There Is Good News Regarding Long-Range Drones: Our 3,000-Kilometer-Range Drone Has Successfully Passed Testing – Address by the President

17 March 2025 – 20:49

I wish you health, dear Ukrainians!

Today, I held a Staff Meeting. Several issues were discussed, but the key topic was drones – all types that we need. There is good news regarding long-range drones: our 3,000-kilometer-range drone has successfully passed testing. I am grateful to the developers and manufacturers. We are advancing a line of long-range capabilities that will help guarantee the security of our state. There was also a report on the use of Ukrainian missiles – the long Neptune, and we can say we are satisfied with the strike results. However, we need to produce more missiles, more drones, and this week, we will discuss this with our partners. Ukraine’s defense production capacity, combined with partner investments – primarily from Europe – forms a reliable foundation for a new security architecture that will inevitably be established on our continent. There is no alternative to this. Security is essential, and it is only a matter of time before everyone on the continent realizes that the old security architecture will no longer work. New solutions are needed. Sufficient modern technological weaponry. Sufficient defense spending. Sufficient investment in defense production. And most importantly – motivation. Motivation to defend one’s home. And this means contingents that have relevant combat experience, and that are trained by those who have already gained such experience.

Today, I held a meeting with the new Chief of the General Staff, Andriy Hnatov – together with Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, we outlined the top priorities. In particular, this concerns the corps system, which must be implemented as quickly as possible. In the near future, there will also be meetings with partners in Europe – specifically to work out the practical details of the future security system in Europe and the partner contingents ready to help secure peace in Ukraine. I expect a report from the Defense Minister on our preparations for these meetings. I also spoke today with President Macron of France. We coordinated our positions – both ahead of the conversation between President Trump and Putin and the upcoming meetings in Europe. I want to thank Emmanuel and all of France for their support.

It is very important that tomorrow marks one week since the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the sky, at sea, and on the front lines has been on the table. The implementation of this proposal could have begun long ago. Every day in wartime is a matter of human lives. Now, almost a week later, it’s clear to everyone in the world – even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years – that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war. For a week now, Putin has been unable to squeeze out ‘yes’ to the ceasefire proposal. He’s saying whatever he wants, but not what the whole world wants to hear. The unconditional ceasefire proposal is essentially about saving lives, allowing diplomats to work on ensuring security and a lasting peace – the proposal that Russia is ignoring. Pressure is needed to finally make Moscow accept that their war must be brought to an end.

Today, I also spoke with Argentine President Javier Milei. I informed him about the situation on the front line and in the negotiations. I told him that we are close to taking the first steps toward ending the war. And I called for Argentina’s voice to be heard confidently enough, as always, for the sake of peace.

And one more thing – about our life, our future, which will be secured despite everything Russia is trying to do to our country. Ukraine will preserve its independence. We will provide everything necessary for the development of our country and our people. I thank everyone who is already working toward this – for the sake of our resilience, Ukraine’s progress, Ukrainian education, and Ukrainian children. Today, together with the First Lady, I took part in the opening of the Mathematics Museum here in Kyiv – a modern, specialized educational space. And it is a task for the Ministry of Education, the Government as a whole, and regional authorities – to take this example of an educational space and expand it across the regions. Such opportunities and spaces should not be limited to Kyiv alone. Children across Ukraine need equal access to education and all educational opportunities. Right now, in wartime conditions, this is extremely difficult – but achievable. And after the war, it must be ensured even more so. I am grateful to everyone who advances science and education in Ukraine. To all who develop new educational initiatives and keep our entire educational infrastructure running. Teachers in schools, professors in universities, founders and staff of all Ukrainian educational projects – I am grateful to you! And we will certainly continue to support teachers, education, and new educational projects in Ukraine. Life must prevail. A just peace must be achieved.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelenskyy also did a digital briefing about diplomatic efforts today.

Georgia:

Day 111. We will prevail, and you can help us avoid whatever costs can be avoided by imposing sanctions on the dictatorship clan and calling for new, free and fair Parliamentary elections. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM

#GeorgiaProtests Day 111 continuous, Day 141 overall.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 2:42 PM

It gets better – there’s the Georgian Legion flag behind too! 🇬🇪🇺🇦

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 2:46 PM

🟥 The substantive hearing of Mzia Amaglobeli’s case will begin today, March 18, at 2 PM (Tbilisi time) at #Batumi City Court.

🟥 The case will be heard on the merits by sanctioned Judge Nino Sakhelashvili who does not have a criminal law qualification.

#RepressionInGeorgia
#MediaUnderAttack

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) March 18, 2025 at 5:03 AM

Judge Salikh Shainidze found Mzia Amaglobeli guilty of violating the law in this part of the arrest, convicted her of disobeying a police officer, and fined her 2,000 GEL (≈$720). Mzia is also arrested under the Criminal Code.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 9:58 AM

1/3
🟥 “During the Soviet repressions, people were executed without even standing trial. At least my court hearing is happening – so what if it’s just a formality? I have nothing to complain about,” Mzia Amaglobeli told the judge during her criminal case hearing.
The hearing is postponed to March 31

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) March 18, 2025 at 11:50 AM

2/3
🔴 Later judge Salikh Shainidze found Mzia Amaglobeli an “offender” in an administrative case for putting up a poster on January 11. The judge ruled her guilty of “disobeying a lawful police order and insulting police officers” – without any evidence.
Mzia was fined GEL 2000.

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) March 18, 2025 at 11:51 AM

3/3
📣“Fight to the end” – reads the poster Mzia showed everyone after Salikh Shainidze fined her for the offense she has not committed.

#RepressionInGeorgia
#MediaUnderAttack
#GeorgianProtests

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) March 18, 2025 at 11:51 AM

1/ The trial of Temur Katamadze is underway in Tblisi city court. Katamadze is in immigration detention for participating in protests and faces deportation. The Court is considering whether to grant him refugee or humanitarian status.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:31 AM

2/ Temur Katamadze was arrested on January 11 during a protest in Batumi under Article 173 of the Administrative Offenses Code, which pertains to disobeying a police officer. He was sentenced to five days in prison.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:31 AM

3/ After his release, on January 16 Katamadze was arrested again—this time facing deportation from Georgia to Turkey.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:31 AM

4/ On Jan 16, the MIA satted that Katamadze was detained in accordance with immigration laws. He is a descendant of Muhajirs. Katamadze said that he has lived in Georgia since 2012 and, despite numerous attempts, has not obtained Georgian citizenship.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:31 AM

5/ According to GYLA, Katamadze is appealing the Migration Department’s decision, which unjustifiably denied him refugee or humanitarian status within three days of his application.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:31 AM

6/ On February 28, Katamadze released a letter from prison, alleging continuous and deliberate pressure from the heads of the Migration Administration.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:31 AM

Much gratitude to the Clooney Foundation for taking up on monitoring @netgazeti.org director Mzia Amaghlobeli’s case!

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:41 AM

The US:

New Gallup poll: 46% of Americans say US not doing enough to help Ukraine against Russia’s war, marking a 16% increase since December to new high that dates back to 2022. At same time, proportions thinking US is doing too much (30%) or the right amount (23%) for Ukraine shrunk.

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— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.ft.com) March 18, 2025 at 11:33 AM

More from new Gallup poll, which shows Trump’s views on ending the Russia-Ukraine war don’t align with most Americans’: It also finds a 5% increase in percentage of Americans who think the US should continue to support Ukraine in reclaiming its territory, even if requires prolonged involvement (53%)

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— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.ft.com) March 18, 2025 at 11:33 AM

See the Gallup poll findings here: news.gallup.com/poll/658193/…

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— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.ft.com) March 18, 2025 at 11:34 AM

The disturbing bit isn’t that he thinks or posts this—that’s unsurprising. He’s a regular RT columnist. It’s that this is what the director of national intelligence is consuming. This is the person she amplified just yesterday. This is the worldview what will be shaping the assessments she oversees

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 12:14 PM

Back to Ukraine.

A senior Ukrainian official tells me that Kyiv has asked the White House for “full information” about Trump’s call with Putin and is waiting for a response. www.ft.com/content/75b3…

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— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.ft.com) March 18, 2025 at 2:44 PM

Noting the energy and infrastructure ceasefire the Kremlin said Putin had agreed to, a senior Ukrainian official told me: “It was our proposal—the partial ceasefire was the first step. The Americans decided to push for more.”
www.ft.com/content/75b3…

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— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.ft.com) March 18, 2025 at 2:43 PM

From The Financial Times:

Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia’s military to refrain from striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days, but stopped short of agreeing an unconditional ceasefire.

The Kremlin said the Russian president had “reacted positively” to a suggestion by US President Donald Trump to halt the attacks in a much-anticipated call between the two leaders on Tuesday.

It added that Putin “immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding order”.

In comments on Sunday, Trump had suggested that “land” and “power plants” would be divided between Kyiv and Moscow in any final peace settlement, a seeming reference to Ukrainian assets currently occupied by Russia.

But, rather than agreeing to the US president’s proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, Putin highlighted a “series of significant issues” about enforcing such an agreement and “serious risks” concerning Kyiv’s compliance.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the talks with Putin as “very good and productive”.

He added: “Many elements of a Contract for Peace were discussed . . . That process is now in full force and effect and we will, hopefully, for the sake of Humanity, get the job done.”

But readouts from the call offered no indication that Putin was willing to compromise on his maximalist goals to end the war, which amount in effect to ending Ukraine’s existence as an independent state while rolling back most of Nato’s expansion east of the former Iron Curtain.

The Kremlin said Putin stressed Russia’s “key condition to stop the conflict from escalating” and move towards a settlement would be a “total end to foreign military support and intelligence sharing with Kyiv”.

Last week, Kyiv signed up to Trump’s proposed 30-day truce after pressure from Washington, which had suspended military aid and intelligence sharing.

According to the Kremlin readout, Putin said on Tuesday he was ready to work with the US to end the war but insisted any agreement must “take into account the unconditional necessity to remove the initial reasons for the crisis and Russia’s legal security interests”.

The readout added Moscow and Washington would set up expert groups to work on paths to a ceasefire.

The White House said the two leaders had “agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace” and “stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia”.

It added they had “agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire”, with “technical negotiations” to begin on implementing a “maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea” followed by talks on a “full ceasefire and permanent peace”.

The Kremlin said Putin had reacted “positively” to Trump’s proposal on Black Sea maritime security and agreed to hold further talks on the matter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially floated the possibility of a truce on attacking energy targets in October, saying that it could pave the way to broader peace talks.

Zelenskyy said shortly after the White House and Kremlin statements that Kyiv would support the proposal to suspend strikes on energy infrastructure, but added the conditions Putin had attached to a full military truce showed his intention was to weaken Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader claimed Russia was preparing new offensives, pointing to what he said was a build-up of its forces on the border with Ukraine’s northern Sumy region.

Speaking at an online press conference, Zelenskyy said he “would really like President Trump to hear and see what Putin wants”.

He said later on X that Russia was undertaking fresh drone attacks on Tuesday evening on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, including a hospital in Sumy.

“And only a real cessation of strikes on civilian infrastructure by Russia, as proof of its willingness to end this war, can bring peace closer,” Zelenskyy added.

Asked about the call between Trump and Putin, a senior Ukrainian official involved in the peace negotiations said an energy infrastructure ceasefire was “the only realistic proposal because, ultimately, Putin wants war”.

The official added Kyiv had asked the White House for “full information” about the call with Putin and was awaiting a response.

More at the link.

Zelenskyy ⬇️

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— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 9:28 PM

Seven Russians decided to launch an offensive across an open field in broad daylight. What could possibly go wrong?
t.me/c/1377735387…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 2:18 PM

Russian occupied Crimea:

On the 11th anniversary of the annexation, activists of the “Yellow Ribbon” movement left dozens of resistance marks in Crimea.

“Occupation is temporary,” “Crimea is Ukraine,” and “Occupation is not a holiday” appeared on the streets and squares of Simferopol, Yalta, Bakhchisarai and others.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 12:24 PM

Kharkiv:

Russian FPV drone struck a civilian car in Kharkiv Oblast, killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring three others. Deliberate terror, nothing else.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 4:33 PM

Russian drones attacks damaged the Pechenihy lyceum, but the newly built underground educational space survived.

A security guard was unharmed. The lyceum sustained three holes, broken windows, and other damage, despite recent repairs following 2022 attacks.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 9:38 AM

At the start of their full-scale invasion, russians obliterated Ukrainian oil refineries. It wasn’t hard for them—we had even weaker air defenses back then. What we’re doing to their refineries now? Not even an original idea. They did it to us first.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 9:59 AM

This is the Merefa oil refinery in Kharkiv region. Yesterday, it faced its fourth russian attack. over 20 drones struck it. It wasn’t even working, as far as I know.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 9:59 AM

Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast:

Right after that, russian troops attacked infrastructure in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, leaving half the town without power. Every word from Moscow is a lie—every action proves it.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM

🇺🇦🇷🇺 Putin Breaks “Energy Ceasefire” within 3 Hours after Talks with Trump

Local sources report that a Russian attack targeted energy infrastructure in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, cutting power to half the city, per Tsaplienko.

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— Conflict Dispatch (@conflictdispatch.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 3:29 PM

Sumy:

Direct russian drone strike on the hospital in Sumy.
Ceasefire was rejected, I take it?

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 6:56 PM

Pokrovsk:

Pokrovsk is slowly turning into ruins as russian relentless bombings continue.

Another destroyed town in Ukraine.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 10:50 AM

Kherson:

Back in Kherson, listening to Putin and Trump’s “ceasefire” booming outside, as usual.

🔴40+ Shahid strike drones over Ukraine now

Odesa, Kyiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipro and Cherkassy regions under attacks

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— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 6:42 PM

The Kursk cross border offensive:

During the battles for Sudzha on the Kursk front, Russians used blue tape to disguise themselves as Ukrainian soldiers.
This was shown on their television.

That’s how stories about the “atrocities of the AFU” emerge later.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 7:43 AM

Belgorod, Russia:

It was always obvious Putin wouldn’t consider ceasefire while part of Russia was still occupied by Ukraine – hence the surge to crush the Kursk salient before “peace talks” with Trump. But this Belgorod incursion by Ukraine could now upset any Trump/Putin plans.

Never discount Ukrainian agency.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 1:32 PM

Krasnodar Oblast, Russia:

Krasnodar oil depot, russia 🔥

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:51 PM

Leningrad Oblast, Russia:

Video from the crash site of the Russian Mi-28

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 12:58 PM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron skeets or videos tonight. Here’s some adjacent materials.

You’re my heart! 💙😻
I can’t live without you! 💞

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— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 12:48 PM

Open thread!

There Is Good News Regarding Long-Range Drones: Our 3,000-Kilometer-Range Drone Has Successfully Passed Testing – Address by the President

17 March 2025 – 20:49

I wish you health, dear Ukrainians!

Today, I held a Staff Meeting. Several issues were discussed, but the key topic was drones – all types that we need. There is good news regarding long-range drones: our 3,000-kilometer-range drone has successfully passed testing. I am grateful to the developers and manufacturers. We are advancing a line of long-range capabilities that will help guarantee the security of our state. There was also a report on the use of Ukrainian missiles – the long Neptune, and we can say we are satisfied with the strike results. However, we need to produce more missiles, more drones, and this week, we will discuss this with our partners. Ukraine’s defense production capacity, combined with partner investments – primarily from Europe – forms a reliable foundation for a new security architecture that will inevitably be established on our continent. There is no alternative to this. Security is essential, and it is only a matter of time before everyone on the continent realizes that the old security architecture will no longer work. New solutions are needed. Sufficient modern technological weaponry. Sufficient defense spending. Sufficient investment in defense production. And most importantly – motivation. Motivation to defend one’s home. And this means contingents that have relevant combat experience, and that are trained by those who have already gained such experience.

Today, I held a meeting with the new Chief of the General Staff, Andriy Hnatov – together with Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, we outlined the top priorities. In particular, this concerns the corps system, which must be implemented as quickly as possible. In the near future, there will also be meetings with partners in Europe – specifically to work out the practical details of the future security system in Europe and the partner contingents ready to help secure peace in Ukraine. I expect a report from the Defense Minister on our preparations for these meetings. I also spoke today with President Macron of France. We coordinated our positions – both ahead of the conversation between President Trump and Putin and the upcoming meetings in Europe. I want to thank Emmanuel and all of France for their support.

It is very important that tomorrow marks one week since the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the sky, at sea, and on the front lines has been on the table. The implementation of this proposal could have begun long ago. Every day in wartime is a matter of human lives. Now, almost a week later, it’s clear to everyone in the world – even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years – that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war. For a week now, Putin has been unable to squeeze out ‘yes’ to the ceasefire proposal. He’s saying whatever he wants, but not what the whole world wants to hear. The unconditional ceasefire proposal is essentially about saving lives, allowing diplomats to work on ensuring security and a lasting peace – the proposal that Russia is ignoring. Pressure is needed to finally make Moscow accept that their war must be brought to an end.

Today, I also spoke with Argentine President Javier Milei. I informed him about the situation on the front line and in the negotiations. I told him that we are close to taking the first steps toward ending the war. And I called for Argentina’s voice to be heard confidently enough, as always, for the sake of peace.

And one more thing – about our life, our future, which will be secured despite everything Russia is trying to do to our country. Ukraine will preserve its independence. We will provide everything necessary for the development of our country and our people. I thank everyone who is already working toward this – for the sake of our resilience, Ukraine’s progress, Ukrainian education, and Ukrainian children. Today, together with the First Lady, I took part in the opening of the Mathematics Museum here in Kyiv – a modern, specialized educational space. And it is a task for the Ministry of Education, the Government as a whole, and regional authorities – to take this example of an educational space and expand it across the regions. Such opportunities and spaces should not be limited to Kyiv alone. Children across Ukraine need equal access to education and all educational opportunities. Right now, in wartime conditions, this is extremely difficult – but achievable. And after the war, it must be ensured even more so. I am grateful to everyone who advances science and education in Ukraine. To all who develop new educational initiatives and keep our entire educational infrastructure running. Teachers in schools, professors in universities, founders and staff of all Ukrainian educational projects – I am grateful to you! And we will certainly continue to support teachers, education, and new educational projects in Ukraine. Life must prevail. A just peace must be achieved.

Glory to Ukraine!

Georgia:

Day 110. The largest protest in weeks, triggered by added anger as the dictatorship seized funds aiding protesters, regime prisoners, & their families.
“You cannot silence SOLIDARITY!”
Without new, free and fair Parliamentary elections, there’s no resolution.
#GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 3:17 PM

Day 110. Today, they seized funds helping protesters and regime prisoners. And now, attendance is the largest that the last several weeks have seen.
We are stubborn in continuity and even more fierce under any added crisis. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 1:48 PM

Protesters are being fined 5,000 GEL (≈$1,800) en masse for blocking the road, with fines issued using facial recognition cameras. Citizens are trying confuse cameras.

📸 Natia Leverashvili/Publika

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 3:17 PM

Since protesters are all arbitrarily fined 4x the national monthly median salary through Chinese surveillance cameras, people come up with various forms of face masks and it almost looks like a masquerade now. Masks are banned too, but they can’t see who we are. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 1:02 PM

⭕️”Georgian Dream” plans to extend a law regulating broadcaster content to the internet, including online media. Archil Gorduladze, Chair of the GD’s Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, announced this today, March 17, during the bill’s second reading.
#RepressionInGeorgia

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) March 17, 2025 at 6:01 AM

The accounts of two other foundations were also seized: the Human Rights House and Prosperity Georgia.

These three foundations worked to assist protesters who were fined and arrested. Official reasons and details are unknown.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 7:18 AM

1/ The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has seized the bank accounts of 5 foundations. They worked to assist protesters who were fined and arrested.

#TerrorinGeorgia

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 9:24 AM

2/ The prosecutor’s office says funds’ accounts were frozen as part of a “sabotage” probe launched on Feb 8. They claim the funds were used for “anti-state actions,” including helping fined individuals pay.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 9:24 AM

3/ “A large part of the funds was used to meet the needs of individuals involved in illegal activities,” POG states.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 9:24 AM

4/ “The organizational and financial activities of specific funds are aimed at providing material assistance to lawbreakers and their family members”.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 9:29 AM

5/ „Fines are paid on behalf of lawbreakers, and other personal or organizational issues are addressed,” the POG writes, claiming that these legal entities have spent more than 2 million GEL since December 2024.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 9:29 AM

Acc/to Nanuka Zhorzholiani, other funds have also been frozen, including Prosperity Georgia (Nika Gilauri’s foundation) and Human Rights House Tbilisi’s foundation – both of which primarily cover fines of #GeorgiaProtests participants.

#RepressionInGeorgia

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) March 17, 2025 at 7:18 AM

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 9:49 AM

The judge issued a verbal warning to Publika journalist @AnortherAlex, who was brutally beaten and detained by the police while covering the protest. He was ‘convicted’ of failing to obey the police orders.

#TerrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 9:15 AM

The US Ambassador is currently meeting with the legitimate President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili.
It’s a significant step after her Friday’s meeting with GD Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili.
Likely, there’s some exchange of information and/or strategies being tested.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 6:27 AM

Kaja Kallas stated about the situation in Georgia:

“We are very concerned about the arrests of the people. We have also been putting pressure on those who are actually conducting the violence against the peaceful protesters”.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 4:00 AM

The US:

Last 24hrs, I think:
– Director of national intel says Trump & Putin “very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen … shared objectives”
– Trump openly talks about “dividing up certain assets” (i.e. Ukraine)
– Trump considering recognising Crimea as part of Russia

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 5:41 PM

Where is the borderline between cutting unnecessary spending and assisting dictatorship in hiding war crimes?

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 8:53 AM

Pre-emotive concession after concession after concession. Inept, malevolent or compromised negotiators.

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 4:03 AM

The world is silent, the russians are not punished, the USA admin is “dividing Ukrainian assets”.

“As long as it takes” didn’t take that long, eh?

#UkrainianView #Ukraine

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— Roman Yeremenko (@roalyr.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 1:33 PM

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said he would speak to Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Tuesday morning about ending the Ukraine war, with territorial concessions by Kyiv and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant likely to feature prominently in the talks.

“What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace, and I think we’ll be able to do it,” Trump told reporters in Washington on Monday.

Trump has been trying to win Putin’s support for a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week, as both sides traded heavy aerial strikes early on Monday and Russia moved closer to ejecting Ukrainian forces from their months-old foothold in the western Russian region of Kursk.

Trump said Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region were “in deep trouble,” surrounded by Russian soldiers.

He said his freeze on military aid to Ukraine earlier this month and his contentious Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy may have helped persuade Kyiv.

“A lot of people are being killed over there, and we had to get Ukraine to do the right thing,” he said. “But I think they’re doing the right thing right now.”

Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, accused Putin of prolonging the war, saying that when the Russian leader speaks to Trump, he will have been aware of the ceasefire proposal for a week.

“This proposal could have been implemented long ago,” he said. “Every day in wartime means human lives,” he said.

Asked late on Sunday what concessions were being considered in ceasefire negotiations, Trump said: “We’ll be talking about land. We’ll be talking about power plants … We’re already talking about that, dividing up certain assets.”

He gave no details, but appeared to be referring to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia facility in Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear plant. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of risking an accident at the plant with their actions.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a regular briefing on Monday that Trump and Putin would discuss a power plant “on the border” of Russia and Ukraine.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Trump’s remarks about land and power plants.

The Kremlin said on Friday Putin had sent Trump a message about his ceasefire plan via U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who held talks in Moscow, expressing “cautious optimism” that a deal could be reached to end the three-year conflict.

On Sunday, Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, emphasized there were still challenges to be worked out before Russia agrees to a ceasefire, much less a final peaceful resolution to the war.

Waltz was asked in an ABC interview whether the U.S. would accept a peace deal in which Russia was allowed to keep Ukrainian territory it has seized, and replied: “We have to ask ourselves, is it in our national interest? Is it realistic? … Are we going to drive every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil?

More at the link.

Lithuania and Poland:

Dear allies, the investigation of the Lithuanian prosecutor’s office has confirmed our suspicions that responsible for setting fires to shopping centres in Vilnius and Warsaw are the Russian secret services. Good to know before negotiations. Such is the nature of this state.

— Donald Tusk (@donald-tusk.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 7:51 AM

From The Financial Times:

Russian military intelligence was behind a fire at an Ikea store in Vilnius last year and at least one of the suspects is linked to other sabotage events in eastern Europe, according to prosecutors in Lithuania.

Artūras Urbelis, Lithuania’s chief prosecutor for organised crime, said that Russia was linked to the Ikea arson and other incidents through a chain of intermediaries.

“The organisers of these actions are Russia. It is linked to military intelligence, to the security forces,” Urbelis said on Monday.

Russia is accused of sabotage across Europe by a large number of western intelligence officials after a number of fires, parcel bombs, and acts of vandalism in recent months. The officials have said that Russia often pays people, including low-level criminals, to carry out the attacks.

A Polish court last month sentenced a Ukrainian man to eight years in prison for planning acts of sabotage and arson on Russia’s behalf. Polish authorities last week charged a Belarusian with an arson attack on a large DIY store in Warsaw on behalf of Russian intelligence. In the UK, a man last year pleaded guilty to accepting pay from foreign intelligence when setting fire to a Ukrainian-owned business in east London.

Keir Giles, senior fellow at Chatham House, described the attacks so far as ‘‘isolated pinpricks’’ but said hybrid warfare by Russia could pose a serious risk.

“If you strip out the random noise of apparently pointless vandalism like attacks on Ikea and shopping centres, and focus instead on the targeted reconnaissance and damage to communications and logistics infrastructure, it becomes clear how damaging this campaign could be if and when it transitions to mass co-ordinated attacks.’’ he said.

Authorities are also investigating whether Russia is behind a number of bigger acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea in the past two years after gas pipelines and electricity and data cables were cut by ship anchors.

The Kremlin has denied European governments’ accusations of hybrid warfare.

Prosecutors in Lithuania are treating the Ikea fire as an act of terrorism and believe the perpetrators are two Ukrainian citizens.

One suspect was arrested last May while he was on his way to the Latvian capital Riga to conduct a similar arson attack, according to Lithuanian prosecutors. The suspect, who was under-aged at the time of the attack, agreed to be paid €10,000 for both the Vilnius and Riga attacks, they added.

The suspect then placed an incendiary device in the Ikea store on the evening of May 8 with a timed fuse that went off at about 4am the next day. The suspect had already returned to Warsaw where they received a BMW 530 as a reward for completing the task, prosecutors added.

The second suspect is currently detained in Poland and part of the investigation will be transferred to Polish authorities, Urbelis said. The suspects appear to be connected to criminal acts committed in Poland as well, he added.

The Lithuanian prosecutor said Ikea was chosen deliberately because the furniture retailer had closed all of its stores in Russia.

More at the link.

Remember the correctly translated sage words of Long Dead Carl: war is politics with other means.

Back to Ukraine.

Dnipro:

A massive fire erupted in the suburb of Dnipro following a russian drone strike on an infrastructure facility.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 4:21 PM

Russian assault group targeted by heavy night bomber drone.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 2:19 AM

Kherson Oblast:

Russia continues to terrorize Kherson’s civilians, targeting them with drones on a daily basis—even children.

No one is spared from what they chillingly refer to as a “human safari.”

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 2:09 PM

Kharkiv:

Russian drones in Kharkiv skies right now ‼️

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 3:13 PM

The Kursk cross border offensive.

UA Defense Minister Rustem Umerov says claims of thousands of UA soldiers surrounded in Russia’s Kursk Oblast untrue, the UA army still controls “a significant number of kilometers” of Russian territory. UA soldiers tell the BBC a different story.
www.bbc.com/news/article…

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 3:58 AM

“There were no ‘Nazi atrocities,’ no executions, no rapes by the UAF. This is what differs from the official narrative.” – Kursk activist Vladimir Sinelnikov recounts the essence of his conversations with people who left the areas of the Kursk region that were under UAF control.
t.me/c/1377735387…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM

Zaporizhzhia Oblast:

An epic destruction of an enemy ammunition depot by an FPV drone operated by Special Operations Forces in the Zaporizhzhia direction.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 1:57 PM

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Video of the strike on the oil refinery in Tuapse, southern Russia, on March 14. The strike may have been carried out by one of Ukraine’s new “Long Neptune” missiles, which have a reported range of 1,000 km. Tuapse is about 950 km from Kyiv.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 3:43 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

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A new video from Patron’s official TikTok:

@patron__dsns

Не підведіть!🙂‍↕️🤞🏻 #песпатрон

♬ fade into you – refilmx

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

Don’t let me down! 🙂‍↕️🤞🏻 #песпатрон

And a machine translation on the caption over the picture:

Mykhailo said that if someone spells the name of my breed correctly, I won’t get any goodies…

Open thread!

After the Talks in Jeddah and the American Proposal for a Ceasefire on the Frontline, Russia Stole Almost Another Week of War – Address by the President

16 March 2025 – 21:38

I wish you health!

Today, I made personnel changes in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Together with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, we decided that Andriy Hnatov will be the new Chief of the General Staff. He is a battle-hardened man, and his key tasks will be maximizing combat experience of our brigades in operational planning, both defensive and offensive, as well as accelerating the development of the corps system. Everything our brigades have learned in this war must be fully implemented at the planning level. General Barhylevych has been reassigned from the position of Chief of the General Staff to the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense.

Today, the Commander-in-Chief also provided a report on the battlefield situation. Fighting and our defensive operations continue along almost the entire front line, including many key locations – from the Kharkiv region and the Kupyansk sector to the southern directions.

After the talks in Jeddah and the American proposal for a ceasefire on the frontline, Russia stole almost another week – a week of war that only Russia wants. We will do everything to further intensify diplomacy. We will do everything to make diplomacy effective. But every day now is about defending our independence, our state, and our people. We must remember – it is the support of our army, all our defense and security forces, and our state that determines everything.

I thank each and every one who does not forget that Ukraine’s defense and resilience are paramount. I am grateful to all Ukrainian soldiers, every one of our units. I thank everyone who works for our defense and for our state. I thank all Ukrainians for every fundraiser for our Ukrainian army. We must remember – as long as the occupier is on our land, and as long as air raid sirens sound, we must defend Ukraine.

Based on the results of the week, I want to give special recognition to the warriors of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces – thank you! Also, the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade – fighting in the Pokrovsk sector – well done! The 425th Separate Assault Regiment – thank you for your bravery in liberating positions from the occupiers. The 100th and 24th Separate Mechanized Brigades – thank you for effectively destroying Russian equipment and soldiers in the Toretsk and Kramatorsk sectors.

I just spoke with Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney. I thanked him for supporting Ukraine, our sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as for Canada’s participation in our joint efforts with partners to protect our people, bring peace closer, and guarantee lasting security. We discussed sanctions against Russia – particularly targeting Russia’s tanker fleet, its banks, and the revenue-generating schemes of the Russian state. With Prime Minister Carney, we discussed the outcomes of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, as well as its final document, which is quite strong. I would like to thank all our partners in the G7. Canada will continue to support Ukraine, and this is important. It is important that almost every day, Ukraine receives new signals of support: new defense packages, proposals for joint diplomatic efforts, and partners’ willingness to be more active.

Just now, Defense Minister Umerov reported to me on the fulfillment of tasks related to air defense – missiles for IRIS-T, NASAMS, and SAMP/T. There are good results in securing artillery contracts – additional shells will be provided for our army. The Defense Minister also provided an update on the organization of the next “Ramstein” meeting – we are preparing for Brussels. We are also working on a concrete security guarantees system for Ukraine: this week, a meeting of military representatives took place in France, and a meeting in the UK is being prepared. The first steps toward security guarantees are being taken. I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

Georgia:

Rustaveli is blocked again.

Day 109 of continuous protest.
#GeorgiaProtests

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 1:14 PM

Day 109. “Georgia, rise up! Revolt! No justice, no peace! Until the end!” #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 2:13 PM

Protesters are being fined 5,000 GEL (≈$1,800) en masse for blocking the road, with fines issued using facial recognition cameras. Citizens are trying confuse cameras.

📸 Natia Leverashvili/Publika

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 3:17 PM

Since people used garbage bins as barricades back in November-December, the petty Tbilisi City Hall refuses to put garbage bins on entire Rustaveli.
So, every single day we put up packages and collect garbage of the daily protests. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 1:42 PM

Switzerland:

Great piece by @mjruehl.bsky.social on Switzerland’s new defence minister Martin Pfister, an army colonel who reckons co-operation and joint training exercises with Nato, of which Switzerland is not a member, is “absolutely necessary”

@financialtimes.com

www.ft.com/content/38de…

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— Henry Foy (@henryjfoy.ft.com) March 16, 2025 at 8:13 AM

From The Financial Times: (emphasis mine)

Just two months ago, Switzerland’s new defence minister was seen as an outsider with little chance of securing a federal government post.

But Martin Pfister, an army colonel and cantonal minister who advocates for more defence co-operation with Nato and EU neighbours, is set to take office next month after defeating a more conservative rival earlier this week.

Co-operation and joint training exercises with Nato, of which Switzerland is not a member, was “absolutely necessary”, Pfister said last month, adding that while he was not pushing for his country to become a member, the defence alliance remained essential for Europe’s security.

His appointment highlights how even neutral Switzerland is feeling the urgency to bolster its defence, as US President Donald Trump threatens to unwind the American guarantees that have long underpinned the continent’s — and the Alpine nation’s — security.

In a news conference after the vote on Thursday, Pfister said Nato was “changing, we don’t know in which direction”. Interoperability and co-operation with European countries was crucial “if security is important to us”, he added.

Any shift in Switzerland’s neutrality stance would require a referendum and constitutional changes — a process that could take years.

But discussions have started to take place at several levels of government that could lead to a dramatic shift in a country whose very identity is deeply intertwined with neutrality, according to experts.

“I have never seen a scenario that depicts the situation we are in,” said Jean-Marc Rickli, head of global and emerging risks at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

“In transatlantic relationships there have been ups and downs but the US showing possible disengagement from Europe as well as siding with Russia . . . has sent shockwaves through Europe including Switzerland.”

A similar view is held by Matthias Zoller, secretary-general of the aeronautics, security and defence division of Swissmem, an industry body and lobby group.

“There is a sense of urgency that has not been there,” Zoller said. “Finally, both sides — parliament as well as the government — see that there is something to do and to change.”

Public sentiment has shifted towards more security co-operation with European neighbours, according to a study published last summer by the military academy at ETH Zurich and the Center for Security Studies.

The study found 53 per cent of respondents were in favour of closer ties with Nato — while the 10-year average on this question hovered around 43 per cent. Only 30 per cent wanted to join the alliance but that was still higher than the 10-year average of 23 per cent.

Zoller, who attended a hearing with Pfister ahead of his appointment, said the new defence minister “understands that whatever we do we need to collaborate with our neighbours”.

One of Pfister’s early tasks after taking office on April 1 will be to help draft the country’s first national security strategy, which could emerge by summer.

Discussions on the security strategy “will take place with a growing sense of urgency which is a good thing”, said Daniel Möckli, who runs the think-tank at the CSS at ETH Zurich, which is partly funded by the defence ministry.

“The formal draft security strategy will be the first of its kind and it will define our objectives. It should give an idea of where the government wants to take the country.”

Also under consideration are changes to export regulations. Bern prohibits arms exports if the destination country is involved in any wars, at home or abroad, including Ukraine.

The rules have been a source of discontent in Europe, especially for countries such as Germany, which was not allowed to re-export Swiss-made armaments to Ukraine.

That could change under Pfister.

“Martin Pfister confirmed he would fight for relaxation of export restrictions on Swiss war material and systems,” said Stefan Holenstein, a colonel in the general staff of the Swiss army who chairs the Association of Military Societies Switzerland.

More at the link.

Slowly, then all at once.

France:

🇫🇷 armament offensive incoming.
“Those who buy Patriot should be offered the new-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those who buy the F-35, should be offered the Rafale,” French president Macron says.
www.politico.eu/article/macr…

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— Björn Müller (@bjoernm.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 11:04 AM

From PoliticoEU:

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron wants to lead a charm offensive to convince EU countries to stop buying U.S. defense equipment and buy French and European instead.

Macron, who has been calling for years to direct defense spending toward EU products, said he wants to convince other European countries that are currently “buying American” to shift to local options.

“My intention is to go and convince European states that have become accustomed to buying American,” he said on Saturday in an interview with several French media including Nice-Matin and Le Parisien.

“Those who buy Patriot should be offered the new-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those who buy the F-35, should be offered the Rafale. That’s the way to increase the rate of production,” he said.

Macron’s comments come as European NATO members have become even more dependent on U.S. weapons than ever before.

This month, the Netherlands and Belgium confirmed they would still buy American-made F-35 fighter jets, while Portugal is wobbling about replacing its U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets with more modern F-35s because of “the recent position of the United States, in the context of NATO.”

Macron said he has asked French defense companies to cut red tape and reduce costs to become a more attractive option, Nice-Matin reported.

The French president also clarified what a possible deployment of European troops to help Ukraine could look like. The goal is to “deploy a few thousand men per nation, at key points, to carry out training programs” and “show our support over the long term,” he said.

Macron said that the conditions laid down by Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree on a ceasefire in Ukraine “are unacceptable.”

“This would mean a partial invasion of Ukraine and a freeze on the conflict, without offering any security or guarantees for the future,” Macron said.

More at the link!

The US:

As funding for Radio Liberty and Voice of America gets cut, Russia is spending millions to push its message in many languages abroad. Think they won’t rush to fill the gap?

— Maria Avdeeva (@mariainkharkiv.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 2:55 PM

If Putin manipulates Trump, he’ll regret it,” said Senator Lindsey Graham

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 12:11 PM

Senator Graham is not a smart man. Nor a very observant or perceptive one.

Back to Ukraine.

A Ukrainian fighter filmed a Russian fiber-optic drone getting caught in anti-drone nets. Such drones can’t be jammed by EW due to cable control, but the nets stopped it.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 10:34 AM

Ukrainian fighters showcased mobile air defense systems equipped with electronic sights, enhancing effectiveness against Shaheds, especially during night attacks.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 7:41 AM

Izium, Kharkiv Oblast:

Last night, russian forces attacked Izium in Kharkiv Oblast with three drones, striking homes. The attack killed a woman and injured three other civilians, including two teens.
#UkrainianView

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 5:33 AM

Last night, russia struck Izium in the Kharkiv region, killing one person and injuring 3 others

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 7:35 AM

Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast:

In occupied Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast, “brave” Russian soldiers (marauders) loot “humanitarian aid” from abandoned homes. They’re especially awed by “marvels of technology” like washing machines and toilets, which they haul off as trophies.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 11:31 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some related material.

Divers of Odesa region wish everyone a good morning and a wonderful Sunday rest 💙💛
Follow the rules and stay safe!
Have a good mood and take care of your loved ones! 🐕🥰
The Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region.

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— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 7:46 AM

Open thread!

The Path to Peace Must Begin Unconditionally – Speech by the President at the Virtual Meeting of State Leaders

15 March 2025 – 15:53

Thank you so much, Keir, thank you for this meeting, for organizing this meeting.

And thanks to all of you for supporting Ukraine.

I want to start with a few important points to my mind.

First – since Tuesday, there has been a proposal on the table for a ceasefire, a silence from war in the air, at sea, and on the front lines.

This is an American proposal – a full, unconditional ceasefire for 30 days.

And in that time, without killings, it would truly be possible to negotiate all aspects of a real peace.

Well, we talked about who would delay peace and slow everything down – and now we see it clearly. A ceasefire could have already happened, but Russia is doing everything to prevent it.

Putin is lying to everyone about the situation on the ground, especially about what’s happening in the Kursk region, where our Ukrainian forces continue their operations. Our troops have also stabilized the situation on the front in Donetsk region – I mean Pokrovsk. It’s a big work of our heroes and a big success, I think so. Putin is also lying about how a ceasefire is supposedly too complicated. In reality, everything can be controlled, and we have discussed this with the Americans.

The truth is, Putin has already dragged out the war for nearly a week after the talks in Jeddah In Saudi Arabia. And he will keep dragging it out.

This is Russia’s war – more than three years of full-scale fighting and destruction. To stop this, active pressure is needed, not just talks. Pressure on Russia. Strong measures are needed to take even the first steps toward ending the war. This includes sanctions – sanctions against Russia must not only be maintained but continuously strengthened.

And I ask you to take these steps and to work with your partners on this.

Second – we must define a clear position on security guarantees. Security is the key to making peace reliable and lasting. We need to keep working on the contingents that will form the foundation of Europe’s future Armed Forces. Peace will be more reliable with the European contingents on the ground and the American side as a backstop. There must be clear commitments on how this will function.

The same goes for investments in defense production – both in Ukraine, where it is now growing the fastest, and in your countries. Europe needs its own arsenals and the capability to produce the most advanced weapons. It shouldn’t take you 3 to 5 years to produce ammunition when it’s about your defense and it’s about your security. Please do it as soon as possible.

Also, I ask you not to forget about strengthening air defense – both in Ukraine and, in the future, in your countries. We all need protection. I thank each of you who is helping us with this air defense.

And this is a very bad signal – taking Russians’ opinion into account regarding the contingent. The contingent must be stationed on Ukrainian soil. This is a security guarantee for Ukraine and a security guarantee for Europe. If Putin wants to bring some foreign contingent onto Russia’s territory, that’s his business. But it is not his business to decide anything about Ukraine’s and Europe’s security.

And third – we need to unite not only Europe and the G7 but also all other countries around the world for the sake of peace. Many of you have connections across the globe – in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific region. We want to end this war in a just and final way. And we have mobilized diplomacy to the maximum to achieve this. And the world must understand that Russia is the only obstacle preventing peace.

I ask you to talk to everyone – from Brazil to China, from African nations to Asian countries – about the fact that real peace is needed. Peace through strength. Peace through forcing Russia to take all necessary steps for the sake of peace.

For many years, Putin has been lying to the world, claiming that he did not provoke or prolong this war. But now, with the ceasefire situation, everything is very clear. Whoever imposes unnecessary conditions that complicate and delay everything – that is the true cause of the war. Putin does it. The path to peace must begin unconditionally. And if Russia doesn’t want this, then strong pressure must be applied until they do. Moscow understands one language. I ask you to talk to America, to President Trump, to help bring peace faster. This can happen through full sanctions, strong pressure, forcing Russia to make peace.

Peace is possible. It’s possible when we all work, and work together – for peace, for security guarantees, for ensuring that the aggressor gains nothing from this war.

Thank you so much! Thank you for your support!

Glory to Ukraine!

Zelensky, at a briefing following the UK-initiated summit, emphasized that Ukraine will not recognize occupied territories as Russian. The US raised this issue in Jeddah and received Ukraine’s firm position.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 12:16 PM

He also revealed that Russia is attempting to encircle Ukrainian Armed Forces units in Kursk from Ukrainian-controlled territory, highlighted a persistent missile shortage, and stressed that if Russia violates a ceasefire, Ukraine will continue defending itself as it does today.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 12:16 PM

Georgia:

Day 108 of continuous protests—Rustaveli Avenue is blocked again. Today protesters hold banners in support of demonstrators in Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia.

#GeorgiaProtests

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 3:14 PM

Day 108. New, free and fair Parliamentary elections, and the release of the regime prisoners. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Local media outlet manager Gela Mtivlishvili reports that he was attacked by armed special forces person on the highway, and that the car is just behind him. Mtivlishvili is trying to escape the chase.
#terrorinGeorgia

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 11:34 AM

Gela Mtivlishvili’s media outlet, Mtis Ambebi, published a video of the attack on him. The footage shows an armed man dressed in black cursing:

“Khareba [Head of the Special Tasks Department], I’ll f**k the mother of anyone who doesn’t like him […]”.

#TerrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 3:09 PM

1/ On the night of March 14-15, a man was killed on Chavchavadze Avenue in Tbilisi. Eyewitnesses told Publika that an unknown person shot him multiple times with a firearm. Several passersby narrowly escaped the bullets.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 2:16 AM

2/ The investigation has been launched under articles related to premeditated murder and the illegal purchase, storage, and carrying of a firearm.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 2:16 AM

According to `Formula TV’ this is the person who killed a man on Chavchavadze Avenue last night. His face is uncovered, yet no one has been arrested.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 11:58 AM

The US:

News of the termination of funding for RFE/RL, emails placing Voice of America employees on indefinite leave, and the shutdown of the Wilson Center, on the same day, are a devastating blow to democracy and a major gift to anti-American authoritarian regimes worldwide

— Tatarigami (@tatarigami.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 4:40 PM

Voiceless America.

Trump has shut down Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

This is more alarming than one might think.

— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 6:34 PM

Putin’s first move as the President in 2000 was crashing an independent TV channel NTV and establishing government control over it. The channel set high professional standards, broadcasting live coverage and analysis of current events.

By 1999 the audience achieved 102 million.

— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 6:35 PM

During parliamentary elections in 1999 and presidential elections in 2000, NTV did not support Putin.

In May 2000, tax police, backed by officers from the general prosecutor’s office and the FSB, stormed the Moscow headquarters of NTV.

In April 2001, Gazprom took over NTV.

— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 6:35 PM

Within the next couple of years, two independent TV channels which absorbed the former NTV journalists, were also shut down.

Putin arrested and exiled the oligarchs and shareholders of the NTV channel and appointed his classmates and friends to managerial positions.

— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 6:35 PM

Of course, Putin and Trump did not invent it.

In 1917, Lenin issued a Decree on the Press, giving the government the emergency power to close down any newspapers that supported the counterrevolution. Security services could imprison and execute journalists and editors.

— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 6:36 PM

A monopoly on minds is crucial for totalitarian states.

Voice of America brought reality to those living behind the Iron Curtain. I remember my father listening to it in the kitchen at night. I would try to hear through the wall. It was the only way to know what was going on.

— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 6:36 PM

Now, America has no voice.

Who’s next?

— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 6:36 PM

‘as Dmitri Medvedev, the former Russian president, said on social media the other day, “If you’d told me just three months ago that these were the words of the US president, I would have laughed out loud.”’ www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/u…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 3:30 PM

From The NY Times: emphasis mine)

In a span of only 50 days, President Trump has done more than any of his modern predecessors to hollow out the foundations of an international system that the United States painstakingly erected in the 80 years since it emerged victorious from World War II.

Without formally declaring a reversal of course or offering a strategic rationale, he has pushed the United States to switch sides in the Ukraine war, abandoning all talk about helping a nascent, flawed democracy defend its borders against a larger invader. He did not hesitate when he ordered the United States to vote with Russia and North Korea — and against virtually all of America’s traditional allies — to defeat a U.N. resolution that identified Moscow as the aggressor. His threats to take control of the Panama Canal, Greenland, Gaza and, most incredibly, Canada, sound predatory, including his claim Tuesday that the border with America’s northern ally is an “artificial line of separation.”

He cut Ukraine off from arms and even American commercial satellite imagery, partly out of pique over his blowup in the Oval Office with President Volodymyr Zelensky, but largely because the Ukrainian president insists on a guarantee that the West would come to his country’s aid if Russia rebuilds and reinvades.

Mr. Trump has imposed tariffs on his allies after describing them as leeches on the American economy. And he has so damaged trust among the NATO allies that France is discussing extending its country’s small nuclear umbrella over Europe, and Poland is thinking of building its own atomic weapon. Both fear the United States can no longer be counted on to act as the alliance’s ultimate defender, a core role it created for itself when the NATO treaty was written.

No one knows how successful Mr. Trump will be in ripping asunder what every American president since Harry Truman has built — an era of institution-building that Mr. Truman’s secretary of state memorialized in a book entitled “Present At the Creation.” To live in Washington these days is to feel as if one is present at the destruction.

It could be four years or more before we know whether these changes are permanent or whether the guardians of the old system will hunker down, like soldiers seeking to survive in the trenches of Donbas. By then, the Western allies may have moved on from an America-centric system.

Or, as Joseph S. Nye Jr., the political scientist known for his work on the nature of soft power, said of Mr. Trump recently, “He is so obsessed with the problem of free riders that he forgets that it has been in America’s interest to drive the bus.”

“The big debate now is whether this is a tactical move to reshape our foreign policy or a revolution?” said R. Nicholas Burns, the American ambassador to China under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and to NATO under President George W. Bush.

“I’ve come to think it’s a revolution,” he said. “When you are voting with North Korea and Iran against NATO allies, when you are failing to stand up to Russian aggression, when you are threatening to take the territory of your allies, something has fundamentally changed. There is a breaking of the trust with allies we may never be able to repair.”

But Europe has dug in deeper with the Ukrainians, essentially dividing NATO’s largest power from all but a few of its 31 other members. Not since the Suez crisis in 1956 — when France, Britain and Israel invaded Egypt — has the United States found itself on other side of a conflict from its closest allies. But this breach has been deeper, and more fundamental.

One senior European official, speaking shortly after the Munich Security Conference last month, said that it was clear that Mr. Trump’s real agenda was to simply get a cease-fire — any cease-fire — and then “normalize the relationship with the Russians.”

The prospect so concerned European officials, who believe they could be next in Russia’s sights, that Friedrich Merz, the longtime promoter of the trans-Atlantic alliance who is poised to be the next chancellor of Germany, declared on the night of the German elections that his “absolute priority” would be to “achieve independence from the U.S.A.”

“I never thought I would have to say something like this,” he said, but he had concluded that the new administration was “largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.”

Other members of Mr. Trump’s national security team have talked about a “Monroe Doctrine 2.0.” That suggests a world in which the United States, China, Russia and perhaps Saudi Arabia take responsibility for their distinct spheres of influence. Sir Alex Younger, the former head of MI6, the British spy agency, said in a BBC interview that it reminded him of the Yalta Conference — the meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin in 1945 — where “the strong countries decided the fate of small countries.”

“That’s the world we’re going into,” he predicted, adding “I don’t think we’re going back to the one we had before.”

Of course, such an arrangement has long been a dream of Mr. Putin’s, because it would elevate the power of his economically declining state. But as Dmitri Medvedev, the former Russian president, said on social media the other day, “If you’d told me just three months ago that these were the words of the US president, I would have laughed out loud.”

More at the link.

Trump appointed Keith Kellogg, who seems not to be liked by Moscow, as special envoy to Ukraine. He’ll deal directly with Zelensky and Ukrainian leadership. Previously, Kellogg was Trump’s special representative for Russia and Ukraine.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 3:14 PM

First, it’s Lieutenant General Kellogg, he’s only got three stars. Second, this is a consolation prize because Putin has already vetoed Kellogg’s appointment to be the lead for trying to negotiate with Russia and Ukraine.

Germany:

⚡️Germany to commit $3.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Merz says.

A parliamentary coalition has agreed to support the new aid package, part of a plan to dramatically scale up Berlin’s defense spending, incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on March 14.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 14, 2025 at 10:06 PM

Germany’s incoming Chancellor Merz to approve supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine #Ukraine

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— AmplifyUkraine 🔱🇺🇦 (@amplifyukraine.eu) March 15, 2025 at 1:25 PM

From UAWire:

Upcoming leader Friedrich Merz, slated to become Germany’s chancellor in the coming months, is set to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, according to a report by Der Spiegel.

Kyiv has long requested these missiles from Berlin, aiming to strike deep behind Russian lines. Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been adamantly opposed, citing potential provocations against Russia. In contrast, Merz appears more decisive. Back in December 2024, as the head of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union, Merz pledged to approve the missile transfer should he assume the chancellorship—a promise he remains committed to, according to Der Spiegel.

Recently, major German political forces have agreed on a €3 billion increase for Ukraine’s military aid, some of which may be funneled towards acquiring Taurus missiles for the Ukrainian military.

Additionally, they’ve agreed to establish a €500 billion special fund to streamline defense project funding.

With Ukraine navigating turbulent ties with the United States, the Taurus missiles, weighing in at 1,400 kg and capable of hitting targets up to 500 km away, are seen as critical. Ukraine’s Air Defense has already started working on integrating the Taurus missile system into its Su-24 and F-16 fighters.

France:

Macron told Le Parisien that Europe could send troops to Ukraine without Russia’s consent. The Franco-British plan already interests several countries. The goal isn’t a mass of soldiers but a few thousand for training in Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv. It’s our support.
www.leparisien.fr/politique/tr…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 2:35 PM

Serbia and Hungary:

Mass protests are reported in Serbia and Hungary right now. In Belgrade, 500,000 demand Vučić’s resignation after the Novi Sad tragedy, with special forces surrounding his residence. In Hungary, thousands oppose Orbán over corruption and ties to Russia. Both leaders maintain pro-Russian stances.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 1:27 PM

❗️Mass protests against Orban are taking place in 🇭🇺Budapest. Hungarian Opposition Leader Peter Magyar: “Spring is here, the spring of the Hungarians, and together we will end Orban’s winter.”

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— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@militarynewsua.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 1:38 PM

Back to Ukraine.

Experimental Ukrainian interceptor drone armed with shotguns.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 10:33 AM

Chernihiv:

Apartment building is on fire in Chernihiv, after tonight’s russian drone strike on the city.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 5:17 PM

Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast:

⚡️Russian attacks in Nikopol kill 1, injure 3, including children.

Two girls, aged 11 and 3, were injured in the attacks, regional Governor Serhii Lysak said. The children are being treated at a medical facility in Dnipro. A 57-year-old woman was also injured.

A woman, 70, was killed.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 15, 2025 at 1:57 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Russia attacked the town of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast over a dozen times on March 15, killing one woman and injuring three people, including two children, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Two girls, aged 11 and 3 years old, were injured in the attacks, Lysak said. The children are being treated at a medical facility in Dnipro.

A 70-year-old woman was killed, according to Ukraine’s General Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors have launched a war crimes investigation as a result of the civilian casualties.

Another woman, aged 57, also suffered injuries, but is receiving outpatient care, Lysak said.

Russia attacked Nikopol and the surrounding communities with artillery and drones on March 15, according to Lysak. The attacks damaged a religious institution, five homes, two outbuildings, 15 solar panels, a car, and a power line.

Nikopol, located on the banks of the destroyed Kakhovka Reservoir, just across from Russian-occupied Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is a regular target of Russian attacks.

Oleshky, Kherson Oblast:

/1. Ukrainian air strike on bridge across the Konka river in Oleshky, Kherson region. Today. (46.6362164, 32.7227914)

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM

/2. Recently, Russian attempts to conduct offensive actions in the direction of the Dnipro river from the Oleshky side have intensified. I assume that this is why the attack was carried out now.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 10:53 AM

Pokrovsk:

A volunteer known by the call sign “Dutchman” has shared powerful new footage from the frontline city of Pokrovsk—battered but unbroken, a steadfast symbol of Ukrainian resilience.
Full video: t.me/wartranslated

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 4:42 AM

Donetsk Oblast:

The Kyiv Independent spent two weeks in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors of the front line in Donetsk Oblast, speaking to infantry and artillery commanders, medics, and the civilians now coming into Russia’s line of fire.

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNiV…

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 15, 2025 at 9:45 AM

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Zelenskyy: Long Neptune” has passed tests and has been successfully used in combat. Distance – 1000km.

Video shows strike on Russian Tuapse oil refinery. Based on the powerful explosion and the roar of the jet engine before impact, I would strongly suggest that this is the combat test in question.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 8:12 AM

Oil refinery in Tuapse continues to burn. Like Putin likes, Russians never get bored. Can easily imagine the next one coming to Moscow

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— Maria Avdeeva (@mariainkharkiv.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 12:39 PM

Tuapse Oil Refinery. Second day on fire🔥

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 7:49 AM

Seven more days and we get a new Ukrainian Jewish holiday. I do not make the rules.

That’s enough for tonight.

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Open thread!

We Continue Our Work to Unite Absolutely Everyone Who Can Truly Help, Who Can Strengthen Diplomacy and Bring Peace Closer – Address by the President

14 March 2025 – 19:55

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today has been a day full of diplomacy and negotiations that could bring us closer to peace. Now on the table is the U.S. proposal for unconditional ceasefire in the sky, at sea, and on the frontlines. Ukraine accepts this proposal, and from here, we can begin a swift move towards guaranteed security, towards the end of this war and towards a reliable peace. Our teams worked very well at the meeting in Saudi Arabia, and contacts with the American side are ongoing. We, Ukrainians, are very committed to a constructive approach. And it is still crucial to pressure Russia into being constructive. To put an end to all these Russian manipulations that could only prolong the war. I am grateful to everyone who is supporting Ukraine now, who is supporting our efforts and steps toward peace.

Today, I heard many right words about the need to end the war. I heard a lot of approval for Ukraine’s position. We continue our work to unite absolutely everyone who can truly help, who can strengthen diplomacy and bring peace closer. Today, I spoke with Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. I thanked him for his support, and for his prayers for Ukraine and for peace. The Vatican is very supportive of the realistic possibility of saving lives through a ceasefire. We also discussed the liberation of our people from Russian captivity, the return of deported adults and our abducted children. Today, I also spoke with Patriarch Bartholomew. He also expressed his support for our state and our people. Support for our diplomacy. I thank His All-Holiness. I have just spoken with American Pastor Franklin Graham, President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I am grateful for his support and prayers for peace, for Ukraine. He is a very wise man. And we really appreciate such voices in the United States of America – voices for peace. Today, I also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron – Emmanuel, as always, has a clear knowledge of all the details and offers good ideas. We analyzed the state of diplomacy today, the options available. We discussed the technical aspects of monitoring the ceasefire, possible next steps in diplomacy and in protecting our people and our Europe. Security guarantees, the situation on the ground, possible developments in the situation – in all of this, we have France’s clear support. We are grateful. Today, I also have a scheduled conversation with President Erdogan of Türkiye – I want to inform the President about our position on the ceasefire and our readiness for quick and honest diplomacy aimed at ending the war. Tomorrow, a Summit of European partners will take place: we will present our position and real information about current developments – developments on the frontline, in the Kursk region, and in all our contacts with partners. Security is a priority. Peace is a priority. Ukraine’s independence is a priority. I thank everyone who is helping! And today I honored our warriors with state awards. I am proud of all our heroes!

Glory to Ukraine!

Georgia:

Day 107. Last several days, there were actually fewer protesters on Rustaveli than during the coldest winter nights, and while we all know that public sentiments have not changed, we were still a bit concerned.
But tonight, since everyone knew that most people would be at the Public Broadcaster 1/2

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 2:14 PM

to support suspended Theater Uni students that demanded air time, many came to Rustaveli so that the continuity would be there.
This underscored once again that we have people ready, we just need a better internal political strategy, which I hope will be improving within weeks. 2/2
#GeorgiaProtests

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 2:14 PM

1/ A protest rally was held in front of Georgian Public Broadcaster today, continuing almost non-stop since November 28. Protesters demand that GPB, which receives over 100 million GEL from the budget, report the truth instead of GD propaganda.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 2:03 PM

2/ Today, those gathered near GPB expressed support for Theater University students whose status was suspended for participating in the protests but reinstated yesterday. Today GPB gave them an airtime.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 2:03 PM

When instead of hanging out in a bar your friend group at college is bonded by liberating the nation. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 3:21 PM

🧵1. Russian Civil Activists in Georgian Prison

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM

2.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM

3.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM

4.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM

5.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM

6.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM

3 actors from the Rustaveli Theatre who expressed support on stage for those arrested during protests were removed from the spectacle.

#TerrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 9:31 AM

Finland:

In Finland, commander of the Neo-Nazi Rusich unit Yan Petrovsky (aka “Vojislav Torden” lol) has been sentenced to life in prison for war crimes committed against Ukrainian soldiers in 2014, including mutilating one’s face with a kolovrat before he died, among others

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— Michael Colborne (@colborne.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 4:47 AM

Portugal:

Portugal is reconsidering its purchase of F-35 fighter jets, a program estimated to cost around $6 billion, and is looking at European alternatives.https://www.outono.net/elentir/2025/03/14/portugal-reconsiders-the-purchase-of-the-f-35-due-to-the-turn-in-us-foreign-policy/

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 3:53 AM

Moscow on the Potomac:

EXCLUSIVE: Investigators tracking Ukranian children abducted and taken to Russia have had to stop work as the Conflict Observatory’s funding is cut by Elon Musk’s DOGE.

The funding freeze impacts intelligence sharing w Ukraine and the efforts to bring these kids home
inews.co.uk/news/world/m…

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— Sanya Burgess (@sanyaburgess.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 8:19 AM

From iNews:

The world-leading unit helping to rescue Ukrainian children stolen by Russia has been axed amid Elon Musk’s slashing of US government spending, The i Paper can reveal.

Thousands of children have been removed from Ukraine and taken to Russia during the conflict, in a campaign of “unlawful deportation”.

The US government has been funding a specialist team based at Yale University, who have used open source technology to trace the lost children and help repatriate them.

But this team, which has already helped to locate hundreds of children, has now had its funding paused, amid tech tycoon Musk’s chainsaw slashing of the federal budget via the so-called department of government efficiency (Doge).

Donald Trump ally Peter Marocco has been leading on cuts to US foreign aid and development programmes, reportedly visiting offices alongside members of Doge. While Musk has not personally been overseeing individual funding freezes he has been setting the strategy and tone for deep government spending cuts in Washington.

There have been more than 19,500 reports of “unlawful deportation and forced transfer of children”, with campaigners claiming Russia is taking the children to erase Ukrainian culture and indoctrinate the younger generation into a pro-Russia mindset. Mykola Kuleba, founder of the charity Save Ukraine, previously said: “Russia is stealing our future.”

Around 1,240 children have so far been repatriated, according to Bring Kids Back UA, an initiative launched by Volodymyr Zelensky to rescue all children from deportation and occupation.

When the search team gathers evidence, it passes the lead to Ukrainian authorities to attempt to bring back the children. The i Paper has confirmed that Yale Humanitarian Research Lab’s data has been used to reunite some families.

The decision to cut funding could now harm Ukraine’s capabilities to reunite more children with their families.

A report from the Yale team, published in December, said: “Russia’s program [sic] of coerced adoption and fostering of children from Ukraine has been intentionally and directly authorized [sic] by Putin and senior officials of the Russian Federation.”

More at the link.

‘Putin first made the claim earlier in the week when he said Ukrainian troops had been surrounded during a retreat from Russia’s Kursk region, and had the choice to “surrender or die”. Trump repeated Putin’s claim’ www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 2:33 PM

From The Guardian:

Vladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump for “doing everything” to improve relations between Moscow and Washington, after Trump said the US has had “very good and productive discussions” with Putin in recent days.

Putin told a meeting of his security officials that improved relations with the US were now on the agenda. “We know that the new administration headed by President Trump is doing everything to restore at least something of what was basically destroyed by the previous US administration,” he said.

Putin also responded to an appeal by Trump to save the lives of “thousands” of surrounded Ukrainian soldiers, and said he would heed it as long as the soldiers surrendered. But no evidence has emerged to back up Putin and Trump’s claims that there is a large-scale encirclement of Ukrainian troops, a claim explicitly denied by military heads in Kyiv.

The exchange of warm words between Trump and Putin is likely to cause further alarm in Kyiv and European capitals, already spooked by signs of the new US administration cosying up to Moscow while exerting pressure on Ukraine.

The remarks came after Steve Witkoff, Trump’s close ally and special envoy to the Middle East, held late-night talks with Putin on Thursday to discuss the US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire in the war on Ukraine.

Kyiv has already accepted the proposal, while Putin on Thursday set out a series of sweeping conditions that would need to be met before Russia would agree to the truce, which includes the condition that Ukraine should neither rearm nor mobilise during the 30-day truce.

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, however, Trump said there was a “very good chance” the war between Russia and Ukraine could “finally come to an end”.

Trump also said he had appealed to Putin to save the lives of “thousands of Ukrainian troops” supposedly surrounded by the Russian army. Putin first made the claim earlier in the week when he said Ukrainian troops had been surrounded during a retreat from Russia’s Kursk region, and had the choice to “surrender or die”.

Trump repeated Putin’s claim, writing that thousands of troops had been “completely surrounded” during the retreat. He wrote: “I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared. This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II. God bless them all.”

Later, in a speech at the justice department in Washington on Friday, Trump appeared to chide Ukraine for seizing Kursk. “First of all you don’t want to pick on somebody that’s a lot larger than you, even with the money,” he said. “There’s a lot of money that we gave them and a lot of equipment. We make the best military equipment in the world.

“But even with all of that, it’s unbelievable. Right now you have a lot of Ukrainian soldiers that are encircled and in grave danger, and I’ve asked them not to kill those soldiers please, not to kill those soldiers. We don’t want them killed.”

Putin told his security council he had heard Trump’s appeal, and said the lives of Ukrainian troops would be spared if they surrendered. Ukrainian military and independent analysts, however, denied there was an encirclement of troops.

Ukrainian general staff wrote in a statement published on their media channels: “Reports of the alleged ‘encirclement’ of Ukrainian units by the enemy in the Kursk region are false and fabricated by the Russians for political manipulation and to exert pressure on Ukraine and its partners. There is no threat of encirclement of our units.”

Ukrainian security sources, independent military analysts and even pro-Russian Telegram channels disputed the encirclement claims by Putin and Trump.

Soldiers fighting in the region say a staged withdrawal has been under way for two weeks, and while many soldiers have faced a dangerous and challenging route to withdraw, they do not believe there is a mass encirclement of troops. “After seven months, we simply withdrew. There was no encirclement,” one senior security official said on Thursday.

Michael Kofman, a military analyst at Carnegie Endowment, described the claims of a mass encirclement as “fiction”.

Some influential Russian pro-war military bloggers have cast doubt in recent days of the encirclement claims by Russian officials, saying none of the signs of such an action have been visible.

Our team has a good understanding of the situation in Kursk. There are no encircled troops. The retreat was generally organized but occasionally chaotic. There is no threat of encirclement, and no evidence suggests otherwise. It’s wise to rely on intelligence, not Putin’s word

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— Tatarigami (@tatarigami.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM

Claims that thousands are encircled in Kursk dangerously align with Putin’s staged narrative and Russian propaganda—there is no such encirclement

— Maria Avdeeva (@mariainkharkiv.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 3:07 PM

Back to Ukraine:

After arming FPV drones with shotguns, Ukraine now testing a drone armed with an unguided aviation rocket.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 5:03 AM

Four Russian Pantsir-S1 air defence systems targeted by FPV drones.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 12:15 PM

Kryvyi Rih:

Russian forces launched another attack on Kryvyi Rih, striking civilian facilities with missiles. So far, at least 11 civilians are reported wounded.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 4:12 PM

Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih tonight

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 3:32 PM

Zolochiv, Kharkiv Oblast:

Last night, russian troops targeted a hospital in Zolochiv, Kharkiv Oblast, with a drone strike, setting it ablaze. As rescue workers fought to save lives, they struck again—a deliberate attack on both the wounded and those trying to save them.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 3:57 AM

A hospital in Zolochiv, Kharkiv region, was hit by russian drones overnight, causing significant damage and injuring a medical worker. The initial strike ignited the hospital’s roof, and a subsequent attack occurred 40 minutes later. Yet another double tap aimed at rescuers.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 8:57 AM

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Today, passengers aboard the train to Tuapse in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, marveled at a breathtaking, awe-inspiring landscape unfolding beyond their windows, thanks to Ukrainian UAVs.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 11:48 AM

Russian oil refinery in Tuapse was targeted by drones once again tonight.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 4:16 AM

Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia:

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones continue to strike Russian military targets deep in enemy territory. Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod region: the moment of a UAV attack on a military training ground was recorded just moments ago.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 8:14 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

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There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material.

I will never stop sharing how much I respect the Ukrainian people and their cats.

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— The Spirit of Lorenzo the Cat (@lorenzothecat.bsky.social) March 10, 2025 at 8:06 AM

Look at that magnificent hunk of a badass Ukrainian cat.

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— The Spirit of Lorenzo the Cat (@lorenzothecat.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 7:46 PM

Open thread!

We Are Not Setting Conditions That Complicate the Process – Russia Is – Address by the President

13 March 2025 – 21:13

I wish you health!

Today’s events. A visit from a delegation of the Dutch Parliament. I expressed my gratitude for their support, and we discussed further joint work within the European Union.

A visit from Türkiye’s delegation – government officials and business representatives. Our friends, our important partners. Many things truly unite our nations, and we are grateful to Türkiye for its support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for backing our efforts for peace. Today, we discussed further cooperation, including mutual investments, the engagement of Turkish businesses in Ukraine, and how our entrepreneurs can expand their operations in Türkiye. This evening, together with representatives from Türkiye, together with representatives of all our Muslims – military and civilian, together with representatives of the Crimean Tatar people, we took part in an iftar. This has already become a good Ukrainian tradition of respect – respect for all those who observe Ramadan. And everyone at today’s iftar spoke about how important it is that prayers for peace and for Ukraine help us defend our country, our independence, and bring this war to an end as soon as possible, ensuring lasting security.

Especially now, as we have all heard from Russia Putin’s highly predictable and manipulative words in response to the idea of a ceasefire on the front lines – at this moment he is, in fact, preparing to reject it. Of course, Putin is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war and keep killing Ukrainians. That’s why, in Moscow, they are surrounding the ceasefire idea with such preconditions that it either fails or gets dragged out for as long as possible. Putin does this often – he doesn’t say ‘no’ outright, but he drags things out and makes reasonable solutions impossible. We see this as yet another round of Russian manipulation.

There was a U.S. proposal for an unconditional ceasefire – in the air, at sea, and on the front lines. We in Ukraine accepted this proposal. We have heard from the American side that there is readiness to organize monitoring and verification. And this is absolutely feasible – with American and European capabilities. And during the ceasefire, to prepare answers to all questions about long-term security and a real, lasting peace, and to put a plan to end the war on the table. Ukraine is ready to work as quickly and constructively as possible. We have discussed this with U.S. representatives, and our European partners, as well as all our allies worldwide, are aware of it. We are not setting conditions that complicate the process – Russia is. As we have always said, the only one stalling, the only one being unconstructive, is Russia. They need this war. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war day after day. Now is the time to increase pressure on him. Sanctions must be applied – ones that will work. We will continue working with our American and European partners and with everyone in the world who wants peace – to force Russia to end this war.

And one more thing. I want to commend our warriors who, despite everything, hold their positions on the ground, giving diplomacy a chance. The 3rd Brigade of the National Guard, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, the 59th Separate Assault Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces, and the 425th Separate Assault Regiment – I thank all of you, warriors! Thank you to each and every one who defends Ukraine, who helps, who cares for our country and our people, and who contributes to Ukraine’s resilience. We will surely secure a just peace for Ukraine.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelenskyy also attended an Iftar dinner.

President Takes Part in Iftar and Honors Warriors with State Awards

13 March 2025 – 21:44

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with Ukrainian warriors of the Islamic faith, leaders of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, representatives of the Muslim community and clergy, heads of foreign diplomatic missions, Turkish Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat and Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, took part in an iftar – the evening meal observed during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Head of State noted that this year, the diplomatic efforts of Ukraine and its partners to advance a just and lasting peace and guarantee security for our country, have coincided with Ramadan. A successful meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. diplomatic representatives was recently held in Saudi Arabia.

“All of us in Ukraine hope that this international effort will succeed and that a ceasefire in the skies, at sea, and on the front lines will help bring peace. We are grateful to all our partners who support us. May the prayers of our people and our friends for peace and for Ukraine help fulfill the efforts of the United States, Europe, and the entire world to bring about peace and security – efforts of our warriors and all our citizens,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President emphasized that Russia may prolong the war, so the world must be prepared to respond. For Ukraine, it is now crucial that the unity which helped our people endure is preserved and continues to strengthen Ukraine in times of diplomacy.

The Head of State also emphasized that Ukraine remembers all those in captivity, in temporarily occupied territories, and our Ukrainian Crimea.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored Ukrainian Muslim defenders with state awards.

In particular, he presented the Order of the Golden Star of the Hero of Ukraine to the family of fallen soldier Diliaver Seitkhaliliyev. Since March 2024, he had been carrying out combat missions as part of an assault unit in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. He took part in eliminating Russian occupiers on the outskirts of Toretsk. In January of this year, his unit came under heavy shelling near Pokrovsk. Diliaver Seitkhaliliyev saved four brothers-in-arms but sustained fatal injuries.

The President also presented warriors with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III class; the Orders “For Courage,” III class; the Orders of Danylo Halytskyi; and the Medals “For Military Service to Ukraine.”

The Head of State, together with the iftar participants, viewed an art exhibition dedicated to mosques and religious centers that were destroyed as a result of Russian aggression. The event took place in a building that had been damaged last September by a Russian drone attack.

Georgia:

Day 106 of #GeorgiaProtests. People are gathering now.
Came across a girl who’s reading @timothysnyder.bsky.social’s The Reconstruction of Nations.
I took her permission to post and she told me she had begun reading history due to the recent events in Georgia.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 1:01 PM

Yesterday’s protest at the Public Broadcaster ended with a pledge to hold on air debates on Friday between the Theater University Rector and the students suspended due to protests.

Now, they made it known that the students were reinstated.
Anything to avoid on air debates…

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM

“Based on the statements of students, lecturers, staff, and in the best interests of the University, the Rector has decided not to apply the most harsh measure of disciplinary responsibility against students – termination of status,” – States Theatre And Film University.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 3:09 PM

Another lecturer from the TSU Law Faculty, Tamar Tatanashvili, has been dismissed for supporting protests. She is the 3rd lecturer to be dismissed from TSU in the past five days for this reason. Giorgi Tsertsvadze and Irina Kherkheulidze were also dismissed.

📸 rfe/rl

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 5:12 AM

25-year-old Tornike Goshadze is among those arrested during the large-scale protests in Tbilisi. He, along with others, faces a prison term up to six years.

#TerrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 10:57 AM

Extremely alarming – Chinese takeover of the eastern Black Sea region, and just kilometers away from a planned Russian naval base in the occupied Ochamchire town too.

The Georgian Dream is a security threat to the Euro-Atlantic security architecture.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 7:52 AM

The Baltics:

⚡️ Putin aide claims NATO ‘threatens’ Russia in Baltic region.

Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev claimed on March 13 that NATO is deliberately “escalating” tensions in the Baltic region.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 13, 2025 at 9:11 AM

His comments come amid NATO’s warnings that Russia may be ramping up hybrid operations in the region. Several undersea cables were damaged in recent months, leading the alliance to increase its presence in the Baltic Sea.

— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 13, 2025 at 9:12 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev claimed on March 13 that NATO is deliberately “escalating” tensions in the Baltic region, portraying the alliance as a threat to Russia’s security.

His comments come amid NATO’s warnings that Russia may be ramping up hybrid operations in the region. Several undersea cables were damaged in recent months, leading the alliance to increase its presence in the Baltic Sea.

Speaking to National Defense, a Russian military and political magazine, Patrushev alleged that NATO’s naval forces are working to “block” Russia in the Baltic while ignoring diplomatic engagement with Moscow.

Patrushev further accused the alliance, particularly the U.K., of provoking instability in the region. “The forecast of the situation in the Baltic allows us to draw attention to the deliberate fomentation of regional tensions by the naval forces of European countries of the alliance,” he said.

Patrushev also claimed, without evidence, that NATO is conducting cyberattacks on Russian ships‘ navigation systems to create maritime emergencies, including accidents and infrastructure failures.

While Russian-linked vessels have been detained in connection to damaged Baltic Sea cables, Western intelligence agencies remain divided on whether they were acts of sabotage or accidental damage.

Tensions between NATO and Russia have risen following Moscow’s all-out attack against Ukraine. Western leaders and intelligence agencies have warned of a potential large-scale war in Europe within the next five years, citing Russia’s increasingly aggressive posture.

I know it may be hard to imagine, but Patrushev is actually worse than Putin.

Finland:

⚡️Finland announces $217 million military aid package for Ukraine.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen confirmed that the package includes artillery ammunition, citing Ukraine’s urgent need for such supplies.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 13, 2025 at 7:19 AM

Canada:

⚡️ Ukraine receives $1.7 billion from Canada under G7 loan covered by Russian assets.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 13, 2025 at 10:00 AM

Sweden:

🇸🇪The Government of Sweden has authorized the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration to procure 18 Archer guns for donation to Ukraine.

FMV will also procure 5 Arthur artillery location radar systems for Ukraine. regeringen.se/sveriges-reg…

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 11:45 AM

The US:

1/4. Ukraine has proposed a ceasefire without conditions. Russia will almost certainly reject this and try to dictate to Witkoff that the US help Russia achieve colonial control of Ukraine, something that Russia could never achieve on its own.

— Timothy Snyder (@timothysnyder.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 10:27 AM

2/4. Then we see if there is any actual US policy to get Russia to do what Ukraine has done, to accept a ceasefire, or if the US is an ally of Russian imperialism and this whole process has just been a cover story for American submission to Russian wishes.

— Timothy Snyder (@timothysnyder.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 10:27 AM

3/4. If Witkoff comes back from Russia endorsing Russian demands regarding Ukrainian sovereignty we have our answer.

— Timothy Snyder (@timothysnyder.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 10:27 AM

4/4. Russia has no more right to dictate anything that happens inside Ukraine than Ukraine has to dictate what happens inside Russia. And the “root causes” of this war are all inside Russia, as the Russians are reminding us.

— Timothy Snyder (@timothysnyder.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 10:27 AM

The US president said he would like to see a ceasefire from Russia and hopes that “Russia will do the right thing,” because if not, it will be a very “disappointing moment for the whole world.”

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 1:28 PM

Back in reality:

“Putin thinks Trump is an easy mark. And as a former KGB agent, Putin knows exactly how to manipulate him, and I think that’s what he’s been doing since the inauguration, if not before,” former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton told the Kyiv Independent.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 13, 2025 at 2:50 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Instead of approaching the war in Ukraine from a geopolitical or moral perspective, U.S. President Donald Trump is framing his policy on Russia through the lens of his personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton.

“Trump thinks Putin is his friend. He trusts Putin,” Bolton told the Kyiv Independent.

“Putin thinks Trump is an easy mark. And as a former KGB agent, Putin knows exactly how to manipulate him, and I think that’s what he’s been doing since the inauguration, if not before,” he explained.

Bolton served as the national security advisor to Trump from 2018-2019 during his first administration. Bolton’s 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” offers a candid account of the tumultuous turn his working relationship with Trump took, highlighting his concerns about Trump’s ability to effectively lead, including his impulsive decision-making on complex policy issues and lack of understanding of the importance of a strong U.S. foreign policy.

In an interview with the Kyiv Independent, Bolton provided his insight on why Trump appears so eager to appease the Kremlin, why any U.S. attempt to align with Russia to deter China would be a “fantasy,” and the opportunities the U.S. has missed for more than a decade to deter Russian aggression not only in Ukraine but beyond.

This interview was conducted several hours before Putin signaled he was ready for a ceasefire on the condition that Ukraine doesn’t receive more military aid or build its military. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The Kyiv Independent: Trump has repeatedly claimed that negotiating with Russia is easier than with Ukraine. Despite Russia’s nightly attacks on Ukraine, he continues to insist that Putin wants peace. Why do you think Trump is so eager to cater to the Kremlin’s interests, especially when they have such maximalist demands?

John Bolton: Trump has said many times publicly that he believes if he has good relations with a foreign head of state, then the U.S. has good relations with that country. And the opposite is also true. If he has bad relations with a foreign head of state, U.S. relations with that country are bad. Trump thinks Putin is his friend. He trusts Putin. He has said in just the past few weeks, “Putin says he wants peace, and I trust him. I think if he didn’t want peace, he would tell me.”  So that gives you a pretty good idea of how he sees Putin.

Now, I don’t think Putin thinks he’s Trump’s friend at all. I think Putin thinks Trump is an easy mark. And as a former KGB agent, Putin knows exactly how to manipulate him, and I think that’s what he’s been doing since the inauguration, if not before.

The notion that Russia is easy to deal with dates back to 2018, when Trump left Washington for the NATO summit — where he nearly withdrew from the alliance — before heading to Helsinki for a bilateral meeting with Putin. As he was leaving the White House to get on helicopter Marine One, he said to the assembled press, “You know, I’ve got this NATO meeting, then I’m going to meet Prime Minister Theresa May in London, then I’m going to meet Putin in Helsinki. You know, the meeting with Putin could be the easiest of them all. Who would think it?”

Well, there’s only one person who would think it, and it’s Trump. That was almost six years ago, and nothing has changed. The facts about Russia’s conduct in the war — being the aggressor from the start — simply don’t matter to Trump. After all, he believes in helping his friends.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has had a strained relationship with Trump — through no fault of his own or Ukraine’s — ever since the infamous “perfect phone call” in the summer of 2019, which ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment. And Zelensky has tried very hard, I think, in the past six months to build a relationship with Trump, but as we saw in the catastrophe in the Oval Office a few weeks ago, it hasn’t worked. And there are people like U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who I think have also decided they don’t like Zelensky and don’t like Ukraine — Vance once said in his 2022 Senate campaign, “I don’t care what happens to Ukraine.”

It’s an uphill struggle.

The Kyiv Independent: The Republican Party historically championed strong defense policies and deterrence against U.S. adversaries like Russia. What do you think accounts for the party’s shift in attitude toward Ukraine?

John Bolton: I believe a majority of Republicans actually still support Ukraine, certainly out in the country among Republican voters. And I think quietly behind the scenes, a majority in Congress do, too, but they’re intimidated by Trump.

They’re very worried that he will support candidates against them in a primary election to decide who the Republican nominee will be. And in districts that are very safely Republican, it doesn’t matter who the Democratic nominee is in November. It matters whether the incumbent House member, let’s say, can win against a primary opponent.

But I think the situation is beginning to change. More people are beginning to speak out. Trump’s tariff policies are causing a lot of concern, and that adds to concern about his 180-degree shift toward Russia in the Ukraine situation. If our European allies continue their efforts to clarify who’s at fault in Ukraine and what’s at stake, we’ll just have to keep fighting this battle day by day.

The Kyiv Independent: The Kremlin has recently said that Trump’s apparent foreign policy shift aligns with their interests. What damage does a U.S.-Russia alliance cause on the global stage?

John Bolton: It could come close to destroying NATO. Having watched Trump come very close to withdrawing from NATO at the Brussels summit in 2018, I saw more than I needed to see about how much he doesn’t like the institution — he hasn’t changed his view on that. But even before a formal withdrawal, he could do a lot that would debilitate NATO and really undermine the capabilities of the institution to defend its own members or its interests in other conflicts.

It’s a very dangerous course that he’s pursuing. They’re certainly watching it very carefully in Beijing, where they believe that if the U.S. and NATO won’t stand up for a country in the middle of Europe that’s been invaded, we won’t stand up for Taiwan, we won’t stand up for the Southeast Asian countries near the South China Sea. So it really does have global implications for U.S. security and that of our friends and allies, too.

The Kyiv Independent: Some argue that Trump sees a potential rapprochement with Russia as a way to deter China in the future. I’m curious about your thoughts on that, especially given the uncharacteristically supportive statements China has made for Ukraine recently. What is the dynamic that’s forming here?

John Bolton: It’s a fantasy to believe the U.S. can somehow use the conflict in Ukraine to separate Russia from China. In the abstract, separating Russia is a very good goal to have. But for reasons not having anything to do with Ukraine or the U.S., Russia and China have grown closer, and it’s really almost impossible to separate Russia from them today.

The China-Russia axis is far from perfect, but in the case of the Ukraine war, China has been a considerable assistance to Russia. They have laundered sanctioned Russian financial assets through their own opaque financial system out into global markets. They’ve significantly increased purchases of Russian oil and gas. They’ve talked about building new pipeline capacity, which from China’s point of view would be a plus so they don’t have to lift oil in the Persian Gulf and risk taking it across the Indian Ocean. And they’ve provided a lot of political cover for Russia during this war, which they would expect reciprocity for if they went against Taiwan or did something in the South China Sea.

There are still differences of interest between Russia and China. This is not the Cold War Sino-Soviet alliance that had an ideological bond. And obviously China is the partner in charge now, not Russia. So it’s not exactly the same, but I think the idea that somehow Russia could be pulled away from China as part of a settlement in Ukraine is totally unrealistic.

I don’t think China has any good intentions in mind for Ukraine, either — they see it as something obviously Russia wants to have.

There’s much more at the link.

As you all know, I’m not a fan of Bolton. But in this case his assessment of Trump and Putin is correct.

Back to Ukraine.

Our poll of Ukraine is now in (N=1000). Mr Zelensky approval at >70%, very few want elections before peace. But also suggests 58% will not want Ukraine to concede territory, and that many also expect the war to end within the year ->
www.economist.com/europe/2025/… by @olliecarroll.bsky.social

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— Sondre Ulvund Solstad (@sondreus.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 6:47 AM

From The Economist:

Donald Trump delivered such a dressing-down to Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the end of last month that some thought the relationship would never recover. A potential ceasefire agreement struck on March 11th in Saudi Arabia may have brought them back from the brink. But in any case, the blow-up does not seem to have done the Ukrainian president much harm at home. Like Canada’s Mark Carney, Mr Zelensky is finding that being attacked by Mr Trump is great for one’s ratings. A new telephone poll by Ipsos of 1,000 Ukrainians, commissioned by The Economist, shows that he commands overwhelming support in the wake of his falling-out with Trumpland. More than seven in ten Ukrainians now say they approve of Mr Zelensky’s work. Eight in ten say he is still Ukraine’s legitimate president, and reject the idea of elections while fighting continues. Over seven in ten still trust him to lead negotiations. Even more striking, the poll suggests that Mr Zelensky would win an election if one were held today, with Valery Zaluzhny, his popular former top general, in distant second place.

Telling numbers on how Ukrainians see Russia’s war aims:

• 66% say Russia wants to destroy Ukraine and its people.

• Of them, 28% say it seeks genocide, and 38% believe it wants to seize most or all of Ukraine’s territory and erase its statehood

— Maria Avdeeva (@mariainkharkiv.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 5:19 PM

What if Ukraine decides to fight on without America?

“If we surrender it will not improve our situation. It will make it much worse.”

Free link: on.ft.com/4iqvuey

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— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.ft.com) March 13, 2025 at 7:26 AM

From The Financial Times: (emphasis mine)

Oleh Kiper, the governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region, is bone-tired — and with good reason. Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Black Sea port, traditionally the beating heart of the Ukrainian economy, is miraculously functioning, with ships slipping in and out. But it is a shadow of its former bustling self and the city is still facing relentless night-time attacks by Russian missiles and drones.

“They hit our energy sector all the time,” says Kiper. “A lot of power stations have been damaged. We need better air defences but we don’t have enough. And the enemy are continuously upgrading their drones.”

The residents of Odesa, he adds, are “exhausted”.

Kiper’s litany of woes and his very visible fatigue reflect Ukraine’s ordeal as it tries to hold off its far more powerful invader into a fourth year.

A possible respite is in sight after Ukraine on Tuesday agreed to a US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire — as long as Russia reciprocates.

In return, Washington agreed to resume deliveries of military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, having suspended them last week to pressure Kyiv into reaching a peace deal with Moscow. If Russia agrees to a truce, it could pave the way for more substantive settlement talks.

But there is no sign that Russia is willing to compromise on its maximalist goals of subjugating Ukraine.

Many Ukrainians would balk at any deal that looks like capitulation and are prepared to fight on, even without US support. Many suspect that even if they reach a settlement, Russia will not honour it and war will resume.

“If America leaves us, we don’t have any choice but to keep going,” the governor says. “People like to ask me about ‘Odesa after the war’, but we need to focus not on the future but the present. To finish the war, we have to keep fighting. If we stop now, sooner or later the war will come to Europe.”

Kiper’s stoicism is echoed across Ukraine, although opinion polls make clear Ukrainians would welcome an end to the war. A growing number, up to a third, would accept some form of a compromise — but not if the settlement left them exposed to future Russian attacks.

“Like Churchill said in that movie Darkest Hour,” says Oleksandr Merezhko, the head of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy. “‘You cannot negotiate with a tiger when you have your head in its mouth.’”

So can Ukraine really hold out without American support? Ukrainian and western strategists concede it would be far harder to prosecute the war if President Donald Trump ends once and for all American military aid. In particular, the loss of American intelligence and surveillance, Patriot air-defence batteries and the Starlink satellite system, which is used to synchronise battlefield communications, would be huge setbacks.

“If America abandons us, it will be extremely hard,” says Pavlo, a combat medic, whose nom de guerre is Chewbacca. “Without Starlink it would be a very difficult situation. If they took it back it would be a betrayal of democracy and liberty.”

When asked how long Kyiv could hold out without Washington, Ukrainian soldiers, analysts and officials tend to reply “at least six months”. But they argue it could be longer if Europe moves decisively to fill the gap, and domestic arms production intensifies. They also point to the immense price in money and lives that Russia has paid to win territory.

“We will not stop fighting,” says Merezhko, whose defiance captures the current mood despite the start of peace talks. “The situation on the frontline is not all doom and gloom. The Russians cannot take over big cities; they do not have the manpower, and they too are exhausted. The worst-case scenario is that they will be able to take a little more territory. Somehow we will survive.”

More at the link.

The Ukrainian FPV was about to intercept Russian Molniya-2 kamikaze drone but it fell on its own.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 3:51 PM

The Ukrainian made 2S22 «Bohdana» at work.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 8:06 AM

Kharkiv:

Four russian kamikaze drones struck Kharkiv tonight, targeting three neighborhoods in the city. According to officials, seven people, including two children, suffered acute stress reactions.

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 6:48 PM

People in Kharkiv have very little warning about upcoming attacks due to our proximity to russia.

So we can’t reach shelter in time.

This is how people react to drones flying overhead (torn the sound on):

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM

Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast:

Russia’s attacks on Donetsk Oblast in the past 24 hours: three killed, 14 injured, over 200 homes damaged.

Kostiantynivka suffered 21 strikes, including 18 bombs—eight wounded, two more people still trapped under the rubble. Among the injured are two children in Druzhkivka.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 5:10 AM

In Kostiantynivka, a woman spent nearly a day under the rubble: rescuers pulled her out alive.

Nearly 20 hours under the ruins of a destroyed nine-story building – a horror that a woman had to endure after devastating russian airstrikes on the city.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 12:30 PM

Rescuers, together with police officers, continuously cleared the rubble, making titanic efforts to find people. And this struggle paid off – the woman was pulled out alive! She was immediately handed over to paramedics of the National Police and transported to the hospital. – SES reports

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 12:30 PM

The Pokrovsk direction:

“The Ukrainian Armed Forces entered the village of Shevchenko in the Pokrovsk direction.”

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— The hedgehog (@the-hedgehog.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 12:08 PM

Kherson Oblast:

Russian aviation struck Kherson region with 10 guided bombs.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 2:24 PM

The Kursk cross border offensive:

⚡ Russia suspected of killing 5 Ukrainian POWs in Kursk Oblast.

Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets referred to a video circulating on social media that purportedly shows unarmed Ukrainian soldiers killed after being captured by Russian troops.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) March 13, 2025 at 4:12 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Russian forces allegedly executed five Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported on March 13.

Lubinets referred to a video circulating on social media that purportedly shows unarmed Ukrainian soldiers killed after being captured by Russian troops.

According to Ukrainian activist Serhii Sternenko, a video of the suspected execution was recorded in Kursk Oblast, near the village of Kozacha Loknya.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

“We once again see a cynical disregard for international humanitarian law on the part of the Russian army,” Lubinets said, adding that he had sent letters to the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross to document the suspected war crime.

The news comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to Kursk Oblast on March 12 since Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion into the region in August 2024.

During the visit, which took place amid a rapid Russian advance, Putin declared that Ukrainian military personnel captured in the region “will be treated as terrorists.”

Ukraine has previously documented widespread violations of the Geneva Conventions by Russian forces, including the execution of 177 captured Ukrainian soldiers as of mid-December 2024.

The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported a sharp rise in executions of Ukrainian POWs, documenting 79 extrajudicial killings across 24 separate incidents since August 2024.

Visual evidence of such atrocities continues to emerge, reinforcing concerns over Moscow’s systematic violations of international law.

Kaluga Oblast, Russia:

Ukrainian intelligence drones targeted a UAV production site near Kaluga last night.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 7:39 AM

The Kyiv Independent has the details:

Ukrainian military intelligence drones (HUR) attacked a camouflaged drone production facility in Kaluga Oblast late on March 12, HUR sources confirmed for the Kyiv Independent.

Drone production lines were located on the grounds of an aerated concrete plant in the village of Obukhovo in Kaluga Oblast‘s Dzerzhinsky district, one of the sources claimed.

Kyiv has carried out regular long-range drone strikes against military and industrial facilities in Russia‘s rear, seeking to undermine its ability to wage its all-out war.

The statement comes after Kaluga Oblast Governor Vladislav Shapsha said that 25 drones were downed over the region overnight, with drone wreckage setting fire to an unspecified industrial facility in Dzerzhinsky district.

One employee suffered minor injuries, and the fire has been extinguished, according to Shapsha.

Locals reported powerful explosions and a fire at the plant on social media. Drone debris also damaged a cell tower and a power line in the Khvastovichsky district, the southernmost part of Kaluga Oblast, Shapsha said.

Russian air defenses downed 77 drones overnight, including 30 over Bryansk Oblast, six over Kursk and Voronezh oblasts each, and five over Rostov and Belgorod oblasts each, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.

An unspecified infrastructure facility was also damaged on the evening of March 12 in Voronezh Oblast, a region bordering Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast, Governor Alexander Gusev said on his Telegram channel.

The targeted facility was part of the region’s gas infrastructure, the Baza Telegram channel reported, citing residents.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Tuapse Oil Refinery, russia 🔥

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 8:39 PM

That’s enough for tonight.

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Stray cats and dogs take up residence with Ukrainian troops in frontline trenches

#MenWithCats

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— Greg Morosoff (@gregmorosoff.bsky.social) March 11, 2025 at 6:15 PM

Open thread!