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Morning Headlines
Reuters: The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that short-term funding was being given to an initiative documenting abducted Ukrainian children, after Trump's administration decided to pause the program on January 25.
Politico: Sen. Mitch McConnell warned Thursday that advisers to Trump are pursuing an “illusory peace” with Russia that “shreds America’s credibility, leaves Ukraine under threat, weakens our alliances and emboldens our enemies.”
ISW: Russia continues to strike Ukrainian critical and civilian infrastructure under the cover of the ceasefire on energy infrastructure strikes — which is not in line with Trump's goal of using the temporary ceasefire to facilitate a lasting peace in Ukraine.
Reuters: Moldova broadened an investigation into the financing of a banned pro-Russian political grouping in the country, two days after the detention of the leader of a pro-Moscow ethnic minority.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a bill on March 27 in its second reading aimed at strengthening the country’s cyber defense capabilities, and protecting state information resources.
More News
FT: The US is pushing for a sweeping new deal to control Ukraine’s critical minerals and energy assets, while offering Kyiv no security guarantees in return, in an aggressive expansion of its previous demands. The draft deal would apply to all mineral resources, including oil and gas, and major energy assets across the entire Ukrainian territory (archive).
The Kyiv Independent: Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure in the city of Kherson on March 27, violating the terms of the U.S.-brokered limited ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The Russian attack killed two people and injured at least five others.
France 24: President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France and Britain were leading efforts to send a "reassurance force" to Ukraine after any end to the fighting with Russia, even if the idea was not approved by all European allies.
Reuters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday Russia's conditions for a ceasefire on the Black Sea were "unrealistic," and that Russia was trying to drag out talks in order to grab more land. He also said that lifting sanctions on Russia at present would be a "disaster for diplomacy."
AFP: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Putin's "promises are hollow" on any eventual ceasefire with Ukraine, as Kyiv's allies were set to meet in Paris Thursday for a summit. "Unlike President Zelensky, Putin has shown he's not a serious player in these peace talks," Starmer said.
CNN: Ukraine’s European allies say now is not the time for lifting sanctions on Russia, after Moscow said it would only agree to a US-brokered deal on ending fighting in the Black Sea if some sanctions were eased.
Reuters: The Czech-led ammunition initiative to supply Ukraine can deliver at least as many shells in 2025 as it did last year, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Thursday following a Paris summit with the Ukrainian president and other leaders.
The Insider: Panama is set to cancel the registration of 128 ships sailing under its flag after they were sanctioned by the US, its allies or the United Nations. The ships in question are suspected of taking part in the “shadow fleet,” which transports Russian and Iranian oil in an effort to evade international sanctions.
The Kyiv Independent: Since Ukraine launched its operation in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Russian forces have suffered over 55,000 casualties, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on March 27.
Reuters: Russian forces are stepping up attacks along Ukraine's northeastern border in a bid to break into the Sumy region, Kyiv's top general said on Thursday.
Politico: A senior German defense lawmaker said the United States has “switched sides” in the war in Ukraine. Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the Bundestag from the center-right Christian Democratic Union, said that America can no longer be considered a neutral actor in the conflict.
Ember: EU increased LNG and pipeline gas imports from Russia by 18% last year, energy think tank reports.
Reuters: Indian port authorities denied entry to an ageing tanker loaded with Russian crude on Thursday due to inadequate documentation, an unusual move that indicates tightened scrutiny of vessels carrying Russian oil.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine's strike on Russia's Engels-2 military airfield on March 20 destroyed 96 air-launched cruise missiles, Ukraine's General Staff said on March 26.
worth mentioning
EU expands sanctions against Belarus over political oppression
Russia remands billionaire Moshkovich in custody for two months
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