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Trump reads letter from Zelenskyy on readiness for Russia talks

Trump reads letter from Zelenskyy on readiness for Russia talks
By Nils Adler
Published On 5 Mar 2025

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5 Mar 2025 - 14:58
 (14:58 GMT)

That’s a wrap from us

But you can continue follow our live coverage here.

You can also check out report from Kyiv where Ukrainians fear the worst, saying Russia is set to gain from Trump’s move to pause military aid.

And you can learn more about Ukraine’s new peace plan here.

Thank you for joining us.

5 Mar 2025 - 14:50
 (14:50 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon, so let’s bring you up to speed with the main developments today:

  • CIA Director John Ratcliffe says Trump has ordered intelligence cooperation with Ukraine to be halted.
  • Ukrainian officials say Russia carried out overnight attacks targeting energy facilities in the Odesa region, killing at least one person and causing power cuts.
  • Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, has offered to host Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks that could involve US officials.
  • Russia has welcomed Zelenskyy’s stated willingness to enter into negotiations, calling it a “positive” step.
5 Mar 2025 - 14:40
 (14:40 GMT)

Kremlin views latest developments with cautious optimism

By Yulia Shapovalova

Reporting from Moscow, Russia

We have not heard an immediate reaction to the news that the US has paused information sharing with Kyiv.

We can presume that Moscow will be glad, as US intelligence allows Ukrainian armed forces to detect Russian military facilities and strike them.

On the other hand, there is an opinion that Ukraine’s other allies will continue sharing that data with Kyiv.

It’s interesting that during his address to Congress, Trump didn’t say anything bad about Russia; this is seen here as a very good sign.

Local analysts see that the rhetoric is changing right now in the US.

5 Mar 2025 - 14:30
 (14:30 GMT)

The US is flexing its muscles

By Patty Culhane

Reporting from Washington DC, US

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has just said the US stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.

This could be a very big deal. Ukraine uses such intelligence to figure out where the Russian forces are and where the Russian air attacks are coming from.

Ratcliffe also said that, given the recent developments, they may start sharing intelligence again.

This stems from that unprecedented berating of Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday.

So the US is flexing its muscles, essentially saying, “Look, we can cut off your aid, we can cut off your intelligence, we can make it much harder for you on the battlefield.”

But now that we’ve had this letter from Zelenskyy that Trump read in Congress, Ukraine might be able to turn this around.

5 Mar 2025 - 14:21
 (14:21 GMT)

Ukrainian commander confirms cutting of US intelligence sharing

By Charles Stratford

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

We have just spoken to the commander of a unit on the front line that is highly reliant on US intelligence.

He has confirmed that certainly today they’ve had zero access to US intelligence in that area.

The commander said that they relied on US intelligence for about 90 percent of their intelligence work.

He was hopeful that eventually this would be reinstated … There are grave concerns that this commander and the Ukrainian military have with respect to this latest development.

5 Mar 2025 - 14:10
 (14:10 GMT)

Zelenskyy speaks to Scholz, says peace ‘entirely achievable’ under US leadership

The Ukrainian president has held a phone call with Olaf Scholz, the outgoing chancellor of Germany.

In a message on social media following their conversation, Zelenskyy said: “We rely on Europe’s unity around Ukraine and are working towards it.”

Thanking Germany for its support, he added: “We all want a safe future for our people. Not a temporary ceasefire, but an end to the war once and for all. With our coordinated efforts and US leadership, this is entirely achievable.”

5 Mar 2025 - 14:03
 (14:03 GMT)
Houthi

CIA director says the US has ‘paused’ intelligence sharing with Ukraine

John Ratcliffe says that Trump has ordered intelligence cooperation with Ukraine and military aid to be halted.

“President Trump had a real question about whether President Zelenskyy was committed to the peace process,” Ratcliffe told Fox News.

Ratcliffe said the pause “on the military front and the intelligence front” was temporary, and the US will again “work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine”.

5 Mar 2025 - 13:55
 (13:55 GMT)

Ukrainians concerned the US will halt intelligence sharing

By Charles Stratford

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

We’re getting reports about a statement made by Mike Waltz, the US national security adviser, in an interview with Fox News concerning the suspension of US aid.

We know Zelenskyy has been asking for clarification on it from the US. We understand that this suspension started yesterday.

There’s also been a White House statement that the US is discussing a date and location for potential talks with Ukraine.

With the suspension of aid, there has been a lot of concern among Ukrainians that it involved potentially ending intelligence sharing with the US.

We’re hearing conflicting reports as to whether that intelligence sharing is ongoing or not, but certainly yesterday, Poland was saying that the delivery of US weapons had been halted at its border with Ukraine.

5 Mar 2025 - 13:40
 (13:40 GMT)

US may restore Ukraine military aid pending confidence-building measures: White House

White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz says US President Donald Trump “will take a hard look” at restoring aid to Ukraine “if we can nail down these negotiations and … put some confidence-building measures on the table”.

Waltz made the comment during an interview with Fox News.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US government appropriated about $86bn to send to Ukraine in military aid from Congress and Department of Defense budgets, according to calculations made by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The money allocated by the US is primarily funding that goes into the manufacture of weapons shipped to Ukraine. These include air defence systems, missiles, helicopters, tanks, coastal defence systems and body armour.

[Al Jazeera]
5 Mar 2025 - 13:25
 (13:25 GMT)

Scholz, Zelenskyy agree Trump key to peace talks: Germany

Germany’s outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has held a call with Zelenskyy today in which he “welcomed the Ukrainian president’s willingness to enter into negotiations at the earliest possible date”, according to a German government spokesperson.

“Both agreed on the importance of the US president’s leadership role, also with a view to achieving a swift start to a ceasefire and lasting peace for Ukraine”, the spokesperson said.

Scholz during the call also reiterated Germany’s continued and unwavering solidarity with Ukraine, the spokesperson added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Germany, October 11, 2024 [File: Lisi Niesner/Reuters]
5 Mar 2025 - 13:13
 (13:13 GMT)

UK PM spokesperson declines to comment on report US halted Ukraine intelligence sharing

A spokesperson for Keir Starmer has declined to comment on Wednesday on a Financial Times report that the US had cut off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.

The British daily’s reported cited three officials familiar with the decision.

The spokesperson for the UK prime minister said the country’s aim was to ensure Ukraine is left in the strongest possible position.

“It remains a longstanding position not to comment on intelligence, but what I would say is we have been clear previously that we would do everything to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, particularly around defence and security,” the spokesperson said.

5 Mar 2025 - 13:10
 (13:10 GMT)

If you’re just joining us

Let’s bring you up to speed:

  • Ukrainian officials say Russia carried out overnight attacks targeting energy facilities in the Odesa region, killing at least one person and causing power cuts.
  • Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, has offered to host Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks that could involve US officials.
  • A French government spokesperson says Macron is considering travelling to the US with Zelenskyy and Starmer to meet Trump.
  • Russia has welcomed Zelenskyy’s stated willingness to enter into negotiations, calling it a “positive” step.
5 Mar 2025 - 12:55
 (12:55 GMT)

Russia sentences British man to 19 years in prison for fighting for Ukraine

Russian investigators say that a British man captured during Ukraine’s offensive in Russia’s Kursk region has been handed a 19-year prison sentence.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement that James Scott Rhys Anderson was found guilty of a “terrorist act” and acting as a mercenary.

He had been captured while fighting in the western Russian region in November.

5 Mar 2025 - 12:40
 (12:40 GMT)

France’s Macron could travel with Starmer, Zelenskyy to Washington, DC

We had previously reported that the three leaders could travel to the US capital to meet Trump next week.

France’s government spokesperson, Sophie Primas has now confirmed that Macron is considering such a trip with the Ukrainian president and the British prime minister, without specifying a date.

She made the comments to reporters following the French cabinet’s weekly meeting.

Emmanuel Macron, left, and Donald Trump at the White House on February 24 [Brian Snyder/Reuters]
5 Mar 2025 - 12:25
 (12:25 GMT)

EU delays announcing plan to phase out Russian energy imports: Report

Reuters is reporting that the European Commission has, for a second time, delayed an announcement of its plan to phase out reliance on Russian energy imports, from March 26 to an unspecified date.

The institution declined to comment on a new date, the news agency said.

The plan was first slated to be announced last month after Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said in November 2024 that he would present the plan during his first 100 days in the post.

The EU set itself a non-binding goal to end Russian natural gas imports by 2027 after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, some member states have done little to diversify and Russian gas imports rose last year.

5 Mar 2025 - 12:10
 (12:10 GMT)

Ukraine reels as Trump pulls US support while Russia’s war rages on

By Mansur Mirovalev

Kyiv, Ukraine

Zynaida Shelepenko is still reeling about what happened in the White House on Friday.

“They cornered Zelenskyy like two bandits, like two mafiosi who want your money and your humiliation,” the 52-year-old bank clerk told Al Jazeera, referring to the Ukrainian president’s meeting with Trump and JD Vance, the US vice president.

Therefore, Shelepenko said, she was not surprised with Trump’s Monday night decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine after Zelenskyy refused to apologise for the spat and said his aborted visit to Washington, DC, “didn’t bring anything positive”.

The Ukrainian president and his US counterpart have since struck more conciliatory tones, but to Shelepenko, there is a clear winner from these tensions between Washington and Kyiv, which until Trump came to power were close allies.

“Guess who’s cheering now? The vampire, the killer of children in the Kremlin,” she said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We saw the most shameful moment in American history.”

Read the full article here.

People look at a memorial for fallen soldiers fighting for Ukraine at Independence Square in Kyiv on March 4, 2025 [Thomas Peter/Reuters]
5 Mar 2025 - 11:55
 (11:55 GMT)
Explainer

How important is Starlink to Ukraine’s war effort?

Since bringing you the latest information about Ukraine’s connection to Starlink, we have spoken to Tormod Heier, a professor at the Norwegian Defence University College, about the importance of the service for Ukraine’s war efforts.

Here are some of his main points:

  • Starlink is a key component in Ukraine’s composite digital nerve system and allows its military to synchronise its forces across a very long front line.
  • Such distances require precise and timely communication between Ukraine’s various sectors so that scarce military resources are allocated effectively at the right place and time.
  • Starlink facilitates secure communication of tactical field intelligence, which helps build precise situation awareness on where Russian forces may advance and how much combat power they may possess.
  • This information is vital for the Ukrainian military’s planning and to ensure a well-functioning chain of command.
  • As Ukraine lacks manpower and operative sustainability vis-à-vis Russian forces, Starlink is likely a key force multiplier in Ukraine’s strategy of avoiding close combat and attritional battles.
[Al Jazeera]
5 Mar 2025 - 11:40
 (11:40 GMT)

Profound words by Merz but clock is ticking

By Dominic Kane

Reporting from Berlin, Germany

Merz and the Social Democrats are putting forward profound change but they need other parties to vote for it – and that is not guaranteed.

We are talking about potentially hundreds of billions of dollars being spent, but there is a catch: In order to get it through, Merz and his Social Democrat friends need to persuade two-thirds of the MPs.

And then there’s a democratic issue here because in order to do that, he needs to use the votes of many MPs who lost their seats in the February 23 general election.

The clock is ticking; if they don’t get this agreed by March 25, it won’t go through in the new parliament because more than one-third of the parties in it are opposed to Merz’s proposals.

5 Mar 2025 - 11:25
 (11:25 GMT)

Merz pledges billions for defence, to meet Scholz to discuss Ukraine aid package

Friedrich Merz, Germany’s likely next chancellor, has said his centre-right CDU/CSU and the centre-left Social Democrats would propose an unprecedented package of billions of euros in extra spending on defence and infrastructure.

Merz told reporters the two parties that are in talks on forming a coalition government would bring proposals to parliament within the next week to exempt more defence spending from Germany’s constitutionally enshrined “debt brake”.

He promised to do “whatever it takes” when it comes to defence “in light of threats to our freedom and peace on our continent”.

Merz’s plans would see defence spending exempted from the country’s debt brake when it exceeds 1 percent of GDP – or 45 billion euros ($48bn) when applied to the current size of Germany’s economy.

The conservative leader also said he wanted to get immediate approval for a 3-billion-euro aid package for Ukraine that has been held up for weeks.

He said he would meet outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday “to speak about the urgent help needed for Ukraine, around 3.0 or 3.5 billion euros, which…can be approved now as off-budget expenditure”.

Friedrich Merz’s centre-right CDU/CSU alliance came first in last month’s election [File: Liesa Johannsse/Reuters]
5 Mar 2025 - 11:10
 (11:10 GMT)

Belarus suggests hosting Ukraine-Russia talks

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is offering to host Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks that could involve US officials.

“Tell Trump that I expect him here with Putin and Zelenskyy,” the longtime ruler proposed to the three leaders in a video interview with US blogger Mario Nawfal, reported by state news agency BelTA.

Lukashenko is a close ally of Putin, while Belarus is under US and European sanctions over its support for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a government crackdown on the opposition.

“We are going to sit down and calmly make an accord. If you want to make an accord,” Lukashenko said, adding that there had to be a deal with Zelenskyy “since a large part of Ukrainian society is with him”.

Lukashenko also praised Trump’s efforts to talk to Russia to end the conflict.

“Trump is a good guy, he talks about it a lot and has already done something to end the war in Ukraine and the war in the Middle East,” Lukashenko said.

“It seems to me that his only policy is one aiming to end the war. It is a brilliant idea.”

Alexander Lukashenko, left, shakes hands with Putin during a meeting in Sochi on September 15, 2023 [Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Pool via Reuters]