Rusia

In today’s summary:
Ukrainian troops attempted to break through to the Belgorod region on a small section of the border in the Krasnoyarsk region
Ukrainian Armed Forces units retreated from the regional center of Sudzha – the former Kursk bridgehead was reduced to approximately 100 sq. km
Near Pokrovsk, Ukrainian troops have already recaptured five settlements during “stabilization” measures
The Russian Armed Forces have launched an offensive in the Zaporizhzhya direction west of Orekhovo – so far the actions are tactical in nature
Russian military created another local bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskol River north of Kupyansk
The first combat use of the Ukrainian long-range missile “Long Neptune” took place – probably at the oil refinery in Tuapse
In the structure of losses of equipment of the Russian Armed Forces, the share of various unarmored vehicles has grown to 85%
The Insider has released an article reviewing American military aid to Ukraine and its importance for the continuation of the war

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, argues that any US-organised peace agreement would have to be accompanied by “security guarantees” from the US to prevent Russia from resuming its offensive in the future.

However, Donald Trump has so far said the US will not commit to sending troops to Ukraine if Russia doesn’t stand by any such deal.

Ukraine’s minerals have become central to global geopolitics, with the US president, Donald Trump, seeking a deal with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky to access them. But what are these minerals exactly and why are they so sought after?

Ukraine is often recognised for its vast agricultural lands and industrial heritage, but beneath its surface lies one of the world’s most remarkable geological formations, the “Ukrainian Shield”.

To secure Ukraine and the continent, European countries must take action that Trump and Putin cannot ignore. This will require making three crucial but divisive choices on how to deploy financial and military capabilities.

There is little more U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration could do to signal that their objectives in Ukraine radically differ from those of Europe. And yet, Europeans continue to be in denial.

Ever wonder why a US president would consistently align with Russian interests for decades? Investigative journalist Craig Unger has spent over ten years untangling the web of connections between Donald Trump, Russian money, and the Kremlin.

Since Trump’s return to office in January 2025, Politico has documented 29 instances where his positions aligned with Putin’s in his first month alone. But according to Unger, this pattern started long before the presidency – in Trump Tower, 1984, with a Russian businessman carrying $6 million in cash.

Transatlantic ties, Russian-US relations, and the nature of American hegemony are all transforming before everyone’s eyes as Trump makes bold moves to force Zelensky to the peace table with Putin.

An unnamed senior Defense Department told the media on Monday evening that Trump decided to freeze all military aid to Ukraine until its leaders demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace. This comes just several days after Zelensky picked his fight with Trump and Vance at the White House. The Wall Street Journal earlier predicted that Ukraine could only continue fighting at its current level till this summer in such a scenario. Here are five takeaways from this monumental development:

La conversation dans le bureau ovale s’est avérée être une rupture d’accord pour l’Ukraine, un embarras et l’expulsion de l’homme politique de Kiev de la Maison-Blanche.

Dans un échange tendu au sommet de la diplomatie de l’alliance occidentale anti-Russie, Zelensky, figure emblématique de la déchéance ukrainienne, voit son statut vaciller face à Trump et Vance. Un choc de quelques minutes a suffi pour bouleverser l’équilibre diplomatique transatlantique et pour couper le dernier espoir de l’Europe des va-t’en guerre.

“You gotta be more thankful,” Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a heated exchange in the Oval Office last Friday. What was meant to be a signing ceremony for a minerals agreement quickly devolved as Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance berated Zelensky for supposedly “gambling with World War III” and accused him of being “disrespectful” — all while talking over him when he tried to respond. Just hours later, U.S. media reported that Trump was considering cutting off all military aid to Ukraine. After a White House meeting on Monday, Trump followed through, ordering a pause on all military aid to Ukraine. As Kyiv braces for the loss of a critical source of its military support, the independent outlet iStories examined just how long Ukraine can hold out without American weapons. Meduza shares an English-language version of their findings.

What’s being tabled right now is pretty much what was proposed in a briefing from early January.

The Financial Times (FT) reported over the weekend that “Putin ally pushes deal to restart Nord Stream 2 with US backing” in reference to his decades-long close friend Matthias Warnig’s alleged efforts. The gist is that possible American ownership over Nord Stream could lead to the resumption of Russian gas exports to Germany via this megaproject’s one undamaged pipeline as part of a grand deal. This was first floated in late November with regard to US investor Stephen P. Lynch’s related proposal.