Author: Mirits

DACHAU, GERMANY — U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited the Dachau concentration camp memorial on Thursday, walking the solemn halls with a group that included a Holocaust survivor once held at the site of so much suffering and mass murder and experiencing firsthand a powerful symbol of World War II. The tour came amid an ongoing war in Europe in which Vance is serving as a key conduit for the Trump administration. The vice president on Friday has critical talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the three-year Russia-Ukraine conflict. A light rain and sleet mix fell as the vice president and his wife, Usha Vance, spoke to a group of dignitaries near one of the concentration camp’s gates. The couple then listened intently to details about the camp from its director and other museum officials. Among those participating was Abba Naor, a Holocaust survivor who was held at Dachau. The second couple, holding hands, eventually moved inside and to a long concrete room in front of a large map plotting concentration camps. The area was Dachau’s administrative room. They next saw the intake room, where those interred arrived at the camp. It included a series of museum cases filled with personal belongings of those who were held there, like watches and government ID cards. “That’s where you started?” Vance said to Naor. Both Joe Biden, during the administration of President Barack Obama, and Mike Pence, in Trump’s first term, also visited the Dachau memorial as vice presidents. Vance laid a wreath with a red, white and blue ribbon stenciled with “We remember” and “United States of America” embossed in gold lettering at a large sculpture known as the International Monument. Inaugurated in 1968, the monument was designed by Nandor Glid, who was persecuted as a Jew by the Nazis in his home country Yugoslavia and joined the resistance to Nazi occupation forces. On Friday, Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are set to sit down with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. They’ll discuss Trump’s intensifying push for Ukraine and Russia to begin negotiations to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. Talk of the current conflict followed Vance getting a firsthand look at the memorial demonstrating Nazis’ World War II-era atrocities and the U.S. and Western allies’ slowness to take decisive action to confront Adolf Hitler and the rise of his violent nationalist ideology. … “Vance visits Dachau concentration camp ahead of Zelenskyy meeting” →

Ukraine and the United States are considering a crucial minerals deal at this week’s Munich Security Conference, according to officials from the two countries. After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the proposed agreement as a potential “long-term security shield” for Ukraine when its war with Russia comes to an end. Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had received the first draft of the agreement and expressed hope that a final deal could be reached in Munich. Ukraine aims to secure continued U.S. support as it tries to stand strong against the ongoing Russian invasion. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has stated his desire to strike a deal for Ukraine’s rare earth mineral resources in return for continued U.S. backing of the Ukrainian war effort. “I told them (Ukraine) that I want the equivalent [of] like $500 billion worth of rare earth,” Trump told Fox News in an interview aired Monday. Strategic resources in shifting global landscape Global competition for critical raw materials essential for industry has intensified in recent years. CRMs in demand include uranium, titanium, lithium, graphite, nickel and aluminum, as well as rare earth minerals used in an array of high-tech devices. Currently, China is the world’s top supplier of rare earth minerals. According to a recent World Economic Forum report, China supplies about 40% of the European Union’s demand for those resources. Other significant suppliers include Australia, South Africa, Canada and Brazil. The United States and the European Union have worked for years to reduce their reliance on China for the minerals. That’s where Ukraine comes in. The United States maintains a list of 50 critical raw materials, and Ukraine possesses at least 22 of the elements, according to Serhii Voitsehovskyi, a board member of Ukrainian mining investment company BGV. That includes significant deposits of rare earth materials, although the minerals are so far mostly untapped due to the war and a lack of sufficient geological data. Proven reserves include some of the world’s largest deposits of graphite, uranium, titanium and lithium — materials essential for many industries, including renewable energy and defense. “We have the largest lithium deposits in Europe and significant uranium reserves, which are becoming increasingly valuable as nuclear energy experiences a global resurgence,” Voitsehovskyi said. Roman Opimakh, former general director of the Ukrainian Geological Survey, said that the U.S. has become increasingly desperate for reliable sources of CRMs. … “Ukraine, US weigh critical minerals agreement” →

Northern Europe’s Baltic Sea is bordered by nations including Germany, Russia and Latvia. Many critical cables and pipelines cross the seafloor. But with tensions rising in the region, NATO is looking for ways to ensure all that infrastructure stays safe. Vladislavs Andrejevs has more in this story, narrated by Anna Rice. (Produced by: Vladislavs Andrejevs, Anna Rice ) …

Brussles — Thousands of Belgians took to the streets on Thursday in protest over the new government’s planned pension reforms in the first day of a multi-day strike that halted all air traffic in the country.  Brussels airport canceled 430 flights on Thursday, a spokesperson said, adding that the disruption to the air traffic sector would last just one day.  Protesters held signs with slogans such as “We’re not lemons,” and some displayed plaques featuring Latin phrases, a nod to new Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s tendency to include Latin quotes whenever possible.  The strike was also expected to disrupt public transport and postal services, with firefighters and military personnel joining the protests as well.  The planned pension reform rewards those who work past retirement age, with 35 years of service, while early retirees without 35 years, face a penalty. The new system is less favorable for lower-income earners compared to the previous one, which provided a lump sum based on career length.  Flemish nationalist Bart De Wever’s government was sworn in on Feb. 3, after eight months of negotiations that resulted in a five-party coalition including right-wing, centrist, and socialist party, Vooruit.   The socialist union had warned that a strike would be called if Vooruit joined the predominantly center-right government. …

BERLIN — A car was driven into a crowd in Munich, Germany on Thursday, injuring at least 28 people. Police said authorities detained the driver, and during the arrest fired a shot at the vehicle. They identified the suspect as a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker. The incident took place as members of a service workers’ union held a demonstration. Bavarian Governor Markus Soder told reporters that what happened appeared to be an attack. Authorities said several of the people hurt had serious injuries. The city is due to host the Munich Security Conference beginning Friday. Conference organizers issued a statement saying they were “deeply saddened” by the incident. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.   …

Ukrainian officials said Thursday a Russian drone attack injured one person and damaged port infrastructure in the southern region of Odesa. Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said the attack hit the Izmail area, which is located along the Danube River. Close to the same area, Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said Thursday its systems detected a drone crossing into Romanian airspace before going into Ukraine. The ministry said in a statement it “strongly condemns these attacks conducted by the Russian Federation against certain Ukrainian civilian infrastructure facilities and elements, which are unjustified and severely breaching the norms of international law.” Moldova, which shares borders with Ukraine and Romania in the same region, reported Thursday that two Russian drones exploded on its soil. Moldovan President Maia Sandu said the incident put the lives of people in her country as risk. “Russia respects no borders, attacks civilians, spreads terror,” Sandu said on X. “Its war on Ukraine is criminal. Leave us, peaceful nations, alone.” Ukraine’s military said Thursday it shot down 85 of the 140 total drones that Russian forces launched overnight. The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava and Sumy regions, the military said. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram that drone, artillery and missile attacks damaged 10 houses, along with a business, powerlines and a gas pipeline. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it destroyed 83 Ukrainian drones, mostly in regions along the Russia-Ukraine border. Nearly half of the drones were shot down over the Bryansk region, where an official said there were no reports of damage or casualties. Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said the attacks damaged several houses in his region. Some information for this report came from Reuters.  …

LONDON — Hundreds of world leaders and delegates are set to attend the Munich Security Conference in Germany this weekend, with conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo high on the agenda, alongside simmering tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. It’s the first major global summit for the new administration in Washington under President Donald Trump and comes amid speculation that his America First agenda could presage significant changes in U.S. foreign policy. US delegation The U.S. delegation includes Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “We are very happy that we will have a strong representation of both the administration of the new American government there, as well as representation from Congress,” said conference chairman Christoph Heusgen. “And so, the American point of view will also be presented on stage, as will the European point of view, and that of other regions. And then, and that is what Munich stands for, there will be a dialogue, a discussion about the many issues at hand,” Heusgen told Reuters. Vance is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich. Ukraine’s war against Russia’s full-scale invasion is about to enter its fourth year. Zelenskyy said this week he shared a “common vision” with the Trump administration. “Of course, there may be different opinions, but a common vision of the main things — of how to stop [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and how to give guarantees of security to Ukraine and Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Monday. ‘Unrealistic’ However, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that American troops would not be deployed to Ukraine following any ceasefire deal with Russia and ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv. He also described Ukraine’s hopes to return to its pre-2014 borders with Russia as unrealistic. “European allies must lead from the front,” Hegseth told reporters in Brussels following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. President Trump has made clear he wants a quick end to the war but it’s not clear how that might be achieved. Trump announced Wednesday he and Putin agreed in a phone call to “immediately” begin negotiations with Ukraine to bring an end to the nearly three-year-conflict. NATO allies Nevertheless, U.S. allies sense a change in tone from the president since his inauguration last month, said Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Reform, a London-based research group. “Though … “US allies seek clarity on Ukraine support at Munich Security Conference” →

Hundreds of world leaders and delegates are set to attend the Munich Security Conference this weekend — with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and simmering tensions in the Indo-Pacific, on the agenda. As Henry Ridgwell reports, all eyes will be on the approach of the U.S. delegation under the new administration of President Donald Trump. …

Multiple NATO allies expressed support Thursday for boosting defense spending, while highlighting the need for Ukraine and other European nations to be a part of any negotiated end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The comments came as NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels for a meeting focused on defense spending targets, boosting industrial capacity and support for Ukraine. The meeting is taking place amid a U.S. push for NATO allies to commit more of their domestic budgets to defense, and with U.S. President Donald Trump signaling he will soon hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine. And Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks,” British Defense Secretary John Healey told reporters just ahead of the ministerial. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Ukraine’s potential membership in NATO and whether it should concede any territory should not be decided before peace talks start. Pistorius told reporters he regretted what he called concessions made by the United States ahead of any potential negotiations, referencing comments Wednesday by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who said Ukraine keeping its pre-invasion boundaries is an “unrealistic objective.” Hegseth advocated for a negotiated end to the war with security guarantees backed by European and non-European troops that are deployed under a non-NATO mission. He ruled out deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine. Luxembourg’s Defense Minister Yuriko Backes told reporters Thursday that all allies need to continue to support Ukraine. “There are talks about peace plans. Nothing about Ukraine should be decided without Ukraine at the table. Nothing about European security should be decided without Europeans at the table,” Backes said. Hegseth said Thursday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “is an urgent, real threat to the continent” and should be a “wake-up call when it comes to defense spending.” He said targets of allies spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense is not enough, and that pushing higher – even as much as 5% — is “critical.” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reiterated his support for higher defense spending. “It’s only fair, it’s only sensible,” he told reporters Thursday. Rutte said NATO allies are also not producing enough in terms of military production, saying alliance members need to get more output from their huge industrial base in order to keep up with China, Russia and others. Following Thursday’s NATO ministerial, Hegseth heads to Poland for what … “NATO defense ministers to discuss military spending, Ukraine aid” →

Russia occupies and uses Europe’s largest nuclear power plant for military demands. Moscow continues attacks on Ukraine electric stations that keep country’s nuclear power plants running. …

Russia occupies and uses Europe’s largest nuclear power plant for military demands. Moscow continues attacks on Ukraine electric stations that keep country’s nuclear power plants running. …

Following a successful prisoner swap with Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump launched a multifront diplomatic blitz Wednesday to end the Ukraine conflict, saying he would meet with Russia’s leader soon and dispatching a vice president-led team to meet with Ukraine’s leader on Friday. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell catches up on the latest, from Washington. …

Following a successful prisoner swap with Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump launched a multifront diplomatic blitz Wednesday to end the Ukraine conflict, saying he would meet with Russia’s leader soon and dispatching a vice president-led team to meet with Ukraine’s leader on Friday. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell catches up on the latest, from Washington. …

Talks in Austria to form a coalition government with the far-right Freedom Party and the conservative People’s Party collapsed Wednesday after the two sides failed to agree on disputed policy points. The coalition talks were the latest in a series of negotiations that have failed since parliamentary elections were held in September. Herbert Kickl’s Freedom Party, with its anti-immigration platform and opposition to the European Union’s support of Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, took almost 29% of the vote, pushing then-Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s People’s Party into second place. However, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen did not give the Freedom Party leader the mandate to form a coalition government until January, after attempts to form a coalition bloc without Kickl’s party failed.   There has not been a far-right leading party in Austria’s government since World War II. The president said Wednesday in a nationally televised address that Austria now has four options to move out of its political dilemma. He said a snap election, which would take at least three months to mount, could be held, or a minority government could lead Austria. Another option is for Austrian politicians to engage in talks once again to form a coalition with a majority. The fourth option, the president said, would be for a temporary government of experts to take on the job of leading Austria.   Van der Bellen said he will soon discuss the options with fellow politicians to determine which “could be successful, as quickly as possible, for as long as necessary.” The president also called on the political parties to engage in the spirit of compromise during their negotiations, something he said he felt was missing. Analysts thought the far-right and conservative parties could form a coalition, but challenges emerged during their discussions, including policy differences and ministry assignments. Kickl said in a letter to the president that there was no point in negotiating with the center-left Social Democrats, the only other party with which the Freedom Party could reach a parliamentary majority.  “I do not take this step without regret,” Kickl said in the letter. “Austria has no time to waste.” Some information provided by Reuters and the Associated Press.     …

Talks in Austria to form a coalition government with the far-right Freedom Party and the conservative People’s Party collapsed Wednesday after the two sides failed to agree on disputed policy points. The coalition talks were the latest in a series of negotiations that have failed since parliamentary elections were held in September. Herbert Kickl’s Freedom Party, with its anti-immigration platform and opposition to the European Union’s support of Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, took almost 29% of the vote, pushing then-Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s People’s Party into second place. However, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen did not give the Freedom Party leader the mandate to form a coalition government until January, after attempts to form a coalition bloc without Kickl’s party failed.   There has not been a far-right leading party in Austria’s government since World War II. The president said Wednesday in a nationally televised address that Austria now has four options to move out of its political dilemma. He said a snap election, which would take at least three months to mount, could be held, or a minority government could lead Austria. Another option is for Austrian politicians to engage in talks once again to form a coalition with a majority. The fourth option, the president said, would be for a temporary government of experts to take on the job of leading Austria.   Van der Bellen said he will soon discuss the options with fellow politicians to determine which “could be successful, as quickly as possible, for as long as necessary.” The president also called on the political parties to engage in the spirit of compromise during their negotiations, something he said he felt was missing. Analysts thought the far-right and conservative parties could form a coalition, but challenges emerged during their discussions, including policy differences and ministry assignments. Kickl said in a letter to the president that there was no point in negotiating with the center-left Social Democrats, the only other party with which the Freedom Party could reach a parliamentary majority.  “I do not take this step without regret,” Kickl said in the letter. “Austria has no time to waste.” Some information provided by Reuters and the Associated Press.     …

KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday accused each other of blocking the rotation of staff from the International Atomic Energy Agency at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.  Moscow’s troops seized the facility, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, in the first days of its invasion of Ukraine. Both sides have repeatedly accused the other of risking a potentially devastating nuclear disaster by attacking the site.  Staff from the U.N. nuclear watchdog have been based there since September 2022 to monitor nuclear safety.  Fighting meant the IAEA staff could not be swapped out as part of a planned rotation on Wednesday, the second such delay in a week, both Kyiv and Moscow said, trading blame for the incident.  Inspectors spend around five weeks at the plant in stints before being swapped out in a complex procedure that involves traveling across the front line under supervision from the Russian and Ukrainian militaries.  Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy accused Russia’s army of opening fire near where the planned rotation was taking place, saying Moscow’s goal was to force the IAEA team to travel through Russian-controlled territory and “violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”  Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Ukrainian army blocked the IAEA team from traveling to an agreed meeting point and were attacking the area with drones, at which point the Russian military withdrew its support team and returned to the station.  “On their return, the convoy carrying Russian military personnel and IAEA experts … came under attack by drone and mortar strikes,” Zakharova said in a statement.  The IAEA staff members were supposed to leave the station on Feb. 5 in a rotation that was also delayed.  IAEA head Rafael Grossi was in both Ukraine and Russia last week, where he discussed the issue of rotations with officials from both countries. …

Pakistan rolls out the red carpet Wednesday for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish leader will jointly hold the 7th session of the Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during his brief visit ending Thursday. VOA Pakistan bureau chief Sarah Zaman reports on key topics of discussion. …

WASHINGTON — A journalist with VOA’s sister outlet, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was released from Belarus on Wednesday, after spending more than three years imprisoned in a case that was widely viewed as politically motivated. Andrey Kuznechyk, a journalist with RFE/RL’s Belarus service, was released from Belarus on Wednesday, the U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, said. Two other individuals were also released, including a U.S. citizen, but Boehler did not specify their identities. RFE/RL President Stephen Capus welcomed Kuznechyk’s release and thanked President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Lithuanian government for their help in securing the reporter’s release. “This is a joyous day for Andrey, his wife, and their two young children. After more than three years apart, this family is together again thanks to President Trump. We are also grateful to Secretary Rubio and his team, and to the Lithuanian government for their support,” Capus said in a statement. Boehler said that the release was unilateral, meaning no one was swapped with Belarus in exchange for the prisoners. Boehler attributed the release to Trump’s commitment to securing the freedom of wrongfully detailed Americans abroad. “He has made bringing Americans home a top priority,” Boehler said. “The smartest thing you can do to curry favor with the president of the United States is bring Americans home.” Kuznechyk had been jailed since November 2021. He was initially sentenced to 10 days in jail on hooliganism charges, which he rejected. When Kuznechyk was due to be released, authorities kept him in prison and added an additional charge of creating an extremist group. In a trial that lasted only one day, a regional court found Kuznechyk guilty in June 2022 and sentenced him to six years in prison. RFE/RL and the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees RFE/RL and VOA, consistently rejected the charges against Kuznechyk and called for his release. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the prisoners’ release from Belarus “a remarkable victory.” Natalia Belikova, head of international cooperation at Press Club Belarus, celebrated the news of Kuznechyk’s release.  “I could hardly believe it,” Belikova told VOA.  It’s rare for journalists to be released early from prison in Belarus, according to Belikova.   “My joy at Andrey’s release is marred by the fact that 40 journalists are still behind bars in Belarus, many serving lengthy sentences,” she added. “Everyone, no matter where … “RFE/RL journalist released from Belarus jail” →

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO military allies on Wednesday that Ukraine’s hoped-for return to its 2014 borders is an “unrealistic objective,” and that the United States does not believe that Kyiv membership in NATO is a “realistic outcome” of a negotiated end to Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine. Speaking in Brussels at NATO headquarters, Hegseth told his fellow defense chiefs, “We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.” No peace talks have been scheduled, but Hegseth said any durable conclusion to the war must include “robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again.” “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” he said, which would invoke the military alliance’s mutual defense provision among NATO’s 32 member nations that requires each of them to help defend each other when they are attacked.   Kyiv has long sought NATO membership, and the alliance’s other member nations have said they are committed to it, but not while the war rages on.   Instead, Hegseth said security guarantees for Ukraine should be backed by “capable European and non-European troops.” “If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission, and they should not be covered under Article 5,” he said, referring to the alliance’s mutual defense clause. Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, supported pro-Russian separatists fighting against Kyiv’s forces in eastern Ukraine in the ensuing years and then launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. It now controls about 20% of Ukraine’s pre-2014 territory. Before taking office to begin his second term in the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict even before being inaugurated. More recently, his aides say he hopes for a peace pact in the first 100 days of his new term, roughly by the end of April. Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. was Ukraine’s biggest military benefactor. Trump has often voiced skepticism of continued U.S. support, refusing to say at a political debate last year that he wanted Ukraine to win the war. Now Trump appears intent on getting Europe to … “US defense chief: Return to Ukraine’s 2014 borders ‘unrealistic’” →

STATE DEPARTMENT — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to depart Thursday for Munich and later this week will visit the Middle East amid an intensive diplomatic push to end Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, as well as efforts to follow up on U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for the post-war Gaza Strip.  Preparations are also underway for Rubio to hold talks with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, according to people familiar with the plan who spoke with VOA on condition of anonymity.  If the meeting takes place as expected, it would be the first U.S.-Japan-South Korea foreign ministerial trilateral under the Trump administration.  Ukraine  As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches its third year, the U.S. is pursuing multiple diplomatic avenues to secure a peace deal.  Although not directly linked to efforts to secure a peace deal, U.S. officials have described Russia’s Tuesday release of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel as “a show of good faith from the Russians” and “a sign that we are moving in the right direction to end” the brutal war in Ukraine.  Rubio has said that the U.S. will reaffirm its determination to end the war during meetings at the Munich Security Conference, a high-profile international security forum running from Feb. 14 to 16.    U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to hold in-person talks in Munich. U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg and Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, will also attend the conference.  Ukraine has said that its delegation will present its position on ending the war and outline its vision for achieving a lasting peace. Meanwhile, negotiations are in progress as Ukraine seeks security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe.  Ukraine is willing to offer U.S. companies lucrative reconstruction contracts, Zelenskyy told The Guardian newspaper in an interview this week. He also said that if Trump manages to bring him and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, he would offer a land swap: Ukrainian-occupied territory in Kursk in exchange for Russian-held land in Ukraine.  Rare earth minerals  Trump has expressed interest in making continued military aid conditional on access to Ukraine’s raw materials.  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Kyiv on Wednesday for talks on energy and rare earth minerals. He is the first cabinet-level official in the Trump administration to visit the country.  … “Rubio heads to Munich amid diplomatic push for Ukraine peace deal” →

Ukrainian forces are trying to slow down an ongoing Russian advance toward the city of Pokrovsk in Eastern Ukraine’s Dontesk region. The Ukrainian government has been evacuating civilians from the region, but constant shelling is making it dangerous. Kateryna Besedina has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. (Camera: Artyom Kokhan, Anna Rice)   …

Ukrainian officials said Wednesday Russian forces launched overnight attacks involving ballistic missiles and more than 120 drones, killing at least one person in Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that three other people also were injured as a result of the attacks. Kyiv emergency services reported fires and other damage at buildings in four districts in the city. Ukraine’s military said missiles also targeted the city of Kryvyi Rih, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The regional governor, Serhiy Lysak, said on Telegram that Russian attacks damaged a school, hotel, administrative building and three apartment buildings. Ukrainian air defenses shot down six missiles and 71 of the 123 drones that Russian forces deployed, the Ukrainian air force said. Drone intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy and Zhytomyr regions. “Putin is not preparing for peace – he continues to kill Ukrainians and destroy cities,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app. “Right now, we need the unity and support of all our partners in the fight for a just end to this war.” Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it shot down three Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region. …

Russia’s emergency services said on Wednesday that it had rescued all 139 fishermen stranded on an ice floe drifting in the Sea of Okhotsk in the Western Pacific. Earlier, the ministry said that about 300 were stranded and that some of them refused “to leave without a catch, under any circumstances.” The ministry posted several videos from the rescue operation, including one showing fishermen walking on snowy ice away from the rescuers. But later the ministry said on the Telegram messaging service that a rescue operation involving helicopters and vessels had brought all 139 stranded people ashore. It was unclear why so many fishermen had gathered at the location in Russia’s Sakhalin region. Traditionally, the Sakhalin winter fishing season begins in early February with a period of active biting until April. About a 10-meter ice crack formed from the Russian village of Malki to the mouth of the Dolinka River in the Sakhalin region, setting the fishermen adrift in the Sea of Okhotsk, the ministry said earlier. Winters in the Sakhalin region in Russia’s Far East, which comprises the Sakhalin Island and the chain of the Kuril Islands, are cold, snowy and long, often lasting more than five months. …

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed American teacher Marc Fogel to the White House late Tuesday after Fogel was freed from Russia where he had been detained since August 2021 for bringing medically prescribed marijuana into the country. “I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” Fogel said as he stood next to Trump. Fogel praised the president, U.S. diplomats and lawmakers for working to secure his release. “I am in awe of what they all did,” Fogel said. Trump said he appreciated what Russia did in letting Fogel go home but declined to specify the details of any agreement with Russia beyond calling it “very fair” and very reasonable.” Trump also said another hostage release would be announced Wednesday. Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, said earlier Tuesday the United States and Russia “negotiated an exchange” to free Fogel but gave no details about what the U.S. side of the bargain entailed. In such deals in recent years, the U.S. has often released Russian prisoners that Moscow wanted in exchange.  Instead, Waltz cast the deal for Fogel’s release in broader geopolitical terms, saying it was “a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine,” an invasion Russia launched against its neighbor in February 2022, with hundreds of thousands killed or wounded on both sides.  Trump had vowed to broker an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine before taking office Jan. 20, but his aides more recently have said he hopes to do it within the first 100 days of his new administration, roughly by the end of April.  “Since President Trump’s swearing-in, he has successfully secured the release of Americans detained around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans being held are returned to the United States,” Waltz said. The recent release of six Americans held in Venezuela and Fogel’s freeing are the only publicly known instances.  Fogel had been traveling with a small amount of medically prescribed marijuana to treat back pain. Once convicted by a Russian court, he began serving his 14-year sentence in June 2022, with the outgoing administration of former President Joe Biden late last year classifying him as wrongfully detained. …

The U.S. State Department has determined that dual U.S.-Russian national Ksenia Karelina, also known as Ksenia Khavana, was wrongfully detained in Russia. Karelina was jailed by a Russian court for 12 years for donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity. The new determination will enable U.S. authorities to operate more actively in securing her release. Karelina’s civil partner remains optimistic that efforts by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will eventually get her out of the Russian prison in which she is being held. Click here for the full story in Russian.   …

The 27-nation European Union and Canada quickly vowed Tuesday to stand firm against U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to impose 25% tariffs on their steel and aluminum exports, verbal sparring that could lead to a full-blown trade war between the traditionally allied nations. “The EU will act to safeguard its economic interests,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “Tariffs are taxes — bad for business, worse for consumers. “Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered — they will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures,” she said. Trump said the steel and aluminum tariffs would take effect on March 12. In response, EU officials said they could target such U.S. products as bourbon, jeans, peanut butter and motorcycles, much of it produced in Republican states that supported Trump in his election victory. The EU scheduled a first emergency video on Wednesday to shape the bloc’s response. Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland, which holds the EU presidency, said it was “important that everyone sticks together. Difficult times require such full solidarity.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a conference on artificial intelligence in Paris that Trump’s steel and aluminum levy would be “entirely unjustified,” and that “Canadians will resist strongly and firmly if necessary.” Von der Leyen is meeting Tuesday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Paris, where they are expected to discuss Trump’s tariff orders. “We will protect our workers, businesses and consumers,” she said in advance of the meeting. Trump imposed the steel and aluminum tariff to boost the fortunes of U.S. producers. “It’s a big deal,” he said. “This is the beginning of making America rich again.” Billionaire financier Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee to lead the Commerce Department, said the tariff on the imports could bring back 120,000 U.S. jobs. As he watched Trump sign an executive order, Lutnick said, “You are the president who is standing up for the American steelworker, and I am just tremendously impressed and delighted to stand next to you.” Trump’s proclamations raised the rate on aluminum imports to 25% from the previous 10% that he imposed in 2018 to aid the struggling sector. And he restored a 25% tariff on millions of tons of steel and aluminum imports. South Korea — the fourth-biggest steel exporter to the United States, following Canada, Brazil and Mexico — also vowed to protect its companies’ interests but did … “EU, Canada vow to stand firm against Trump’s tariffs on metals” →