Author: Mirits

European leaders held a crisis meeting Monday in Paris to discuss Ukrainian and European security. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the meeting comes after a blizzard of diplomatic interventions by Washington that have raised doubts over the U.S. commitment to the transatlantic alliance, the bedrock of European security. …

NICOSIA, CYPRUS — A pair of agreements outlining how sizable natural gas deposits inside Cypriot waters will get to market via processing facilities in Egypt are a milestone for energy cooperation, Cyprus’ president said Monday.  President Nikos Christodoulides said the cooperation between Cyprus and Egypt is helping to define the regional energy map, calling the agreements “game-changers” that are “pivotal for our strategic partnership.”  The first agreement between Egypt, Cyprus and a consortium made up of energy companies Total of France and Italy’s Eni foresees piping natural gas from a deposit known as Cronos to Egyptian facilities where it will be liquefied and processed for export to markets including Europe.  The Eni-Total consortium, which holds exploratory licenses for four of the 13 areas or blocks inside Cyprus’ offshore economic zone, will make a final decision on how it will extract and convey the gas before the summer this year.  Eni Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi called the agreement a decisive step toward creating an energy hub in the eastern Mediterranean.  Officials haven’t disclosed how large the Cronos deposit is, but it’s believed to hold more than the Aphrodite deposit — the first gas field discovered inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone in 2011 — that’s estimated to contain 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas.  The second agreement between Egypt, Cyprus and a consortium composed of Chevron, NewMed Energy and Shell sets out the framework under which the Aphrodite deposit will be developed and monetized.  The Aphrodite deal comes three days after the Cypriot government and the Chevron-led consortium approved a revised development and production plan for the deposit that includes a floating platform that processes extracted natural gas as well as a pipeline link to Egypt.  Cypriot Energy Minister George Papanastasiou said last month the options of whether to use Aphrodite gas for Egypt’s domestic energy needs or to process it for export are still being weighed.  Christodoulides also held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on the two countries’ next energy cooperation goals as well as regional developments.  Christodoulides also met on the sidelines of Egypt’s energy exhibition EGYPES 2025 with ExxonMobil’s Vice President for Global Exploration John Ardill.  ExxonMobil and partners Qatar Petroleum — which hold exploration licenses for two Cypriot blocks — are currently drilling a new well near the existing Glaucus deposit, which is estimated to contain 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet of gas.  Papanastasiou has … “Getting Cyprus natural gas to market via Egypt hailed as milestone” →

ATHENS — The Greek government’s chief seismologist says the frequency of earthquakes affecting Santorini and nearby islands has eased in recent days, but that the outlook for continued tremors in the coming weeks remains uncertain. “Unfortunately, for now, we must wait. These seismic sequences do not end quickly. They follow their own timeline,” seismologist Costas Papazachos told state-run ERT radio Monday. “Hopefully, this particular sequence will surprise us in a positive way and resolve itself sooner rather than later,” he said. A state of emergency has been declared on Santorini and the nearby islands of Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi after a swarm of undersea earthquakes this month – sometimes felt every few minutes – prompted thousands of residents and workers to move to the Greek mainland. Schools on the islands remain closed for a third week, while security services have set up rescue teams and backup power generators as part of precautionary measures. The government announced Monday that an emergency port facility was being established on Santorini in case of a wide-scale evacuation. Papazachos, a professor of geophysics at the University of Thessaloniki, currently serves as the representative of two emergency committees that include scientists and officials from government, the military, and emergency services. He said Santorini, a volcanic island shaped by catastrophic eruptions, did not face danger from its dormant volcano, but noted that magma was affecting the tremors. “The root cause of the activity is the interaction of tectonic and magmatic processes,” he said. “That does not mean that the molten material – the magma – will manage to break through 8 kilometers [5 miles] of crust and reach the surface, causing a new volcanic eruption.” Scientists were developing a clearer picture after gathering data from multiple sensors, he said. “We are monitoring not only seismographs but also numerous other systems that track ground deformation, gas emissions, and satellite data,” he said. “At this moment, I can honestly say we do not have a definitive forecast, as it is too early to assess the current slight de-escalation of seismic activity. We have encountered many surprises.” Earthquakes of up to magnitude 5.1 were recorded Monday in the undersea area bordered by the four islands which remain under a state of emergency. …

Russia has freed a U.S. citizen arrested earlier this month on drug smuggling charges, according to Russian media reports and a U.S. official.  The move appears to be an effort to ease tensions between Moscow and Washington ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.  Kalob Byers, 28, was detained on Feb. 7 at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after customs officials allegedly found cannabis-laced marmalade in his baggage. According to media reports, Byers had traveled from Istanbul with his Russian fiancee, who was also detained. The authorities said he had attempted to smuggle a “significant amount” of drugs into the country and put him in custody on the charges of drug smuggling, punishable by a prison term of up to 10 years.  Byers has been released from custody and is in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow where he is awaiting a flight home, Russian independent news outlet Meduza reported Monday, citing a Facebook post by his parents. A U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press that Byers was released to the embassy late Sunday evening. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss sensitive matters.  Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday in response to a question about Byers that Moscow expects “to discuss restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations” at the talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, “so certain events can be viewed in this context.”  It wasn’t immediately clear whether Byers’ fiancee was also released. Russian media reports identified her as Naida Mambetova and said she was placed in pre-trial detention on the same charges.  Arrests of American nationals in Russia have become increasingly common in recent years, with relations between Moscow and Washington sinking to Cold War lows over the war in Ukraine. Some have been released in prisoner exchanges. The most recent one included Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania imprisoned in Russia on charges similar to those Byers had faced.  Fogel was detained in 2021 when traveling to Russia to work at a school and handed a 14-year sentence for having what his family and supporters said was medically prescribed marijuana. He was released and brought back to the U.S. earlier this month in a swap that saw Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the U.S., returned to Russia.  The release of Fogel and Byers come as tensions between Russia and the … “American arrested in Moscow on drug smuggling charges freed” →

Vatican City — Doctors have changed treatment for Pope Francis’ respiratory tract infection to tackle a “complex clinical situation” and he will remain in hospital for as long as necessary, the Vatican said on Monday. “The results of the tests carried out in recent days and today have demonstrated a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract, which has led to a further modification of the therapy,” said a brief statement. “All tests conducted up to today are indicative of a complex clinical picture that will require an appropriate hospital stay,” it said. The 88-year-old pontiff has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pontiff was “in good spirits.” He did not specify whether the pope was suffering from a bacterial or viral infection, but said a further update on the pope’s condition would be issued later on Monday. While a bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics, viral infections cannot. Viruses usually have to run their course, but the patient can be assisted with other medicines to bring down their fever or help their body fight the infection. A polymicrobial infection is one caused by two or more micro-organisms, and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The Vatican said on Monday that the pope’s planned weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square, set for Wednesday, had been cancelled “due to the continued hospitalization of the Holy Father.” The pope’s doctors had earlier ordered complete rest, and Francis was unable to deliver his regular weekly prayer on Sunday to pilgrims in St Peter’s Square or lead a special Mass for artists to mark the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year. ‘Quite worried’ by pope’s absence Pilgrims visiting the Vatican on Monday offered their hopes that Francis would recover soon. “We certainly wish for him to get better very quickly,” said Rev. Tyler Carter, a Catholic priest from the United States. “He is our father and our shepherd, and so we want his continued health and blessing.” Manuel Rossi, a tourist from Milan, Italy, said he was “quite worried” when the pope cancelled his appearance on Sunday. “I am 18 years old so I have seen few popes in my life, and am very close to him,” said Rossi. “I hope he recovers as soon as possible.” While in hospital over the weekend, the pope … “Doctors change pope’s treatment to tackle ‘complex’ situation, Vatican says” →

Taipei, Taiwan        — China has launched a new round of diplomatic outreach to European countries amid rising tension between the United States and its European allies. While top U.S. officials and European leaders clashed over issues such as values, democracy and Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held bilateral meetings with several top European officials, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “There is no fundamental conflict of interest or geopolitical conflicts between China and the EU,” Wang said during his meeting with Kallas on Saturday, adding that Beijing “supports all endeavors conducive to peace and backs Europe in playing a significant role” in the peace negotiation process regarding the war in Ukraine. The EU response was somewhat more reserved, with Kallas saying the EU was ready to “continue with dialogue and cooperate in selected areas, such as trade, economic affairs, and climate change.” He urged Beijing to halt exports of dual-use goods to Russia, which she said fuels Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Wang’s remarks were in stark contrast to U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of European countries. Instead of highlighting the threats posed by Russia and China, Vance accused European government of censoring right-wing parties and failing to control migration. “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America,” he said in a defiant speech that stunned European officials in Munich. Several European leaders quickly rejected Vance’s remarks, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius saying the U.S. vice president’s characterization of European policies was “unacceptable.” The rare open clash between the U.S. and European countries came as top U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff flew to Saudi Arabia on Sunday for talks about the Ukraine-Russia war with Russian diplomats. To the surprise of many European leaders, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said in Munich that European countries wouldn’t be part of any peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which would be mediated by the U.S. Analysts say China’s effort to strengthen engagement with Europe is part of Beijing’s plan to take advantage of divisions between Washington and its European allies. … “China aims to improve ties with EU amid transatlantic tension” →

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host a group of European leaders for talks Monday focused on the situation in Ukraine amid a shift in the U.S. approach to the conflict and suggestions by U.S. officials that Europe would not have a role in peace talks. Among those expected to attend were leaders from Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark. NATO chief Mark Rutte, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were also due to participate. European leaders have in recent days pledged continued support for Ukraine, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying his government was ready to send troops to Ukraine as part of any postwar peacekeeping force. “I do not say that lightly,” he wrote Sunday in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.” Starmer said securing a lasting peace in Ukraine was essential to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from further aggression. Costa said last week’s Munich Security Conference showed the clear message that the security of Ukraine and the European Union “cannot be separated.” “There will be no credible and successful negotiations, no lasting peace, without Ukraine and without the European Union.” U.S. officials said Sunday they were heading to Saudi Arabia for talks in the coming days with Russian diplomats about ending the war, which began in February 2022 with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed during an hour-long call last week to the immediate start of peace negotiations, but U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS’s “Face the Nation” in an interview that aired Sunday, “A process towards peace is not a one-meeting thing.” “We’ll see in the coming days and weeks if Vladimir Putin is interested in negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine, in a way that is sustainable and fair,” Rubio said. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and U.S. national security adviser Mike Waltz said they were headed to Riyadh for the talks, while a Ukrainian minister says that an official delegation has arrived there in preparation for a possible visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The shape of the talks remained uncertain. Rubio said he wasn’t even sure who Moscow was sending. “Nothing’s been finalized yet,” he said, adding that the hope was … “France hosting European talks on Ukraine” →

Baghdad — A Turkish opposition party delegation arrived in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region Sunday against the backdrop of peace efforts between Ankara and a banned Kurdish separatist movement in Turkey. The delegation led by Sirri Sureyya Onder and Pervin Buldan, two senior officials with the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, in Turkey, met with Masoud Barzani, the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party — the dominant Kurdish party in Iraq — in Irbil Sunday. Barzani’s office said in a statement that they discussed “the peace process in Turkey” and that the Turkish delegation conveyed a message from Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of Turkey’s banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Barzani “stressed the need for all parties to intensify their efforts and endeavors to enable the peace process to achieve the desired results” and reiterated “his full readiness to provide assistance and support to the peace process in Turkey and make it a success,” the statement said. The DEM party has long pressed for greater democracy in Turkey and rights for the country’s Kurdish population, and to improve conditions for the imprisoned Ocalan. Ocalan, 75, founded the PKK, in 1978, which began an armed insurrection for an autonomous Kurdish state in Turkey’s southeast in 1984, costing tens of thousands of lives. The group is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies. The central Iraqi government in Baghdad announced a ban on the group, which maintains bases in northern Iraq, last year. Captured in 1999 and convicted of treason, Ocalan has been serving a life sentence on Imrali Island in the Marmara Sea. The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has traditionally had an antagonistic relationship with the left-wing DEM party, frequently ousting its elected officials on charges of ties to the PKK and replacing them with state appointed officials. However, this icy relationship began thawing last October, when Erdogan’s coalition partner, far-right nationalist politician Devlet Bahceli suggested that Ocalan could be granted parole, if his group renounces violence and disbands. The peace effort comes at a time when Erdogan may need support from the DEM party in parliament to enact a new constitution that could allow him to stay in power for unlimited terms. The Turkish Constitution doesn’t allow Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003 as prime minister and later as president, to run for office again unless an early election is … “Turkish delegation meets with Kurdish leader in Iraq amid peace efforts” →

Top U.S. officials headed Sunday to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russian diplomats in the coming days on ending Moscow’s three-year war on Ukraine, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed prospects for an immediate breakthrough. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed during an hour-long call last week to the immediate start of peace negotiations, but Rubio told CBS’s “Face the Nation” in an interview aired Sunday, “A process towards peace is not a one- meeting thing.” “We’ll see in the coming days and weeks if Vladimir Putin is interested in negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine in a way that is sustainable and fair,” Rubio said. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and U.S. national security adviser Mike Waltz said they were headed to Riyadh for the talks, while a Ukrainian minister says that an official delegation has arrived there in preparation for a possible visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The shape of the talks remained uncertain. Rubio said he wasn’t even sure who Moscow was sending. “Nothing’s been finalized yet,” he said, adding that the hope was for an opening for a broad conversation that “would include Ukraine and would involve the end of the war.” Trump’s call with Putin blindsided NATO allies as well as Kyiv, with Zelenskyy later saying that there should be “no decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine.” Whatever occurs this week in Saudi Arabia, Rubio said that once “real negotiations” begin, then Ukraine “will have to be involved.” In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, Zelenskyy said, “I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never. The war in Ukraine is against us, and it is our human losses.” Zelenskyy said he told Trump in a call they had last week that Putin is only pretending to want peace. “I said that he is a liar. And [Trump] said, ‘I think my feeling is that he’s ready for these negotiations.’ And I said to him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want any peace.’” The United States has been Ukraine’s biggest arms supplier during the conflict, but Trump has wavered on continued support and declined during a political debate last year to say that he wants Ukraine to win. Zelenskyy said that without continued U.S. military support, “Probably it will be very, very, very difficult” to defeat … “Rubio plays down immediate breakthrough on Russia-Ukraine peace” →

London — Papal thriller “ Conclave ” won four prizes including best picture on Sunday at the 78th British Academy Film Awards, where genre-bending musical “Emilia Pérez” proved that it’s still an awards contender despite a multipronged backlash that looked to have dented its chances.  “The Brutalist” equaled the awards tally of “Conclave,” scooping four trophies, including best director for Brady Corbet and best actor for Adrien Brody. Mikey Madison won the best actress prize for Brooklyn tragicomedy “Anora.”  “Conclave,” which stars Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal corralling conniving clergy as they elect a new pope, beat “The Brutalist,” “Emilia Pérez,” Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” to the top prize. “Conclave” was also named outstanding British film and took trophies for editing and adapted screenplay.  Supporting performer prizes went to Kieran Culkin for “A Real Pain” and Zoe Saldaña for “Emilia Pérez,” which also won the award for best film not in the English language.  Saldaña won for her role as a lawyer who helps the title character transition to a woman and out of a life of crime. She called the film “the creative challenge of a lifetime.”  Best actress nominee Karla Sofía Gascón, who stars as the titular transgender ex-cartel boss in “Emilia Pérez,” wasn’t at the ceremony. Gascón has withdrawn from promoting the film, which has 13 Oscar nominations, amid controversy over her social media posts disparaging Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars.  “Emilia Perez” director Jacques Audiard has condemned those comments, but in his acceptance speech thanked Gascón and her co-stars Saldaña and Selena Gomez.  “I am deeply proud of what we have all achieved together,” he said.  From the BAFTAs to the Oscars  Stars including Cynthia Erivo, Hugh Grant, Ariana Grande, Lupita Nyong’o, Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan walked the red carpet at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the awards, known as BAFTAs.  The prizes will be watched for clues about who will triumph at Hollywood’s Academy Awards on March 2, in an unusually hard-to-call awards season.  They also have a distinctly British accent. The ceremony kicked off with its kilt-wearing host, Scottish actor David Tennant, leading the audience in a rousing singalong of The Proclaimers’ anthem “I’m Gonna be (500 Miles).”  Culkin’s award came for “A Real Pain,” about odd couple cousins on a trip to explore their roots. The film’s writer and co-star, Jesse Eisenberg, took the BAFTA for best original … “‘Conclave’ wins best picture at BAFTAs as ‘The Brutalist’ takes directing and acting prizes” →

London — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told a mother who has been on hunger strike for 140 days that he will press the Egyptian government to release her son.  In a statement Sunday, Starmer confirmed that he met Laila Soueif and said he will do “all that I can” to secure the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian dual national who has spent more than five years in an Egyptian prison, accused of “spreading false news” on social media.  “We will continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government and press for his release,” Starmer said.  A representative of the family said the meeting took place Friday morning inside the prime minister’s offices at 10 Downing Street and that it was the first time the pair had met.  Soueif, 68, has been on a hunger strike since Sep. 29, the day her son was supposed to be released, consuming nothing but herbal tea, black coffee and rehydration salts. After more than four months, Soueif has lost around 25 kilograms (55 pounds).  She took her campaign directly to the Foreign Office in December, camping out in front of it every weekday to make sure officials notice her. When that yielded no results, she switched in mid-January to the gates of Starmer’s office — the famous black door of 10 Downing Street.  “The great majority of mothers are prepared to die for their children; it just takes different forms,” she said earlier this month. “Most mothers, if their children are in actual danger, you’re prepared to die.’’  One of Egypt’s most prominent pro-democracy activists, the 43-year-old Abd el-Fattah has spent most of the past 14 years behind bars since taking part in the 2011 uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.  His most recent crime was “liking” a Facebook post describing torture in Egyptian prisons. Abd el-Fattah has been in custody since September 2019 and was sentenced to five years in prison after a trial before an emergency security court.  But when his release date came up last September, Egyptian authorities refused to count the more than two years he had spent in pre-trial detention and ordered him held until Jan. 3, 2027.  Thousands of critics of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi have been locked up under dire conditions after unjust trials, human rights groups say.    …

KYIV — Russian troops have sharply stepped up their attacks in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv’s military said on Sunday, as a NATO official predicted Moscow would increase the pace and intensity of its assaults with talks to end the war approaching. The main attacks were concentrated near the imperiled logistics hub of Pokrovsk, Kyiv said, with U.S. and Russian officials expected to hold talks in the coming days in Saudi Arabia and U.S President Donald Trump pushing for peace. Kyiv’s military reported 261 combat engagements with Russia over a 24-hour period on Saturday, easily the largest number recorded this year and more than double the roughly 100 per day it reported in previous days. “Today was the hardest day of 2025 at the front,” the Ukrainian DeepState military blog wrote late on Saturday. Moscow’s troops advanced steadily in the east for much of the second half 2024, announcing the capture of village after village, though the intensity of the fighting dropped in January this year, according to Ukrainian military data. Russian forces have seized a swathe of territory to the south of Pokrovsk and are now pushing upwards to its southwest, threatening a main supply route into the outpost, the capture of which could open up more lines of attack for Russia. Despite being on the backfoot, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported a “good result” in the east on Thursday and a military spokesman said Kyiv’s forces had recaptured the village of Pishchane, about 5 km to Pokrovsk’s south. “It isn’t so much the result of something collapsing for the Russians or some kind of magical weapon being delivered to Ukraine, no. Certain organizational actions were taken to help Ukrainians act more effectively,” Viktor Trehubov, a military spokesman, told Reuters. Ukraine has been using drones for deep strikes on Russia in an effort to inflict pain and strengthen its overall position. Russia has continued to conduct regular drone and missile strikes, while making advances on the ground in the east. “I would expect a much stronger push. I would expect that we would see … a lot of Russian efforts to advance,” a NATO official who requested anonymity told Reuters. Though Ukrainian officials are careful to praise Trump, his push to engage directly with the Russians without first consulting with Kyiv and to leave out the Europeans entirely is a cause for alarm in Ukraine and Europe. Kyiv has said it was not … “Russian troops intensify attacks on Ukrainian forces in east, military says “ →

VIENNA — Austrian authorities said the man accused of stabbing six passersby in broad daylight, killing a 14-year-old boy and wounding five others, was motivated by “Islamic terrorism.”  The suspect, a 23-year-old Syrian man, was arrested after the attack in the southern city of Villach on Saturday.  Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said Sunday he felt “anger about an Islamist attacker who indiscriminately stabbed innocent people here in this city.”  Karner told reporters in Villach that the attacker had ties to the Islamic State group and radicalized himself online within a very short time.  State governor Peter Kaiser thanked a 42-year-old man, also a Syrian working for a food delivery company, who drove toward the suspect and helped prevent the situation from getting worse. “This shows how closely terrorist evil but also human good can be united in one and the same nationality.”  This marks the second deadly jihadi attack in Austria in recent years. In November 2020, a man who had previously attempted to join the Islamic State group carried out a rampage in Vienna, armed with an automatic rifle and a fake explosive vest, killing four people before being fatally shot by police.  Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen called the attack “horrific.”  “No words can undo the suffering, the horror, the fear. My thoughts are with the family of the deceased victim and the injured,” he posted on X.  The Free Syrian Community of Austria issued a statement on Facebook distancing itself from the attack and expressing its deepest condolences to the victims’ families. “We all had to flee Syria, our home country, because we were no longer safe there — no one left their country voluntarily. We are grateful to have found asylum and protection in Austria,” the association said.  “Finally, we would like to emphasize: Anyone who causes strife and disturbs the peace of society does not represent the Syrians who have sought and received protection here,” the statement concluded.  Carnival procession canceled as police gather evidence  Villach, a popular tourist destination near the borders of Italy and Slovenia, is known for its laid-back atmosphere, which blends Mediterranean and Alpine traditions. The city hosts annual carnival processions in March and an event on Saturday was canceled in the wake of the attack.  The Austrian Ministry of Interior activated a platform for witnesses to upload videos or photos related to the attack. Local authorities said a crisis response … “Austrian official says suspect in fatal stabbing attack had ‘Islamic terror motive’ “ →

LONDON — When Malcolm Weale saw the tiny, dirt-covered object he’d unearthed in an English field, he knew it was something special.  In his hand was a silver penny minted during the reign of Guthrum, a Viking commander who converted to Christianity and ruled eastern England in the ninth century as Athelstan II.  For Weale, finding the first silver coin minted by a Viking ruler in Britain was the pinnacle of decades of hunting with his metal detector in the fields and forests near his home in eastern England.  “I was shaking,” Weale said at the British Museum, where the coin was displayed Tuesday alongside other items unearthed by amateur history hunters in 2023 and 2024. “I knew that it was a life-changing, incredible, historical find.  “I’d watched the series ‘Vikings’ on Netflix, and about a week later I’ve got the Guthrum penny in my hand,” he said.  The thrill of finding fragments of history beneath our feet drives detectorists like 54-year-old Weale, who was introduced to the pastime at the age of 7 and “was hooked.”  His find was on show as the museum released its annual report on the Portable Antiquities Scheme, a government-funded project that records thousands of archaeological discoveries made by the public each year. The coin sat alongside a set of 3,000-year-old bronze metalworkers’ tools, a seventh-century gold and garnet necklace, and a gold signet ring with an intriguing link to Queen Elizabeth I.  They have been officially classed as “treasure” by a coroner, meaning they will be independently valued and offered to local museums.  Discoveries by detectorists, as well as beachcombers and mudlarkers — who search for items on riverbanks — shine new light into corners of British history. The necklace of glittering gold and garnet pendants found in Lincolnshire, central England, reveals the sophistication of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship, and is surprisingly global.  Archaeologist Helen Geake, who serves as a “finds liaison officer” for the antiquities program, said that it was likely made in England — “English craftsmen were by far the best in Europe” — with garnets from Sri Lanka.  Andy Akroyd, 49, also struck gold when he was out metal detecting near his home in Bedfordshire, central England.  “When I first saw it, I thought ‘Oh it’s a coin.’ Then I saw it’s a ring, I was thinking 1980s, cheap sovereign ring,” Akroyd said.  It turned out to be a 16th-century signet ring engraved … “With metal detectors, treasure hunters unearth pieces of British history” →

MOSCOW — A year after Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny died behind bars, his supporters were set to hold memorial events on Sunday, with some risking reprisals by visiting his grave in Moscow. Remembrance events will take place as Russia’s opposition movement — driven into exile by unprecedented repression — has been plagued by infighting and badly weakened since the loss of its figurehead. Exiled in various countries, its leading members have tried to revive the fight against Vladimir Putin’s long reign, including in Russia where criticism of authorities is severely punished. Navalny — Putin’s main opponent — was declared an “extremist” by Russian authorities, a ruling that remains in force despite his death in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024. In Russia, anybody who mentions Navalny or his Anti-Corruption Foundation without stating that they have been declared “extremist” is subject to fines, or up to four years in prison for repeated offenses. Navalny’s former top aide Leonid Volkov wrote on Telegram that “Alexei’s supporters will hold memorial events all around the world.” “In some places there will be rallies or marches, in others showings of the documentary Navalny, in others, memorial services,” he added. Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, is set to share memories of her husband at an event in Berlin, where many Russian opposition supporters have settled. “Wherever you are, in Russia or abroad, we hope very much that you will meet like-minded people on February 16,” Volkov wrote, giving opening hours of Moscow’s Borisovskoye cemetery where Navalny is buried. But Russian pro-Kremlin Telegram channels warned supporters against going to the cemetery. ‘Big Brother’ warning “We give brief advice to those who plan to go there but are not yet sure — don’t go!” said a post shared by pro-Kremlin journalist Dmitry Smirnov and other channels. The message warns of “Big Brother and his ever-watchful eye,” with a photo of a security camera sign at the cemetery gates. Russia has not fully explained Navalny’s death, which came less than a month before a presidential election that extended Putin’s more than two-decade rule, saying that it had happened as he was walking in the prison yard. Until his death, the 47-year-old continued to call for Russians to oppose the Kremlin and denounced Moscow’s Ukraine offensive, even from behind bars. “I took the decision not to be afraid,” he wrote in his autobiography, published after his death in several … “Navalny supporters risk reprisals with memorial events a year after death” →

ROME — An Italian nun is taking over a top management job in the Vatican: Sister Raffaella Petrini was named Saturday as president of the Vatican City State, making her essentially the governor of the 44-hectare (108-acre) territory in Rome that is home to the Catholic Church.  Petrini, 56, had previously been the secretary general of the Vatican administration, which among other things is responsible for the city state’s infrastructure and the Vatican Museums, a major source of revenue for the Holy See. She moves into the top job on March 1, following the retirement of Cardinal Fernando Vergez Alzaga, who turns 80 that day.  Pope Francis had previously announced Petrini’s promotion, part of his effort to place women in decision-making roles in the Vatican to serve as models for the rest of the church. The Vatican officially published the appointment Saturday while the pope was hospitalized with a respiratory tract infection.  Last month, Francis named the first woman to head a major Holy See office, appointing another Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders.  While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican offices, never before have women been named to the top jobs of the Holy See Curia or Vatican City State administration.  Catholic women have long complained of second-class status in an institution that reserves the priesthood for men. Francis has upheld the ban on female priests and tamped down hopes that women could be ordained as deacons.  But there has been a marked increase in the percentage of women working in the Vatican during his papacy, including in leadership positions, from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today, according to statistics reported by Vatican News. In the Curia alone, the percentage of women is 26%.  Critics complain that making women managers of the church doesn’t compensate for the continued ban on ordaining them as ministers.  In addition to her job running the Vatican City State administration, Petrini also serves as one of three women who are members of the Vatican office that vets bishop nominations. When they were named in 2022 it marked the first time women had had a formal role in the Vatican process of selecting bishops.  A member of the Meriden, Connecticut-based Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist religious order, Petrini otherwise keeps a relatively low public profile.  But during a … “Nun takes top Vatican job running city state administration” →

MUNICH/WASHINGTON — U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in coming days to start talks aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine, a U.S. lawmaker and a source familiar with the planning said on Saturday.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Germany on Friday, said Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia and Kyiv would not engage with Russia before consulting with strategic partners.   U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul told Reuters. It was not immediately clear who they would meet from Russia.   Rubio spoke by phone on Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and agreed on regular contacts to prepare for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.    The phone call was held at the initiative of the U.S. side, it added.    “The two sides expressed their mutual willingness to interact on pressing international issues, including the settlement around Ukraine, the situation around Palestine and in general in the Middle East and other regional directions,” the ministry said in a statement.  On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, McCaul said the aim of the talks was to arrange a meeting that included Zelenskyy, Trump and Putin “to finally bring peace and end this conflict.”   A source with knowledge of the plans confirmed the talks in Saudi Arabia between U.S. and Russian officials. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.   Zelenskyy said on Saturday Ukraine would never accept any peace deals reached behind its back or without Kyiv’s involvement. Ukraine has repeatedly said it wants to come together with the United States and Europe to devise a joint strategy before any Trump-Putin meeting.  Trump, who took office on January 20, has repeatedly vowed to swiftly end the Ukraine war. He made separate phone calls to Putin and Zelenskyy on Wednesday, leaving Washington’s European allies alarmed that they will be cut out of any peace process.   Those fears were largely confirmed on Saturday when Trump’s Ukraine envoy said Europe won’t have a seat at the table, after Washington sent a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they could contribute to security … “US, Russia officials to meet in Saudi Arabia to start talks on Ukraine” →

MUNICH — Europe won’t have a seat at the table for Ukraine peace talks, Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy said on Saturday, after Washington sent a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they could contribute to security guarantees for Kyiv.  Trump shocked European allies this week by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin without consulting them or Kyiv beforehand and declaring an immediate start to peace talks.  Trump administration officials have also made clear in recent days that they expect European allies in NATO to take primary responsibility for the region as the United States now has other priorities, such as border security and countering China.  The U.S. moves have stoked fears that Europeans may be cut out of a peace deal that would also impact their own security, particularly if it is seen as too favorable to Russia.  U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg told a global security conference in Munich that the U.S. would act as an intermediary in the talks, with Ukraine and Russia as the two protagonists.  Asked about the prospects of the Europeans being at the table, Kellogg said: “I’m (from) a school of realism. I think that’s not gonna happen.”  Kellogg said that talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine could focus on territorial concessions from Russia and targeting Putin’s oil revenues.  “Russia is really a petrostate,” he said, adding that Western powers needed to do more regarding effectively enforcing sanctions on Russia.  At a later event at the conference, Kellogg sought to reassure Europeans by declaring this did not mean “their interests are not considered, used or developed.”  But European leaders said they would not accept being shut out of the talks.  “There’s no way in which we can have discussions or negotiations about Ukraine, Ukraine’s future or European security structure, without Europeans,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb told reporters in Munich.  “But this means that Europe needs to get its act together. Europe needs to talk less and do more.”  Stubb said the questionnaire the U.S. sent to Europeans “will force Europeans to think.”  A European diplomat said the U.S. document included six questions with one specifically for European Union member states.  “The Americans are approaching European capitals and asking how many soldiers they are ready to deploy,” one diplomat said.  France is discussing with its allies the possibility of holding an informal meeting among European leaders on Ukraine … “Europe will not be part of Ukraine peace talks, US envoy says” →

WASHINGTON — James Carafano, senior counselor to the president and national security expert at The Heritage Foundation, responsible for its defense and foreign policy team, spoke with VOA’s Ukraine Service about the Trump administration’s goals and considerations in the negotiation process to achieve peace in Ukraine. He explained that while not a vital interest, a free and independent Ukraine that can defend itself is in America’s best interests, and he outlined how to achieve this goal. Voice of America: How do you and The Heritage Foundation see ending the war in Ukraine, and what is the strategy behind it?   James Carafano, The Heritage Foundation: It is in America’s best interest that there be a free and independent Ukraine that can defend itself. And the reason for that is the United States. The United States is a global power with global interests and global responsibilities. A peaceful Europe, whole, free and at peace, that is a vital American interest. The transit Atlantic community is important to us. And the number one threat, physical threat to that is the destabilizing actions of Russia. And the most concerning and destabilizing action is the security of the Eastern front of NATO and Ukraine, that is free and independent, that can defend itself is an obstacle to the Russians, whether it’s in NATO or not. Now, to be honest, it’s not a vital interest in the United States. For the practical matter is, the United Europe can defend itself and the United States can defend Europe if Ukraine’s occupied by Russia. Now having said that, are we way better off? I mean, way, way better off with the Russians on the other side of Ukraine? And the answer is “absolutely.” At this point, what is in America’s interest is that the war stops and that there is a ceasefire that is both from a strategic perspective to preserve Ukraine, and that we have to be realistic about Ukraine’s capacity to recover territory that’s been occupied. But also from a humanitarian perspective, and I think this is very deeply reflected in our president. More Ukrainians dying is never going to reconquer all of Ukrainian territory. A war of attrition is never going to create a stronger Ukraine. I think everybody is focused on what the deal looks like. I think the deals are relevant. Stopping the war is the objective. The real question is, what do … “Carafano: ‘A free, independent Ukraine is in America’s best interest’” →

MOSCOW — A Moscow court has ordered a U.S. citizen suspected of drug smuggling held in pre-trial detention for 30 days, the Moscow courts press service said Saturday, days after a Moscow-Washington prisoner swap that the White House called a diplomatic thaw and a step toward ending the fighting in Ukraine.  The U.S. citizen, whom Saturday’s statement named as Kalob Wayne Byers, was detained after airport customs officials found cannabis-laced marmalade in his baggage.  Russian police said the 28-year-old American had attempted to smuggle a “significant amount” of drugs into the country, the Interfax agency reported, citing Russia’s Federal Customs Service. The agency said the American was detained at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after flying in from Istanbul on February 7.  Mash, a Russian Telegram channel with links to the security services, said the U.S. citizen faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.  There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department.  The Washington-Moscow prisoner exchange this month saw Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the United States, returned to Russia in exchange for American Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania who was detained in 2021 when traveling to Russia to work at a school.  Fogel had been serving a 14-year sentence for having what his family and supporters said was medically prescribed marijuana. President Joe Biden’s administration designated Fogel as wrongfully detained in December.  President Donald Trump on Wednesday upended three years of U.S. policy toward Ukraine, saying he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the conflict following a lengthy direct phone call.  …

MUNICH — G7 foreign ministers agreed Saturday to continuing working together to get a strong peace deal for Ukraine with robust security guarantees and linked future sanctions on Russia to good-faith negotiations by Moscow. “Any new, additional sanctions after February should be linked to whether the Russian Federation enters into real, good-faith efforts to bring an enduring end to the war against Ukraine that provides Ukraine with long-term security and stability as a sovereign, independent country,” the statement, which includes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said after a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. The G7, which also includes France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, Britain and the EU, underscored its commitment to help achieve a durable peace and “the need to develop robust security guarantees to ensure the war will not begin again.” Possible informal Ukraine summit Meanwhile, France is discussing with its allies the possibility of holding an informal meeting among European leaders on Ukraine, although nothing has been decided at this stage, a French presidency official said Saturday. Speaking on a panel at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that French President Emmanuel Macron had called for a summit of European leaders in Paris. “President [Donald] Trump has a method of operating, which the Russians call ‘reconnaissance through battle.’ You push and you see what happens, and then you change your position, legitimate tactics. And we need to respond,” Sikorski said. “And I’m very glad that President Macron has called our leaders to Paris tomorrow, and I expect them to relate to this in a very serious fashion.” The French presidency official said that if there were to be any such summit, it would not be held Sunday. “I am glad that the Prime Minister @donaldtusk will go on Monday at the invitation of the President @EmmanuelMacron to a meeting of European leaders. We need to show our strength and unity,” Sikorski later said on X, referring to Polish leader Donald Tusk. It was not clear whether the invite would be sent only to European Union member states or more broadly and whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be invited. …

ROME — Pope Francis slept well during a quiet first night in the hospital after being admitted with a respiratory tract infection and was up eating and reading Saturday, the Vatican said. Francis, 88, ate breakfast Saturday morning and read the newspapers while continuing his drug therapy, spokesperson Matteo Bruni said. The Argentine pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital Friday after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. It was his fourth hospitalization since his 2013 election and raised questions about his increasingly precarious health. Preliminary tests showed he had a respiratory tract infection and a slight fever. The Vatican canceled his audiences through Monday at least. Francis, who is prone to respiratory infections in winter, was diagnosed with bronchitis Feb. 6 but had continued to hold daily audiences in his Vatican hotel suite. He had presided at an outdoor Mass last weekend and attended his general audience Wednesday. But he has been handing off his speeches for an aide to read aloud, saying he was having trouble breathing. Francis had part of one lung removed as a young man and has battled other health problems. He had 33 centimeters of his large intestine removed in 2021 because of a narrowing of the colon. He had further abdominal surgery in 2023 to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia. He uses a wheelchair, walker or cane when moving around his apartment and recently fell twice, hurting his arm and chin. Francis is being treated at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where popes have a private suite on the 10th floor. He revealed that during a 2023 hospitalization, he was diagnosed with “an acute and strong pneumonia, in the lower part of the lungs.” Sometimes bronchitis can lead to pneumonia, a deeper and far more serious infection of the lungs’ air sacs. …

KRAGUJEVAC, SERBIA — Serbia’s striking students and supporters of populist President Aleksandar Vucic were holding parallel rallies Saturday as both marked the country’s Statehood Day with notably contrasting messages. The student-led protest is the latest in a nationwide anti-graft movement that reflects mounting calls for fundamental political changes in the Balkan state, triggered after a concrete canopy on a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed on Nov. 1, killing 15 people. The rally in the central industrial city of Kragujevac drew tens of thousands of people demanding justice over the accident and respect for the rule of law. The movement has been seeking to root out rampant endemic corruption. Students chose Kragujevac for Saturday’s rally because of its history. In 1835, Serbia was still part of the Ottoman Empire, and people in Kragujevac announced a new constitution that sought to limit the powers of the then-rulers. The date is now celebrated as Statehood Day. People from all over the country streamed into Kragujevac for Saturday’s gathering. “I am here to support this student rebellion, which has grown into a civil rebellion, and to fight for the rule of law and justice in this society, so that Serbia becomes a country where life is dignified,” said a woman from Belgrade who identified herself only by the name Teodora. The students arrived Friday to cheers from the residents. Ahead of the protest, they organized marches in various parts of the country, encouraging people to converge in Kragujevac. Some walked; others ran or cycled. Along their journey, people greeted them with food and refreshments and offered accommodation, many crying and expressing hope for change. The president’s rally Meanwhile, in Sremska Mitrovica, a small town northwest of Belgrade, Vucic is expected to recycle a traditional nationalist theme, warning that the West wants to unseat him by force and that this could lead to the breakup of the country. Serbian authorities were set to bus in thousands of supporters from throughout the country as well as neighboring Bosnia. Some opposition activists have said they will try to prevent their arrival. Vucic said on Instagram that his supporters wish to “defend and save Serbia from those who want to destroy it.” The anti-graft movement is Vucic’s biggest challenge in recent years. The president — who has ruled Serbia with a firm grip on power for more than a decade — and his right-wing … “Serbia’s striking students, president hold parallel rallies” →

WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attention-grabbing overseas debut may have irritated some key Republicans and alienated allies in Europe, where his statements on Ukraine and NATO went down like a lead balloon. But his forceful comments gained him a nod from one key listener: U.S. President Donald Trump. And Hegseth — who on Saturday wraps up a weeklong trip to Belgium, Germany and Poland — delivered a message at the heart of Trump’s “America First” agenda. Speaking at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Hegseth said that a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders was unrealistic, and that the Trump administration does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution to the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion. Trump broadly backed Hegseth’s remarks on Thursday on NATO membership, saying, “I think probably that’s true,” because, he said, Putin would not allow Ukraine to join the military alliance. “I thought his comments were good yesterday, and they’re probably good today,” Trump said. Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican who leads the Pentagon’s main oversight committee in the Senate, had championed Hegseth’s nomination throughout a bruising confirmation review in which Democrats united against the nominee and three Republicans joined them, as questions were raised about Hegseth’s qualifications, temperament and views about women in combat. Asked whether he spent a lot of political capital getting Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News personality, confirmed, Wicker said: “I surely did, yes.” Republican Congressman Mike Turner said issues like the future of NATO membership for Ukraine should not be taken off the table. “We don’t need members of the Cabinet, President Trump’s Cabinet, to be defining those in the public,” Turner said Friday on CNN. Republican Congressman Don Bacon responded to Hegseth’s comments by saying that there should be moral clarity on who started the war. “There are consequences of rewarding the invader even if its leader foolishly led over 700,000 of its citizens to slaughter,” Bacon said on social media platform X. Uncle Sam or Uncle Sucker? Trump has played down any tensions. On Friday, he said he had not seen Wicker’s comments but would reach out to him and Hegseth. “Roger’s a very good friend of mine, and Pete is obviously, he’s been doing a great job,” Trump said. Hegseth, in what some analysts saw as walking back his remarks, clarified on Thursday that Trump was the one who … “US defense secretary’s Europe debut irks allies, wins Trump’s nod” →

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the creation of a unified European military force, saying the continent must be self-reliant amid a persistent threat from Russia and uncertainty about U.S. support — a situation he described as “this new reality.” “We must build the Armed Forces of Europe so that Europe’s future depends only on Europeans and decisions about Europe are made in Europe,” Zelenskyy said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 15. Amid concerns in Kyiv and Brussels that they could be sidelined in efforts to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, resulting in a deal favoring Moscow, he repeated that Ukraine and Europe must be involved in any negotiations. “Ukraine will never accept deals behind our backs without our involvement,” Zelenskyy said. “The same rule should apply to all of Europe. No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine — no decisions about Europe without Europe.” “We must act as Europe, not as some separate people,” Zelenskyy said. Speaking almost three years after Russia launched the full-scale invasion, he said he would “not take NATO membership for Ukraine off the table” and said Kyiv would not agree to any ceasefire without real security guarantees. “If not NATO membership, then conditions to build another NATO in Ukraine,” he said. He questioned the U.S. commitment to Europe, saying: “Does America need Europe? As a market, yes, as an ally — I don’t know.” Zelenskyy’s address came a day after meeting with top U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, who stressed the need for a “durable, lasting peace” in Ukraine in his speech to the conference on Feb. 14. Zelenskyy told Vance that Ukraine wants “security guarantees” from Washington before any negotiations with Russia on ending almost three years of war. The United States has sent mixed signals on its strategy, sparking worry in Kyiv that Ukraine could be forced into a bad deal that leaves Putin emboldened. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO defense ministers earlier this week that it’s “unrealistic” to expect Ukraine’s borders to return to their pre-2014 positions and said NATO membership is not seen by the White House as part of the solution to the conflict. Ukraine demands Russia withdraw from captured territory and says it must receive NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees to prevent Moscow from attacking again. Speaking in Warsaw on Feb. 14, he again warned that America’s European … “Zelenskyy calls for creation of ‘Armed Forces of Europe’” →

Ukraine would have a “very, very difficult” time surviving without U.S. military support to fend off Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a interview broadcast the night before he is scheduled to address the Munich Security Conference. “Probably it will be very, very, very difficult. And of course, you know in all the difficult situations, you have a chance,” he told NBC News. “But we will have low chance — low chance to survive without support of the United States.” Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine has increased its war production but not enough to make up for what it would lose if it did not have U.S. backing. Zelenskyy on Feb. 14 took part in a day of meetings and news briefings at the Munich Security Conference as efforts to seek a resolution to the war ramp up. The Ukrainian president is scheduled to deliver a speech on diplomacy and prospects for Ukraine’s future at the conference on Feb. 15. He will take the spotlight after meeting with top U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, who stressed the need for a “durable, lasting peace” in Ukraine in his speech to the conference on Feb. 14. Zelenskyy told Vance that Ukraine wants “security guarantees” from Washington before any negotiations with Russia on ending almost three years of war. Zelenskyy said in the interview that he doesn’t want to think about Ukraine not being a strategic partner of the United States because it would damage Ukrainian morale, but added, “We have to think about it.” The United States has sent mixed signals on its strategy, sparking worry in Kyiv that Ukraine could be forced into a bad deal that leaves Putin emboldened. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO defense ministers earlier this week that it’s “unrealistic” to expect Ukraine’s borders to return to their pre-2014 positions and said NATO membership is not seen by the White House as part of the solution to the conflict. Ukraine demands Russia withdraw from captured territory and says it must receive NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees to prevent Moscow from attacking again. Speaking in Warsaw on Feb. 14, he again warned that America’s European NATO partners would have to do far more for their own defense and to secure a future Ukraine peace. Hegseth also argued that you “don’t have to trust” President Vladimir Putin to negotiate with Russia. Two days earlier … “Ukraine would have ‘low chance to survive’ without US support, Zelenskyy says” →