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Morning Headlines
The Kyiv Independent: Russia launched its "largest attack in recent years" on Kropyvnytskyi in Kirovohrad Oblast overnight on March 20, injuring eight people, including a child, regional Governor Andriy Raykovych said.
BBC: The UK is hosting a closed meeting on Thursday of senior military officers from the "coalition of the willing" as they draw up plans for a proposed peacekeeping force for Ukraine. More than 20 countries are thought to be involved.
The Kyiv Independent: A new shipment of Western F-16 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed to journalists on March 19.
ISW: Putin's attempt to confuse and manipulate the temporary strikes ceasefire and blame Ukraine for violations even before the agreement has come into effect is an indicator of how Putin will likely exploit any future agreements.
The Kyiv Independent: The Russian cities of Saratov and Engels were targeted in the heaviest drone attack against Saratov Oblast throughout the entire full-scale war overnight on March 20, Governor Roman Busargin claimed, reporting a fire at a local airfield.
More News
Reuters: Europe should further boost military spending, pool resources on joint defence projects and buy more European arms, according to an EU blueprint unveiled on Wednesday, driven by fears of Russia and doubts about the future of U.S. protection.
The Kyiv Independent: The European Union plans to supply Ukraine with at least 2 million shells annually, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on March 19.
Reuters: The U.S. State Department on Wednesday denied that data collected in a government-funded program that helps track thousands of abducted Ukrainian children had been deleted, but acknowledged that the effort had been terminated as part of Washington's sweeping freeze on almost all foreign aid.
AP News: Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders this week, though it remains to be seen when it might take effect and what possible targets would be off limits to attack.
Reuters: Ukrainian and U.S. teams could meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss technicalities of partial ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after what he described as "very substantive" call with Trump.
The Kyiv Independent: Talks between Russian and American delegations to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine will take place in the coming days in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on March 19.
Reuters: The White House said on Wednesday it has moved beyond the previously negotiated U.S.-Ukraine minerals and natural resources deal and is focused on peace between Ukraine and Russia.
The Moscow Times: Russia will need to replace hundreds of foreign-made civil aircraft in the coming years as its fleet of Western planes reaches the end of its lifespan, warned Sergei Chemezov, the head of state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec.
Politico: Putin has revealed his real intentions in Ukraine by bombing civilian energy infrastructure after telling Trump that Moscow would stop such attacks, said Finnish President Alexander Stubb. The only real solution to deter Moscow, Stubb told POLITICO on Wednesday, was to “militarize Ukraine to its teeth.”
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine has brought home 175 Ukrainian soldiers in a one-for-one prisoner exchange with Russia that was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
Reuters: The European Union should fund Ukraine's access to space services that can be provided by EU-based commercial providers, the European Commission said in its white paper on the future of European defence published on Wednesday.
The Kyiv Independent: The outgoing German government agreed to release an additional 3 billion euros in military assistance for Ukraine, a German Finance Ministry spokesperson confirmed for the Kyiv Independent on March 19.
Reuters: Putin has edged closer to his goal of repairing Russia's relations with the United States and driving a wedge between the U.S. and Europe, while offering only a slim contribution towards Trump's peace efforts in Ukraine.
France 24: Russia represents a threat for all European nations -- regardless of how far they lie from Moscow, EU chief Antonio Costa told AFP ahead of a leaders' summit on Thursday.
Reuters: Russia's "widespread and systematic" use of enforced disappearances and torture of Ukrainians during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine amount to crimes against humanity, a United Nations Commission said on Wednesday.
NBC News: The Trump administration is considering scrapping the longstanding role of the U.S. in leading NATO's military operations in Europe.
The Moscow Times: Putin is pushing Trump to recognize Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory in exchange for a pledge not to seize more land, the Kommersant business newspaper reported late Tuesday.
The Kyiv Independent: Trump's son, Donald Jr., news host Tucker Carlson, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff were involved in backchannel talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky's political rivals, Politico reported on March 18.
worth mentioning
EU slams the door on US in colossal defense plan
JPMorgan says Russia unlikely to rejoin MSCI global indexes until after 2027
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