Forces loyal to Muammar Qaddafi have overrun three eastern Libyan cities, as world powers considered arming outgunned rebel forces.

Loyalists supported by tanks and artillery reached the outskirts of Ajdabiya, some 160 kilometers east of the rebels' main stronghold of Benghazi, after retaking oil hubs Ras Lanuf, Uqayla, and Brega.

Qaddafi's latest counteroffensive came after rebel forces on March 29 had advanced within 100 kilometers east of Sirte, aided by coalition air strikes. In the west, loyalists were still besieging the rebel-held town of Misurata.

The United States and Britain, meanwhile, say they are not ruling out arming the rebel forces.

On March 29, U.S. President Barack Obama said the "noose" was tightening around Qaddafi, who has ruled the North African country for more than 40 years.

He told NBC Television the international strikes in Libya would eventually force Qaddafi to step down.

On the subject of the United States possibly arming the opposition, he said he was not ruling it out but he was also not ruling it in. "We're still making an assessment, partly about what Qaddafi's forces are going to be doing," he said.

Obama's comments were echoed today by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who told lawmakers that helping the Libyan opposition defend itself would not run counter to an existing UN arms embargo on the North African state.

"UN Security Council Resolution 1973 allows all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas, and our view is that this would not necessarily rule out the provision of assistance to those protecting civilians in certain circumstances," Cameron said.

Mixed Reactions

The prospect of arming Libya's insurgency has drawn mixed reactions within NATO, which was due today to take over all operations in Libya from a coalition led by the United States, France, and Britain -- and the international community at large.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen appeared to reject plans to arm the Libyan opposition on March 29. "We are there to protect people, not to arm people," he said.

And Belgium and Denmark -- both part of the coalition enforcing the no-fly zone -- have said they are against the idea.

The strongest opposition so far has come from Russia, whose foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, warned today that supplying the opposition with weapons would go beyond the United Nations' mandate.

Lavrov, however, reiterated calls for Qaddafi to abandon power and let the Libyan people determine their own future.

China has condemned the coalition strikes altogether.

Mahmud Shammam, a spokesman for the rebels, said the insurgents could topple Qaddafi in a matter of days if they had more weapons.

'Only Stoke More Violence'

But Fawaz Gerges, a professor of Middle Eastern Politics at the London School of Economics, says he disagrees. Arming the Libyan opposition, he says, would only stoke more violence.

"Libya is much more divided than President Obama or Prime Minister Cameron or French President [Nicolas] Sarkozy had hoped," he says. "Arming the opposition ensures that the divide between the opposition and the loyalists will become deeper, wider, and will embroil the West in a potential civil war in another Muslim country."

The issue or arming the rebels was not formally discussed at the London conference, whose 48 participants pledged to continue military action against Qaddafi and to create a contact group to coordinate political decisions on Libya.

The conference took place as new outbreaks of fighting erupted in Libya.

Opposition fighters have made significant gains since the UN Security Council on March 17 authorized a no-fly zone and military action to protect civilians.

But today, the better armed and organized pro-Qaddafi troops reversed the westward charge of the fighters and launched a counterassault that forced the rebels to retreat from Nawfaliyah, Bin Jawad, and the strategic oil town of Ras Lanuf.

Both Britain and Italy have suggested Qaddafi might be allowed to go into exile to bring a quick end to the six-week civil war, but U.S. officials have argued there is no evidence the Libyan leader is prepared to leave. Uganda today became the first country to offer Qaddafi refuge.

Starting To Add Up

In Washington, the U.S. Defense Department said the tab for just 10 days of U.S. military involvement in Libya had already hit $550 million.

With the United States already stretching to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan amid difficult financial times, the operation has come under criticism from lawmakers and ordinary Americans.

A poll published today by the U.S. Quinnipiac University found that nearly half of Americans were opposed to their country's military involvement in Libya.

written by Claire Bigg, with agency reports

BUCHAREST -- Several hundred supporters of Romanian far-right politician Calin Georgescu gathered peacefully outside the Constitutional Court in Bucharest late on March 10 ahead of a consequential ruling that will determine whether the former engineer can run in May's presidential election.

The night of calm contrasted with the mayhem that unfolded on the evening of March 9 following the Central Election Board's (CEB) ruling rejecting Georgescu's inclusion in a presidential election rerun. More than a dozen police officers were injured during the scuffle with protesters.

Georgescu promptly filed an appeal on the morning of March 10 with the Constitutional Court expected to make a decision on the following day.

The protesters waved the tri-color Romanian flag as they chanted "freedom" and called for the arrest of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who has backed the Constitutional Court during the unprecedented election upheaval.

Georgescu has urged his supporters to remain peaceful as he continues his fight to participate in the rerun election.

"We are going together to the end for the same values, peace, democracy, freedom," Georgescu said.

The CEB ruling disqualified his application based on a Constitutional Court ruling that halted the original election in November following his first-round win.

"We must not give rise to violence or other forms of this kind compared to what happened yesterday evening," Georgescu said, referring to the violence that saw cars burned, store windows smashed, and cobblestones thrown at police, who responded with volleys of tear gas and by detaining protesters.

"The right to free expression is a fundamental right of every citizen, but it must be exercised within the limits of the law and with respect for public order and safety," Major Ana Burchi, a spokeswoman for the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Gendarmerie, told reporters.

Georgescu, who is critical of NATO and opposes Romanian support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion, filed his candidacy for the rerun, to be held on May 4, on March 7.

The CEB had 48 hours to accept or reject the application. Late on March 9, it said Georgescu's candidacy "does not meet the conditions provided by law, as established by the Constitutional Court in December 2024," a reference to the ruling canceling the presidential election.

"Consequently, at the resumption of the electoral process, the members of the BEC consider that it is inadmissible to consider that the same person meets the conditions to accede to the presidency of Romania," it said.

Georgescu and his supporters have claimed Romanian authorities are trying to block his candidacy in the rerun. He reacted angrily to the rejection, calling it "a direct blow to the heart of democracy."

"I have one message left! If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall! This is just the beginning. It’s that simple!...Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!" he added in a social media post.

The first round of the presidential election was canceled by the Constitutional Court on December 6 after Romanian intelligence reports said foreign actors had manipulated social media platforms, especially TikTok, to benefit Georgescu, a far-right, pro-Russian candidate.

The annulment of the vote has exacerbated deep divisions in Romanian politics and sparked international concern over the course of democracy in the European Union and NATO member.

Last month, US Vice-President JD Vance delivered a thinly veiled criticism of the country's moves against Georgescu, telling delegates at the Munich Security Conference that "if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country then it wasn't very strong to begin with."

The 62-year-old Georgescu was a little-known figure in Romania until he unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential election on November 24 with about 22 percent of the vote.

He was to face pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi, 52, in a runoff, which had been seen as a referendum on the future course of Romania.

Ciolacu, who supported the Constitutional Court's decision to annul the election, said the authorities have the right to present the public with extremely solid evidence in the investigation, "which involves a potential candidate in the May elections."

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on February 10 that he was resigning from his post amid an effort by the opposition to have him impeached after he stayed in power following the Constitutional Court's election annulment.

Just days before the vote, Georgescu launched a TikTok campaign calling for an end to aid for Ukraine, apparently striking a chord with voters. He has also sounded a skeptical note on Romania's NATO membership.

His anti-Western messaging is routinely amplified on Russian, state-run media and Kremlin-friendly social media.

His other stances included supporting Romanian farmers, reducing dependency on imports, and ramping up energy and food production.

Iran said it will not enter negotiations with the United States over its disputed nuclear program under what it said is “pressure and intimidation” from Washington.

The stance comes as US President Donald Trump increases pressure on Tehran by ending a sanctions waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from its neighbor.

"We will NOT negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will NOT even consider it, no matter what the subject may be," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X on March 10.

Araqchi’s comments came a day after Iran's mission to the United Nations struck a more conciliatory tone, saying Tehran could be open to talks aimed at addressing concerns about the potential militarization of its nuclear program.

"If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis-a-vis any potential militarization of Iran's nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration," said a March 9 statement from the mission.

But Araqchi appeared to close the door on such talks, saying Tehran's nuclear program is peaceful and there was "no such thing as its 'potential militarization.'"

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Trump said the terms of that deal were not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Tehran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to stop Iran's oil sales entirely, but will be able to substantially reduce it.

The US State Department said on March 9 that the decision not to renew Iraq's sanctions waiver was made to "ensure we do not allow Iran any degree of economic or financial relief."

Iran supplies one-third of Iraq's gas and electricity, providing Tehran with significant revenue.

The White House on March 9 warned Tehran that it will deal with its nuclear program either through military means or by reaching a deal, remarks that came hours after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US proposal for negotiations between the two bitter rivals.

"We hope the Iran Regime puts its people and best interests ahead of terror," White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement on March 9.

In an interview with Fox Business recorded on March 6, Trump said, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal" to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Khamenei, speaking on March 8 to a group of Iranian officials, said the US offer of talks “are not aimed at solving problems” but to "impose" their demands on Tehran.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Saudi Arabia on March 10 where he is scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the kingdom.

Zelenskyy’s trip comes a day before crunch talks between Ukrainian and US delegations in the Saudi city of Jeddah aimed at ending Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine.

The US, Ukraine’s main military supporter, is pushing for a quick conclusion to the conflict by engaging in direct talks with Moscow while halting military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.

The US-Ukrainian talks on March 11 will be the first formal meeting since an Oval Office argument between Zelenskyy, US President Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance on February 28 that saw the Ukrainian president publicly berated and asked to leave the White House.

Zelenskyy said he will not be part of the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah. Kyiv’s delegation will include Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Zelenskyy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

They will meet with a US delegation that is expected to include Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and national-security adviser Mike Waltz. Rubio departed for Saudi Arabia late on March 9.

"On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," Zelenskyy said in a March 9 post on X. "Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively."

Kyiv is likely to propose a peace plan outlined by Zelenskyy that includes an air and sea truce as the first step.

Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News before leaving the United States that he had high hopes going into the talks, which would touch on territorial claims and security protocols.

"I think that we're going over there with an expectation that we're going to make substantial progress," he said, adding that he's "really hopeful."

"All the signs are very, very positive."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a key mediator between Washington and Kyiv, said he spoke with Trump on March 10 about the upcoming talks in Jeddah. Starmer said he hoped the outcome would persuade Trump to restart intelligence sharing and weapons shipments to Ukraine.

The White House last week announced it was halting weapons shipments and intelligence sharing, claiming Ukraine wasn't committed to peace.

During the blow up at the White House, Trump accused Zelenskyy of acting like a "tough guy" because he had the backing of the US.

Witkoff told Fox News that the US had not cut off defensive intelligence sharing while Trump said late on March 9 that the US "just about" restored intelligence sharing.

Zelenskyy is under intense pressure from Washington to quickly agree a cease-fire with Russia, despite no pledge of a US security guarantee. But so far, Moscow has not shown interest in a cessation of hostilities.

Russia has stepped up attacks on its neighbor and reported battlefield gains in recent days.

On March 9, Trump suggested that Ukraine may not be able to withstand the war against Russia even with US support.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump defended his decision to reduce support to Ukraine, saying: “Well, it may not survive anyway.”

Trump also repeated his claim that Zelenskyy was not “grateful” for US support but did describe the Ukrainian president as “smart” and “tough.”

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the recapture of several villages and towns on March 9 in its Kursk region -- -- as well as new settlements in eastern Ukraine -- with unconfirmed reports that thousands of Ukrainian troops risks being encircled by Russian forces.

Russia has been making territorial gains in eastern Ukraine since early 2024. However, military analysts say that Russia -- which now occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine -- can not continue the scale of its current offensive much longer due to significant losses of troops and equipment.

BUCHAREST -- Romania's Central Electoral Board (CEB) has rejected the candidacy of far-right politician Calin Georgescu in a rerun of a presidential election, sparking clashes between his supporters, angry at the move, and police.

The CEB said on March 9 that it disqualified Georgescu's application based on the Constitutional Court ruling, which halted the original election in November following his first-round win.

"His candidacy does not meet the conditions provided by law, as established by the Constitutional Court in December 2024," the CEB said.

"Consequently, at the resumption of the electoral process, the members of the BEC consider that it is inadmissible to consider that the same person meets the conditions to accede to the presidency of Romania."

Georgescu, who is critical of NATO and opposes Romanian support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion, filed his candidacy for the rerun, to be held on May 4, on March 7.

The CEB had 48 hours to accept or reject the application. Georgescu has 24 hours to appeal the CEB move, which prompted hundreds of his supporters who clashed with security forces in front of the board's headquarters in central Bucharest.

Pro-Georgescu demonstrators set fire to street furniture and threw heavy objects at police, who responded with tear gas, law enforcement officials said.

Georgescu and his supporters have claimed Romanian authorities are trying to block his candidacy in the rerun. He reacted angrily to the rejection, calling it "a direct blow to the heart of democracy."

"I have one message left! If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall! This is just the beginning. It’s that simple!...Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!" he added in a social media post.

The first round of the presidential election was canceled by the Constitutional Court on December 6 after Romanian intelligence reports said foreign actors had manipulated social media platforms, especially TikTok, to benefit Georgescu, a far-right, pro-Russian candidate.

The annulment of the vote has exacerbated deep divisions in Romanian politics and sparked international concern over the course of democracy in the European Union and NATO member.

Last month, US Vice-President JD Vance delivered a thinly veiled criticism of the country's moves against Georgescu, telling delegates at the Munich Security Conference that "if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country then it wasn't very strong to begin with."

Georgescu was a little-known figure in Romania until he unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential election on November 24 with about 22 percent of the vote.

The 62-year-old was to face pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi in a runoff, which had been seen as a referendum on the future course of Romania.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who supported the Constitutional Court's decision to annul the election, said the authorities have the right to present the public with extremely solid evidence in the investigation, "which involves a potential candidate in the May elections."

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on February 10 that he was resigning from his post amid an effort by the opposition to have him impeached after he stayed in power following the Constitutional Court's election annulment.

Just days before the vote, Georgescu launched a TikTok campaign calling for an end to aid for Ukraine, apparently striking a chord with voters. He has also sounded a skeptical note on Romania's NATO membership.

His anti-Western messaging is routinely amplified on Russian, state-run media and Kremlin-friendly social media.

His other stances included supporting Romanian farmers, reducing dependency on imports, and ramping up energy and food production.

Warships from China, Russia, and Iran will hold exercises in a key Middle Eastern waterway as the three partners highlight their deepening cooperation and showcase their growing capabilities, according to reports in state-run media.

The joint naval drills will start on March 10, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, while the Chinese Defense Ministry said the Security Belt 2025 exercise would be held near the Iranian port of Chabahar on the coast of the Gulf of Oman with the aim of deepening "military trust and pragmatic cooperation."

The drills are part of an annual exercise between the three countries and comes as both China and Iran are navigating tensions with the United States.

All three countries are also increasing their cooperation. The Chinese and Russian navies have been hosting more frequent drills together in recent years, including in the Pacific and further away location like off the coast of South Africa.

Russia and Iran also signed an agreement in January to boost cooperation in areas such as trade and defense issues.

This year's naval exercises will include simulated attacks on maritime targets, joint search, rescue drills, spot checks, and arrests.

China also said it will send its Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, a new type of advanced warship that is at the center of Beijing's push to build up its navy.

Russia and Iran have not yet confirmed which of their fleets will be involved, but they gathered in March 2024 along with other countries for live-fire exercises focused on anti-piracy.

During those exercises, China's 45th naval escort task participated, along with Russia's Pacific fleet and more than 10 Iranian vessels. Representatives from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, India and South Africa acted as observers.

The drills come after a series of moves in recent months where China has been looking to showcase its power at sea.

China now possesses the world's largest maritime fighting force, operating 234 warships to the U.S. Navy's 219, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The United States maintains a technological advantage in its fleet, but Beijing is investing heavily to catch up.

In February, China conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea near Australia. Australian and New Zealand ships and aircraft monitored three Chinese military vessels for several days and the Australian government complained that the Chinese drills forced airlines to adjust flight routes due to safety concerns.

In December 2024, Taiwan also said China had conducted one of its largest military exercises ever around the self-governing island, as Chinese ships encircled the island and jets entered Taiwanese air space.

Tensions over Taiwan, which Beijing regards as its own and has long threatened to invade and annex if the island refuses to peacefully accept unification, is at the heart of ongoing tensions between China and the United States.

The United States is Taiwan's largest military backer and its support is considered vital for its survival.

Beijing has been intensifying its rhetoric around the island, with China's military saying on March 9 that it would tighten a "noose" around Taiwan if Taipei pursues a path of formal independence, which Beijing views as separatism.

Russian forces have carried out more than 2,100 aerial strikes on Ukraine over the past week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on March 9, as Russia has stepped up attacks on its neighbor and reported battlefield gains ahead of Kyiv's high-stakes talks with US representatives in Saudi Arabia.

It comes as US President Donald Trump questioned the long-term viability of Ukraine itself. When asked in a Fox Business TV interview whether he was worried that decreased US support for Ukraine could endanger that country's survival, he responded: "Well, it may not survive anyway."

"But, you know, we have some weaknesses with Russia -- you know, it takes two," Trump added.

Zelenskyy said in a social media post that Russian forces this week deployed 1,200 guided aerial bombs, nearly 870 attack drones, and more than 80 missiles of various types.

The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, announced the recapture of several villages and towns on March 9 in its Kursk region -- as well as new settlements in eastern Ukraine -- with unconfirmed reports that thousands of Ukrainian troops risk being encircled by Russian forces.

It comes a day after Russian air strikes killed at least 50 people in the eastern Donetsk region, according to local officials, with at least 11 deaths reported in the city of Dobropillya.

"Such strikes show that Russia's goals are unchanged," Zelenskyy wrote on social media late on March 8. "Therefore, it is very important to continue to do everything to protect life, strengthen our air defense, and increase sanctions against Russia.”

The series of strikes and battlefield pressure represent another setback for Kyiv ahead of crucial talks with the United States next week in Saudi Arabia, where Ukrainian officials will meet with their US counterparts for negotiations around how to end the three-year war.

The Institute For The Study of War, a Washington-based think tank that tracks battlefield developments, said Russian forces have "intensified their multidirectional campaign to eliminate the remaining Ukrainian salient in Kursk" in the last two days.

According to DeepState, an open-source military tracker linked to the Ukrainian Army, the Russian moves followed a "breach" in Ukrainian defense lines near the town of Sudzha, which remains under Kyiv's control but is facing growing pressure from Russian units.

Pro-Russian war bloggers who closely track frontline developments in the war also reported that Russian special forces walked inside a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in Kursk late on March 8 to gain a foothold outside of Sudzha.

According to the reports, the pipeline was used to surprise Ukrainian units and cut off their supply lines as the Kremlin pours more manpower into kicking Kyiv out of Russian territory.

RFE/RL was not able to independently verify the accounts, but Ukrainian officials confirmed that Russian "sabotage and assault groups" used the pipeline to get access to Sudzha.

"At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked, and destroyed. The enemy's losses in Sudzha are very high," Ukraine's General Staff said in a Telegram post on March 8.

Ukraine aimed to hit back by launching a drone overnight at an industrial facility in the Russian region of Chuvashia, some 1,300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The strike is one of the deepest yet into Russian territory by a Ukrainian drone, and it hit its target but caused no casualties, according to Russian authorities.

Ousting Ukrainian forces from Kursk with the talks in Saudi Arabia approaching looks to be part of Moscow's strategy. In August 2024, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers seized roughly 1,300 square kilometers of Russia's western Kursk region, a move which Kyiv later characterized as an attempt to gain a bargaining chip for future negotiations and draw Russian troops away from the front line in eastern Ukraine.

Russian forces have managed to claw back large chunks of territory in Kursk, but Ukraine has retained a foothold that now risks being shrunk down further leading into the key talks.

Ukraine 'Fully Committed' To US Talks

With his attention fixed on the upcoming talks, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is "fully committed" to having a constructive dialogue with US representatives in Saudi Arabia next week over a potential peace settlement.

"Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively," he posted on X.

The Ukrainian president said he will travel to Saudi Arabia and meet with Saudi Prince Muhammad bin Salman on March 10. Afterward, a delegation of Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives will stay for a March 11 meeting with a US negotiating team.

"On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy will not be part of the US-Ukraine talks, which will instead be done by a delegation including Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

They will meet with a US delegation that will reportedly include Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and national-security adviser Mike Waltz. Rubio departed for Saudi Arabia late on March 9, the State Department said.

In remarks late on March 9, Trump told reporters he expects results from the Saudi talks.

"We're going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week," Trump said.

The upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia are the culmination of weeks of tough diplomacy and negotiations spearheaded by Washington since it met with a Russian delegation in Riyadh in February.

US-Ukraine ties have since frayed, with tensions culminating in an Oval Office argument in late February between Zelenskyy, Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance that saw the Ukrainian president leave the White House without signing a crucial minerals deal with Washington.

Since then, the Trump administration has paused military shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The full extent of the intelligence cutoff is unclear, but it has sparked fears that it could lead to Ukrainian setbacks on the front lines as Russia looks to press for the advantage.

In his March 9 remarks to reporters, Trump said he believed Ukraine would eventually sign a minerals deal with the United States. But -- amid reports he would want even more actions out of Kyiv -- Trump added that "I want them to want peace. They haven't shown it to the extent they should."

European countries like Britain and France have stepped up to provide more intelligence sharing with Ukraine but are reportedly still not able to replace the full scope of US capabilities.

Waltz suggested on March 5 that Trump may lift the pause on military aid once peace negotiations are arranged and confidence-building measures take place.

When asked on March 9 whether he would end the suspension of intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, Trump said, without elaborating, that "we just about have. We just about have."

In the days leading up to the talks, Trump offered criticism of Moscow's increased attacks on Ukraine in the lead up to talks and mentioned potential sanctions against the Kremlin.

But he also said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “doing what anybody would do" and he told reporters in the Oval Office on March 7 that he finds it "easier" to work with Russia than Ukraine and that Putin "wants to end the war."

The White House again warned Tehran that it can be dealt with either through military means or by reaching a deal over its nuclear program, remarks that came hours after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a US proposal for negotiations between the two bitter rivals.

"We hope the Iran Regime puts its people and best interests ahead of terror," White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement on March 9 while reiterating remarks by President Donald Trump that "if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing."

In an interview with Fox Business recorded on March 6, Trump said, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal" to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'" Trump said.

"I would rather negotiate a deal. I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," Trump added.

"But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something's going to happen one way or the other."

Snippets of the interview were aired on March 7, but the full sit-down will be broadcast on March 9, Fox said.

In separate comments to reporters, Trump said: "We have a situation with Iran that, something's going to happen very soon. Very, very soon."

Ali Khamenei, speaking on March 8 to a group of Iranian officials -- without specifically mentioning Trump or the United States -- said, "Their talks are not aimed at solving problems."

"It is for...'Let’s talk to impose what we want on the other party that is sitting on the opposite side of the table.'"

"The insistence of some bullying governments on negotiations is not to resolve issues.... Talks for them is a pathway to have new demands; it is not only about Iran's nuclear issue.... Iran will definitely not accept their expectations," Khamenei was quoted by state media as saying.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on March 8 said Tehran had not yet received a letter from Trump.

"We have heard of it [Trump’s letter], but we haven't received anything," Araghchi said on state TV.

The United States and Israel have long stated they will never allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons, even as Iran continues to enrich uranium at near weapons-grade levels.

Tehran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes.

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms.

Trump said the terms of that deal were not strong enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and he also accused Tehran of fomenting extremist violence in the region -- which Iran has denied despite widespread evidence of such activity.

Khamenei last month said he opposed direct talks with Trump, charging that he cannot be trusted since he left the nuclear deal.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Iran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to entirely stop Iran's oil sales but will be able to substantially reduce it.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia's latest deadly air strikes show Moscow's war objectives remained "unchanged" and called for new sanctions.

"Such strikes show that Russia's goals are unchanged," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on March 8. "Therefore, it is very important to continue to do everything to protect life, strengthen our air defense, and increase sanctions against Russia."

Russian air strikes overnight in eastern Ukraine killed at least 20 people in the Donetsk region, according to local officials, with at least 11 deaths reported in the city of Dobropillya.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy called the Dobropillya attack one of the most "brutal" of the war and that it was "was deliberately calculated to cause maximum damage."

Russia also claimed that it had retaken three villages earlier captured by Ukraine in its Kursk region, which would represent another setback for Kyiv ahead of any talks.

The attacks came a day after Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack targeting energy and gas infrastructure across multiple regions of Ukraine.

Following the attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, US President Donald Trump on March 7 threatened to impose additional sanctions on Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is now in its fourth year.

The massive attack -- the 30th such strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 -- is part of a broader Russian strategy targeting Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure. In the past two weeks, Russian strikes have repeatedly hit energy facilities in the Odesa region.

Despite Moscow's repeated denials that it has targeted civilian infrastructure, Ukraine and international organizations have called the attacks war crimes, citing deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and water supply systems across the country.

Zelenskyy has been calling on his country's allies to press Russia to end the war, with an air and sea truce as the first step.

In an evening address on March 7 before Russia's latest strikes, Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants peace "as soon as possible" and "is determined to be very constructive."

"The theme is clear: peace as soon as possible, security as reliable as possible," he said.

Trump did not go into detail about potential measures. He had spoken a few days after his January 20 inauguration of potentially using "taxes, tariffs, and sanctions" to get Russia to the negotiating table, but no new measures have been announced.

The new comment was one of only a few from Trump in recent weeks about what might be done to bring Russia to the table. It followed tense exchanges between the United States and Ukraine, including a vocal February 28 argument in the White House after which Trump said Zelenskyy was not ready for peace.

Speaking at the White House later on March 7, Trump said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants peace, but suggested he wanted stronger assurances from Kyiv.

"I think both parties want it settled," he said, but "I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine, and they don't have the cards."

"In terms of the final settlement it may be easier to deal with Russia, which is surprising," Trump said. He repeated that Russia has been "pounding" Ukraine recently, but said he thinks he understands why.

"I actually think he's doing what anybody in that position would be doing right now," Trump said, adding: "I've always had a good relationship with Putin. And you know, he wants to end the war."

"I think he's going to be more generous than he has to be, and that's pretty good," he said. "That means a lot of good things."

Trump defended his decision this week to suspend military aid to Kyiv and restrict intelligence sharing with Ukraine, saying: "I have to know that they want to settle. If they don't want to settle, we're out of there."

"Ukraine has to get on the ball and get the job done," he said.

A major source of the recent US-Ukraine tension has been Trump's resistance to Zelenskyy's repeated requests for concrete security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a cease-fire or peace deal. Asked about it in his White House appearance, Trump said, "Before I even think about [security guarantees] I want to settle the war."

Despite the tensions, there is a diplomatic push for peace talks that will see a delegation from Ukraine travel to Saudi Arabia next week to meet with US officials with the aim of working out a framework for a peace agreement.

At the White House event with Trump on March 7, national-security adviser Mike Waltz said he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia.

Waltz said he thinks the United States is "going to get things back on track with Ukraine."

In his post on X on March 8, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine's determination to do everything to end the war with a "just and lasting peace" as soon as possible.

He also added the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia will include Ukrainian president's office head Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and deputy Ukrainian president's office head Pavlo Palisa.

Palisa is a former commander of Ukraine's 93rd Brigade Kholodny Yar, the actions of which he was in charge of during the defense of Bakhmut.

On March 7, Sybiha said he had a "constructive call" with Rubio to discuss the upcoming meeting.

"Ukraine wants the war to end, and US leadership is essential for achieving lasting peace. We also discussed ways to advance our bilateral cooperation," Sybiha said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported the United States had vetoed a Canadian proposal to create a task force that would tackle Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers in the Baltic Sea. The report cited people familiar with the matter ahead of the G7 foreign ministers meeting on March 11-13 that Canada is hosting in Quebec.

SARAJEVO -- Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik's intensified push for secessionist policies has drawn international criticism after the Republika Srpska president called on ethnic Serbs to quit the federal police force and judiciary.

The call came after the Bosnia-Herzegovina Constitutional Court on March 7 suspended legislation proposed by Dodik that rejected the authority of the federal police and judiciary within the country's Serb-controlled part.

On February 27, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska voted on the laws just a day after the State Court in Sarajevo issued a nonfinal verdict sentencing Dodik to one year in prison and barring him from politics for six years for defying an international peace envoy's order.

Dodik, who denied the charges, was accused of refusing to enforce the decisions of the high representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, in July 2023.

In response to the ruling, Dodik warned he would "radicalize the situation" in the country.

Leaders in Sarajevo and Bosnia's Western backers have accused the entity's ethnic-Serb leaders of seeking eventual separation from Bosnia, although the leaders have denied the charges.

The United States was quick to respond, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemning Dodik's actions as "dangerous and destabilizing" and urging regional partners to resist such provocations.

"Our nation encourages political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage in constructive and responsible dialogue," Rubio wrote on X on March 8.

Washington has already sanctioned Dodik, citing corrupt practices and attempts to undermine the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended Bosnia's war and shaped its current political structure. More recently, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on individuals and companies linked to Dodik, accusing him of using his position for personal gain.

The European Union said it will send additional peacekeeping forces to Bosnia-Herzegovina as tensions continue to rise between the central government and leaders of the Balkan nation's ethnic-Serb entity.

The European Union Force (EUFOR) on March 7 said it would "temporarily increase the size" of its peacekeeping force in the Western Balkan nation, although it did not disclose specific numbers.

"This is a proactive measure aimed at assisting Bosnia-Herzegovina in the interest of all citizens," EUFOR said in a statement, adding that it remains an "impartial" force in the country.

EUFOR has about 1,500 troops as part of the Multinational Battalion based in Sarajevo and involves troops from Austria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, and Turkey.

Dodik's supporters, however, have come out in his defense in the past week.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has taken a cautious stance, calling for "wise decisions" to avoid escalating tensions further. Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has openly defended Dodik, arguing that international sanctions against him are unjustified and that his prison sentence is a "political witch hunt."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also backed Dodik, telling Vucic during a phone call on March 7 that Moscow "expresses solidarity" with the Bosnian Serb leader, according to a Kremlin statement.

The system of government in Bosnia-Herzegovina -- a country of some 3.1 million people -- is among the most complex in the world.

Since the Dayton peace agreement, which was signed in 1995 and ended the war in Bosnia, the country has consisted of the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska under a weak central government.

While Republika Srpska can pass laws on internal matters, state-level laws and institutions remain supreme according to the constitution.

Pakistan ordered Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and “all illegal foreigners" to leave the country, either voluntarily or through deportation starting on April 1, raising fears among the Afghan community of repression should they return to their homeland.

“The Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program has been implemented since November 1, 2023. In continuation to government’s decision to repatriate all illegal foreigners, national leadership has now decided to also repatriate ACC holders,” the Pakistani Interior Ministry said in a statement on March 7.

“All illegal foreigners and ACC holders are advised to leave the country voluntarily before March 31, 2025; thereafter, deportation will commence on April 1,” it added.

The ministry said that “sufficient time” has been given for the “dignified” departure of those affected and it pledged that “no one will be maltreated during the repatriation process.”

The Pakistani government has often blamed militant violence and criminal activity on Afghan citizens, allegations rejected by the extremist Taliban-led government in Kabul.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of providing a safe haven for extremists linked to Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TPP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, inside Afghanistan, charges the government in Kabul also rejects.

In late January, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government approved a plan to repatriate ACC holders but did not specify a date.

An Afghan woman in Pakistan told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on condition of anonymity that she had fled to Pakistan because the Taliban had violated basic human rights in Afghanistan.

"We call on the government of Pakistan to retract what it has said regarding us at this difficult time," she said.

Qaiser Khan Afridi, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Islamabad, told Radio Mashaal on March 7 that he is continuing to discuss the fate of Afghans with officials of the Pakistani government.

Pakistan's government in late 2023 launched the effort to repatriate foreign citizens -- the majority of whom are Afghans -- first focusing on foreigners with no legal documentation but now including those with the ACC, a document that had allowed Afghan asylum-seekers to temporarily remain in Pakistan.

When the repatriation program was announced, Abbas Khan, Pakistan's commissioner of Afghan refugees, told RFE/RL that refugees were given ACC documentation in 2016 in an agreement among the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the UNHCR.

"They agreed that those citizens would be gradually returned to Afghanistan. But that did not happen," Khan said.

Pakistan has been a popular refuge for Afghans for decades, beginning during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation. Others fled fighting during the ensuing Afghan civil war and the Taliban's first stint in power from 1996 to 2001.

Millions of Afghans returned to their homeland following the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban from power.

But after the Taliban seized power again in 2021 amid the withdrawal of international forces, an estimated 700,000 more Afghans left for Pakistan to escape a devastating economic and humanitarian crisis and possible retribution by the Taliban.

According to UN data, more than 800,000 Afghans hold ACC status in Pakistan. Another 1.3 million are formally registered with the Pakistan government and hold a separate Proof of Residence (PoR) card. The statement did not mention the effect on those with PoR status.

The UN has estimated that at the peak, some 3.8 million Afghan refugees were in Pakistan, although Islamabad put the number at above 4.4 million.

Some 15,000 Afghans in Pakistan are awaiting to be approved for resettlement in the United States, although their status remains unclear after President Donald Trump's administration announced that the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) would be suspended for at least three months starting on January 27.

With reporting by Reuters

Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Srebrenica Memorial Center said it was closing for the first time ever because of security concerns amid rising tensions after a state court sentenced Milorad Dodik, the Serb Republic's president and a pro-Russian nationalist, to a year in prison and banned him from politics for six years.

In a statement posted on social media on March 7, the center -- which marks the site of genocide committed by ethnic Serb troops against Muslim Bosniaks in 1995 -- said that it had locked its doors "until further notice and in accordance with the current security situation."

The move comes after Bosnian officials challenged a set of laws barring the state judiciary and police from operating in Republika Srpska, the Serb-controlled part of the country. The contentious legislation has fueled tensions in the ethnically-divided Balkan country.

On February 27, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska voted on the laws a day after the State Court in Sarajevo delivered a non-final judgment sentencing Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to one year in prison and banning him from politics for six years for defying the orders of an international peace envoy.

Dodik, who rejected the charges, was accused of failing to implement the decisions of the High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, in July 2023.

In response to the ruling, Dodik warned that he "would radicalize the situation" in the country.

On March 7, he went a step further, calling on ethnic Serbs to quit the federal police force and courts.

Dodik added afterward that he was not planning for a violent escalation of the situation, but he quickly noted that Republika Srpska had "the ability to defend itself, and we will do that."

On March 7, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepped up pressure on Republika Srpska's leaders, saying in a social media post that "we call on our partners in the region to join us in pushing back against this dangerous and destabilizing behavior."

The system of government in Bosnia-Herzegovina is among the most complex in the world.

Since the Dayton peace agreement, which was signed in 1995 and ended the war in Bosnia, the country has consisted of the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska under a weak central government.

While Republika Srpska can pass laws on internal matters, state-level laws and institutions remain supreme according to the constitution.

The Office of the High Representative (OHR), a position held since 2021 by Schmidt, oversees the implementation of civilian aspects of Dayton.

Dodik is currently under US and U.K. sanctions for actions that Western governments say are aimed at the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia.

He has denied that the Serb entity of Bosnia has ever pursued a policy of secession, while at the same time pursuing legislation to wrest back powers for Republika Srpska at the expense of the state of Bosnia.

US President Donald Trump has said he sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing talks to reach a deal over Tehran's nuclear program.

In an interview with Fox News recorded on March 6, Trump said he had sent the letter "yesterday."

"I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'" Trump said.

Snippets of the interview were aired on March 7, but the full sit-down will be broadcast on March 9, Fox News said.

"I would rather negotiate a deal. I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," Trump added. "But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something's going to happen one way or the other."

In comments at the White House later on March 7, Trump again voiced hope for a deal in the near future.

"We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon," he said, adding that "something is going to happen very soon."

"Hopefully we will have a peace deal," he said, apparently meaning a peaceful resolution of tension over Tehran's nuclear program. "I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal then the other. But the other will solve the problem.”

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms.

Khamenei last month said he opposed direct talks with Trump, charging that he cannot be trusted since he left the nuclear deal.

After abrogating the accord in 2018, Trump welcomed an offer by Japan's then-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to mediate and in 2019 asked the Japanese premier to deliver a letter to Khamenei. The Iranian leader rejected the letter, saying it was "not worthy" of a response.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign that was the cornerstone of his Iran policy in his first term, with the aim of slashing Iran's oil exports to "zero." Experts say the United States is unlikely to be able to entirely stop Iran's oil sales but will be able to substantially reduce it.

In comments to AFP, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi insisted Iran's nuclear program "cannot be destroyed" through military action and dismissed the prospect of talks with Trump as long as the "maximum pressure" campaign was in force.

Iran significantly accelerated its nuclear program after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and is now enriching uranium to 60 percent purity. Experts say Iran is a short technical step from enriching uranium to 90 percent, which is considered weapons-grade level.

Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and has no plans to weaponize it. But the International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed "serious concern" over the speed with which Iran is accumulating highly enriched uranium.

On March 6, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign aims to shut down Iran's oil industry and "collapse its already buckling economy."

He added that "making Iran broke again" will mark the beginning of the government's sanctions policy toward the Islamic republic.

Amid the frantic pace of ongoing diplomatic outreach between Russia and the United States over ending the war in Ukraine, the two powers also have arms control high on their agendas.

The Kremlin told reporters on March 7 that it was open to dialogue and broad discussions with the United States about their nuclear arsenals after US President Donald Trump issued a broad call for other nuclear powers to draw down their stockpiles.

"Dialogue between Russia and the US on arms control is necessary, especially concerning strategic stability," Peskov said.

That came in response to comments the previous day by Trump, who pledged to make denuclearization a goal in his second term as his administration looks to realign the US-Russia relationship and craft a peace settlement that ends the three-year war in Ukraine.

The comments also come as Washington prepares to hold a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia next week about reaching a peace deal after holding similar talks with Russia in February.

"It would be great if everybody got rid of their nuclear weapons," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on March 6. "I know Russia and us have by far the most. China will have an equal amount within four to five years. It would be great if we could all denuclearize because the power of nuclear weapons is crazy."

While Trump specifically addressed the nuclear stockpiles held by China, Russia, and the United States -- who hold the world's largest nuclear-armed number of nuclear weapons -- Peskov said that discussion should also include European nuclear powers Britain and France, especially given recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron where he said in a televised address that Paris was willing to extend its nuclear umbrella to other European nations.

The Kremlin criticized Macron’s offer, saying it contained "notes of nuclear blackmail" and that France was staking a claim to "nuclear leadership in Europe."

Trump's comments on nuclear arms control build on previous statements in February where he said he wants to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China as part of a process that could see all three countries agree to cut their massive defense budgets in half.

Russia and the United States are the world's largest nuclear powers with more than 5,000 nuclear warheads each, while China is believed to have around 500. France’s stockpile sits at 290 and Britain at 225.

Trump also tried to bring China into nuclear arms reduction talks when the United States and Russia were negotiating an extension of a pact known as New START. Russia suspended its participation in the treaty during the administration of former US President Joe Biden, as the United States and Russia continued their massive programs to extend the lifespans of or replace their cold war-era nuclear arsenals.

US President Donald Trump, who has long questioned the viability of NATO, cast doubt on his willingness to support the Western military alliance, saying he would not come to members aid if they didn’t pay enough for their own defense.

"It's common sense, right," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on March 6.

"If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them. No, I'm not going to defend them."

Trump said he shared this view with NATO allies during his first presidential term, 2017-21, prompting most to increase their military spending – but not by enough, he added.

"They should be paying more," he said.

During his first term, Trump insisted that NATO members raise their military spending to 2 percent of GDP, a level pledged in 2014 to be met over the next decade.

At least 24 have met that requirement, although Trump has since suggested the threshold may have to rise to 5 percent of GDP, a level many member nations said would not be economically viable.

Only Poland comes close to 5 percent, although Estonia and Lithuania have signaled they will raise spending to this level as well

Despite the latest comments, Trump in late February reaffirmed his commitment to NATO’s mutual defense clause, Article 5, in remarks alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

That stance was reiterated multiple times -- both publicly and privately -- by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels in February.

Roughly 100,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Europe, mainly in Germany, Italy, and Britain.

NATO was established by the United States and 11 other countries to counter Soviet aggression following World War II. It has grown to 32 members and now includes many nations formerly part of the Soviet Union or under its sphere of influence.

Trump claimed in his remarks that other countries would not come to the US’s defense, although the only time Article 5 has been invoked is when it was determined the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001.

“You know the biggest problem I have with NATO? I really, I mean, I know the guys very well. They’re friends of mine. But if the United States was in trouble, and we called them, we said, ‘We got a problem, France. We got a problem, couple of others I won’t mention.' Do you think they’re going to come and protect us? They’re supposed to. I’m not so sure.”

French President Emmanuel Macron responded to Trump’s remarks, saying, "We are loyal and faithful allies.”

“I think we’re entitled to expect the same,” said Macron, who cited historical incidents of Franco-American military cooperation stretching back to the US Revolutionary War.

France and the United States “have always been there for each other,” he said.

Macron on March 5 said he was open to discussing the extension of France's nuclear deterrence to Paris's allies on the Continent in the face of Russian aggression and worries about the U.S. view on helping to defend Europe.

Trump, meanwhile, also suggested using the U.S. commitment to NATO as leverage in his trade war in his effort to target what he has labeled as unfair trade policies by European nations.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

U.S. President Donald Trump has again postponed for one month his announced 25 percent tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some from Canada, as fears grow over the potential economic damages of a widespread trade war.

Despite the temporary exemptions for the two U.S. neighbors, Trump is still planning to press ahead with a global regime of reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners of the United States on April 2.

“Most of the tariffs go on April the second,” Trump said.

“These exemptions don’t do much to resolve the general air of uncertainty,” Yung-Yu Ma, chief investment officer at BMO Wealth Management, was quoted by AP as saying.

“Businesses will still be cautious in the current environment until a lot more of the tariff picture is clear."

The White House says its tariffs against Mexico and Canada -- the two largest U.S. trading partners -- are intended to force the countries to take stronger measures against illegal border crossing and the smuggling of drug, including deadly fentanyl.

The plans for U.S. tariffs have many countries looking to impose retaliatory duties on American products and have roiled global stock markets amid fears of a trade war, economic slowdown, and rising consumer prices.

Asked whether the recent stock market decline was due to his tariffs, Trump said: “A lot of them are globalist countries and companies that won’t be doing as well because we’re taking back things that have been taken from us many years ago.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had planned to announce retaliatory measures ahead of the temporary reprieve.

Trump earlier had hailed her for making progress on illegal immigration and drug smuggling as a reason for previously pausing tariffs that were initially set to go into effect in February.

“I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum," Trump said on Truth Social. "Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the border.”

Sheinbaum said she and Trump “had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results.”

Mexico has cracked down on cartels, sent troops to the U.S. border, and handed over to the Trump administration at least 29 top cartel bosses long sought by U.S. authorities.

She said the two countries will continue to work together on migration and security, and to cut back on fentanyl trafficking to the U.S.

Meanwhile, AP quoted two senior Canadian government officials as saying that country’s initial retaliatory tariffs will remain in place despite Trump’s postponement announcement.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the leader of Canada’s most populous province, also said that, starting next week, the province will charge 25 percent more for electricity shipped to some 1.5 million Americans in response to Trump’s tariff plan. The province supplies electricity to the U.S. states of Minnesota, New York, and Michigan.

Ford said Ontario’s tariff would remain in place despite the one-month delay by Trump, arguing that as long as the threat of tariffs remains, Ontario’s position wouldn’t change.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who will step down as the Canadian leader on March 9, said he does not expect the trade war that Trump has launched to ease any time soon.

"I can confirm that we will continue to be in a trade war that was launched by the United States for the foreseeable future," he told reporters on March 6.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

Syrian government forces clashed with “remnants” of the ousted regime Bashar al-Assad, thrusting the Middle East nation’s new leaders into the biggest crisis since seizing power in December.

The government said at least 13 members of the security forces were killed in the clashes in the Jableh region along the coast.

A regional official said many of the security forces had been attacked in what he called a well-planned ambush by "remnants of the Assad militias."

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an influential monitoring group, said the ambush in the town of Jableh, near the city of Latakia, killed at least 16 security personnel and four civilians.

The Observatory said dozens of fighters loyal to Assad were killed or wounded in the clashes, although the figures could not immediately be confirmed.

"More than 70 killed and dozens wounded and captured in bloody clashes and ambushes on the Syrian coast between members of the Ministry of Defense and Interior and militants from the defunct regime's army," the Observatory wrote on X.

Rami Abdurrahman, head of the monitoring group, said the gunmen who ambushed the police force are Alawites. He called the battles “the worst clashes since the fall of the regime.”

Assad-aligned militias have often targeted security patrols and checkpoints in the Jableh region, said Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kunaifati, the provincial chief of security.

Alawite activists, meanwhile, claim their community has been subjected to violence and attacks since the fall of the Assad government.

Tensions have risen between Iran-backed Assad’s minority Alawite sect and members of the new government, which seized power after an offensive of insurgent groups led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Syria's new authorities have labeled the attacks "isolated incidents" and vowed to arrest those responsible.

"Our forces in the city of Jableh managed to arrest the criminal General Ibrahim Huweija," state-run SANA news agency reported. Al Arabiya also reported the capture.

"He is accused of hundreds of assassinations during the era of the criminal Hafez al-Assad," the authoritarian leader who ruled the brutal Syrian regime before his son, Bashar al-Assad, took over upon his death.

Huweija was chief of Syria’s air force intelligence from 1987-2002 and was suspect of conducting the 1977 murder of Lebanese Druze leader Kamal Bek Jumblatt.

Jumblatt son and successor, Walid Jumblatt, reposted the news of his arrest on X, adding the comment: "Allahu Akbar [God is Greatest]."

The new Syrian government continues to struggle in efforts to stabilize the war-torn nation after a 13-year civil war that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, many of whom fled to Turkey and on to some European countries.

Western nations have begun to consider lifting sanctions put in place to isolate the Assad regime, although they are moving cautiously as they await steps toward increased democracy and human rights by the new leaders.

On March 6, Britain unfroze the assets of Syria's central bank and 23 other entities -- including banks, oil companies, and other “entities that were previously used by the Assad regime to fund the oppression of the Syrian people," the Foreign Office said.

Last month, the European Union eased restrictions on the Syrian central bank while keeping in place sanctions. Washington has kept sanctions on the central bank in place.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

Ukrainian opposition leaders Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko have dismissed the possibility of elections in the country during Russia's full-scale invasion after media reports suggested US officials had approached them about the idea.

Poroshenko, a former president, and Tymoshenko, a former prime minister -- the country's most influential opposition figures -- said on March 6 that elections should take place only after peace has been established.

Poroshenko admitted in a written statement published on social media that his team has had contact with US "partners" but that "the essence of our conversations with representatives of the American side has always been reduced to two principles -- security first and peace through strength."

"Our team has always been and is categorically against elections during the war," he added.

Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, a former Ukrainian diplomat and close associate of Poroshenko's, told RFE/RL that the former president and his team are "important and interesting interlocutors" and that they "keep contact with many people from around the globe" despite alleged efforts he says from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to push them away from "the political landscape of Ukraine."

"Our goal is to keep Ukraine in the agenda of both parties," he said, adding that Poroshenko's team maintains contacts with both the Democratic and Republican parties in Washington.

"We do not push for early elections as our main goal is to ensure that any such elections can be free and fair and in accordance with European electoral standards."

Tymoshenko, meanwhile, said her team is "talking with all our allies who can help in securing a just peace as soon as possible," and added that "there can be no talk" about elections before peace is achieved.

The latest comments come after Politico reported that four senior members of US President Donald Trump's "entourage" met with Poroshenko and Tymoshenko for "secret discussions" about holding elections.

The discussions focused on whether Ukraine could have quick presidential elections, according to the report.

In February, Trump called Zelenskyy a "dictator without elections" for not holding a vote since Russia launched its full-scale war in 2022.

White House officials also have mentioned holding elections in Ukraine as part of a potential sequencing for a peace process amid ongoing talks between Moscow and Washington.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has widely claimed there can't be peace talks with Ukraine because Zelenskyy is not the country's legitimate leader because his term was originally supposed to end in May 2024.

However, under the Ukrainian constitution, Zelenskyy is bound to remain in office as the country is under martial law because of Russia's full-scale invasion, a point Ukrainian lawmakers underlined in approving a resolution supporting him on February 25.

Martial law was imposed by Kyiv just a day after the Kremlin launched its all-out war in February 2022. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly noted that practical considerations, along with security and legal ones, make it impossible to hold elections.

Pavlo Klimkin, a former Ukrainian foreign minister, told RFE/RL that he doesn’t "see anything sensational" in the idea of US officials meeting Ukrainian political leaders to gauge the possibility of holding elections in the future and that such discussions had been under way even before Trump took office.

"This is actually a conversation that has been going on for a long time in the United States," he said.

Klimkin added that holding elections appears to be on the table as peace talks advance, but the issue will be first establishing a sustainable cease-fire.

"They say it should be as fast as possible," he said. "This is an image issue for Trump and an issue of political respect for his administration. But after the cease-fire, I think they will want to hold elections."

Pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi has been given 74 lashes for a song criticizing Iran's mandatory dress code for women, ending a criminal case against him that also included a prison term.

His lawyer, Zahra Minuei, wrote on X on March 5 that Yarrahi's flogging sentence had been carried out.

Yarrahi became a household name in August 2023 after releasing a song titled Roosarito -- which translates as Your Head Scarf in Persian -- ahead of the first anniversary of the deadly nationwide protests that gave rise to the Women, Life, Freedom movement.

In January 2024, Yarrahi was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and 74 lashes over the song. He was sentenced by the court on multiple charges and the sentences ran concurrently, meaning the singer would serve one year in prison.

In a video message days ahead of the flogging, Yarrahi said his prison sentence had been changed to house arrest with an ankle monitor due to his health problems, but insisted he had not requested the flogging sentence be dropped.

Messages of support have poured in for Yarrahi on social media.

Imprisoned Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi in a statement said the flogging was "retaliation" for his support for Iranian women.

"Mehdi Yarrahi stood against the suppression of women's voices -- let us be his voice," she wrote.

Political activist and former prisoner Arash Sadeqi hailed Yarrahi for "becoming the voice of the people and amplifying their grievances."

He praised the singer for "not bowing to force" and added, "People will never forget who stood by them in their toughest days."

Your Head Scarf urges women to remove their mandatory head scarves. It was released as officials clamped down on dissent ahead of the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2023.

Amini died in police custody for an alleged hijab violation. Her death sparked the Women, Life, Freedom movement and nationwide unrest over the government's restrictions on women and their daily lives.

Ukraine was hit by a series of deadly Russian drone and missile attacks targeting civilian infrastructure following Washington's decision to pause military shipments and intelligence sharing with Kyiv as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels for a summit with EU leaders.

How to bridge the gap brought by newly cutback US support is set to factor into the gathering in Brussels, where the Ukrainian president and European leaders are set to discuss an 800 billion euro ($844 billion) plan to bolster Europe's defense industry, ramp up military capability, and help provide urgent military support for Ukraine.

Recent moves out of Washington and the latest developments on the battlefield -- which include a missile attack on Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryviy Rih late on March 5 and Russian claims that its forces captured a new village in eastern Ukraine -- loom over the summit.

Zelenskyy said in a social media post that at least four people were killed in the attack on the central city where he was born, adding Russia's actions showed there can be no pause in putting pressure on the Kremlin "to stop this war and terror against life."

Officials will be looking at how to recalibrate both the high-stakes diplomacy over ending the war in Ukraine and the grinding combat on the battlefield to the Trump administration's decisions to pause military supplies and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv.

"I want to believe that the United States will stand by us. But we have to be ready if that is not the case," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address to on the eve of the summit where he warned that Moscow would not top at Ukraine and said that Paris was willing to extend its nuclear umbrella to other European nations.

In response to the halt in US intelligence-sharing, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu also said on March 6 that Paris will be offering its intelligence capabilities to Ukraine.

The series of moves highlights the frantic pace of developments around the war as Washington, Moscow, Kyiv, and European capitals move quickly to adjust plans and proposals that could help set the stage for a lasting agreement on the three-year war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to Macron's comments, telling reporters on March 6 that the French president's speech was "extremely confrontational" and claimed that France wants the war to continue.

Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Macron's comments on expanding the protection of France's nuclear arsenal to other European countries posed a threat to Russia. He added that that any deployment of peacekeepers from a NATO country, even if they were not part a deployment through the alliance, such as a recently floated proposal for a British- and French-led force, would be treated by Moscow as a NATO presence in Ukraine.

"We do not see space for compromise here," Lavrov said, reiterating Moscow's position against any NATO footprint in Ukraine.

As they meet in Brussels, Europeans leaders will look come together to carve out their own positions on how to best support Ukraine at the negotiating table and on the battlefield.

According to a draft outlining the goals of the summit seen by RFE/RL, the summit aims to release up enough funds for EU member states to spend on defense as part of a plan outlined by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called REARM Europe meant to see Europe play a greater role in supporting Kyiv militarily and helping to strike a peace deal that won't sideline Ukraine.

Camille Grand, a former high-ranking NATO official who also held several positions at the French foreign and defense ministries, says it will be crucial for European governments to provide defense backing that offers some form of security guarantees to Kyiv if they are to bridge the current gap in talks aimed at finding a settlement.

"Security guarantees have become the key to the negotiation. In the absence of such guarantees, Ukraine will be extremely reluctant to sign up to any peace deal," Grand, who is now a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told RFE/RL. "As likely principal providers of such guarantees, the Europeans have regained some leverage in the process."

As leaders look to make progress in Brussels, they will also need to mov quickly to bolster Ukraine's defenses and its forces in the short term.

The Russian strike on Kryviy Rih killed at least four people and injured more than 30 people, and marked the first long-range attack on civilian infrastructure since the United States paused sending military supplies and sharing intelligence.

The precise significance of US intelligence to Ukraine's war effort has never been fully laid out in public, but Ukrainian officials have said it could affect the country's ability to protect itself against Russian missile strikes. It could also hinder Ukraine's ability to carry out effective long-range drone strikes on Russia and in using advanced US weapons to launch and repel attacks, such as Patriot and NASAMS air-defense systems, as well as HIMARS long-range rocket launchers and Stormshadow missiles supplied by Britain and France.

Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, ahead of the summit that Poland will continue to logistically support Ukraine and that it has already started delivering a new aid package worth up to 200 million euros ($215 million).

"We continue to support Ukraine as we have from the first day of the war. It is incredibly important for us," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Trump administration officials have suggested the pause in military aid and intelligence-sharing could be relatively short-lived if Zelenskyy is willing to return to the negotiating table, something the Ukrainian president has indicated he is willing to do.

US national-security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News on March 5 that the White House would consider restoring aid to Ukraine if peace talks were arranged and confidence-building measures taken. Discussions were ongoing with Ukraine over a date and place for talks, he said.

Relations between Kyiv and Washington have been rocky since an Oval Office argument between Zelenskyy, Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance on February 28 that saw the Ukrainian president publicly berated and asked to leave the White House without signing a strategically important minerals deal.

Zelenskyy has since been willing to sign the deal and taken steps to try to repair his relationship with Washington.

On the battlefield in Ukraine and parts of Russia, fighting is ongoing with high casualties but it remains largely stalemated in terms of either Kyiv or Moscow taking new territory.

It remains to be seen what effect, if any, the pause in military shipments and intelligence-sharing will have on the battlefield, but several high-ranking Democrats criticized the White House's decision on March 5.

Senator Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, called the decision to stop sharing intelligence an "ill-advised decision."

"Let me be clear: Cutting off intelligence support to our Ukrainian partners will cost [Ukrainian] lives," the Virginia Democrat said in a statement.

As European leaders gather in Brussels, they will be looking to move quickly to prevent that from happening. Most estimates forecast Ukraine could continue fighting through the summer without additional American aid or a surge of European assistance.

US President Donald Trump on March 5 warned Hamas – deemed a terrorist organization by the US and EU – that there would be “hell to pay” if it does not immediately release all hostages after the White House confirmed that it had conducted secret talks with the Iran-backed, Gaza-based extremist group.

The direct meeting represents a break in the long-stated US policy of not negotiating with groups it deems to be terrorist organizations, although Washington has in the past conducted such talks in secret.

Trump, meanwhile, met with a group of hostages who had been released by Hamas after months of captivity following the extremist group's bloody cross-border attack in Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Hamas-led militants' attack on settlements in southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, with 251 hostages being taken to Gaza.

Israel retaliated by launching a devastating war in the Palestinian enclave that has killed tens of thousands of people, according to local authorities, and displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

Trump on social media demanded that Hamas "release all of the hostages now, not later," including remains of dead hostages, "or it is OVER for you."

"I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say," he said.

"Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!"

Trump did not indicate what action he might take if Hamas failed to release the hostages. He has proposed that the United States take over the Gaza Strip, relocate the population, and rebuild the enclave -- a plan that received heavy pushback from allies and adversaries alike.

When asked about the reports of direct talks with Hamas, the White House said hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler has the authority to talk directly with the Islamist group.

“When it comes to the negotiations that you’re referring to, first of all, the special envoy who’s engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, with providing details.

She said Trump believes that dialogue with "people around the world" is "what's right for the American people."

“Israel was consulted on this matter,” she added.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said: “Israel has expressed to the United States its position regarding direct talks with Hamas.” It was not more specific, but Israel itself refuses to negotiate directly with the group.

Two sources told Reuters that Boehler had met with Hamas representatives in Doha, Qatar, in recent weeks, although it was not stated who led the Hamas side.

Sources told news agencies that US negotiators are attempting to gain the release of Edan Alexander, who official say is likely the last living American hostage held by Hamas.

Israeli officials have said four other U.S. hostages died while under Hamas control.

Reuters quoted Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas political adviser, as saying: "I have no information about meetings with American officials, but any meeting with the American administration is beneficial for the stability of the region."

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Bloomberg News that “Hamas has fulfilled its obligations in the first phase, while Netanyahu’s government is avoiding entering negotiations for the second phase."

“The US administration must pressure the occupation to proceed with the second phase as stipulated in the [cease-fire] agreement.”

The first phase of a cease-fire on January 18 halted much of the fighting in Gaza, leading Hamas to exchange 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli has said fewer than half of the remaining 59 hostages are likely to still be alive.

A second phase envisions the release of the final hostages and the prisoners held in Israel.

With reporting by Reuters, Politico, and Bloomberg

French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be "madness" to ignore the threat Russia has become for Europe and said he is open to discussing the extension of France's nuclear deterrence to Paris's allies on the Continent.

His comments on March 5 come on the eve of an emergency meeting of European Union leaders set in Brussels to discuss ramping up military budgets, a key demand of the US administration amid concerns over Washington’s commitment to NATO and European security matters.

In some of his most forceful remarks to date, Macron said in a nationally televised address that "our nuclear deterrent protects us: It's complete, sovereign, French through and through."

"But, responding to the historic call of the future German Chancellor [Friedrich Merz], I have decided to open the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European Continent through our [nuclear] deterrence," he said.

Macron also said France would have to spend more on defense and vowed that Paris would continue to stand with Kyiv in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion, which has entered its fourth year.

"Russia has become a threat for France and Europe," Marcon said. "To watch and do nothing would be madness."

He said he hoped the United States "will remain at our side" -- but added that Europe must be prepared for the alternative.

"Europe's future does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow," Macron said. "The innocence of the past 30 years...is now over.”

"Who can believe that today's Russia will stop at Ukraine? Russia has become a threat to France and Europe while I am speaking to you and for years to come."

"Beyond Ukraine, the Russian threat is present and affects the countries of Europe. It affects us," Macron added.

All nations seek to keep details of their nuclear arsenal secret, and Macron did not speak of specifics when suggesting the widening of France's nuclear umbrella.

France's deterrent was developed by then-President Charles de Gaulle in the early 1960s, designed to be fully independent from the United States, which was in nuclear competition with the Soviet Union at the time.

Macron's sentiments have also been voiced by the leader of France's far-right party, who said that "the defense of French interests does not stop at [French] borders.

"Since de Gaulle, the French nuclear umbrella protects, by definition, certain neighbors and certain European partners," National Rally President Jordan Bardella said this week.

According to the Federation of American Scientists, the United States (with 5,044 nuclear warheads) and Russia (5,580) hold about 88 percent of the world's total inventory of nuclear arms.

France has an estimated 290 warheads and Britain about 225, the federation says on its website. China has about 500.

Merz, the likely next German chancellor after his party won parliamentary elections last month, has questioned whether NATO would remain in its "current form" by its June summit and suggested talks be held with Paris and London about expansion of their nuclear protection.

Concerns over the US commitment to Ukraine and Europe mounted after the White House said President Donald Trump was pausing US military aid to Ukraine and following remarks by the director of the CIA that it has restricted intelligence-sharing with Kyiv.

Trump, who has made ending the war in Ukraine a centerpiece of his second term in office, also raised worries among European allies after he called Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-February and then sent top officials to meet their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia.

The scrambling also comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's disastrous visit to the White House, which had been expected to produce a deal on joint development of Ukrainian rare minerals and hydrocarbon resources that Trump has cast as a crucial step toward peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Instead, a meeting before cameras in the Oval Office devolved into a vocal clash, with Trump saying Zelenskyy should be more grateful for US support and is in no position to make demands.

Following Macron's remarks, Zelenskyy posted on social media that "I am grateful" to Macron "for his clear vision and our joint efforts to achieve peace."

"We deeply appreciate the leadership and efforts of all those supporting Ukraine and strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities. Looking forward to working jointly on the steps toward peace in the upcoming days," Zelenskyy added.

The focus of the March 6 summit in Brussels is to be on how the EU can establish means to provide for its own security and that of Ukraine as it looks to ease its post-World War II dependence on the United States.

"In view of the increasing threat situation, it is clear to us that Europe…must now very quickly make very big efforts, very quickly, to strengthen the defense capability of our country and the European Continent," Merz said on March 3.

Macron, who has long sought an active diplomacy role since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- now in its fourth year -- said he is planning a meeting with European allies next week to discuss the possibility of sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine in the event of a cease-fire deal or long-term term accord.

"To ensure that Ukraine is not invaded by Russia again after a peace agreement, we must prepare for this," Macron said.

"Next week, we will gather in Paris the army chiefs of staff of the countries that wish to fulfill their responsibilities in this regard."

"Ukraine has a right to peace and security for itself, and that is in our interest, that is in the interests of the security of the European Continent. In this sense, we are working together with our friends in the U.K., Germany, and several other European countries."

Meanwhile, fighting continued on the battlefield.

Local authorities reported that at least two people were killed and 28 others injured in a Russian missile strike on city of Kryviy Rih -- Zelenskyy's hometown -- in the Dnipropetrovsk region in southeastern Ukraine.

On the political front, Politico, citing sources, said four senior members of Trump's team have held secret discussions with some of Zelenskyy's top political opponents in Kyiv as Washington seeks to increase pressure on the Ukrainian leader.

The report cited three Ukrainian parliamentarians and a US Republican foreign policy expert and said the discussions centered on whether Ukraine could hold quick presidential elections, which have been delayed as the country remains under martial law due to the Russian invasion.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

The United States has restricted intelligence-sharing with Ukraine in addition to enforcing a pause in U.S military assistance to the country trying to stave off Russia's three-year full-scale invasion, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) confirmed.

The revelation comes after US President Donald Trump read out a letter from Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an address to Congress on March 4, citing the Ukrainian leader's readiness for peace talks and willingness to sign a deal on critical minerals with Washington. That followed an argument in the Oval Office between the two presidents that saw Zelenskyy leave without signing the agreement and Washington suspending military aid to Kyiv.

In comments to Fox News, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the pause on both military aid and intelligence-sharing was rooted in Trump's concerns over Zelenskyy's commitment to peace after a disastrous meeting between the two leaders in the Oval Office last week.

"I think on the military front and the intelligence front, the pause will go away," Ratcliffe told Fox.

"And I think we'll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have to push back on the aggression that's there [and] to put the world in a better place for these peace negotiations to move forward," Ratcliffe said.

Western military intelligence has played a vital role in Ukraine's ability to defend itself from Russia's invasion and target Russian forces.

Ratcliffe did not specify which aspects of intelligence-sharing with Kyiv had been affected, but Western media reports have suggested the restrictions are significant.

Britain's Daily Mail newspaper reported on March 4 that Washington had in parallel prohibited the United Kingdom from forwarding US intelligence to the authorities in Kyiv.

The Washington Post, citing US and Ukrainian officials, reported that the move includes a stop in sharing targeting data that American intelligence agencies provide to Kyiv so that it can better aim US long-range weapons and Ukrainian-made drones at Russian targets, including those inside Russian territory.

Trump’s national-security adviser, Mike Waltz, who was heavily critical of Zelenskyy in the aftermath of his White House argument with Trump, also told Fox that the US pause on military aid to Ukraine could be lifted.

"I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move toward these negotiations, and in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause," Waltz said.

"We have to know that both sides are sincerely negotiating toward a partial, then a permanent, peace," Waltz added.

Democratic Representative Jim Hines, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the pause "unconscionable."

"The idea that we will now withhold life-saving intelligence from Ukrainians who are fighting and dying is unforgivable. Any pause in intelligence-sharing must end immediately," he said in a statement.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly reiterated his commitment to a "lasting peace," including in the letter read out by Trump to Congress.

But Trump has signaled he wants to use Washington's available leverage to secure a quick peace to end a three-year war that he has described as "ridiculous."

In a tense exchange in the Oval Office on February 28, Trump told Zelenskyy that he didn't "have the cards" to settle the conflict without the help of the United States.

But Trump made no mention of the heated argument in his address to Congress, while Zelenskyy has since said that he regrets the turn that the meeting took.

The US state of Florida said it has launched a criminal investigation of controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother just days after they arrived from Romania, where they have been embroiled in a legal case alleging human trafficking and sexual misconduct.

State Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a post on X late on March 4 that he had "directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers" after a preliminary inquiry into their activities.

"Florida has zero tolerance for people who abuse women and girls. We will not allow it," he added.

The brothers touched down at Fort Lauderdale airport in a private jet on February 27 after a travel ban against the dual British-U.S. citizens, who are suspects in a criminal case in Romania, was lifted.

NGOs and some of those involved in the cases expressed outrage over the removal of the travel ban, casting doubt over whether the brothers, who attracted millions of fans online through their promotion of an ultra-masculine lifestyle that detractors say belittles women, would return to Romania around the end of March when their next court hearing is expected.

After the two landed in Florida, Uthmeier said his office would launch a preliminary inquiry into the brothers' situation and if "any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable."

The pair face a separate criminal probe in the United Kingdom, and US media reported on March 4 that a 23-year-old American woman had filed a civil lawsuit against them in Florida accusing them of trying to coerce her into prostitution in Romania and defaming her after she testified against them before Romanian authorities.

The brothers have vehemently denied all allegations against them and have launched a countersuit against the woman.

Andrew Tate, 38, has amassed more than 10 million followers on the social media platform X but has been banned from TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for hate speech and misogynistic comments, including saying that women should bear responsibility if they are sexually assaulted.

Romania's anti-organized crime prosecuting unit DIICOT gave no details on the reasoning behind dropping the travel ban but it came after Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said the case had been brought up by Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, earlier this month.

Both Hurezeanu and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu have said, however, that there was no pressure from US officials to release the brothers.

Officials and prosecutors said that, while the Tate brothers were free to travel, "all of the other obligations have been maintained, including the requirement to check in with judicial authorities every time they are called."

Andrew Tate said in a brief statement at the airport that the charges against him and his brother were a conspiracy and that "we have no criminal record anywhere on the planet, ever."

Reporters at the airport shouted questions about why the brothers chose to come to Florida and whether Trump had been involved in their case, but neither commented.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said he knew nothing about the case.

What Are The Charges Against Andrew Tate?

DIICOT filed charges against Tate, his brother, Tristan Tate, and two Romanian women after they were arrested in December 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking.

The four suspects were formally indicted last year, and the Bucharest Tribunal ruled last year that a trial could start but did not set a date. All four deny the charges.

However, the Bucharest Court of Appeals said on December 19 that it found "irregularities" in the indictment issued by the Prosecutor-General's Office and sent the case back to prosecutors.

The court said prosecutors can now bring forth new evidence to back up their charges or amend the existing ones.

Andrew Tate has complained bitterly about the case, accusing prosecutors of trying to "target everyone I know, and even subpoena the mother of my child," while still having "nothing."

In August Andrew Tate was placed under house arrest and Tristan Tate under judicial control for 30 days after they were interrogated by Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors as part of an investigation into new allegations against them.

During the criminal investigation, prosecutors said they identified seven women who were sexually exploited "forcibly, in order to obtain significant financial benefits" for the defendants from people who accessed content on social media.

Prosecutors accused the Tate brothers of recruiting their victims using the so-called lover boy method of seducing them and claiming to want a relationship or marriage.

The victims were then taken to properties outside Bucharest, where they were sexually exploited through physical violence and psychological intimidation as they were forced to produce pornographic content, the prosecutors said.

Romanian investigators carried out the interrogations and fresh searches at the brothers' residences as part of the investigation into the new charges.

DIICOT said at the time that the new accusations included charges of forming an organized crime group, trafficking of minors, a sexual act with a minor, influencing statements, and money laundering.

They had been barred from leaving Romania as the proceedings against them continued but were set to be extradited to Britain once their case in Romania concludes.

They face further allegations of rape and human trafficking in Britain, where a court ruled on December 18 that police can seize more than 2.6 million pounds ($3.3 million) to cover years of unpaid taxes.

Also on February 18, four British women who allege they were victims of sexual violence by Andrew Tate and filed a civil suit against him urged the United States not to intervene in legal proceedings, saying, "We hope that the Romanian and the U.K. authorities will be left alone to do their jobs."

"We are in disbelief and traumatized by the news [of Tate leaving Romania]," the women said in a statement -- obtained by RFE/RL's Romanian Service -- through their law firm, McCue Jury & Partners.

"We can only hope that the British authorities finally take action and do something about this terrifying unfolding situation to ensure he faces justice in the U.K."

In an open letter to DIICOT, the VIF Network, an NGO dedicated to preventing and combating violence against women, demanded the publication of reasons that the travel ban was lifted "so that any doubt about the independence and impartiality of the Romanian judicial system is removed."

VIF added that it feared the removal of the travel ban could "undermine the trust in the judicial system of victims of crimes of sexual violence and human trafficking."

The Tate brothers have stated previously that they did not want to be extradited from Romania, which they said they consider their home.

WASHINGTON, D.C. –- European leaders jumped to renew a push for an end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine after US President Donald Trump said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote a letter stating he's ready for talks with Moscow while also offering to sign a deal on Ukraine's mineral resources "at any time."

After a week of tumult that culminated with the United States announcing a suspension of military aid to Ukraine after a heated exchange between the two leaders, Trump told a joint session of Congress on March 4 that Zelenskyy sent him a letter expressing a willingness to come to the negotiating table.

That glimmer of hope was all European leaders -- rattled by the disastrous and very public clash between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House last week -- needed to try to launch a new initiative to get peace talks back on track.

A spokeswoman for the French government told reporters on March 5 that President Emmanuel Macron is mulling a joint visit to Washington with Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, all three of whom were in the US capital last week.

"Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The letter reads, 'Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,' he said," Trump quoted the letter as saying.

That came after Zelenskyy said earlier in the day that "none of us wants an endless war," adding Ukraine was "ready to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring long-term peace closer."

"My team and I are ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to achieve long-term peace," he added.

The Kremlin called Zelenskyy's talk of peace negotiations "positive," though spokesman Dmitry Peskov tamped down the enthusiasm by adding that Ukraine has legally barred negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin through a decree the Ukrainian leader signed in 2022.

"So, in general, the approach is positive, but the nuances have not yet changed," Peskov said. "For the time being, there's still a legal ban on the president of Ukraine negotiating with the Russian side."

No Mention Of The Oval Office Disaster

Trump's speech to Congress followed statements from White House officials that there would be a pause on all US military support for Ukraine in its battle to repel invading Russian forces and after the highly public argument in the Oval Office.

Zelenskyy left the White House on February 28 following the dispute and the two did not sign the critical minerals agreement. During a press conference on March 3, Trump said he did not think the deal was dead.

Trump did not mention his public spat with Zelenskyy last week in the Oval Office, flipping the narrative by saying: "We are getting along very well with them and lots of things are happening."

In quoting Zelenskyy, Trump "signaled that he put the conversation in the White House on the sidelines," Mikhail Alexeev, a professor of political science at San Diego State University, told RFE/RL.

"There was no call for Zelenskyy to resign. There was no talk about Ukraine being ungrateful."

Trump has made ending the war a priority and flipped three years of US policy on its head by reaching out directly to Putin, whom his predecessor had isolated politically since the start of the war in February 2022.

US-Ukraine Critical Minerals Deal Back In Focus

Daniel Vajdich, president of Yorktown Solutions, which lobbies on behalf of Kyiv, said the agreement on minerals would be good for both Ukraine and the United States.

"It gives the US concrete equities in Ukraine that should now be protected," said Vajdich.

The fund created by the agreement will be an important mechanism for getting the US private sector to invest in Ukraine’s reconstruction, added Vajdich, a former adviser to several Republican presidential candidates.

Trump had promoted the deal as a way to recoup the billions of dollars in US support since the war began and justify continuing the aid.

Ukrainian political analyst Ihor Reiterovych said Trump's remarks appeared to suggest that the spat with Zelenskyy was over and both are ready to move on.

"It is really very noteworthy that Trump did not say anything specifically about the suspension of military aid to Ukraine," Reiterovych told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "We hope that this issue will be resolved positively in the near future, perhaps not even days, but hours."

'The Longest Ever' Address To Congress

The address was Trump's first to a joint session of Congress since taking office less than 50 days ago.

The US president began his speech by saying "America is back" and touting his policies on immigration, crime, and the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by billionaire Elon Musk to cut government spending.

Trump has pursued a "shock and awe" strategy since being inaugurated on January 20, announcing drastic changes to domestic and foreign policy, often using executive orders to bypass Congress, as he seeks to fulfill his campaign promises.

Rebecca Gill, a political science professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, told RFE/RL that the more than 100-minute address, the longest ever by a president to a joint session of Congress, was "typical Trump."

"I don't think anybody would be surprised that it was pretty aggressive and combative," she said.

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service contributed to this report.

The European Union has condemned the passage of a Russian-style "foreign agent" law by the Republika Srpska, accusing authorities in the Bosnian Serb entity of undermining "the constitutional and legal order of Bosnia and Herzegovina," in comments sent to RFE/RL.

The EU's press office also said that the law passed by the entity's National Assembly last week "directly contradicts the repeated obligations of the leadership of the Republika Srpska entity to advance on the path of [Bosnia-Herzegovina's] accession to the European Union."

Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian president of Republika Srpska, has long pushed for legislation to restrict foreign-funded NGOs, likening the effort to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

An analysis by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, however, noted strong similarities to Russia’s more restrictive "foreign agent" law from 2012, a law that has also inspired copycat legislation in the pro-Moscow Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan.

The passage of the controversial law was seemingly sped up by Dodik's sentencing last week by the state Bosnian Court over his failure to execute the decisions of the high representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt.

The court's first degree verdict -- which Dodik has the right to appeal -- sentenced Dodik to a year in prison and banned him from political life for six years.

The Republika Srpska assembly responded on February 28 by passing laws that barred state-level law enforcement and judicial organs from the entity, further deepening Bosnia's political crisis.

The law covering the work of foreign-funded nongovernmental organizations was passed on the same day.

The system of government in Bosnia-Herzegovina is among the most complex in the world.

Since the Dayton peace agreement, which was signed in 1995 and ended the war in Bosnia, the country has consisted of the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska under a weak central government.

While Republika Srpska can pass laws on internal matters, state-level laws and institutions remain supreme according to the constitution.

The Office of the High Representative (OHR), a position held since 2021 by Schmidt, oversees the implementation of civilian aspects of Dayton.

Dodik is currently under US and U.K. sanctions for actions that Western governments say are aimed at the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia.

He has denied that the Serb entity of Bosnia has ever pursued a policy of secession, while at the same time pursuing legislation to wrest back powers for Republika Srpska at the expense of the state of Bosnia.

Opposition lawmakers in Republika Srpska effectively boycotted the vote on the "foreign agent" law, which passed with backing from the ruling coalition led by Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats.

The law is formally called a "Law on the Special Register and Public Transparency of the Work of Nonprofit Organizations" that are foreign-funded or foreign supported.

In addition to creating a register of such organizations, the law allows for their surveillance by the authorities, bans broadly defined political activities, mandates additional registration, and requires submitting reports to the Republika Srpska Justice Ministry on the receipt of financial resources from abroad.

It stipulates that in the event of a violation of the law, the relevant ministry can propose to a court that the offending organization be banned from operating.