Key developments on March 3:
- Trump to discuss potential suspension, cancellation of military aid for Ukraine on March 3
- Ukraine committed to work with US, Europe to end war 'the soonest possible,' Zelensky says
- US wants Zelensky to 'regret' Oval Office clash, sign minerals deal, Waltz says
- 'A tragedy' — Russia strikes Ukrainian military training ground during exercises, Drapatyi says
- Russia trying to break through border in Sumy Oblast, cut off Ukraine's Kursk logistics routes, Border Guard says
- Russia plans to launch 500 kamikaze drones per day at Ukraine, HUR says
U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss on March 3 the possible suspension or complete cancellation of military aid to Ukraine, including weapons pledged by the Biden administration, The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing an undisclosed source.
The news comes after Trump's public spat with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House on Feb. 28 that upended plans to sign a natural resources treaty between the two countries.
An unnamed administration official told the NYT that Trump will meet on March 3 with his top national security aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to review and potentially act on a range of policy options for Ukraine.
Among the issues to be considered will be the suspension or cancellation of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, including the latest shipments of ammunition and equipment authorized during the Biden administration, the official said.
Zelensky has repeatedly urged the U.S. to continue shipping arms to Ukraine to strengthen Kyiv's position in future peace negotiations with Russia.
The Trump administration has not authorized new weapons shipments for Ukraine but has not halted those that were announced under the previous Biden administration.
Reuters reported in early February that opposing factions within the administration had been debating whether the U.S. should continue providing weapons.
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with $65.9 billion in military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on March 2 that a number of European nations, including the U.K. and France, are developing a "coalition of the willing" that will include "planes in the air and boots on the ground" in an effort to negotiate a successful ceasefire in Ukraine.
Starmer added that for any coalition to succeed, Europe must "have strong U.S. backing."
"(European allies) will go forth to develop a 'coalition of the willing' to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace," Starmer said during a press conference following a European leaders' summit in London. "Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can't mean we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency."
"The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air. Together with others, Europe must do the heavy lifting," Starmer said. "This is not a moment for more talk... If you want to preserve the peace, you have to defend the peace."
Brooke Manning
Ukraine committed to work with US, Europe to end war as soon as possible, Zelensky says
Ukraine remains committed to working with the U.S. and European partners to secure peace and expects continued American support, Zelensky said on March 3.
"It is very important that we try to make our diplomacy really substantive to end this war the soonest possible," Zelensky posted on X.
The statement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at Zelensky for telling British media that a peace deal with Russia remains "very, very far away."
Trump called it "the worst statement that could have been made" and accused Zelensky of not wanting peace "as long as he has America's backing."
Zelensky countered that Ukraine needs real peace and that no one wants it more than Ukrainians, as the war continues to devastate cities and claim lives.
"Peace is needed as soon as possible," he said.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
US wants Zelensky to 'regret' Oval Office clash, sign minerals deal, Waltz says
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration wants to hear from Zelensky that he regrets the Oval Office clash, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News on March 3.
"What we need to hear from President Zelensky is that he regrets what happened, that he's ready to sign this minerals deal, and that he's ready to engage in peace talks," Waltz said.
Zelensky's visit to the White House on Feb. 28 was intended to finalize a long-debated agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine on jointly developing Ukraine's mineral resources.
The press conference instead turned into a public clash, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance berating Zelensky. The Ukrainian president later left the White House without signing the deal.
Following the talks, Trump accused Zelensky of "disrespecting" the U.S. in the Oval Office and said the Ukrainian president "is not ready for peace."
Waltz also claimed the confrontation proved that the Ukrainian president was not serious about peace negotiations.
"But here's the problem: time is not on his (Zelensky's) side. Time is not on the side of indefinitely continuing this conflict. The American people's patience is not unlimited. Their wallets are not unlimited. Our stockpiles and munitions are not unlimited," he said.
Waltz suggested that Zelensky was jeopardizing Ukraine's long-term economic ties with the U.S. He said, "He could leave the White House with the U.S. and Ukraine bound together economically for a generation."
Following the exchange, some Republican lawmakers have ramped up criticism of Zelensky, with some even suggesting he may need to step aside.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC News on March 2 that Zelensky "needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country."
Waltz himself took aim at Zelensky in an interview with far-right Breitbart News on March 1, comparing him to "an ex-girlfriend that wants to argue everything that you said."
As U.S. officials continue to lambast the Ukrainian president over the incident, European allies gathered in London on March 2 to reaffirm their support for Zelensky and the embattled country.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
'A tragedy' — Russia strikes Ukrainian military training ground during exercises, Drapatyi says
Russian forces struck a Ukrainian military training ground in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on March 1 during a formation exercise, Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, said on March 3.
A day earlier, reports of a Russian attack with an Iskander-M ballistic missile on a training ground in the village of Cherkaske near the regional center of Dnipro began circulated on social media. The strike was allegedly carried out after an Orlan drone spotted a formation of soldiers about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the front line.
Drapatyi did not disclose the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed and injured. He added that the truth about the attack could be hidden "in the fog of bureaucracy" but promised to prevent this.
"A tragedy at a training ground is a terrible consequence of an enemy strike. The war requires quick decisions, responsibility, and new safety standards; otherwise, we will lose more than we have," Drapatyi said.
Drapatyi added he had launched an investigation into the circumstances of the strike and appointed an independent review with the participation of military counterintelligence.
"Everyone who made decisions that day, and everyone who did not make them on time, will be held accountable. No one will hide behind explanations or formal reports," he said.
Later, on March 3, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the head of the unit training center that was hit and the commander of the military unit had been suspended from duty.
"In the middle of the day, on March 1, the enemy attacked one of the military units on the territory of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine training ground in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast," he said.
"As a result of the hit of the Iskander-M ballistic missile equipped with cluster munitions, there are dead and wounded," he added.
Also on March 3, Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation announced it was opening criminal proceedings into the "death and injury of Ukrainian servicemen as a result of a Russian missile strike on a training ground in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast."
This is not the first time Russia has attacked Ukrainian troops while they are lining up in the rear.
On November 3, 2023, in a village near the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian forces attacked a group of soldiers. As a result of the Russian missile strike, 19 soldiers of the 128th Brigade and two civilians were killed.
According to an investigation by Ukraine's Defense Ministry, the soldiers were gathered in the courtyard of a house during an awards ceremony while all camouflage rules were ignored.
Chris York
Russia trying to break through border in Sumy Oblast, cut off Ukraine's Kursk logistics routes, Border Guard says
The Russian army is trying to break through the Russia-Ukraine border in Sumy Oblast and cut Ukrainian forces off from its logistics routes, State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on March 3 on national television.
Demchenko's statement comes after Russian forces attempted to cross the Russia-Ukraine border in Sumy Oblast near the village of Novenke but were repelled the previous week.
Northeastern Sumy Oblast borders Russia's Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces launched an incursion last summer to draw away Moscow's troops from Donbas and disrupt Russian plans for an offensive from the north.
Demchenko said Russia is attempting to enter Ukrainian territory with assault groups in the direction of the village of Novenke, which lies just across the border, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the regional center, Sumy.
The Ukrainian army is making every effort to prevent Russian units from gaining a foothold on Ukrainian territory, Demchenko said, adding that Russian troops mainly use "large numbers of equipment and personnel" in Kursk Oblast to achieve a breakthrough.
"These are not mass assaults. When the enemy tries to drive the Ukrainian Defense Forces out of Kursk Oblast, firstly, it puts pressure on our units within Kursk Oblast," Demchenko said.
"And then, it (Russia) is trying to expand the area of active combat activities, trying to enter the territory of Ukraine. However, all elements of the Defense Forces are operating in that area to prevent this. All available weapons are being used," he added.
Francis Farrell
Russia plans to launch 500 kamikaze drones per day at Ukraine, HUR says
Russia plans to launch at least 500 drones per aerial attack against Ukraine, Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), said in an interview with RBC Ukraine published on March 3.
Both Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology throughout the war, significantly altering modern warfare tactics. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has launched thousands of cheap but effective drones at Ukraine.
Russia currently uses 150 to 200 drones per attack against Ukraine, which occur on a daily basis, but Russian forces plan to increase their capabilities to 500, Skibitsky told RBC Ukraine. Russia also plans to increase the number of sites from which drones will be launched.
Russian forces have significantly increased domestic production of various types of drones, according to Skibitskyi. Russia uses combat and reconnaissance drones, as well as so-called "decoys," which are drones without a payload, he added.
"All of this simply overloads our air defense system. It is very difficult to distinguish between a drone flying with a warhead and one without," Skibitsky said.
Kollen Post
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