U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out in a social media post on Monday in response to Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement that the end of the war is “still very, very far away.” Calling it “the worst statement” the Ukrainian president could have made, Trump wrote on Truth Social: This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer! It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking? Attached to the post was a screenshot of a March 3 headline from the Associated Press reading, “Ukraine’s Zelensky says end of war with Russia is ‘very, very far away.’” In the article , the agency quotes Zelensky as saying that he expects to continue receiving support from the U.S. despite last week’s verbal clash with Trump at the White House. “I think our relationship (with the U.S.) will continue, because it’s more than an occasional relationship,” Zelensky reportedly told the AP. Read about the Oval Office clash ‘You’re gambling with World War III!’ Trump and Vance ambush Zelensky in shouting Oval Office meeting…

The Russian military continues its offensive near Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Russian troops have advanced east of the city, while Ukrainian forces have managed to halt their progress to the south and west of Pokrovsk. On the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, Pokrovsk Mayor Ruslan Trebushkin released a video urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “make peace and let people live.” In response, Pokrovsk’s military administration asserted that the civilian mayor has no authority until martial law and stated that it is “doing everything possible to bring victory closer.” Despite relentless shelling, civilians remain in the city — as of January 2025, approximately 7,200 people were still living in Pokrovsk. Civilians receive humanitarian aid on the outskirts of Pokrovsk. February 17, 2025. The aftermath of a Russian missile strike on an administrative building in Pokrovsk. February 17, 2025. Meduza has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the very start, and we are committed to reporting objectively on a war we firmly oppose. Join Meduza in its mission to challenge the Kremlin’s censorship with the truth. Donate today . A cultural center building in the town of Bilytske, near Pokrovsk, that was hit by a Russian strike on February 24, 2025. Pokrovsk residents walk past the administrative building damaged by a Russian missile strike. February 17, 2025. Forty-seven-year-old Tetiana and her father, 73-year-old Volodymyr, wait to be evacuated in the village of Chernihivka near Pokrovsk. February 24, 2025. A resident of the town of Rodynske near Pokrovsk hands out religious pamphlets on an empty street. February 24, 2025. Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery near Pokrovsk. February 26, 2025. Ukrainian medical workers treat injured soldiers near Pokrovsk. February 19, 2025.…

Russian forces struck a Ukrainian military training ground in the Dnipropetrovsk region on Saturday, killing and injuring soldiers from one of Ukraine’s Ground Forces units, according to an official statement the Ukrainian army published on Monday. The official number of casualties has not been confirmed, but Ukrainian media reports suggest that dozens of soldiers were killed and around 100 wounded. Here’s what we know so far about the strike. Russian forces launched a missile strike on a Ukrainian military training ground in the Dnipropetrovsk region on March 1, killing and wounding soldiers from one of Ukraine’s Ground Forces units, according to a statement published by the Ukrainian military branch on March 3. The exact number of casualties has not been officially disclosed. However, Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources, reported that “several dozen soldiers were killed and up to a hundred wounded.” Suspilne also cited sources saying a “large number” of wounded soldiers had been taken to hospitals in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Ground Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi said an investigation is underway, with an independent review involving military counterintelligence. “Everyone who made decisions that day, and everyone who failed to make them in time, will be held accountable,” he said. Ukrainian lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla and several Ukrainian military bloggers claimed that Russian forces struck the training ground while soldiers were assembled in formation. Drapatyi did not confirm this directly but said he would push for “the harshest punishment” for those who “drag soldiers into outdated procedures, neglecting their safety.” On the evening of March 1, Russia’s Defense Ministry published a video on Telegram claiming it showed an Iskander-M missile strike on the Novomoskovsk military training ground near the village of Cherkaske in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where troops from Ukraine’s 157th Mechanized Brigade were stationed. Geolocation analysis confirms the footage does show the training ground near Cherkaske. Numerous tents are visible in the video, with soldiers seen running from at least one just before the strike. Several explosions resembling the detonation of cluster munitions from Iskander missile warheads can be seen. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that up to 150 Ukrainian soldiers, including as many as 30 foreign instructors, were killed in the strike. However, there is no independent confirmation of these figures. Ukrainian military drone specialist Serhii Beskrestnov (also known as “Flash”) commented on the incident in a Telegram post , saying that a Russian Orlan reconnaissance drone, which flew over the training ground before the strike, “did not prompt the responsible officials to take the necessary security measures.” Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation announced that an investigation has been launched “into the deaths and injuries of Ukrainian servicemen as a result of the Russian missile strike on a training ground in Dnipropetrovsk region” under the charge of negligence in military service. Additionally, prosecutors told Suspilne that an investigation is also underway under the charge of encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability.…

Protesters took to the streets around the world this weekend after talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ended in a heated confrontation on Friday. What was meant to be the signing of a mineral resources agreement instead turned into a shouting match involving Trump, Zelensky, and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance as the two American leaders accused the Ukrainian president of failing to show sufficient gratitude for Washington’s aid to his war-torn country. The deal’s ultimately went unsigned, and Trump reportedly asked Zelensky to leave the White House, casting doubt on the future of U.S. support for Ukraine. Meduza shares photos from demonstrations across Europe and the United States, where thousands gathered to show solidarity with Ukraine. Kraków, Poland. March 1, 2025. Kraków Kraków Kraków Times Square, New York City, United States. March 1, 2025. Times Square Protesters outside an office of Elon Musk’s company SpaceX in Hawthorne, California The Kremlin crushed Meduza’s business model and wiped out our ad revenue. We’ve been blocked and outlawed in Russia, where donating to us or even sharing our posts is a crime. But we’re still here — bringing independent journalism to millions of our readers inside Russia and around the world. Meduza’s survival is under threat — again. Donald Trump’s foreign aid freeze has slashed funding for international groups backing press freedom. Meduza was hurt too. It’s yet another blow in our ongoing struggle to survive. You could be our lifeline. Please, help Meduza survive with a small recurring donation. Los Angeles, California, United States. March 1, 2025. Hawthorne, California Hawthorne, California Westfield, Vermont, where hundreds gathered on March 1 to protest against U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who visited the state for a ski trip. The protest had been planned before Zelensky’s visit to Washington, but many participants said they decided to join after the Trump–Zelensky meeting at the White House. Boston. March 1, 2025. Demonstrators gather on London’s Downing Street ahead of a summit of European leaders on March 2 London London. March 2, 2025 Members of Russia’s exiled opposition gather in Berlin to protest against Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. March 1, 2025. Berlin, Germany. March 1, 2025. A pro-Ukraine protest in Milan, Italy. March 2, 2025. A protest outside of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, organized by members of the American community in Ukraine Aftermath of the Zelensky–Trump meeting In Fox News interview after Oval Office disaster, Zelensky thanks America repeatedly for support and stresses historical moment for U.S.-Ukrainian partnership…

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was prepared to meet one of President Donald Trump’s demands by signing a minerals agreement granting the United States access to Ukraine’s resources, he would not apologize to the U.S. president, BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reported after speaking with Zelensky alongside other British journalists at London’s Stansted Airport on the evening of March 2. “He [said he] would not apologize to Trump or express regret for anything that happened in the Oval Office, which at the moment, the U.S. president’s camp is repeatedly calling for,” Kuenssberg reported. Zelensky told journalists he had traveled a long way to visit the White House, calling the trip a sign of respect. He added that he would never “insult anybody” and said the meeting had ultimately served neither side’s interests. According to Kuenssberg, Zelensky was deliberate in his wording and spoke only in Ukrainian. He was not openly critical of Trump and “suggested tensions would pass.” after the ambush In Fox News interview after Oval Office disaster, Zelensky thanks America repeatedly for support and stresses historical moment for U.S.-Ukrainian partnership…

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime advocate for continued aid from Washington to Ukraine, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s February 28 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House “an utter disaster” and urged Zelensky to resign. Speaking to Fox News immediately after the talks, Graham said he was “proud” of Trump and questioned whether Americans would be able to “do business” with Zelensky again. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham said. The call was echoed by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who told NBC News on Sunday that Zelensky “needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country [Ukraine] to do that.” Trump’s national security adviser Mark Waltz told CNN that the U.S. needs a Ukrainian leader “who can deal with us, ultimately deal with the Russians, and end this war.” Commenting on calls for his resignation, Zelensky responded : “I can give [Lindsay Graham] citizenship of Ukraine and he will become a citizen of our country. And then his voice will start to gain weight. […] The president of Ukraine will not be chosen in Lindsey Graham’s house but in Ukraine.” “To change me, it will not be easy because it is not enough to simply hold elections. You would need to prevent me from participating. And it will be a bit more difficult,” Zelensky added. He also reiterated his recent statement that he is ready to step down as president if Ukraine is admitted to NATO. Read more about Zelensky’s White House visit ‘You’re gambling with World War III!’ Trump and Vance ambush Zelensky in shouting Oval Office meeting…

Moscow expects that talks on restoring U.S.-Russia relations will continue and even accelerate in the coming weeks. According to CNN, private discussions are also underway to expedite preparations for a meeting between the two countries’ presidents. The first round of negotiations between Moscow and Washington took place on February 18 in Saudi Arabia. CNN reports that another round is already being organized and is also expected to be held in a Gulf state. Russian officials believe that as tensions grow between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will be overshadowed by discussions of potential economic agreements between Washington and Moscow, CNN reports. Trump spoke by phone with President Vladimir Putin on February 12, marking the first direct conversation between the presidents of the United States and Russia since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump later said they had agreed to “work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations.” An ambush ‘You’re gambling with World War III!’ Trump and Vance ambush Zelensky in shouting Oval Office meeting…

French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled details of a peace plan developed jointly by France and the U.K. for resolving the war in Ukraine. In an interview with Le Figaro published Sunday, Macron outlined the plan, which proposes a one-month partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine that would exclude ground combat operations. “In the event of a ceasefire, it would be very difficult to monitor whether hostilities along the front line are actually being observed,” Macron explained. He said the partial ceasefire would apply to air and naval attacks, including strikes on energy infrastructure. The second part of the plan envisions European countries sending a peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine, but only at a later stage. “There will be no European troops on Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks. The question is how we use this time to try to achieve a ceasefire and negotiations, which will take several weeks, and then, once peace is signed, deployment [of troops],” Macron said. During a visit to London this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was asked by journalists whether he was aware of the plan. “I’m aware of everything,” he replied. In the same interview, Macron also stressed the need for France and other European countries to increase their defense spending. “Over the past three years, the Russians have been spending 10 percent of their GDP on defense. Therefore, we need to prepare for the future by setting a target of 3 percent or 3.5 percent of GDP. This is far from the two percent that France barely managed to reach, and which many European countries have yet to approach,” he said. A rocky road to peace Trump and Zelensky exchange social media posts after Oval Office shouting match. Trump bars Ukrainian president from White House until he’s ‘ready for peace,’ while Zelensky thanks POTUS for visit. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says Trump and Vance not ‘smacking this bastard Zelensky’ was a ‘miracle of restraint’ in heated Oval Office meeting ‘You’re gambling with World War III!’ Trump and Vance ambush Zelensky in shouting Oval Office meeting Trump’s ‘illegal’ ceasefire plan Both Moscow and Kyiv insist that their constitutions prohibit the concessions needed for the imminent peace promised by Washington…

In an interview with Bret Baier of Fox News on Friday evening, President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly thanked the American people and the White House leadership for the nation’s strong partnership with Ukraine. Zelensky stayed on message throughout the conversation in an apparent effort to repair his administration’s relationship with President Trump, who ambushed the Ukrainian leader hours earlier in the Oval Office, ridiculing Zelensky for supposedly pursuing war against Russia. . @BretBaier "Do you think your relationship with President Trump can be salvaged." Zelenskyy: "Yes, of course." pic.twitter.com/ArX0Hilx1M — Ryan Schmelz (@RyanSchmelzFOX) February 28, 2025 “Nobody wants to finish [this war] more than [Ukrainians]. […] We have to be on the same side. I hope the president is on the same side as us,” Zelensky told Baier. When asked if he thinks he owes Trump an apology, Zelensky said, “I respect the president and the American people,” and argued that some matters should be discussed “outside the media” in private. When asked if he was told to limit his Oval Office remarks to a U.S.-Ukrainian minerals deal that was supposed to be signed after Friday’s meeting, Zelensky said he felt compelled to share his thoughts with Trump about Vladimir Putin’s lack of trustworthiness when the subject of a ceasefire came up. “[My people] just want to hear that Americans will remain on our side.” Zelensky said he cannot change his constituents’ attitudes about Russians after three years of war and countless atrocities. Asked if he’ll ever accept a peace deal with Russia, Zelensky said, “It’s about a just and lasting peace.” The Ukrainian president also raised Kyiv’s request for security guarantees, saying, “We are ready for peace, but we have to be in a strong position. […] We want peace. That’s why I’m in the United States.” He argued that the minerals deal contains “infrastructure” for security guarantees. Zelensky also cautioned that he cannot end the war with a wave of his hand: “Nobody [in Ukraine] will stop. Because everyone is afraid that Putin will come back tomorrow” if the settlement isn’t lasting. Background ‘You’re gambling with World War III!’ Trump and Vance ambush Zelensky in shouting Oval Office meeting When asked if he believes Ukraine could hold off Russia without continued U.S. support, Zelensky told Baier: “It will be difficult without your support. But we can’t lose our values, our people, our freedom. […] Russians came to our houses, they killed so many people. [We’re] just going to forget it? No.” At several moments throughout the interview, Zelensky mentioned Ukraine’s European allies, saying that Kyiv seeks better coordination between European and American policies. Baier cited comments earlier on Friday by Senator Lindsey Graham, who suggested that Zelensky’s resignation might be necessary to repair Washington’s relationship with Kyiv. Zelensky said he appreciates his relationship with Graham but does not intend to step down as Ukraine’s president: “This decision can only be made by the people of Ukraine.” Near the end of the interview, President Zelensky appeared to tear up when discussing Ukrainian struggles throughout the war. He consulted an off-screen interpreter twice for clarifications on questions: one about whether he regrets Friday’s argument happening in public (“Yes, I think it was not good”) and another about his hopes for salvaging his relationship with Donald Trump (“Yes, of course, because it’s a relationship or more than two presidents but of two people”). “I want him to be more at our side,” Zelensky explained, after describing Trump’s negotiating philosophy as seeking to be “in the middle” between Ukraine and Russia.…

Last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the United States Cyber Command to halt any planning of actions against Russia, including offensive digital operations, three sources have told The Record . Hegseth reportedly gave the order to Cyber Command chief General Timothy Haugh, who then relayed it to his subordinates. The sources noted that the order does not apply to the National Security Agency, which Timothy Haugh also heads, nor to its signals intelligence operations targeting Russia. “The order does not apply to the National Security Agency, which Haugh also leads, or its signals intelligence work targeting Russia,” The Record reported, adding that Hegseth’s order “could derail some of the command’s most high-profile missions involving a top U.S. digital adversary, including in Ukraine.” From Meduza’s vault (published in 2018) What is the GRU? Who gets recruited to be a spy? Why are they exposed so often? Here are the most important things you should know about Russia’s intelligence community…

Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has responded to a heated exchange on Friday in the Oval Office between the Ukrainian and American presidents that ended with Volodymyr Zelensky leaving the White House without signing a planned agreement on shared mineral rights: I think Zelensky’s BIGGEST lie, among all his lies, was his statement at the White House that the Kyiv regime was left alone, without support, in 2022. How Trump and Vance managed to restrain themselves and not smack this bastard — it’s a miracle of self-control. Earlier in the day, Kirill Dmitriev, chief of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a lead negotiator in U.S.-Russian talks that took place earlier this month in Saudi Arabia, called the Oval Office argument “ historic .” Further reading Zelensky’s Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vance becomes a literal shouting match…

Following a heated exchange in the Oval Office on Friday with America’s president and vice president that ended with Volodymyr Zelensky leaving the White House without signing a planned agreement on shared mineral rights, NBC News reported that the U.S. State Department has terminated a U.S. Agency for International Development initiative that “invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help restore Ukraine’s energy grid from attacks by the Russian military.” Citing two USAID officials working on the agency’s Ukraine mission, NBC News warned that the cutbacks could “significantly undercut this administration’s abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire” and signal Washington’s indifference to American investments in Ukraine. In Russia, state officials have welcomed the Trump administration’s campaign to dissolve the USAID program. Earlier this month, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin proposed that Russian politicians, human rights advocates, and public figures who have received funding from the U.S. government should “publicly confess and repent on Red Square.” More from Friday’s fallout Zelensky’s Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vance becomes a literal shouting match…

Following a heated exchange in the Oval Office on Friday with America’s president and vice president that ended with Volodymyr Zelensky leaving the White House without signing a planned agreement on shared mineral rights, Ukraine’s president tweeted a thank you message without acknowledging the argument. “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,” wrote Zelensky, not commenting on his early exit from the White House or the explosive shouting match that preceded it. “Thank you, POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.” Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS , Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that. — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 28, 2025 Zelensky later quote-tweeted the same message — “Thank you for your support” — to various world leaders who wrote to him after the Oval Office argument, including European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and others. In a post on social media after the meeting, Trump declared, “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”…

Kirill Dmitriev, chief of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and a lead negotiator in U.S.-Russian talks that took place earlier this month in Saudi Arabia, has commented on Friday’s Oval Office argument between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Trump administration. “Historic,” Dmitriev tweeted after the diplomatic scandal, sharing a video of the heated exchange. Shortly thereafter, he also retweeted Elon Musk’s post with the same footage and the message, “Watch this carefully. Very important.” Historic. https://t.co/mfsftGUKe9 — Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) February 28, 2025 Background ‘He had a lot to do with this’ Who is Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian ‘interlocutor’ Trump’s envoy mentioned when he returned from Moscow this week?…

Multiple journalists reported seeing the White House “let” a correspondent from the Russian state media agency TASS into the Oval Office to cover U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s joint press conference on Friday. Andrew Feinberg, a correspondent for The Independent, later wrote on X that a White House official had said that TASS was “not on the approved list” for the press conference. “As soon as it came to the attention of press office staff that he was in the Oval, he was escorted out by the [White House Press Secretary],” the official reportedly said. UPDATE from a @WhiteHouse official: “TASS was not on the approved list of media for today’s pool. As soon as it came to the attention of press office staff that he was in the Oval, he was escorted out by the @PressSec . He is not on the approved list for the press conference.” — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) February 28, 2025 Read more about the press conference Zelensky’s Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vance becomes a literal shouting match…