Kyiv to propose air, sea ceasefire with Russia during talks with US
Kyiv will propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia during talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week, a Ukrainian official told AFP as president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to arrive in the kingdom.
Those discussions from Tuesday will be the first Ukraine-US meeting since a White House blowup between Zelenskyy and US president Donald Trump that led to Washington halting military aid to Kyiv.
“We do have a proposal for a ceasefire in the sky and ceasefire at sea,” the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Because these are the ceasefire options that are easy to install and to monitor and it’s possible to start with them.”
The air, sea ceasefire proposal was originally floated by French president Emmanuel Macron after the London summit just over a week ago.
Ukrainian and American officials will meet on Tuesday to seek a way out of the conflict more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Key events
UK to host follow-up summit on Ukraine on Saturday
British prime minister Keir Starmer will host a virtual meeting of leaders to discuss the prospects for Ukraine on Saturday, following up on the meeting he held in London just over a week ago, Downing Street has just confirmed.
“You can expect the prime minister to host a second leaders’ meeting of the coalition of the willing, building on his Lancaster House summit,” the spokesperson told reporters, referring to the London meeting earlier this month.
The meeting will come at the end of a busy diplomatic week, with Ukraine-US talks planned for Tuesday, and separate European discussions involving army chief and British, German, Italian and Polish defence ministers in Paris later this week.
Kyiv to propose air, sea ceasefire with Russia during talks with US
Kyiv will propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia during talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week, a Ukrainian official told AFP as president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to arrive in the kingdom.
Those discussions from Tuesday will be the first Ukraine-US meeting since a White House blowup between Zelenskyy and US president Donald Trump that led to Washington halting military aid to Kyiv.
“We do have a proposal for a ceasefire in the sky and ceasefire at sea,” the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Because these are the ceasefire options that are easy to install and to monitor and it’s possible to start with them.”
The air, sea ceasefire proposal was originally floated by French president Emmanuel Macron after the London summit just over a week ago.
Ukrainian and American officials will meet on Tuesday to seek a way out of the conflict more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Tusk asks ‘friends’ to show ‘respect’ after public spat with US over Starlink
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk has called on “friends” to respect their allies and not be arrogant in a post on X which mentioned nobody by name but was published a day after an extraordinary social media spat between top officials in the US and Poland over Starlink satellites.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, accused Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, of “making things up” and suggested on Sunday he was ungrateful, in a strong rebuke after Sikorski said Ukraine may need an alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service if it becomes unreliable.
Poland pays for Ukraine to use the services of Starlink, which provides crucial internet connectivity to Kyiv and its military.
“True leadership means respect for partners and allies. Even for the smaller and weaker ones,” Tusk wrote in English on X. “Never arrogance. Dear friends, think about it.“
Rubio had earlier said that “no one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink”.
“And say thank you because without Starlink Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now,” Rubio added.
Sikorski had later replied: “Thank you, Marco, for confirming that the brave soldiers of Ukraine can count on the vital internet service provided jointly by the US and Poland”.
In contrast, Sikorski had been told to “be quiet” and labelled a “small man” by Musk after he suggested that Poland, which says it pays $50m a year for Ukraine’s Starlink services, may need to find another provider if Musk’s service was deemed to be unreliable.
In a series of posts on X on the subject, that lasted through the day, Musk said later he would not turn off Starlink in Ukraine.
“To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals … We would never do such a thing or use it as a bargaining chip.”
Greens currently opposed to Merz’s ‘bazooka’ spending reforms
Germany’s Green party said it would not give the votes necessary for the constitutional changes proposed by likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz to massively boost spending on infrastructure and defence, AFP reported.
“We will recommend to the members of the Green parliamentary group not to agree to these changes,” Katharina Dröge, the party’s leader in the Bundestag, told reporters. The changes need a two-thirds majority to pass.
The party initially indicated its support, but found the proposals floated by Merz as insufficiently convincing to secure their votes. It is expected that the negotiations on this issue will continue ahead of the parliamentary session on Thursday.
UK rejects ‘malicious and baseless’ accusations from Russia
The UK rejected Russian allegations that two British diplomats were suspected of carrying out espionage activities (9:04) as “malicious and baseless,” saying it is not the first time Russia made similar accusations.
Pompidou Centre set to temporarily close for five-year overhaul
Kate Connolly
Visitors from around the world have been flocking to the Pompidou Centre in Paris this weekend, seizing the last opportunity to enjoy Europe’s largest temple of modern and contemporary art before it closes its doors for a five-year overhaul.
In one of the most complex closures of its kind, the task of removing the museum’s 2,000-strong permanent collection will start on Monday. The Pompidou’s Chagalls, Giacomettis and myriad other treasures will be relocated to other sites in Paris and museums elsewhere in France and around the world.
Art lovers have until 9pm on Monday to take a final stroll through the permanent collection. However, Laurent Le Bon, art historian and the museum’s head, said those who missed the deadline would have plenty of other chances to see the Pompidou’s works. Calling the renovation a “an unprecedented opportunity to reinvent the Centre Pompidou”, he has said: “We will use the time we have well.”
Georgescu to challenge decision barring him from Romanian election, adviser says
Romanian far-right pro-Russian presidential contender Călin Georgescu will challenge a decision to bar him from running in a repeat May election at the Constitutional Court, one of his advisers told Reuters on Monday.
Challenges to decisions by Romania’s central election authority must be filed within 24 hours, with the court expected to rule by Wednesday.
No new talks with US planned for this week, Russia says
No talks are planned this week between Russia and the US, Russian state news agency TASS cited Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova as saying.
Her comments come after CNN had reported on Sunday that US officials would meet Russian counterparts during talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia this week.
‘Most consequential election’ in Greenland’s history – analysis
Miranda Bryant
Nordic correspondent
When it comes to the issues on the table – schools, healthcare, independence – Tuesday’s election is “not that exceptional”, says Greenlandic politician Aaja Chemnitz Larsen. And yet, it will potentially be the most consequential in the Arctic island’s history.
What makes this general election unlike any other, says the Inuit Ataqatigiit member of the Danish parliament, is the global spotlight on it. “What we’re seeing is influence from the US, Denmark and other places. It is not the same as other elections.”
Donald Trump’s fixation with acquiring Greenland “one way or the other”, as he told Congress to laughs last week, means the US – and as a result, the world – is watching Greenland’s election like never before. Denmark, which ruled the now autonomous territory as a colony until 1953 and continues to control its foreign and security policy, is also paying unprecedented attention for fear of losing a crucial part of its kingdom.
Among an electorate where little polling takes place, analysts are reluctant to predict whether the coalition led by Greenlandic prime minister Múte Egede, of Inuit Ataqatigiit (the ruling democratic socialist pro-independence party) will remain in power. Naleraq, Greenland’s largest opposition party, has been gaining traction with its prominent voice for independence and openness to collaborating with the US.
Unlike the reaction in Copenhagen, which went into crisis mode over Trump’s apparent threats, Trump’s interest in Greenland was seen by many in Nuuk with bemusement and a hope that it could be leveraged to negotiate a better deal with Denmark or to secure a quicker route to independence.
Greenland PM dismisses ‘disrespectful’ comments from Trump ahead elections
US president Donald Trump has repeated his promise to Greenlanders to “keep you safe” and “make you rich,” as he bids to “welcome [them] to be a part of the greatest nation anywhere in the world, the United States of America.”
His latest intervention came in a social media post overnight on his Truth Social network, and just days after he made similar promises in a joint address to Congress.
The timing of his comments is somewhat problematic as Greenlanders will go to the polls on Tuesday, choosing their next government.
And Greenland’s prime minister Múte B. Egede is less than impressed, as he told the Danish broadcaster DR that his comments were disrespectful.
“We deserve to be treated with respect, and I don’t think the American president has done that lately since he took office,” he said.
He added that Trump’s interventions were, in fact, counterproductive, putting some people off the idea of closer cooperation with the US.
Egede, who favours Greenland’s independence of Denmark, said that the territory needs to work more closely with countries that can show it respect and be reliable allies instead.
He also called Trump “very unpredictable,” saying it was part of a broader problem:
There is a world order that is faltering on many fronts – and a president of the United States who is very unpredictable – in such a way that makes people feel insecure.
Pro-Russia candidate Călin Georgescu barred from Romanian presidential elections
Romania’s central election authority has barred far-right pro-Russia frontrunner Călin Georgescu from running in May’s presidential election re-run.
The rejection of his candidacy, which was announced on Sunday evening and was condemned by far-right party leaders as undemocratic, can be challenged at the constitutional court.
Georgescu has 24 hours to lodge a complaint, which would then have to be decided within 48 hours, so we are going to hear the final verdict this week.
Responding to the decision last night, a group of supporters of Georgescu gathered outside the election bureau shouting “Freedom” and briefly tried to force their way through the security cordon, prompting clashes with the police.
Romania’s highest court annulled the ballot two days before the second round of voting in December, citing allegations of Russian interference in Georgescu’s favour, which Moscow has denied.
Germany hit by strikes at main airports, leaving thousands stranded
A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and all the country’s other main destinations, caused the cancelation of most flights on Monday, AP reported.
The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff.
At Frankfurt Airport, 1,054 of the day’s 1,116 scheduled takeoffs and landings had been canceled, German news agency dpa reported, citing airport traffic management.
All of Berlin Airport’s regular departures and arrivals were canceled, while Hamburg Airport said no departures would be possible. Cologne/Bonn Airport said there was no regular passenger service and Munich Airport advised travelers to expect a “greatly reduced flight schedule.”
The ver.di service workers union’s strike also targeted the Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, Berlin, Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Cologne/Bonn, Leipzig/Halle, Stuttgart and Munich airports. At the smaller Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports, only security workers were called out.
Russia expels two British ‘diplomats’ on spying charges
Russia said it was expelling two British “diplomats” on suspicion of carrying out espionage activities, the FSB Security Service said, reported by AFP.
Announcing the expulsion of the embassy’s second secretary and the husband of the first secretary, the FSB said “counterintelligence work had revealed an undeclared British intelligence presence under the cover of the national embassy.”
The foreign ministry also summoned an embassy representative, it said in a post on Telegram.
Morning opening: It’s Riyadh Season
Jakub Krupa
Since 2019, Saudi Arabia has organised what is known as “Riyadh Season,” a series of events in entertainment, sports, and culture promoting the kingdom. It included football games, boxing bouts, and massive concerts, among others.
It now appears that talks about the new global order are a part of the programme, too.
After the inaugural US-Russia talks last month, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in town today for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after which his team will stay over for critical talks with the US on Tuesday.
Overnight, US president Donald Trump said he was hoping that US-led talks could “make a lot of progress, I believe, this week,” as he suggested that a pause on sharing intelligence with Ukraine was “just about” lifted.
Over the weekend, Russia continued its attacks against Ukraine, with Zelenskyy wearily pointing out that “they are not thinking about how to end the war, but how to destroy and capture more while the world allows them to continue.”
But he insisted he was “fully committed” to talks.
“Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” he said.
Let’s see if this week’s talks can lead to any movement on this.
I will bring you all reactions and other developments across Europe – and from Riyadh.
It’s Monday, 10 March 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
Good morning.
