For today, links to 14 reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, Tass, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, IRAN, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up. UKRAINE 3-6-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM
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NEWER U.S., Ukrainian officials to meet in Saudi Arabia next week: Trump’s adviser, by Diyar Güldoğan | Anadolu Agency WASHINGTON — An American delegation including Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to Saudi Arabia next week to meet Ukrainians to discuss a potential peace deal, U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said today. READ MORE . . .
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Trump says he considers sanctioning Russia because it’s ‘pounding’ Ukraine, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent U.S. President Donald Trump said today he is considering imposing sweeping banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia until there is a ceasefire and peace agreement. He said his statement is based . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia bombards Ukraine’s energy grid after Zelenskyy says his team will hold talks with the U.S., by Illia Novikov | AP KYIV — Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a large-scale missile and drone bombardment during the night, officials said today, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said . . . READ MORE . . .
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Bulk of Ukrainian forces fighting inside Russia almost cut off, open sources maps show, by Andrew Osborn and Anastasiia Malenko | Reuters LONDON / KYIV — Tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops who smashed into Russia last summer and took control of a swathe of territory there are nearly encircled by Russian forces and cut off from their main supply lines, open source maps showed on Friday. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.
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Satellite imagery provider Maxar reportedly suspends services to Ukraine – alternatives may exist, by Leo Chiu and Katie Livingstone | Kyiv Post Maxar Technologies, a major U.S. satellite imagery provider whose intel is often used on the battlefield, has reportedly suspended its services for users in Ukraine following . . . READ MORE . . .
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Kremlin says Russia, U.S. see 2022 Istanbul draft as possible basis for Ukraine deal, by Dmitry Antonov, Mark Trevelyan and Yuliia Dysa | Reuters MOSCOW — Russia and the U.S. both see draft accords discussed by Moscow and Kyiv in the early weeks of the war as a possible basis for a Ukraine peace deal, the Kremlin said on Friday, though Ukraine’s president has previously rejected . . . READ MORE . . .
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British will have to return to Russia everything being ‘generously given away’ — Volodin. From Tass. MOSCOW — Britain’s transfer of the first funds to Ukraine, secured from frozen Russian assets, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, according to Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of the Russian State Duma. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.
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Kremlin condemns EU’s ‘confrontational rhetoric’ after pledge to boost defense spending. From AFP. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today criticized what he called the European Union’s “confrontational rhetoric” after the bloc’s leaders agreed to a huge increase in defense spending amid . . . READ MORE . . .
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EU leaders agree on defense surge, support Zelenskiy after U.S. aid freeze, by Lili Bayer, Andrew Gray and Michel Rose | Reuters BRUSSELS — European leaders today backed plans to spend more on defense and continue to stand by Ukraine in a world upended by Donald Trump’s reversal of U.S. policies. READ MORE . . .
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European leaders downplay skepticism from Trump about NATO solidarity, by Suman Naishadham | AP MADRID — European Union leaders today downplayed skepticism from U.S. President Donald Trump about solidarity among NATO members a day after they backed plans to spend more on defense amid wavering U.S. support. Trump had said . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 6 EU leaders hold emergency meeting to scale up defense spending for Ukraine. Reported by Teri Schultz | NPR European Union leaders from 27 countries met in an emergency session in Brussels on Thursday. They unanimously agreed to move forward on plans to dramatically scale up their defense investments. Click HERE to listen and read.
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