Friday, March 7
Russia’s war against Ukraine
European Council President Antonio Costa (L), President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (C) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) talk to the media prior to the start of an EU Summit on March 6, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
Ukraine, US delegations to meet next week, Zelensky announces. Ukraine and U.S. delegations have resumed work and are scheduled to meet next week, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced at the Special European Council on March 6.
Ukrainian, US officials to discuss peace framework in Saudi Arabia, Witkoff says. “The idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said.
US intelligence sharing pause affects Russian aerial strikes warnings, NYT reports. A senior Ukrainian official told the NYT that the pause in intelligence sharing would make it more difficult for the Ukrainian forces to hit Russian targets. However, Kyiv had access to other satellite imagery, they added.
Ukraine working on alternatives to US intelligence, defense minister says. “We are already working on alternatives, including requesting (assistance) from Germany if necessary,” Umerov said at a press conference in Berlin.
‘The war continues because of Russia’ – Zelensky’s full speech at European Council. “Ukraine is not only ready to take the necessary steps for peace, but we are also proposing what those steps are,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his speech at the Special European Council on March 6.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
US is destroying world order, Ukraine’s ex-commander-in-chief Zaluzhnyi says. “We see that it’s not just the axis of evil and Russia trying to revise the world order, but the U.S. is finally destroying this order,” said Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s former commander-in-chief and current ambassador to the U.K.
‘We’ve made a lot of progress’ — Trump says US on track to peace deal with Ukraine, Russia. “I will say that we’ve made a lot of progress with Ukraine and a lot of progress with Russia over the last couple of days and it’d be great to bring (the war) to an end,” U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 6.
Istanbul talks can’t serve as basis for Ukraine-Russia peace deal, Kellogg says. “The Istanbul accords happened 30 days after the invasion, and the demands in Istanbul were fairly significant on a very weakened Ukraine,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said.
Families of Ukrainian POWs rally outside US Embassy, demand ‘all-for-all’ exchange before peace deal. Protesters demanded an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange before any peace deal with Russia is signed.
European air forces could protect Ukraine from Russian aerial strikes, experts suggest. According to the plan, developed by former British Air Force planners in cooperation with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, the protection zone would cover Ukraine’s three operational nuclear power plants, as well as the cities of Odesa and Lviv in Ukraine’s south and west.
Read our exclusives
‘He betrayed every one of us’ – US soldiers in Ukraine speak out after Trump’s military aid halt
The American soldiers who spoke to the Kyiv Independent said they were “horrified” by their country’s recent decisions and the ensuing consequences on the ground in Ukraine.
Photo: Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images
Regardless of Trump’s Ukraine peace deal, war with West is ‘foundational to Putin’s rule,’ experts say
The U.S.’s new stance ignores one crucial thing — Vladimir Putin’s Russia does not, and never has wanted, truly peaceful relations with the West, experts told the Kyiv Independent.
Photo: Delil Souleiman / AFP via Getty Images
Trump’s ‘staggering’ Ukraine military aid freeze threatens the world order
“I’m utterly staggered. It’s just extraordinary,” Timothy Ash, associate fellow at the Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme, told the Kyiv Independent on March 4. “It’s almost like the collapse of the Soviet Union if you think of the scale of what we’re seeing now, it’s utterly remarkable.”
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Russia, China ‘salivating’ as Trump’s Ukraine peace plan unfolds
Trump’s approach comes at the sharp cost of declining confidence in American leadership, said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Kupchan said that Trump’s stated objective — to end the war — is the right goal, but that his strategy has been “disastrous.”
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Death toll in Russian missile attack on hotel in Kryvyi Rih climbs to 4. Another 32 people were injured, including a child.
Russian attacks against Ukraine kill at least 8, injure 39 over past day. Ukrainian forces downed 68 out of the 112 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, as well as two ballistic missiles of either the Iskander-M or the North Korean KN-23 model launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 881,800 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,140 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Opinions and insights
US set to abandon partners again as history repeats in Ukraine
“Paris in January 1973. Doha in February 2000. Saudi Arabia in February 2025 — all peacemaking summits with the same aroma and feel. But there are key differences before we assume the stage is simply being set for another American episode of ‘cut and run,’” write Eerik Kross and Greg Mills.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Zelensky’s Oval Office berating sends a stark warning to the Middle East
“As the U.S. pressed Ukraine to show gratitude and compromise on its security priorities, critics in the Middle East saw confirmation of America’s global arrogance, as Washington sacrificed the interests and dignity of smaller states for its own national benefit,” Mohammad Eslami and Ibrahim Al-Marashi write.
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
International response
‘Best security guarantee is the Ukrainian army’ — EU leaders dodge specifics on long-term peace plan. “The best security guarantee are the Ukrainians themselves,” European Council President Antonio Costa said at the end of a special EU summit in Brussels.
France providing intelligence to Ukraine, minister assures after US freeze. “We have intelligence resources that we are providing to the Ukrainians,” French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on air on France Inter.
Poland, Lithuania signal openness to French nuclear deterrence for Europe. “This readiness of France, this is something very promising,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters in Brussels on the sidelines of an EU summit. “We have to treat this proposal seriously.”
Eutelsat in talks with EU to possibly replace Starlink in Ukraine, CEO confirms. “Everyone is asking us today, ‘Can you replace the large number of terminals of Starlink in Ukraine,’ and we are looking at that,” Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke told Bloomberg.
China’s envoy calls Trump’s treatment of Europe ‘appalling.’ “When you look at how the Trump administration has implemented a brazen and domineering policy towards Europe, treating its allies in this way, honestly, from a European perspective, it’s quite appalling,” China’s special envoy for European affairs, Lu Shaye, said.
US ready to go ‘all in’ on sanctions against Russia, treasury secretary says. “This administration has kept the enhanced sanctions in place and will not hesitate to go ‘all in’ should it provide leverage in peace negotiations,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on March 6.
No decision yet on revoking status of Ukrainian refugees in US, Trump says. “I’ll be making a decision pretty soon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on March 6. “But we’re not looking to hurt them. Especially Ukrainians. They’ve gone through a lot.”
Rubio labels Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine ‘proxy war’ between Washington, Moscow. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks echo Kremlin narratives. Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin falsely claimed the West is fighting Russia “with the hands of Ukrainians.”
In other news
Trump’s team leads private talks with Zelensky’s political rivals, Politico reports. Trump’s allies reportedly held talks with Yuliia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister and head of the opposition Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party, and high-ranking members of the European Solidarity party of ex-President Petro Poroshenko.
Poroshenko, Tymoshenko confirm ‘transparent’ contacts with allies but reaffirm opposition to elections during war. Ex-President Petro Poroshenko’s team works “publicly and transparently” with U.S. partners to ensure bipartisan support for Kyiv, Poroshenko said on March 6.
Russia formally appoints new ambassador to US. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on March 6 appointing Alexander Darchiev as Russia’s new ambassador to Washington.
Ukraine Daily is made possible thanks to support of our readers.
For as little as $5/month you can help us keep going.
Your donation is processed by a U.S.-based secure payment system.
We have no access to your bank data.
This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.
Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Denisova, Francis Farrell, Toma Istomina, Tymur Zadorozhnyy, Dmytro Basmat, and Abbey Fenbert.
If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to react!