16.03.2025

Reuters: Lithuania on Sunday backed an EU proposal to pledge up to 40 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine this year and said a similar amount would also be needed in future years to deter any future Russian attack.

France 24: France should take back the Statue of Liberty because the US no longer represents the values that led France to offer the statue, a French Euro-deputy said Sunday.

As Trump tries to put pressure on the Russian president who is stalling on talk of a ceasefire, The Independent has been told about the areas where Kyiv does not want to negotiate.

Reuters: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday appointed Major-General Andriy Hnatov as Ukraine's chief of the general staff as Kyiv seeks to speed up army reform.

CNN: US military officials believe Russia and China are aggressively testing new offensive space capabilities, pointing to a series of satellite training missions conducted by both countries in recent months as growing evidence of an effort to weaponize outer space.

The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine's General Staff on March 16 confirmed Ukrainian troops' withdrawal from the logistics hub of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast, days after Moscow claimed its capture.

AFP, Yahoo News: Frightened by the prospect of US security disengagement and three years of Moscow's war against Ukraine, European countries are debating reinstating compulsory military service to boost their defences in the face of Russian aggression.

ISW: The Kremlin is likely preparing to intensify a narrative that accuses Ukrainian forces of war crimes in Kursk Oblast in an attempt to discredit the Ukrainian military, erode Western support for Ukraine, and spoil or delay straightforward discussions about the 30-day ceasefire.

The Times: UK’s Keir Starmer thrashed out plans for a western peacekeeping force of more than 10,000 troops for Ukraine yesterday at a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” (archive).

15.03.2025

Reuters: The stationing of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, as proposed by Britain and France as part of a ceasefire agreement with Russia, is a question for Kyiv to decide and not Moscow, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview.

Politico: The European Commission is considering a new satellite network to bolster military intelligence amid doubts about sustained support from the United States, European Defense and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said in an interview with the Financial Times.

Reuters: Trump said on Saturday that General Keith Kellogg's role has been narrowed from special envoy for Ukraine and Russia to only Ukraine, after Russian officials had sought to exclude him from talks aiming to end the war.

Politico: Military chiefs from about 30 Kyiv allies will hold a fresh “operational planning meeting” in London on Thursday to game out how they would commit peacekeeping troops to a post-war Ukraine.

AP News: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday urged Putin to sign up to a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine if he is serious about peace, and said allies will keep increasing the pressure on the Kremlin, including by moving planning for a peacekeeping force to an “operational phase.”

The Kyiv Independent: A fire broke out in a field near the Sarepta railway station in the Russian city of Volgograd in the early hours of March 15, the Russian news channel Astra reported, citing local accounts and geolocated footage. The fire erupted during on ongoing drone attack targeting a nearby oil refinery.

AP News: Trump said Friday that he was “being a little bit sarcastic” when he repeatedly claimed as a candidate that he would have the Russia-Ukraine war solved within 24 hours — and even before he even took office.

The Kyiv Independent: A German parliamentary coalition has agreed to allocate 3 billion euros in new military aid to Ukraine as part of a plan to dramatically scale up Berlin's defense spending, incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on March 14.

14.03.2025

The Kyiv Independent: Russian troops attacked a residential area in Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with ballistic missiles injuring at least 12 people, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Two boys, aged 2 and 15, are among the wounded.

Reuters: Russia accused Norway of militarising the Svalbard archipelago, a claim Norway denied in a comment to news agency NTB after Russia on Friday had summoned the Norwegian ambassador to Moscow over the matter.

France 24: Russia has committed the crimes against humanity of enforced disappearances and torture in its war in Ukraine -- part of a systematic attack on civilians, a United Nations investigation has concluded.

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

OCCRP: The bloggers rack up millions of views, promote Russia as a haven for conservatives, glorify the war in Ukraine — and never disclose any ties to the Russian government. The money tells a different story.

Reuters: The European Union agreed on Friday to renew sanctions on Russian individuals and entities but kept Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman on the list despite pressure from Hungary, EU diplomats said.

Euractive: The EU has suggested the creation of an EU fund to send between €20 and €40 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine, including 2 million ammunition rounds, based on voluntary participation, to avoid any veto from Hungary.

Reuters: The United States drew closer to its G7 allies on Friday, at least momentarily, to back Ukraine's territorial integrity and warn Russia to follow Kyiv in accepting a ceasefire or face possible further sanctions.

The Kyiv Independent: The Helsinki District Court sentenced Russian neo-Nazi mercenary Yan Petrovsky to life in prison for war crimes committed in Ukraine, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported on March 14.

Reuters: Chinese state oil companies are shying away from Russian oil this month, with two importers halting purchases while two others scaled back volumes as they assess compliance following recent U.S. sanctions on Moscow.

Russa-Ukraine Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Do you think your friend or colleague should know about this newsletter? Forward it to them, please. They can also sign up here.

Here are my: Telegram & Socials

Please consider supporting my work