Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 03-01-2025

Russians launched a ballistic missile at Odesa, damaging port infrastructure, civilian vessel and injuring two people.

Russian forces launched a ballistic missile at Odesa, damaging port infrastructure and a civilian vessel and injuring two people on the evening of Saturday, March 1.

Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration (OVA), confirmed the attack on Telegram, stating that “two men, port employees, were injured.”

Zelensky’s arrival was met with cheers from supporters as his convoy entered Downing Street. Starmer greeted him with an embrace, posing for photographs.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street on Saturday, March 1, following his tense confrontation with US President Donald Trump.

As per AFP, Zelensky’s arrival was met with cheers from supporters as his convoy entered Downing Street. Starmer greeted him with an embrace, posing for photographs before the two leaders proceeded inside for private talks.

The meeting on Thursday occurred on the same day that South Korea’s spy agency said the North had dispatched more troops to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin met with a senior North Korean official in Moscow earlier this week, Pyongyang’s state media said Saturday.

The meeting on Thursday occurred on the same day that South Korea’s spy agency said the North had dispatched more troops to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine, without disclosing how many.

Russia has replaced Cold War-era terrorist proxies with cyberattacks and disinformation, using digital warfare to destabilize the West while avoiding direct confrontation.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Soviet-backed terrorists carried out attacks across Europe that left civilians both horrified, puzzled, and asking, “Why commit terrorism if no one understands why you are doing it?”

Terrorism, by definition, has an ideological objective. Groups like the Red Army Faction and the Red Brigades claimed Marxist inspiration, however their acts never had the intent of ushering in the “advancement of global Marxism.”

Orban urges EU to negotiate with Russia, clashing with bloc’s Ukraine policy ahead of crucial Brussels summit.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called on the European Union to enter direct negotiations with Russia.

“It has become evident that there are strategic differences in our approach to Ukraine that cannot be bridged by drafting or communication,” he wrote in a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa ahead of an emergency summit on defense.

Despite the Oval Office confrontation, Zelensky believes that the relationship with Trump could be salvaged and admitted that fighting against Russia “will be difficult” without US support.

Ukraine braced for a possible halt in US support and eyed a stronger alliance with Europe against Russia’s invasion, following a fiery clash on Friday between the US and Ukrainian presidents.

The heated exchange between Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on one side and Volodymyr Zelensky on the other has left the already fractious relations with the new US administration in tatters.

The world in focus, as seen by Canadian leading global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw in a quick review of the biggest news in international media today.

President Donald Trump ripped into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday, demanding respect and gratitude from the wartime leader in a blistering encounter that could determine whether Europe’s future is war or peace. The heated back-and-forth — with Trump, Zelensky and Vice President JD Vance at times talking over each other — was a striking breach of Oval Office comity, where even tough exchanges have typically happened with calm voices and diplomatic language. Not Friday, when Trump told Zelensky that he had no cards and was in no position to make requests of the United States. He also suggested that talks could derail unless attitudes changed. The on-camera fury had no modern precedent and was all the more striking at a time when Trump has been more sympathetic to Moscow than to Kyiv after generations in which Washington has stood staunchly against Kremlin aggression across the world. Zelensky traveled from Kyiv to finalize a deal granting the United States limited access to Ukraine’s natural resources, which the smaller country had hoped would make the United States more open to bolstering its security in the war with Russia. Instead, the meeting ended without signatures, as Trump booted Zelensky from the White House and issued what appeared to be a threat to cut off U.S. aid for Ukraine entirely. The turn of events was surprising given the optimism that both sides had projected going into a meeting that was designed to showcase a renewed relationship between Zelensky and Trump. The rapid deterioration revealed just how much tension continues to simmer between the two leaders, and it stunned policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic. One senior European diplomat described feeling nauseous watching the encounter. “You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position,” Trump told Zelensky, blaming Ukraine for the war even though it began with an unprovoked invasion by Moscow - Washington Post

My hot take analysis: Donald Trump’s brand of disgraceful, school yard bully diplomacy was on full display yesterday for all the world to see. It was not long after the Trump/JD Vance Oval Office meltdown ended, that I starting to connect dots on what just happened. As often happens in life, not everything met the eye. I’ve a growing feeling that what we saw was almost pre-meditated. A deliberate sabotage by the Trump team of a draft resource deal that became so diluted that they no longer felt inclined to sign. But more so - long-simmering lava building up within Donald Trump against Zelensky and Ukraine that reached boiling point. Aided by his pit-bull VP who’s never liked the country. Absolutely astonishing events! Should Zelensky had kept more quiet to avoid enraging the two US leaders even further? Perhaps. But judging from early reaction from here on the ground in Ukraine, he will come home a hero. But what will also be of immediate concern to Ukrainians is what happens on the frontline and above them in the skies. As if almost on cue yesterday, just as the meeting broke up, Russian President Putin’s forces showered the skies in Odesa and elsewhere with ballistic missiles and drones. Emergency power outages have been announced for several regions, including Kyiv.

In the wake of Friday’s Oval Office wrangle, the stakes for Ukraine could hardly be higher as several possible future scenarios are now emerging.

After the extraordinary on-camera flare-up between beleaguered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the one hand and US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on the other, the future of US military and economic support for Ukraine is very much in doubt.

I, for one, am deeply ashamed of Trump and Vance for berating Zelensky and petulantly demanding that he thank the US for its past support even as they threatened to cut it off.

British media already showed a plane bearing the Ukrainian flag touching down in an airport north of London.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet UK Prime Minister Keith Starmer in London on Saturday on the eve of a summit gathering 12 European leaders in the British capital, Starmer’s office said.

“The Prime Minister and President Zelensky will be meeting in Downing Street this afternoon,” a spokeswoman said, as British media showed a plane bearing the Ukrainian flag touching down in an airport north of London.

As one of the few media voices representing war-torn Ukraine, Kyiv Post’s CEO Luc Chenier shared the journey he and Kyiv Post made amid the Russian invasion.

Kyiv Post’s CEO, Luc Chenier, recently spoke at Web Summit Qatar 2025, held from Feb. 23 to 26 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. The event, one of the biggest tech gatherings in the Middle East and North Africa, brought together almost 26,000 attendees from more than 120 countries.

This was the third consecutive year that Kyiv Post had participated in a Web Summit. In 2024, Luc Chenier attended the event in Lisbon, Portugal, from November 11 to 14. The year before, Chief Editor Bohdan Nahaylo represented the publication.

Karoline Leavitt said that Zelensky failed to recognize “a new sheriff in town” during the contentious Oval Office meeting.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following his contentious Oval Office meeting with US President Donald Trump, saying Zelensky does not acknowledge the realities of the war and lacks gratitude for American aid.

A White House meeting on Friday between Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Zelensky escalated into a heated exchange, with Trump and Vance accusing Zelensky and Ukraine.

The lion always expects to get the lion’s share. Putin thinks it’s him but when Ukraine’s president said “The fight is here, I need ammunition, not a ride” Ukraine became the lion.

They say in a negotiation the lion gets the lion’s share. By that standard, one might think Russia should get the largest share of any Ukrainian settlement by virtue of its resources, war machine, and population. But when Volodymyr Zelensky turned down an offer to evacuate in the early days of the war saying, “The fight is here, I need ammunition, not a ride,” Ukraine became the lion.

Russia ceded its right to the high ground when it started the conflict, violating the United Nations Charter. More high ground, if there ever was any, was lost when Russia committed human rights violations against the civilian population. There is no justification for that, and it should not be rewarded.

Democratic leaders rally to support Ukraine against both Russian aggression and Washington’s bullying.

European leaders threw their support behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his spat with Donald Trump sent shockwaves across the world, casting doubts over efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The US president openly berated Zelensky on Friday for not being “thankful”, and later accused the Ukrainian leader of “not being ready for peace” and having “disrespected” the United States in the “cherished Oval Office”.

Ukraine was about to part with vast sums of money in an arrangement that could have proved disastrous in the long run, diverting half of all future resource earnings to a “jointly managed fund.”

The final day of winter, according to Ukrainian tradition, witnessed an extraordinary public spat between President Zelensky, President Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance, and as Zelensky emerged empty-handed from the White House, unable to secure the continuation of the meeting, let alone security guarantees, it may well have spared Ukraine a perilous economic future.

Only two days before the historic White House spat did we see the text of the agreement that was signed by the head of the US Treasury and the Minister of Economy of Ukraine, one that would have locked Ukraine into sharing 50% of the revenue (not just profits) from its natural resources with a Reconstruction Investment Fund part-owned by the United States. Ukraine, it seems, was about to part with vast sums of money it never really had to begin with, an arrangement that could have proved disastrous in the long run.

In an interview with CNN, Rubio criticized Zelensky after a heated White House meeting and questioned Ukraine’s commitment to peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should apologize after his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance devolved into a tense confrontation, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio, who attended the meeting, questioned whether Zelensky genuinely seeks peace in Ukraine’s war with Russia.

Some quick conclusions from the fight in the Oval Office.

Ukraine will rally behind Zelensky and fight on.

Europe will step up and support Ukraine because most European leaders have finally figured out that Russia is an existential threat to Europe. Most European leaders are also I think glad someone - Zelensky - had the balls to stand up to bullies like Trump and Vance.

EBRD lowers Ukraine’s economic growth forecast by 1.2% as inflation rises and labor shortages and difficulties in the energy sector remain.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has revised Ukraine’s economic growth forecast for 2025 downward from 4.7% to 3.5%.

Previously, the bank forecasted Ukraine’s GDP at 4.7%. The downgrade is driven by high inflation, labor shortages, and challenges in the energy sector.

A Trump administration official told the New York Times the president might decide to end even the indirect support being provided by the US.

The Trump administration is considering cutting off all remaining military aid to Ukraine, citing President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks during their Oval Office meeting on Friday.

A White House meeting on Friday between US President Donald J. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Zelensky descended into a heated exchange, with Trump and Vance hurling accusations at Zelensky and Ukraine.

Reactions to an extraordinary Oval Office clash laid bare America’s political divisions on the grinding three-year Russia’s war against Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump said Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky “overplayed his hand” Friday during their extraordinary Oval Office clash, accusing his visitor of wanting to drag out conflict with Russia.

“I want a ceasefire now,” Trump told reporters while departing the White House for his Florida estate, saying he wanted fighting in Ukraine to end “immediately.”

Ukraine reached staff level agreement on another review of an IMF funding program launched following Russia’s invasion.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ukrainian authorities have reached staff level agreement on the Seventh Review of the four-year, $15.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement.

This is the penultimate step before the IMF’s Executive Board decides to disburse another $0.4 billion (Special Drawing Rights, SDR 0.3 billion), bringing total disbursements under the program to $10.1 billion, the IMF wrote in its press release.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump held a contentious meeting at the White House on February 28.
• Russia continues to showcase its deepening relations with American adversaries despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s effort to posture Russia’s receptiveness to negotiations with the United States.
• Russia continues to align itself with adversaries of the United States, underscoring the importance of strengthening and supporting US allies and partners, including Ukraine.
• Ukrainian officials are increasing cooperation with South Korea amid deepening Russia-North Korea ties and recent reports of a new wave of North Korean troop deployments to Kursk Oblast.
• Ukrainian forces conducted strikes against near-rear Russian military assets in occupied Ukraine.
• The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced on February 28 that the United States approved current MFA North American Department Director Alexander Darchiev’s appointment as Russia’s Ambassador to the United States.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka and in western Zaporizhia.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin tasked Crimea occupation head Sergey Aksyonov with establishing a “Kadry” (“Human Resources”) national project to integrate Russian veterans into the Russian economy, likely in support of the Kremlin’s efforts to prevent the emergence of subversive veteran civil societies.

The US president trotted out bad figures about European and US assistance to Ukraine and rewrote the history of the Battle of Kyiv. JD Vance effectively denied Russian war crimes.

A White House meeting on Friday between US President Donald J. Trump and senior members of his government, and President Volodymyr Zelensky, broke down into an angry shouting contest, with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance hurling accusations at Zelensky and Ukraine.

Kyiv Post has fact-checked Trump’s, Vance’s and Zelensky’s statements.

The long-time supporter of Ukraine and South Carolina senator described the talks as a “complete, utter disaster” to reporters immediately after Trump sent the Zelensky home early.

US Senator Lindsey Graham – a long-time supporter of American aid to Ukraine – called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to step down after he got into a heated argument with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday. 

He described the talks as a “complete, utter disaster” to reporters immediately after Trump sent the Ukrainian leader home early. 

In Zelensky’s first comments since getting into a heated exchange with Trump on Friday, the Ukrainian leader said he was “sorry” and still believed Ukraine’s relationship with the US would be strong.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first public comments on Fox News after his explosive Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday, thanking the president and the US for their support and responding to calls to step down over the dispute. 

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham – a long-time supporter of American aid to Ukraine – immediately called on Zelensky to step down after the Oval Office argument, while dozens of Democratic officials sent messages of support to the embattled president.