfare
“Ukraine’s battlefield has evolved into an innovation lab for modern defense technologies — transforming not only how wars are fought but also how peace is secured,” writes Anatoliy Khomenko.
Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Ukraine is the front line in the battle against oligarchic capitalism
“If Ukraine’s resistance is to mean something, the world must ensure that this is not just a war for survival but a moment that reshapes global power in the interests of people,” writes Graden Keller.
Photo: Mert Gokhankoc/dia images via Getty Images
In other news
Man suspected of murdering prominent Odesa activist detained, authorities say. Hours after prominent Ukrainian activist Demyan Hanul was assassinated in Odesa, law enforcement detained a potential suspect.
Belarus will not merge with Russia in the near future, Lukashenko says. “If we are going to burst through this open door, we will ruin everything we have done,” Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said.
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