As it pushes ahead to reach a ceasefire in the country’s three-year war with Russia, the U.S. delivered the new proposal to Ukraine’s officials Sunday.
The agreement reaches farther than the initial U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal left unsigned on Feb. 28 after Volodymyr Zelensky’s contentious meeting with Trump and Vice President Vance in the Oval Office.
Of note, the U.S. is looking to forge a five-person board that would supervise an investment fund, consisting of three Washington and two Kyiv members, that would split the money made from mineral, gas and oil projects between the U.S. and Ukraine, according to copies of a proposal draft that were obtained by multiple outlets.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday the deal could be signed next week.
“We have passed along a completed document for the economic partnership [that] is currently being reviewed by Ukrainians, and we hope to go to full discussions and perhaps even get signatures next week,” Bessent said on Fox News.
On Tuesday, Zelensky told reporters Washington had put forward a “major” deal.
But by Thursday in Paris, he seemed to lament that the U.S. was “constantly” changing the terms of the agreement.
Three senior Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times - who first reported the draft deal - that any document was unlikely to be signed by next week, as Bessent indicated.
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More on the Russia-Ukraine war and "cease fire" talks:
Intelligence shared with the White House contradicts Trump’s claims that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region of Russia are currently encircled by Russian forces.As Reuters’ Erin Banco reports, Ukrainian forces have lost ground in the recent days, but U.S. and European intelligence officials familiar with the assessments say the Ukrainians are not in nearly as dire straits as Trump has claimed. Those findings have been shared with the United States, the officials told Reuters.
Trump has publicly urged Russian leader VLADIMIR PUTIN to show mercy to the troops in Kursk, who are the last remnants of the Ukrainian force that shocked the world last summer when they crossed the border into Russia and captured territory in the western province, claiming they’re at the verge of being slaughtered.
REASONING WITH RUSSIA: Putin is making “unnecessary demands” as part of peace negotiations that prolong the war, Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY told EU leaders today at a summit in Brussels.
It was unclear which specific demands Zelenskyy was referring to. Putin agreed Tuesday to stop targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days. Putin has said Russia is seeking an end to U.S. support to Ukraine, as well as an end to Ukrainian military mobilization and re-armament.
Russia has previously sought a lengthy list of concessions from Ukraine and its allies, including barring Ukraine from joining NATO, recognition of Russia’s control over occupied Ukrainian territories and a commitment to not deploy NATO forces command to Eastern and Central European NATO members. Russia also previously sought to limit the size and composition of Ukraine’s military."
Personal assessment (FWIW)-Putin knows he is the driver's seat and will maximize his outcome. CHEETO has nothing in the negotiating bag to offer other than " We declare victory, walk away and give my (Putin) man all he wants."
From my view-Zelenskyy is phqued.
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Friday Middle East update:
"The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate toward full-scale war, with Hamas firing rockets at Israel for the first time in months and the Israeli military expanding its ground operations in Gaza, raiding cities of Rafah and Beit Lahiya yesterday. Militants in Palestine had also been put on alert awaiting further instructions, according to a source from a group allied with Hamas. Aaron Boxerman, Adam Rasgon, and Patrick Kingsley report for the New York Times; Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Mahmoud Issa report for Reuters.
Israeli strikes and ground operations killed at least 91 Palestinians in Gaza yesterday, the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry said. Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Mahmoud Issa report for Reuters.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz today threatened to annex areas of Gaza to Israel if Hamas refuses to release the hostages, saying that he has instructed the IDF to seize additional areas of the territory and issue evacuation orders for Palestinians. Emanuel Fabian reports for the Times of Israel."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Russia-Ukraine Friday update:
"The United States is seeking to reopen negotiations on the terms of U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals and energy assets and is working on widening its economic demands, two Ukrainian officials said. President Trump said yesterday that the United States would sign the Ukraine minerals deal “very shortly.” Christopher Miller, Ben Hall, Paola Tamma, and James Politi report for the Financial Times.
Europe’s military powers are drawing up plans for a pitch to the Trump administration to manage transfer of NATO competences to Europe over the next five to 10 years and other means of taking on greater responsibilities for the continent’s defense from the United States, sources say. Henry Foy and Ben Hall report for the Financial Times.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials will meet for peace talks in Saudi Arabia next Monday, as will representatives from the United States and Russia, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin “must stop making unnecessary demands that only prolong the war,” Zelenskyy said ahead of the talks. Vicky Wong reports for BBC News.
Ukraine struck an airfield deep inside Russian territory early yesterday, Ukrainian officials confirmed, as Russia’s continued drone strikes on Ukraine killed at least five people, injured dozens, and damaged civilian infrastructure in the port city of Odesa. Maria Varenikova reports for the New York Times.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its units destroyed 132 Ukrainian “unmanned aerial vehicles” in an overnight attack on six regions of the country, including 54 in Saratov.
Kyiv’s air force said its troops shot down 75 of 171 drones launched by Russia at Ukraine overnight, while another 63 were “lost” due to electronic warfare."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Friday night recommended reading: Worth it-
Insights, analysis and must reads from CNN's Fareed Zakaria and the Global Public Square team, compiled by Global Briefing editor Chris Good
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March 21, 2025
Are Trump’s Manufacturing Goals Realistic or Desirable?
President Donald Trump has pursued protectionist trade policies with the goal of bringing back US manufacturing jobs. But in his latest Washington Post column, Fareed argues that may not be such a worthwhile project.
It’s easy to envision great and powerful countries as making lots of things domestically, Fareed writes, but most advanced economies have transitioned from goods to services. And in that arena, the US excels.
“The most advanced economies in the world today are almost all dominated by services,” Fareed writes. “Services account for the vast majority of jobs in the world’s richest industrialized countries. … America’s distinctive exports to the world are software and software services, entertainment, financial services, and other such intangible things—and in these, the U.S. runs not a trade deficit but a surplus with the rest of the world. Why this transformation? Because, as people get richer and better educated, they spend more money on services and not goods. In 1960, U.S. consumers allotted more than 50 percent of their consumption spending to goods. By 2010, it was only 33 percent. And the money for companies is not in goods but services. A sneaker might cost 25 or 30 dollars to make; the value is in the design, marketing and sales that allows you to sell it for $100. Which part of this product would you rather your workers be involved in?”
Fareed points to Japan, a high-tech manufacturing powerhouse in the late 20th century, which sought to protect its domestic industries. Despite those efforts, manufacturing in Japan declined, and its economy stagnated. “Government bureaucrats favored certain sectors—such as VHS tape recorders and Walkman-style audio players—and missed the technological shifts that rendered them obsolete,” Fareed writes. “Huge levels of corruption within the ruling elites ensured that firms were favored for political reasons.”
As the Trump administration looks to tariffs and tax credits to favor US manufacturers, Fareed writes that this violates a basic principle of economics. “In a free market, people and countries are forced to specialize, moving to those things they can do best,” Fareed writes. “If you shield U.S. companies and workers from competition, you will get not dynamism but stagnation.”"And there you have it...
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Saturday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Talks between Ukrainian and United States representatives in Saudi Arabia on Monday will focus primarily on technicalities surrounding a potential limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said. Tykhyi reiterated that Ukraine had agreed to the US proposal for a full ceasefire lasting 30 days and again blamed Russia for the failure to implement any sort of ceasefire so far.
Western military planning to enforce a potential ceasefire in Ukraine is set to intensify in London next week as the United Kingdom said “nothing is off the table” over possible troop deployment for Kyiv. “Thousands” of personnel would be required to support any operation whether by “sea, on land or in the air” as allies prepare “for all eventualities” amid diplomatic efforts to end the war, the UK said.
Ukraine does not consider a United Nations mission an alternative to the deployment of a contingent of foreign troops or security guarantees to end the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “With all due respect, the UN will not protect us from the occupation or [Russian President Valdimir] Putin’s desire to come back,” Zelenskyy said at a joint news conference with Czech President Petr Pavel in Kyiv."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Sunday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence units destroyed 59 Ukrainian drones overnight. A total of 29 drones were destroyed over Rostov, 20 over the Astrakhan region and the rest over the Voronezh, Volgograd, Kursk and Saratov regions, as well as over Crimea.
Authorities in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region brought in four firefighting trains loaded with water to help battle a blaze still raging at an oil depot at Kavkazskaya following a Ukrainian drone attack, regional officials said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Ukraine’s allies to put fresh pressure on Moscow to end the war, after Russian drones targeted Kyiv overnight, killing at least three people, according to local authorities. Earlier, Zelenskyy met his top military commanders in Ukraine’s northeast as meetings with United States officials are due to begin in Saudi Arabia.
Andrew Peek of the US National Security Council and Michael Anton of the US Department of State are heading to Saudi Arabia for talks with Ukrainian and Russian officials in the next two days.
Moscow is hoping to achieve “some progress” at the talks, Senator Grigory Karasin, head of the Russian delegation, told state media before the US mediators meet Ukrainian and Russian representatives in a bid to halt the three-year conflict.
Russian and US experts are due to discuss ways to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea at the talks, the Kremlin said.
Russia reserves the right to a “symmetrical response” to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned, adding that “provocations” are being used to disrupt negotiations."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Monday Middle East update:
"An Israeli airstrike yesterday hit a hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, causing multiple casualties. Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV reported that the strike killed a member of Hamas’ political bureau being treated at the hospital and his nephew. Under international humanitarian law, hospitals are entitled to special protections during armed conflict. Abeer Salman, Jeremy Diamond, Michael Rios, Dana Karni, Caitlin Danaher, and Mitchell McCluskey report for CNN; Rushdi Abu Alouf and Maia Davies report for BBC News.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war in the territory, the Hamas-run health ministry said yesterday. 41 people were killed in the past 24 hours, the ministry added. Nadeen Ebrahim and Ibrahim Dahman report for CNN.
Israeli forces expanded their ground offensive in Gaza yesterday, issuing evacuation orders for parts of south Gaza’s Rafah and Beit Hanoun in the north. The Palestinian Civil Defense yesterday warned of “imminent danger threatening the lives” of more than 50,000 people in Rafah. Isabel Kershner and Hiba Yazbek report for the New York Times.
An Israeli airstrike yesterday killed top Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel and his wife in south Gaza’s city of Khan Younis, a Hamas official said. Rushdi Abu Alouf and Emir Nader report for BBC News.
Egypt made a new proposal aimed at restoring the Gaza ceasefire deal last week, security sources told Reuters today. While the United States and Hamas agreed to the proposal, Israel has yet to respond, the sources added.
Germany, France, and Britain on Friday issued a joint statement calling for an immediate return to a ceasefire in Gaza and for Israel to restore humanitarian access to the territory. Reuters reports.
Israel on Saturday fired rockets into southern Lebanon for the first time in months after rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, the Israeli military said. The Lebanese army on Saturday said it had dismantled rocket launchers in the country's south. The Israeli strikes killed at least six people, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Monday Russia-Ukraine update:
"The “elephant in the room” in Russia-Ukraine peace talks is the status of Crimea and the four Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said. Witkoff claimed that referendums in the illegally occupied territories have shown “the overwhelming majority” of their residents want Russian rule. Reports suggest voting in the referendums had been carried out at gunpoint. Christian Edwards reports for CNN.
U.S. and Russian officials today began talks in Saudi Arabia, with Washington eyeing a Black Sea maritime ceasefire deal to allow the free flow of shipping before a broader agreement can be secured, a source said. Reuters reports.
Ukrainian and U.S. delegations discussed proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s defense minister said following bilateral talks yesterday. Pavel Polityuk and Pesha Magid report for Reuters.
Russia’s overnight drone strikes at Ukraine yesterday killed at least seven people, according to local Ukrainian officials and emergency services. Samya Kullab reports for AP News.
Russia and Ukraine on Friday traded blame over an attack on a gas metering station in Russia’s Kursk region, with Russia accusing Ukraine of “discrediting the US president’s peace initiatives” and Kyiv stating that Moscow intends to mislead the international community and has “repeatedly shelled” the station. Mariya Knight and Maria Kostenko report for CNN.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it destroyed 97 of 147 Russian drones in an overnight attack on multiple Ukrainian regions. A further 25 drones were reportedly “lost” due to electronic warfare.
Steve Witkoff, United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, told Fox News that he does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to invade Europe. “I just don’t see that he wants to take all of Europe. I take him at his word in this sense,” Witkoff said.
Zelenskyy said Putin should be pressured to end his three-year invasion of Ukraine. “No matter what we talk about with our partners, we need to push Putin to give a real order to stop the strikes: The one who brought this war must take it away,” he said in a social media post.
(Personal comment: While Putin may not want to take all of Europe, he will continue his westward land grab after Ukraine. The Baltics will present a challenge as they are members of NATO.)Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Update from Politico today regarding the Us-Russia Ukraine peace talks:
"TO RUSSIA, WITH LOVE: U.S. and Russian negotiators met today in Saudi Arabia to try to iron out steps toward partial and full ceasefires in the Ukraine war. The Americans’ immediate focus is a cessation of maritime hostilities in the Black Sea, with Andrew Peek and Michael Anton taking the lead, Reuters reports. Interfax reported that a Russian negotiator said the two sides “understand each other’s views” and talks are proceeding in a “creative way.”
But but but: The Moscow Times’ Pyotr Kozlov reports that Russia intends to prolong talks “for as long as possible” to keep seizing Ukrainian land and strengthen its position. Russia sees huge upside in forging closer ties with the U.S. in the meantime, so Russian President Vladimir Putin “is humoring [President Donald] Trump’s cease-fire push to seize the benefits of a thaw with Washington,” NYT’s Anton Troianovski reports.
On the flip side: Ukraine remains concerned by recent U.S. comments showing sympathy toward Moscow or adopting its framing on many issues. “I believe Russia has managed to influence some people on the White House team through information,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells Simon Shuster for the latest Time cover story. Shuster also dives into what went wrong in that infamous Oval Office fight: The meeting turned south when Zelenskyy showed Trump photos of Ukrainian prisoners of war to try to “appeal to Trump as a human being” — instead it “seemed to get Trump’s guard up, as though he were being blamed.”"
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Yesterday’s United States-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia were “challenging but useful,” a member of the Russian delegation told Moscow’s state-controlled TASS news agency, adding that the United Nations and other countries will be involved in additional discussions. The two countries are expected to publish a joint statement later today, although the Kremlin said that the contents of discussions would not be made public. Reuters reports; BBC News reports.
Ukrainian and U.S. delegations met in Saudi Arabia today, following earlier Russia-United States talks on a limited Black Sea ceasefire proposal. A White House source said a “positive announcement” is expected “in the near future.” Reuters reports.
Republican Sens. Todd Young (IN) and Lindsey Graham (KC), as well as Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal (CT) and Tim Kaine (VA) are pushing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to transfer more than $300 billion of seized Russian assets to help Ukraine rather than use just the debt’s interest to support Kyiv, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Patricia Zengerle reports.
The Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted US President Donald Trump a portrait he commissioned of the US president. Putin gave the painting to Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow earlier this month, the Russian president’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said in a response to a journalist’s question, declining further comment.
President Trump said that a strategic raw materials deal with Ukraine is likely to be agreed upon shortly. Trump said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had told him that the rare earth minerals agreement with Ukraine was as good as finalised. “They’ll sign it shortly,” Trump said."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Tuesday Middle East update (such as it is):
"The U.N. will “reduce its footprint” in Gaza by removing approximately a third of its 100 international staffers in the territory after a strike last week killed one of its workers and wounded five others, U.N. Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said yesterday. Dujarric said that based on “currently available” information, Israel was responsible for the deadly strike. Wafaa Shurafa, Edith M. Lederer, and Lee Keath report for AP News.
The Israeli yesterday said its forces fired at an International Red Cross building in Rafah due to “incorrect identification.” While no injuries were reported, the International Committee of the Red Cross said the attack had directly impacted its ability to operate. Reuters reports."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
"The Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted US President Donald Trump a portrait he commissioned of the US president. Putin gave the painting to Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow earlier this month, the Russian president’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said in a response to a journalist’s question, declining further comment."I would wager the portrait was not X-rayed before being presented to what's his name.LBGE, LBGE-PTR, 22" Weber, Coleman 413GGreat Plains, USA
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From The Atlantic today:
One Story to Read Today highlights a single newly published—or newly relevant—Atlantic story that’s worth your time.
When Donald Trump switched sides in Russia’s war against Ukraine, Republicans acted as if nothing had changed, George Packer writes. It takes a special talent to betray an entire worldview without missing a beat.
In George Orwell’s 1984, at the climax of Hate Week, Oceania is suddenly no longer at war with Eurasia, but instead is at war with Eastasia, and always has been. The pivot comes with no explanation or even announcement. During a public harangue, a Party orator is handed a scrap of paper and redirects his vitriol “mid-sentence, not only without a pause, but without even breaking the syntax.”
Republican politicians in Donald Trump’s Inner Party faced a similar verbal challenge when the president changed sides in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Here is the story courtesy of the removepaywall site:
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Just when you think the deal is as targeted by the media-give a look at the last paragraph-
"A BLACK SEA DEAL: The White House announced today that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to allow civilian vessels to pass safely through the Black Sea, Eric reports.
In two separate statements, the White House said all sides will “ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.” The U.S. is also going to help Russia recuperate its “access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports” and global shipping.
The agreement is a big deal, as shipping rights and safety in the Black Sea have been a challenge for negotiators seeking to end Russia’s three-year invasion of Ukraine. The disruptions to shipping in the waterway have also added to worries about global food security, given the reliance of many countries on Russian and Ukrainian exports of grain, seed oil and fertilizer.
We should also note that Russia is claiming it’s not walking away empty-handed. The Kremlin said on Telegram today that the deal won’t take effect until the U.S. removes some sanctions on its financial system and its agricultural industry. When asked for clarification since the lifting of sanctions wasn’t mentioned in the U.S. statements, a White House official said, “the Russians engaged us this afternoon with requests for more negotiations,” indicating that the sanctions relief is still not yet a settled subject."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Wednesday Middle East update: (Slim pickings)
"Hundreds of Palestinians yesterday protested against Hamas in Gaza in a rare show of overt dissent against the militant group’s presence in the territory.Iyad Abuheweila, Abu Bakr Bashir, Aaron Boxerman, and Malachy Browne report for the New York Times.
The United States has given Syria a list of conditions to fulfil to obtain partial sanctions relief calling for, amongst other demands, Damascus’ destruction of any remaining chemical weapons stores, cooperation on counter-terrorism, and not installing foreign fighters in senior roles, sources say. Humeyra Pamuk and Maya Gebeily report for Reuters."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop using military force in the Black Sea and to implement a pause on attacks against energy infrastructure, the White House said yesterday. According to the Kremlin, Russia’s implementation of the agreement is conditional on the sanctions on its banks and exports imposed over its invasion of Ukraine being lifted. The United States is currently “looking at all of” Russia’s conditions for the ceasefire, Trump said yesterday. Ivana Kottasová, Christian Edwards, Anna Chernova, Svitlana Vlasova, Kevin Liptak, and Angus Watson report for CNN; Hanna Arhirova reports for AP News; Gleb Bryanski reports for Reuters.
Russia has the upper hand in the Ukraine war and leverage to press Kyiv to negotiate a resolution “that grants Moscow concessions it seeks,” according to an annual report by the U.S. intelligence agencies released yesterday. Russia remains an “enduring potential threat to U.S. power, presence and global interests,” the report added. Julian E. Barnes reports for the New York Times.
The United States said it has made separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and to implement a ban on strikes against energy facilities in the two countries. Washington also agreed to push to lift some sanctions against Moscow as the first steps towards a wider ceasefire. “We’re in deep discussions with Russia and Ukraine. And I would say it’s going well,” US President Donald Trump told reporters.
Oil refineries, oil and gas pipelines and nuclear power stations are among the targets on which Russia and Ukraine agreed to temporarily suspend strikes, the Kremlin said. A list appearing on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel also included fuel storage facilities, pumping stations, electricity generation and transmission infrastructure, such as power plants, substations, transformers, distributors and hydroelectric dams. The Kremlin statement said the list had been “agreed between the Russian and American sides”.
According to the statement, the temporary moratorium on strikes on energy infrastructure starts on March 18 and is valid for 30 days, but it could be extended by mutual agreement. If the agreement is breached by one party, the other party is also released from compliance, the Kremlin added.
In a parallel statement, the White House said that Russia and Ukraine “agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.” The US said it would also look for ways to enforce a ban on strikes on energy infrastructure in the two countries.
The Kremlin warned in a statement that the Black Sea deal could only be implemented after sanctions against the Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial organisations involved in food and fertiliser trade are lifted and their access to the SWIFT system of international banking payments is ensured. The agreement is also conditional on lifting sanctions against Russian food and fertiliser exporters and ships carrying Russian food exports, and removing restrictions on exports of agricultural equipment to Russia, the Kremlin said.
Zelenskyy welcomed the US-brokered agreements but criticised Washington for agreeing to ease sanctions on Russia, saying that doing so “would weaken our position”. Zelenskyy said there was no requirement of sanctions relief for the agreed deals with Russia and Ukraine to come into force, and accused Moscow of manipulating the agreement. “Unfortunately, even now, even today, on the very day of negotiations, we see how the Russians have already begun to manipulate,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said in remarks published late on Tuesday that the Black Sea deal aims to bring Moscow back to predictable grain and fertiliser markets that would allow for profit and ensure global food safety.
The United Kingdom government said it was “hopeful of the progress” following the Black Sea announcement but it was unclear whether the UK would follow US efforts to ease some sanctions on Russia as part of the deal.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was now a Russian facility and transferring control of it back to Ukraine or any other country was impossible. Russian forces seized the nuclear power station – Europe’s largest with six reactors – early in the war."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:
"The EU sanctions on Russia will stay in place until the “unconditional withdrawal” of Russian troops from Ukraine, the European Commission said in a statement yesterday. The Kremlin previously said that it would only implement a partial ceasefire deal brokered by the United States if sanctions on Moscow’s banks and food exports are lifted. Henry Foy, Christopher Miller, and Max Seddon report for the Financial Times.
North Korea appears to have sent at least 3,000 more soldiers to fight in Russia between January and February, South Korea’s military said today, adding that Pyongyang has also sent a “significant amount” of short-range ballistic missiles and rocket launchers to support Moscow. Lex Harvey reports for CNN.
France pledged 2 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine ahead of today’s third “coalition of the willing” summit in Paris, with 30 European leaders set to discuss how to strengthen Kyiv's position. John Irish and Elizabeth Pineau report for Reuters.
Ukraine and Russia accused one another of flouting a truce on attacks against energy facilities brokered by the United States after Washington announced separate agreements on Tuesday to pause strikes in the Black Sea and against energy targets.
Senior Ukrainian presidential official Ihor Zhovkva said Russia has attacked at least eight Ukrainian energy facilities since March 18, when Moscow says it halted such attacks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for a moratorium on attacking energy infrastructure in Ukraine is being fulfilled by Russia’s armed forces, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed.
The Ukrainian military rejected as false Russian accusations that it carried out strikes on energy facilities in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk regions, as well as in Russia-occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the US told Kyiv that the truce deals with Russia were effective as soon as they were announced. But the Kremlin said the Black Sea ceasefire agreement would not enter force until a sanctioned Russian state bank was reconnected to the international payment system, Swift. European leaders said this would not happen until Russia withdraws from Ukraine.
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in advance of a European summit to discuss Ukraine, President Zelenskyy said he hopes Washington has enough power to press Russia into an unconditional ceasefire after Moscow put forward its conditions for the Black Sea truce.
The US will evaluate demands made by Russia after it agreed “in principle” to a US-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine in the Black Sea to allow safe navigation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Rubio said US officials would work to “more fully understand what the Russian position is, or what they’re asking in exchange”, and then “present that” to US President Donald Trump to make a decision.
Trump said in an interview that he thought Russia wanted to end its war with Ukraine, but acknowledged that Moscow could be “dragging its feet”.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed US mediation efforts but warned against being misled by President Putin, saying genuine dialogue cannot occur when ceasefires are continually tied to new demands and concessions.
An agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure “will be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains”, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Thursday Middle East update:
"Protests against Hamas’ presence in Gaza continued for the second day yesterday, with groups of Palestinians chanting slogans against the militant group in a rare show of dissent. Abu Bakr Bashir, Iyad Abuheweila, Hiba Yazbek, and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad report for the New York Times."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
No surprises in the below-
No security guarantees for Ukraine in latest US mineral proposal
The Trump administration is ramping up demands on Ukraine, offering Kyiv no security guarantees in return for a deal to control its critical minerals and energy assets.
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Friday Russia-Ukraine update:
"The Trump administration is pushing for a new, more expansive minerals deal with Ukraine that would give Kyiv no future security guarantees but require it to place all income from the state and private use of natural resources across Ukrainian territory into a joint investment fund, according to sources and a draft proposal seen by Reuters. Ukrainian officials say the deal’s terms remain unfinalised. Erin Banco, Andrea Shalal and Gram Slattery report. (See above post from 3/27)
The United States has restored short-term funding to an initiative tracking Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, the State Department said yesterday. Daphne Psaledakis and Kanishka Singh report for Reuters.
Only some European nations want to take part in a prospective peacekeeping force for Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday following a regional summit on the issue. John Leicester, Samuel Petrequin, and Brian Melley report for AP News.
The Ukrainian army appears to be staging a small-scale incursion into Russia, targeting the Belgorod region, according to Ukrainian officials, open-source intelligence analysts, and Russian military bloggers. The extent of the incursion and Ukraine’s objective are unclear, military analysts say. Maria Varenikova reports for the New York Times.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, during a visit to China, said Beijing and Paris should coordinate in promoting peace in Ukraine and that China could play a role in convincing Russia to come to the table in good faith.
The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keith Starmer branded Russian President Vladimir Putin’s promises as “hollow” regarding a ceasefire with Ukraine and accused Putin of playing games with the agreed naval ceasefire in the Black Sea.
Putin suggested that as part of the peace process, Ukraine be placed under the temporary “administration” of the United Nations and other countries until elections are held.
Kremlin Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused France and the UK of planning a “military intervention in Ukraine” disguised as a peacekeeping mission. She warned such attempts could lead to a military clash between Russia and NATO.
French President Macron said that London and Paris were working on sending “assurance troops” to Ukraine after a potential future peace deal, even if the idea was not approved by all European countries."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Friday Middle East update:
"More than a dozen aid workers have been killed or gone missing in Gaza over the past few days, according to several aid groups operating in the region. The U.N. aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) yesterday said eight of its staff had been killed, as World Central Kitchen said Israeli strikes near a community kitchen in Gaza killed one of its volunteers. Kareem El Damanhoury, Kareem Khadder, and Dana Karni report for CNN.
The United States in recent days gave Hamas a new proposal for the release of U.S. hostage Edan Alexander in exchange for a statement from Trump calling for calm in Gaza and resuming ceasefire negotiations, U.S. and Israeli officials say. It is unclear if Hamas will accept the offer. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Egypt has received “positive indications” from Israel over a new ceasefire proposal, security sources said yesterday. Nayera Abdallah and Yomna Ehab report for Reuters.
Israel today ordered residents of a South Beirut suburb to evacuate ahead of an attack on a building belonging to Hezbollah, Israel’s first such move since the November ceasefire. The Israeli military also said it bombarded Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon after intercepting rocket fire. Jana Choukeir and Tala Ramadan report for Reuters.
Suspected U.S. airstrikes hit Houthi-controlled sites across Yemen early today, according to footage seen by AP News. While the strikes appeared to be more intense than previously, the extent of the damage and possible casualties is as of yet unclear. Jon Gambrell reports."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Saturday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Ukraine’s military said it shot down 89 of 163 Russian drones launched overnight with 51 failing to reach their targets due to technical issues.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have shot down 19 Ukrainian drones that tried to strike an oil refinery in Saratov.
In a televised address on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Ukraine should be temporarily placed under external governance to allow for democratic elections to take place. Putin suggested that Zelenskyy did not have legitimacy as the Ukrainian president and suggested Ukraine could change any negotiated peace at any time.
Responding to Putin’s statements during a briefing with journalists on Friday, Zelenskyy said the comments offer a “reason not to end the war”, adding that Putin is “afraid of negotiations with Ukraine” and that he is “afraid of negotiations with me personally”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres immediately rejected Putin’s suggestion that Ukraine be placed into a form of administration, saying Ukraine’s government is legitimate and must be respected.
Putin’s comments on Ukraine follow the conclusion of a summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron that considered plans to deploy troops to Ukraine. Macron said “several” other nations are willing to join a peacekeeping force alongside France and Britain.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Zelenskyy confirmed Ukraine had received the draft of a new minerals deal from the US, saying it was an “entirely different” document than what had been proposed previously. Neither he nor his vice president would discuss the draft, saying it would first need to be reviewed and discussed.
The Ukrainian president confirmed Ukraine was formalising agreements on European military aid and intelligence sharing before the next summit at the US’s Ramstein airbase in Germany."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Sunday Russia-Ukraine update (slow news day):
"Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed 65 out of 111 drones launched by Russia overnight, which caused damage in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa and Donetsk regions.
Moscow accused Ukraine of attacking Russian energy facilities in the past 24 hours despite having agreed on a United States-brokered deal to refrain from targeting the sites.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an overnight address that he spoke to his top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskii, about the situation along the 1,000-km (621-mile) front line and said they were “maintaining active measures that prevent the occupiers from advancing into [Ukraine’s] Sumy and Kharkiv regions”.
Ukraine accused Russia of committing “war crimes” after targeting a military hospital, which it said violated “the norms of international humanitarian law”. Zelenskyy said Kyiv expected a strong response from the West on the near-daily Russian attacks on the country."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Monday Middle East update:
"The Israeli military today issued extensive evacuation orders covering most of southern Gaza’s Rafah city. The move may indicate Israel could soon launch another ground operation in the area. Wafaa Shurafa reports for AP News.
Hamas has agreed to a new Egyptian proposal to release five hostages, including the American-Israeli Edan Alexander, in exchange for a renewed ceasefire, according to a Hamas source. Israel responded with a counter-proposal, demanding the release of 11 living hostages and half of the deceased hostages in return for a 40-day ceasefire, a senior Israeli official said yesterday. Jeremy Diamond, Dana Karni, and Tamar Michaelis report for CNN.
The bodies of eight Palestine Red Crescent medics who have gone missing after coming under fire in Gaza last week have been recovered, with the ninth worker still unaccounted for, the International Committee of the Red Cross said yesterday. The Palestine Red Crescent, which blamed Israeli forces for the deaths, said it also recovered the bodies of six civil defence members and one U.N. worker from the same area. Reuters reports.
Israel’s “mandatory evacuation orders” fail to comply with international humanitarian law by forcibly displacing Palestinians in Gaza, a U.N. Human Rights Office spokesperson said on Friday, adding that Israel is not taking “any measures to provide accommodation for the evacuated population.” Olivia Le Poidevin reports for Reuters.
Hezbollah will “have to resort to other alternatives” if Israel’s attacks on Lebanon continue and the Lebanese state does not act to stop them, the militant group’s leader Naim Kassem said on Saturday following Israel’s first strikes on Beirut in months. Bassem Mroue reports for AP News.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday announced the formation of a caretaker government that will be in power for up to five years and lead the country through the transition period after the fall of the Assad regime. The new government includes al-Sharaa’s key allies alongside experienced officials and popular activists. Carlotta Gall and Christina Goldbaum report for the New York Times.
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons inspectors have inspected previously unseen chemical weapon production and storage locations of the former Assad regime, sources said on Friday. Reuters reports."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Russia-Ukraine Monday update:
"President Trump yesterday said he was “very angry” when Putin questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s legitimacy to sign a peace deal, and that the United States would put secondary tariffs on Russian oil if Trump considers Russia is dragging its feet on a ceasefire. Trump also criticized Zelenskyy, saying the Ukrainian leader would have “big, big problems” if he backed out of the rare minerals deal. Kristen Welker and Megan Lebowitz report for NBC News; Chris Megarian reports for AP News.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had launched more than 1,000 drones on this country over the past week.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence units destroyed 66 Ukrainian drones overnight, almost all of which were downed over the Bryansk and Kaluga regions.
Trump said he would impose secondary tariffs of between 25 percent and 50 percent on buyers of Russian oil if he determined that Moscow was trying to scupper his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Moscow and Washington began talks on joint rare earth metals and other projects in Russia, Russia’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation told Russian media outlet Izvestia."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Tuesday Middle East update:
"The bodies of fifteen emergency and aid workers from the Red Crescent, Palestinian Civil Defense and the U.N. have been recovered from a mass grave in south Gaza’s Rafah, U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said yesterday, adding that the workers “were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives.” The Israeli military said that on March 23 Israeli troops opened fire on a group of vehicles that included ambulances and fire trucks that approached a position “without prior coordination,” and that a Hamas operative and other militants were killed in the attack. Reuters reports; Tom Bateman and Sofia Ferreira Santos report for BBC News.
Israel will expand its ground operations to occupy 25% of Gaza over the next two to three weeks, a senior Israeli official said yesterday, describing the plan as part of Israel’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Hamas. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The United States expects “all parties on the ground” in Gaza to comply with international humanitarian law, a State Department spokesperson has said, adding that “every single thing that happens in Gaza is happening because of Hamas.” Tom Bateman and Sofia Ferreira Santos report for BBC News."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:
"The Kremlin said Russia and the United States were working on ideas for a possible peace settlement in Ukraine and on building bilateral ties despite US President Donald Trump saying he was “p***** off” with Putin.
The top diplomats from Spain, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and the European Union have pledged to redouble their aid to Ukraine and are considering new sanctions on Russia to force it to accept a ceasefire.
Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, who is in Moscow, said securing peace in Ukraine was “no pain, no gain” and that any ceasefire agreement had to be binding, fair and acceptable for all parties. Wang also welcomed Russia and the US taking the first steps to normalise relations, which he said would be “good for stabilising the balance of power between major powers and inspires optimism in a disappointing international situation”."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Wednesday Middle East update:
"The Israeli military will seize “large areas” of Gaza and incorporate them into “security zones” to “destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today. According to Katz, the execution of the plan will entail large-scale evacuations of Palestinians. Katz did not make clear whether the move would represent a permanent annexation of territory. Rachel Hagan and Yolande Knell report for BBC News; James Mackenzie reports for Reuters.
A U.N. spokesperson yesterday described as “ridiculous” Israel’s claim that “there is enough food for a long period of time” in Gaza, adding that U.N. aid supplies are “at [their] tail end.” Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters."
Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Ukraine will work with the United States towards a mutually acceptable text of a rare minerals deal, Kyiv's foreign minister said yesterday. Reuters reports.
Russia cannot accept US proposals to end the war in Ukraine in their current form because they do not address problems Moscow regards as having caused the conflict, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. He suggested that Moscow and Washington have so far been unable to bridge differences which Russian President Vladimir Putin raised more than two weeks ago when he said US ceasefire proposals needed reworking. (Is anyone surprised??)
Senior officials in the administration of US President Donald Trump discussed in recent days the likelihood that the US will be unable to secure a Ukraine peace deal in the next few months and are drawing up new plans to pressure both Kyiv and Moscow, two US officials familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency. White House and US State Department officials acknowledge that Putin is actively resisting Washington’s attempts to strike a lasting peace accord and have discussed what, if any, economic or diplomatic punishments could push Russia closer to a deal, the sources said."Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint. -
Given the tariffs headlines, worth a read: (Hope the paywall circumvent works)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/opinion/trump-tariffs-china.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8k4.i3gR.Rtn34aeQ3p_F&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=emailLouisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. Life is too short for light/lite beer! Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.
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