World Briefing: March 5, 2025
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Tuesday offered a course of action that he said could end the war, while trying to assure the Trump administration that his government was dedicated to peace. “Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be,” Mr. Zelensky wrote on X. “It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right.” The Ukrainian leader said he was ready to release Russian prisoners of war, stop long-range drone and missile strikes aimed at Russian targets, and declare a truce at sea immediately — moves that he said would help establish a pathway to peace. Only, however, “if Russia will do the same,” he added. In his post, Mr. Zelensky offered effusive praise for American support, noting specifically “the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins.” “We are grateful for this,” he wrote. “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” he added. “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Instant analysis: Volodymyr Zelensky did what he had to do for Donald Trump and the US-Ukraine relationship: bend over backwards for the American president. However, the temporary suspension of U.S. military aid to Ukraine is still on. Mr Trump continues to praise Russia, but said “no one wants peace more than the Ukrainians.” What he doesn’t realize is that no one doesn’t want peace more than the Russians. It’s Vladimir Putin who’s being disrespectful of Mr Trump by escalating the war: overnight Ukrainians endured one of the most violent nights since the war began - with almost 200 drones and a handful of ballistic missiles targeting Ukrainian cities - including Odesa, Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer reportedly persuaded Zelensky to “swallow his pride and offer an olive branch to his US counterpart. The UK defence secretary is flying to Washington for a meeting with his US counterpart on Thursday - Ukraine is expected to be top of the agenda. Also, according to British media, Starmer had also spoken to Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron. Germany, Australia and Ireland have reportedly stepped forward to offer support to a possible peacekeeping to Ukraine.
The U.S. halt in sending military aid to Ukraine could leave the country vulnerable to aerial attacks just as Russia is gearing up for a massive increase in drone and missile strikes. Ukraine has a reported six MIM-104 Patriot missile batteries — used to protect some of the country's highest priority targets. The Patriot, with a range of about 160 kilometers, is one of the few systems Ukraine operates that can hit distant targets and knock down Russian ballistic missiles like the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile. The pause in deliveries of U.S. weapons coincides with signs that Russia will double down on longstanding efforts to exhaust Ukraine’s remaining supplies of Patriot air-defense missiles. And with no chance of any immediate replenishment from Washington, that leaves Ukraine’s infrastructure and key cities highly exposed. If the U.S. ends the delivery of Patriot missiles, Ukraine could potentially be supplied by other countries that have acquired the U.S. system. “Russian plans include increasing the number of launch sites from which they will launch drones across our territory. According to Russian military calculations, if their plans for the first half of the year are fulfilled, they can launch approximately 500 drones simultaneously," General Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), told RBC-Ukraine on Monday. “The Russians understand our capabilities and where our air defense systems are located, and they attempt to bypass them. Additionally, they select priority targets whose destruction will have the greatest effect,” he added. Ukraine also operates at least two Franco-Italian Eurosam SAMP/T batteries, with characteristics similar to the Patriot. But Ukraine's other air defense systems like Norwegian-American NASAMS — it operates about a dozen — have a shorter range of about 40 km and aren't suited to be used against ballistic missiles. - Politico
“He (Donald Trump) wants to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy because that will make it easier to annex us”
In what’s being described as the most extraordinary statement by a Canadian Prime Minister in this history of the country, Justin Trudeau said he believes Donald Trump “wants to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy because that will make it easier to annex us.” The outgoing Liberal Party leader made the statement at a press conference on Tuesday, as crippling tariffs went into effect. He said it was a “dumb” move to start a trade war with his country, and that the 25 percent import tax meant to stanch the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. is completely bogus.”
Mr. Trump deserves credit for one thing: that is indirectly boosting the sagging popularity of the ruling Liberal Party in Canada while at the same time, boosting Mr. Zelensky’s popularity here in Ukraine. Last night Ukrainians who told me they didn’t vote for Zelensky are now cheering him on.
President Donald Trump delivered a sharp defense of his "America First" direction for the country before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, marking his first major address since a dizzying return to power six weeks ago that has elated allies and outraged opponents. Trump's speech - clocked at 1 hour and 39 minutes, making it the longest of its kind in modern U.S. history - offered ample reminders of how the second-term Republican president has already tested the limits of executive authority in almost every facet of the job. He mentioned the firing of tens of thousands of federal workers; offered an update after publicly scoldingUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is fighting a war against Russia, in the Oval Office; and hyped the trade war launched against China, Mexico and Canada. "Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them," Trump said in defense of one of his biggest early economic policy moves. "Whatever they tax us, we tax them." - USA Today
“We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years," Trump boasted as he began last night's address to Congress. "And we are just getting started," he said, describing his opening weeks as "nothing but swift and unrelenting action." Talking about tariffs, Trump said: "There will be a little disturbance, but we are OK with that."
A Hong Kong-based conglomerate has agreed to sell its controlling stake in a subsidiary that operates ports near the Panama Canal to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., effectively putting the ports under American control after President Donald Trump alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane. In a filing, CK Hutchison Holding said Tuesday that it would sell all shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and in Hutchison Port Group Holdings to the consortium in a deal valued at nearly $23 billion, including $5 billion in debt.The deal will give the BlackRock consortium control over 43 ports in 23 countries, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, located at either end of the Panama Canal. Other ports are in Mexico, the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, Pakistan and elsewhere. The transaction, which must be approved by Panama’s government, does not include any interest in a trust that operates ports in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and South China, or any other ports in China.
“The United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner & ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense”
