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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