Sunday, March 2
Russia’s war against Ukraine
_Ukrainian soldiers from an FPV drone unit prepare drones at a house in the direction of Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 22, 2025. (Diego Herrera Carcedo / Anadolu via Getty Images) _
Zelensky meets with Starmer in London following Oval Office clash with Trump. President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 1, one day after Zelensky’s heated exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House.
NATO Secretary General calls for Zelensky to ‘restore relationship’ with Trump. Speaking to the BBC, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that it was “important that President Zelensky finds a way to restore his relationship with the American president and with the senior American leadership team.”
Russian forces suffer record vehicle losses in February. In the shortest month of the year, Ukrainians destroyed 3,472 vehicles and fuel tanks, as well as 596 armoured combat vehicles and 331 tanks, a statement from Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said.
Russian missile attack on Odesa damages civilian foreign vessel, casualties reported. A Russian ballistic missile struck the Odesa port on the evening of March 1, damaging port infrastructure as well as a foreign civilian ship flying the flag of Panama, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
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Pro-Russian European politicians openly support Trump after clash with Zelensky. Several European politicians who are considered pro-Russian expressed their approval for the U.S. President Donald Trump after he clashed in a heated argument with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Russian proxy claims IAEA team arrives at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant via occupied territory. A new team from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on March 1, marking the first time the agency’s monitors reached the site through Russian-occupied territory.
Ukrainians, foreigners raised Hr 27 million ‘for nukes’ hours after Zelensky-Trump White House clash. Ukrainians and foreign donors have sent over 27 million hryvnia ($649,000) in donations to the fundraiser “for nukes” that was opened immediately after the publicized White House clash between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine’s soldiers react to Trump-Zelensky Oval Office showdown
When the Kyiv Independent reached out to soldiers, several said they couldn’t respond properly due to Russian shelling and strikes that occurred in the hours following the tumultuous meeting.
Photo: Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post via Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
5 killed, 25 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over past day. Russia launched 154 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. One hundred and three drones were shot down, while 51 were lost without causing damage, according to the statement.
Opinions and insights
Letter to the editor: The Oval Office fiasco was a calculated setup to humiliate Ukraine and undermine democracy
“From the moment Zelensky walked into that room, the stage had already been set. This wasn’t about serious discussions on aid or strategy. It was about weakening Ukraine, pressuring its leader, and crafting a narrative that justifies pulling back U.S. support,” writes Graden Keller.
Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images
Europe must finally take charge of its security — starting in Ukraine
“It ended with a bang, not a whimper. By the close of this year’s Munich Security Conference, the old U.S.-led security order appeared to have changed unrecognizably. Now, as Russia’s full-scale war enters its fourth year and peace talks begin, without clarity on Europe’s or Ukraine’s roles, both should adjust to their new strategic reality,” writes Tennyson Dearing.
Photo: Ukraine’s Presidential Office
International response
Starmer aims to bridge Trump-Zelensky rift as US expects apology, Bloomberg reports. Amid the diplomatic fallout, the Trump administration has privately signaled that it expects a public apology from President Volodymyr Zelensky to mend relations, European officials told Bloomberg.
World stars show support for Ukraine after the White House clash. Pedro Pascal, Elizabeth Banks, Misha Collins and other stars expressed support for Ukraine in their social media.
US halts cyber operations against Russia, media reports. Cybersecurity experts warn that the move benefits one of America’s most persistent cyber adversaries, potentially weakening U.S. leverage in both cyber and conventional military operations.
Italy to provide Ukraine with $13 million to restore energy infrastructure. Rome signed an agreement with Kyiv on Feb. 28 to provide Ukraine with 13 million euros ($13.5 million) directed towards the country’s Energy Support Fund, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry announced.
‘Wrong approach, wrong time, wrong president’ — Waltz reacts to Trump-Zelensky standoff. “(Zelensky) came in, even though he was warned not to, determined to litigate all of that … This was the wrong approach, wrong time in history, and definitely the wrong president to try to do this,” National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on March 1.
UK provides $2.8 billion loan to Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets. The loan, which is part of the Group of Seven’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) credit initiative, was signed amid President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to London to meet with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Canada’s Trudeau heads to European defense summit in London. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau departed for London on March 1 to take part in a European defense summit focused on shaping the conditions for a lasting peace in Ukraine.
Bernie Sanders on Trump’s alignment with Russia
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