North Korean Defense Minister Hit In New Sanctions On Russia
- By Ray Furlong
European countries have marked today's anniversary with new sanctions on Russia.
Britain has just announced sanctions on more than 100 people and entities. These include "producers and suppliers of machine tools, electronics, and dual-use goods for Russia’s military," according to an official statement.
The sanctions extend beyond Russia to hit actors in third countries such as Central Asian states, Turkey, Thailand, India, and China, and also North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol.
Earlier, the European Union unveiled its 16th sanctions package on Russia since Moscow launched the full-scale invasion in 2022. It includes measures against Russia's "shadow fleet" of vessels used to evade sanctions on shipping, as well as on 53 entities that the EU says are "supporting Russia’s military and industrial complex."
Macron Arrives For Talks With Trump
- By Ray Furlong
The hectic diplomacy continues with French President Emmanuel Macron arriving for talks with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump.
European leaders have been unnerved by remarks from Trump and senior administration figures in the last week or so. There's particular concern that Washington may be willing to sideline Europe, and possibly also Ukraine, as it prioritizes a deal with Russia.
That will make this a closely watched meeting. It begins with virtual talks with other G7 leaders. Later, Trump and Macron will hold a news conference.
Your Questions Answered
Why would Zelenskyy step down after years of leading Ukraine to victory?
Zelenskyy, who has led Ukraine throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, has no legal obligation to step down as president.
Yes, his five-year term was due to expire in May 2024. But the Constitution of Ukraine says that elections cannot be held under martial law, which has been in place since Russia launched the invasion in February 2022. It has been extended by parliament many times, most recently until May 9, 2025.
Zelenskyy may have been bluffing when he told a press conference on February 23 that he would give up his position to bring peace, saying it could be in exchange for Ukraine joining NATO. He also may have wanted to again emphasize the need for strong Western security guarantees.
All indications from his circle are that Zelenskyy would seek a second term if an election were held.
According to a survey last Friday, two-thirds of Ukrainians still trust him.
Zelenskyy would probably beat all his potential challengers – expect maybe for the current ambassador to London, former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces General Valery Zaluzhny, who has not so far declared any intention to run.
VIDEO: 'We Are In Shock': Ukrainians React To U.S-Russia Talks Without Ukraine
As Ukrainians mark the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of their country, people in Kyiv told Current Time about their concerns over the state of talks to end the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump recently traded criticism after U.S. and Russian officials held talks on Ukraine that excluded Kyiv.
A Polish Volunteer Remembers Fallen Comrades In Kyiv
Among the people mourning the dead in central Kyiv today, Slawomir, a volunteer from Poland.
"I put the first flags there back in '22. Now there are more than 50 Polish flags. These are not only Poles who came from Poland, but also Poles who lived in Ukraine. There are flags for everyone," Slawomir told RFE/RL. "And memory for those Poles, Ukrainian Poles, who also gave their lives for a free Ukraine. For three years of war, 11 years of actual war in Ukraine."
He was referring to the conflict that Russia began in the Donbas region in 2014, before it began its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Tears At Kyiv's War Memorials
- By RFE/RL
People have been grieving at the memorials in Kyiv to fallen soldiers.
Irpin's Iconic Bridge
- By Ray Furlong
The main shot on our live blog is current residents of Irpin holding a memorial event beneath a bridge.
The bridge became an iconic location after it was destroyed in Russian shelling at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Our colleagues filmed civilians desperately trying to flee across the wreckage.
20,000 Russians Detained For Anti-War Statements, Says NGO
More than 20,000 people have been detained or arrested for anti-war statements or public expression of dissent against Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, a nongovernment organization said.
OVD-Info, a respected group that has monitored and tallied police arrests for years, said that the bulk of that number -- 18,910 -- were arrested during the first year of the invasion. The number dropped off sharply in 2023: 274, and just 41 in 2024.
In the weeks immediately following the invasion on February 24, 2022, there were scattered public protests in some Russian cities that were quickly quashed by police.
The bulk of the criminal cases tallied by OVD-Info, some 85 percent, were initiated for posts or comments made on social media in 2022 or 2023.
Weeks after President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion, Russian legislators passed a law that criminalized dissent or criticism of the war, on the grounds of "discrediting the armed forces." The Kremlin has also forbidden calling the conflict a war, mandating that the media and official statements use the euphemism "special military operation."
Your Questions Answered
How do you think this conflict will end? Will the U.S. be able to force a peace deal on Ukraine?
All wars end in peace. For now, it seems likely there will a cease-fire, possibly this spring, and then a peace treaty, possibly in the autumn. One thing Ukraine is adamant about is strong security guarantees, which it says are crucial to any truce or peace agreement.
Ukraine wants a just and long-lasting peace, so that Putin will not regroup and rearm the Russian military for a new attack. Among potential security guarantees is a fast track to EU membership for Ukraine, especially when joining NATO is not realistically on the agenda. Others: Continued arms supplies, enhanced weapons production in Ukraine -- especially of drones and missiles -- and the presence of Western troops on the ground.
With tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers killed and hundreds of thousands wounded, Kyiv is unlikely to accept an unfavorable deal -- even under pressure from the U.S. administration. Although a slim majority of Ukrainians (52 percent) want peace as soon as possible, opinion polling at the end of last year showed, some 38 percent want to fight until victory is achieved.
Your Questions Answered
Is it feasible for Ukraine to slow or stop Russian advances without U.S. military assistance?
Russian forces have been making some nonstrategic advances in eastern Ukraine for many months. But they have failed to take the entirety of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions: the Donbas. Plus, Russia has not managed to push Ukrainian troops out of its Kursk region following Kyiv’s surprise incursion in August.
American aid is extremely critical for the Ukrainian Army. It is impossible now to imagine the Ukrainian Army without U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), Abrams heavy tanks, or 155 mm artillery shells.
Military aid allocated by the Biden administration is still arriving and the Trump administration has not suspended aid. Ukraine is holding on.
In addition, Kyiv can expect an increase in military aid from Europe. Ukrainian military strategists say that without additional help from the United States, Ukrainian forces could hold out until the end of the year -- but without U.S. support, serious problems would begin in 2026.
What will happen is unclear. Earlier, members of Trump's team threatened to increase aid to Ukraine if Russia resisted efforts to end the war.