Ukrainian and U.S. government and legal teams continue discussions on the mineral deal, a source in the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent on March 31 as U.S. President Donald Trump is escalating his rhetoric on the agreement.
"The package includes, among other things, support for Ukraine’s air defense, artillery, satellite communications, and maritime capacity," Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson announced.
This support will include 500 million euros ($540 million) for Ukraine's Drone Line project, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
"Since this is also a priority sector, the Russians are trying to use every chance to bypass Ukrainian troops," said Victor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces.
"The war in Ukraine is bigger than Democrats or Republicans, the Left or the Right. Whether you dislike President Trump or President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, real people are dying here," Pastor Mark Burns said.
U.S. soldiers and a tracked vehicle disappeared on March 25 in a training area near the Lithuanian city of Pabrade, some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Belarus.
In an interview with CNN, ultranationalist Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin praised U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he represented an ideology that "changes the balance in the world."
Ukrainian forces downed 57 out of 131 Shahed-type drones and decoy drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Another 45 drones disappeared from radars, according to the statement.
"We all understand that when the war in Ukraine will be stopped, Russia will redistribute its forces very quickly. That means also the threat level will increase significantly very quickly," said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
Ukrainian political veterans long out of power have emerged as a new source of pressure on Ukraine's political leadership. Following the clash in the Oval Office between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, the White House began to look for ways to subdue Zelensky. Trump's halt
The Financial Times reported on March 27 that the latest version of the agreement proposed by the U.S. includes terms that would grant Washington unprecedented control over Ukraine's natural resources through a joint investment fund.
The news came a day after a Paris summit where a number of European countries moved forward with plans to send soldiers to Ukraine as part of a "reassurance force" in case of the ceasefire with Russia.
Work on a new round of EU sanctions against Russia has started and is “at a very early stage,” one of the sources told EUobserver. The European Commission is expected to present its proposals in early summer, another diplomat told the media outlet.
Multiple Ukrainian media outlets reported, citing law enforcement sources, that the deceased was Oleksandr Plakhotnik, a member of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's Batkivshchyna (Fartherland) party and a former deputy mayor of Kamianske.
The U.S. has secured the data and ensured that it can be transferred "to any appropriate authorities," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
"This may only at first glance surprise some. It is a big mistake to believe that this is some extravagant talks by the new U.S. administration," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"The city of Kherson is a civilian city, it is not a battlefield. I believe that there should be a reaction from the United States, in actions," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 27.
Kyiv believes that the Black Sea ceasefire applies to civilian shipping and Ukrainian ports, and does not apply to Russian warships, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
Several European countries agreed to send troops to Ukraine as part of a "reassurance force" in case of the ceasefire with Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on March 27 at a summit of European leaders in Paris, which was also attended by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The package includes anti-tank missiles, air defense systems, Mirage fighter jet missiles, armored vehicles, ammunition, and other aid, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
The fate of the four missing soldiers is still unknown, a NATO spokesperson clarified after Secretary General Mark Rutte said they had died. Rescue efforts are currently underway.
Ukrainian oil and gas production facilities — which, according to the Energy Ministry have suffered the most Russian attacks as of late — weren't on Kremlin's list, the Energy Ministry told European Pravda.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron are expected to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of a "coalition of the willing" summit.
Relations between Ukraine and the U.S. are "back on track," Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak said in an interview with Reuters published on March 26, almost a month after the Oval Office clash between the Ukrainian and American presidents.
"It should be highlighted that the military department of the aggressor country is spreading false and groundless accusations in order to prolong the war, continue false propaganda and typical Russian attempts to deceive the world," Ukraine's General Staff said.
"After the framework deal, a full agreement is being developed. Now the U.S. has offered us a 'major' deal, their vision (of the deal)," Zelensky said.
"Recently, they (Russian soldiers) have become more active. We have successfully repelled the assaults, we are holding the line, but the enemy is trying to break through our defense line and reach our positions and gain a foothold in some positions daily," said Mykola Koval, the spokesperson of Ukraine's National Guard's Chervona Kalyna brigade.
According to the Kremlin, the list includes oil refineries, as well as oil and gas pipelines and storage facilities, including pumping stations.
"We believe that, after Washington makes two official statements... the ceasefire in the sea and the energy ceasefire must come into effect, in (the Americans') opinion," Zelensky said. "Undoubtedly this depends on orders given by the presidents to their military forces."
The Kremlin said that the Black Sea ceasefire would come into effect after the West lifts the sanctions against Russia's Rosselkhozbank and other financial organizations involved in supporting international food trade operations and restores their connection to the SWIFT messaging system.
Washington vowed to help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.
Sergey Beseda, former head of the 5th Service of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), was an unconventional choice to represent his country in the talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on March 24. Seventy-year-old General Beseda, however, has been deeply involved in Russia’s all-out war against
