Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 03-06-2025

The Dutch parliament passed a new military aid bill for Ukraine worth €3.5 billion on Thursday, for 2026. Dutch PM Schoof reaffirmed his backing of Zelensky and a new European security plan.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that an additional aid package of € 3.5 billion would come from The Netherlands next year to support Ukraine in its ongoing fight against invading Russian forces.

The Dutch PM shared the news during Thursday’s extraordinary EU summit in Brussels, called to unite EU leaders in their support for Ukraine, according to Dutch news agency NOS. 

Akhmat commander Alaudinov urged Russia to mobilize millions for war against Europe, claiming NATO will collapse, Russia is unbeatable, and the war could enter a new phase.

Russia should consider mobilizing several million men for a war against Europe, Apti Alaudinov, commander of the “Akhmat” special forces unit, said in his Telegram channel on Thursday. 

The volunteer unit “Akhmat” was formed in the Chechen Republic under the leadership of its head, Ramzan Kadyrov, at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to participate in combat.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has scrambled to re-engage Washington following the Oval Office debacle with US counterpart Donald Trump

NATO chief Mark Rutte declared himself “cautiously optimistic” Thursday that Ukraine and the United States can overcome the breakdown triggered by last week’s White House clash between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has scrambled to re-engage Washington following the Oval Office debacle – declaring himself ready to work towards a peace deal under the US president’s “strong leadership” and to finalize an accord on American access to Ukrainian mineral resources.

It is unclear if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or his US counterpart, Donald Trump, will be attending the talks

Senior Ukrainian and US officials are reportedly meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

The US delegation reportedly comprises Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz.

The Norwegian prime minister called the additional funding a “solid contribution to peace and stability in Europe.”

Norway has more than doubled its funding for Ukraine for 2025 to approximately €7 billion ($7.8 billion).

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced the decision on Thursday after a meeting between parliamentary leaders, where the funding for Ukraine this year is set to be raised by 50 billion Norwegian kroner ($4.6 million) to 85 billion Norwegian kroner ($7.8 billion).

Macron in an address to the nation Wednesday again said European troops could be sent to Ukraine to ensure a peace deal was observed

France will on Tuesday host talks with military chiefs of staff whose nations are ready to offer Ukraine military support after any peace deal ending the war with Russia, a source close to President Emmanuel Macron said.

With European countries scrambling to boost support for Ukraine as US President Donald Trump pursues direct talks with Russia to end the conflict, Macron in an address to the nation Wednesday again said European troops could be sent to Ukraine to ensure a peace deal was observed.

Ukrainian officials say the country has sufficient reserves to cope with both internal inflation and the external political turmoil surrounding peace talks.

Ukraine’s central bank, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), increased the key interest rate from 14.5% to 15.5%, reaching the peak rate increase projected from the beginning of the year. 

The rate hike was also higher than most of the market predicted, as Ukraine’s central bank increased the rate by 1% instead of 0.5%, according to the ICU barometer survey. 

Military experts say that the intel cut may not be as critical a problem for Ukraine’s defenses as Trump thinks.

The ban on intelligence sharing that the administration of US President Donald Trump has put on the Ukrainian Armed Forces may weaken the country’s defensive capabilities to protect against Russian strikes, but alternatives exist, according to an analysis by Kyiv Post.

“The situation will become much more complicated,” officers in the Ukrainian air force told Kyiv Post, especially because the ban extends to allies (notably the United Kingdom) and even blocks them from transmitting US intelligence data to Ukraine.

Umerov said that he had discussed with his Polish counterpart how to strengthen the protection of Ukrainian skies

Ukraine and Poland have a joint action plan to develop the regional defense industry, Ukrinform reports.

The announcement was made during a joint media briefing on Thursday in Warsaw with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysh and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

It will see Ukraine receive cutting-edge Altius 600m and Altius 700m drones, which are designed to monitor an area before striking targets that enter it

Ukraine’s armed forces will receive more advanced attack drones for its fight against Russia after the UK and an Anglo-US manufacturer sealed a £30 million ($38.7 million) deal, London said Thursday.

The deal with Anduril was agreed ahead of UK Defence Secretary John Healey’s meeting with US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington on Thursday. 

The US Ukraine-Russia envoy said the Ukrainian president was “forewarned” of the proceedings in the White House and it was his fault that the meeting went sideways.

Washington’s Ukraine-Russia envoy Keith Kellogg said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was to blame for the heated meeting between him and US President Donald Trump on Feb. 28.

The infamous meeting saw Zelensky, Trump and Trump’s vice president, JD Vance, argue live on television, with the Ukrainian delegation being ordered to leave the White House.

Zaluzhny says Ukraine will be essential to any future European security architecture

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Valery Zaluzhny, said the United States is “destroying the world order,” arguing that Washington’s recent actions pose a challenge not just for Ukraine, but for Europe as a whole.

Speaking at Chatham House on Thursday, March 6, Zaluzhny stated – according to the full speech cited by Ukrainska Pravda – that the era of Europe merely observing events in Ukraine was over.

For Nance, the choice is clear: Will America champion democracy, or will it allow authoritarian darkness to spread across Europe once again?

The really nasty part is that the American decision disabled weapon systems bought by European taxpayers for Ukraine to defend itself, more than anything else.

Background: The United States on Wednesday announced it had ordered Ukraine cut off from intelligence-sharing on Russia. The ban was invoked because, in the view of the US government as led by President Donald J. Trump, Kyiv isn’t sufficiently supportive of his American plan to end the Russo-Ukraine war on terms, according to Washington public statements, supported by the US and Russia, but not Ukraine.

Kyiv Post looked into the Trump administration’s decision to lock Ukraine out of access to data collected by the US worldwide intelligence network

Chinese EU Envoy Lu Shaye criticized Washington’s support of Russia and sidelining of Europe in a sharp rebuff of US President Donald Trump’s recent policies.

Chinese EU Envoy Lu Shaye described the US policy on Europe as “appalling” in a comment on Wednesday.

Lu’s remark came as Washington raises tariffs on China and potentially the EU, which in turns followed a recent comment by US President Donald Trump that the “EU was formed in order to screw the United States.”

European tariffs targeting Russia and Belarus will put pressure on the region’s agricultural sector, leading to a weakened military capacity along with economic turmoil and civil unrest in Russia.

The European Union is seeking to enforce further agricultural tariffs on Russia and Belarus in a move that could further weaken the Kremlin’s effort to wage war in Ukraine and maintain political support domestically.

The EU has previously imposed tariffs on 15% of the two nations’ agricultural exports as recently as 2023. This follows a series of sanctions adopted by the European Union over the past decade, in an attempt to curb Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Reuters said its livestream of Maidan Square had prior authorization, but Ukrainian officials say no permission was given. The broadcast was halted amid security concerns.

Reuters defended its decision to livestream from Kyiv’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti on March 4, stating it had “requested authorization in the manner previously agreed with the President’s Office.”

In response to an inquiry from Kyiv Post, a Reuters spokesperson stated:

Britain and France are leading efforts to form a group of countries prepared to help protect a ceasefire in the event that agreement is reached to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

British officials have held talks with around 20 countries interested in being part of a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine during a ceasefire, a UK official said Thursday.

The meeting comprised of “largely European and Commonwealth partners” and took place on Wednesday, the official added, refusing to specify which nations took part.

Ex-officials fear Trump could hand US secrets to Russia – now allies may cut intel ties with Washington. Past attempts at US-Russia intelligence cooperation largely failed.

Some US allies are considering limiting the intelligence they share with Washington due to concerns over the Trump administration’s warming ties with Moscow.

According to NBC, four sources with direct knowledge of the discussions said the move comes amid fears that sensitive information could be compromised as Trump and his deputies signal a shift in US-Russia relations.

The preparations for ending these programs had reportedly begun even before Trump’s recent public clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

US President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly planning to revoke the temporary legal status of almost a quarter million Ukrainian refugees who fled the country at the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to a senior Trump official and three sources familiar with the matter.

However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later denied the reports on X, adding that “no decision has been made at this time.”

Macron, in an address to the nation, said he would open a debate on extending France’s nuclear deterrent to other European nations.

Moscow views comments by President Emmanuel Macron about extending France’s nuclear deterrent to European partners as a “threat”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

“Of course it is a threat against Russia. If he sees us as a threat... and says that it is necessary to use a nuclear weapon, is preparing to use a nuclear weapon against Russia, of course it is a threat,” Lavrov said at a press conference.

Poroshenko and Tymoshenko responded to Politico’s report of secret Trump camp talks, stressing transparency and rejecting wartime elections – but hinting at readiness for negotiations.

Senior members of US President Donald Trump’s inner circle have reportedly engaged in covert discussions with key political opponents of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Politico, citing three Ukrainian parliamentarians and a US Republican foreign policy expert.

Trump’s allies met with opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister, as well as senior figures from the party of Petro Poroshenko, Zelensky’s predecessor.

Ukraine has the agency to walk away and decide to fight on – as Zelensky’s fighting spirit in the White House showed.

In the end President Zelensky of Ukraine was able to put together a carefully worded statement that seems to have gone some way towards mollifying a crazed Trump administration that seemed to smell blood after the showdown in the White House on Friday.

President Trump’s suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine could shift the battlefield, while secret talks with Kyiv’s opposition and Hamas signal a major geopolitical shift.

President Trump’s decision this week to pause military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine could reorder the battlefield, either halting the fight or potentially giving Russia a decisive advantage. With help from Europe, both with arms and intelligence support, Ukraine could continue the fight through the summer without additional American aid. But the loss of one of its most important benefactors will make it easier for Russia to assault Ukrainian lines of defense, analysts say. “The immediate hit will be on troop morale — bolstering the Russians and depressing the Ukrainians,” said Alexander Vindman, a Ukrainian-born former U.S. Army officer who served on the National Security Council in 2019. T

he intelligence pause will withhold information that Ukraine uses to target Russian forces. Withholding the aid, according to Trump administration officials, is meant to pressure Mr. Zelensky into signing a deal to give American companies access to Ukrainian minerals. If he makes an agreement, said one Trump administration official, the intelligence sharing will continue and the military supplies already allocated by the Biden administration will flow once more. Europe, in particular France and Britain, supplies Ukraine with satellite imagery that can be used to find Russian targets on the battlefield. Still, European satellites have not been as focused on Russian military movements as American spy satellites, and Ukrainian officials concede that if the intelligence pause continues there will be consequences - NYT

President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at Brussels’s emergency security summit, which is set to revamp Europe’s defense policy and bolster the bloc’s support for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Europe for its support upon arriving at Brussels’s emergency security summit on Thursday.

Zelensky said he is grateful for Europe’s actions supporting Ukraine, calling it a “strong signal” for Ukrainians.

The Ukrainian president thanked his French counterpart for his peace efforts, adding that true peace requires strong security guarantees.

President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his peace efforts after the latter’s Wednesday national address on bolstering European defense and potentially deploying troops to Ukraine.

Zelensky thanked Macron for his “clear vision” after Macron cautioned Europe of threats posed by Russia and called for a fair peace agreement on Ukraine in his national address. 

In Ukraine, an unseen force of international scientists and amateur innovators are changing the course of the war. Ordinary Americans, with extraordinary ideas, help shape Ukraine’s future.

When we picture Ukraine’s fierce resistance against Russian aggression, we naturally think of heroic soldiers braving the front lines. But there’s another front in this war – one less visible yet critically important – powered by a global network of scientists, inventors, and dedicated volunteers committed to delivering cutting-edge technologies that are revolutionizing Ukraine’s tools of warfare.

Brian Robinson, founder of Technology United for Ukraine, sits at the core of this innovative front. Robinson has brought together an extraordinary blend of talents: active Ukrainian soldiers, PhD-level researchers, skilled engineers, and even self-taught hobbyists. He stresses the importance of embedding Ukrainian frontline soldiers directly into each research team. Their real-world combat experience ensures the development of practical technologies addressing immediate battlefield challenges, offering a crucial advantage against Russian forces.

Moscow accused the 22-year-old Briton of committing mercenary and terrorist activities for Ukraine and jailed him for 19 years after a closed-door trial.

A British man James, Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, was convicted of “mercenary activities” and a “terrorist act” by a Russian court in Kursk on Wednesday, March 5, and was sentenced to 19 years in jail.

Russian state media TASS claimed in November 2024 that Anderson was working as an instructor for Ukrainian troops and was captured in Russia’s Kursk region at the time.

The continent of Europe is at yet another crossroads in its millennial history. The defining moment for it to become a power worthy of its illustrious traditions has arrived.

In the wake of the abysmal treatment of a man who has spent three years defending his people from being erased in an imperial war of aggression, it’s hard not to express apoplectic emotions.

The ferment of irritation is compounded by the US Vice President, who derided unnamed “random” countries for proposing to send troops to help a ceasefire in Ukraine. If the “random” countries were not among those who sacrificed their sons and daughters to help the US after 9/11, then who are they?

Macron proposed opening a “strategic debate” to extend France’s nuclear arsenal to European allies, echoing the historic call from Germany’s likely future chancellor, Friedrich Merz.

PARIS — In a rallying call to the French nation and Europe as a whole, President Emmanuel Macron addressed the urgent need to defend “democracy and a certain idea of truth,” as US threatens to move away from Europe, and halt support to Ukraine.

During a television address lasting just under fifteen minutes on the eve of a special meeting of the European Council, Macron acknowledged that Europeans were “rightfully concerned by events shaking the world order” - and it is time for the EU to start acting.

US pressure on Zelensky is mounting by the day. But it would appear that a similar pressure on Moscow is totally lacking. What the White House describes as peace looks more like capitulation.

It has been a week of bad decisions based more on emotion than a deliberate decision-making process by President Donald Trump and his team of National Security Advisors.

Vice President JD Vance, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have taken the President down an unprecedented path of foreign policy. Add the jury cheering them on – Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) – and you complete the heptagon of misfortune for Ukraine.

These efforts follow a tense meeting last Friday between the US and Ukrainian leaders in the Oval Office, which precipitated a suspension of Washington’s military aid to Kyiv.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have separately held multiple calls with former US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

These efforts follow a tense meeting last Friday between the US and Ukrainian leaders in the Oval Office, which resulted in a suspension of Washington’s military aid to Kyiv.

Latest from the British Defence Intelligence.

• Russia has likely sustained approximately 90,000 casualties (killed and wounded in the Russia-Ukraine conflict so far in 2025. Since invading Ukraine, Russia has likely sustained approximately 875,000 casualties in total.
• The average daily Russian casualties during February 2025 was 1,255 according to Ukrainian General Staff reporting, the lowest daily average since August 2024.The total reported Russian casualties in February 2025 was 35,140, a decrease of around 13,000 from January’s total which was the second highest monthly total of the conflict.
• The decrease in the recorded rate of casualties, whilst remaining high, likely reflects a decrease in the tempo of Russian operations and assaults. Russia’s casualty rate will likely continue to average above 1,000 a day in March 2025, with continued dismounted infantry attacks on multiple axes.

According to media reports, Donald Trump suspended US military aid to Ukraine on Tuesday - and then announced to Congress on the same day that the Ukrainian president had backed down.

According to media reports, Donald Trump suspended US military aid to Ukraine on Tuesday - and then announced to Congress on the same day that the Ukrainian president had backed down. Trump’s announcement came after Zelensky released a statement on X emphasising Ukraine’s desire for peace, thanking the US for the aid it has received so far and agreeing to the minerals deal that collapsed on Friday.

New goal: lasting instead of just

Thursday’s summit brings all 27 EU leaders together for the first time since the explosive meeting between presidents Trump and Zelensky, with US military aid and intelligence sharing since suspended.

European Union leaders will hold emergency talks in Brussels on Thursday, gathering as the Trump administration upends traditional alliances and retracts wartime backing of Ukraine.

Thursday’s summit brings all 27 EU leaders together for the first time since the explosive meeting between presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky last week, with US military aid and intelligence sharing since suspended.

Russia continues to bomb Ukraine, even as leaders in Washington and Moscow discuss possible peace talks to end the full-scale war, which has lasted more than three years.

Four people have been killed and more than 30 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, local officials said on Thursday, March 6.

Russia continues to bomb Ukraine, even as leaders in Washington and Moscow discuss possible peace talks to end Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has lasted more than three years.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• The Trump administration suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine, one of many demands the Kremlin has made of the US, Ukraine, and Ukraine’s other supporters.
• The suspension of US intelligence sharing with Ukraine will damage Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against ongoing Russian attacks against military and civilian targets.
• The suspension of all US intelligence sharing with Ukraine would also allow Russian forces to intensify their drone and missile strikes against the Ukrainian rear, affecting millions of Ukrainian civilians and the growth of Ukraine’s defense industrial base (DIB).
• The Trump administration has been applying considerable pressure on Ukraine, whose leaders continue to offer concessions and publicly declare their interest in achieving a lasting end to the war. These Trump administration policies are undermining the leverage that the United States needs to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept any peace agreement that is in the interests of the United States, Ukraine, and Europe.
• Kremlin officials announced their intention of taking advantage of the suspension of US military aid and intelligence sharing to make additional battlefield gains.
• Russian officials continue inaccurately to place the blame on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — and not Russian President Vladimir Putin — for the lack of meaningful peace negotiations.
• Kremlin officials continue to use business incentives to make further demands of the United States and to push the United States to de facto recognize Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk and Pokrovsk.
• Over 50,000 Russian servicemembers are reportedly listed as having abandoned their units and are absent without leave (AWOL) between February 2022 and mid-December 2024.

Republican leaders turn down resolution after resolution, including one to blame Putin for starting the war, and even failed to condemn Russia for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.

US Senate Democrats on Wednesday evening introduced resolutions that would make it clear that the Kremlin is squarely to blame for the war in Ukraine and for its war crimes, and berated Republicans for allowing their party leader to be so soft on Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

At every turn, however, they were frustrated by opposition from Republicans loyal to President Donald Trump, who objected to all of them.