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US president Donald Trump says he is “strongly considering” widespread sanctions and tariffs on Russia until Moscow and Kyiv agree a peace deal after Russia launched more than 200 missiles and drones at targets across Ukraine in one of its largest attacks this year.
He wrote on his social-network platform, Truth Social: “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED.”
Earlier, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called for an enforced “silence in the sky”.
“The first steps to establishing real peace should be to force the sole source of this war, that is, Russia, to stop precisely such attacks against life,” he wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine’s air force announced this morning that Russia had fired 67 missiles and 194 drones. They said they shot down 34 of the rockets and 100 drones, with 86 additional unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) having disappeared in the air.
Kyiv’s energy minister Herman Halushchenko said the attack had targeted energy and gas infrastructure across the country.
At least eight people were injured in Kharkiv.
Trump considers ‘large-scale sanctions on Russia’
US president Donald Trump has announced he is “strongly considering large- scale sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a peace deal is agreed.
He wrote on his own social-network platform, Truth Social: “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED.
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”
Jane Dalton7 March 2025 14:31
Ukrainian forces fighting in Russia almost cut off
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops who smashed into Russia last summer and took control of a swath of territory there are nearly encircled by Russian forces and cut off from their main supply lines, open-source maps show.
Ukraine’s situation in Russia’s Kursk region has deteriorated sharply in the past three days, the maps show, after Russian forces retook territory as part of a gathering counteroffensive that has nearly cut the Ukrainian force in two.
The precarious situation for Ukraine raises the possibility that its forces may be forced into a politically awkward and psychologically difficult retreat or risk being captured or killed at a time when Kyiv is under mounting pressure from the US to agree a ceasefire.
“The situation (for Ukraine) is very bad,” Pasi Paroinen, a military analyst with the Finland-based Black Bird Group, told Reuters.
“Now there is not much left until Ukrainian forces will either be encircled or forced to withdraw. And withdrawal would mean running a dangerous gauntlet, where the forces would be constantly threatened by Russian drones and artillery,” he said.
“If Ukrainian forces are not able to restore the situation quickly, this could be the moment where the Kursk salient begins to finally close into an encircled pocket.”
Jane Dalton7 March 2025 14:26
Poland plans military training for all men
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that his government was working on a plan to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in response to the changing security situation in Europe.
Mr Tusk told the country’s Sejm, the lower house of parliament, that the military training would create a reserve force that is “adequate to possible threats.”
The speech was focused on the international security situation.
Poland, which is along Nato’s eastern flank, is deeply concerned by the war in Ukraine. There are fears that if Ukraine is defeated, Russia will turn its imperial ambitions to countries like Poland, which it controlled during the 19th century and during the Cold War.
Jane Dalton7 March 2025 13:51
Kyiv seeks more detail on Meloni Nato proposal
Kyiv says it is asking Italy for more information about a proposal by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to extend Nato’s mutual defence umbrella to Ukraine without offering it alliance membership or sending peacekeeping troops.
Britain, France and other countries are also drawing up plans to deploy European troops to safeguard a potential ceasefire under a future peace deal. Russia opposes such plans but President Trump has said he believes Moscow might agree.
Ms Meloni is an ally of Trump but has remained a strong public supporter of Ukraine.
On the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels, she said extending Nato’s Article 5 collective security agreement would be a more “lasting solution” than sending European peacekeepers or granting Kyiv full membership.
Article 5 requires all alliance members to consider an attack on any of them to be an attack on all.
“We welcome this statement as part of the discussion on providing Ukraine with long-term security guarantees and ensuring security and peace in general,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said.
“As for this proposal specifically, we are in contact with our Italian colleagues to clarify the specifics,” Tykhyi said.
Jane Dalton7 March 2025 13:45
Starmer hails Healey’s ‘very constructive’ White House talks
John Healey held “very constructive” talks with his US counterpart in Washington this week, focusing on deepening the UK-US defence relationship and securing a lasting peace for Ukraine, Downing Street has said.
The prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters the defence secretary and his opposite number Pete Hegseth was positive, adding: “You heard from the US secretary of defence himself, the US was very encouraged by Ukraine’s actions since last week and working towards a ceasefire, and that the UK had stood up to lead on Ukraine, and this leadership had been critical.”
Archie Mitchell7 March 2025 13:03
European partners and their allies need to work to support Ukraine, EU’s Costa says
European partners and their allies across the Atlantic and beyond need to work to support Ukraine and ensure a lasting peace, Antonio Costa, the European Council president, said on Friday, adding that cooperation with like-minded Nato partners was vital to international security.
Costa met with leaders of Great Britain, Turkey, Norway and Iceland to debrief them on a meeting held with European Union leaders on Thursday, where they backed plans to spend more on defence and mostly vowed to continue to stand by Ukraine.
Tom Watling7 March 2025 12:21
