After eight hours of talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian delegation agrees to complete ceasefire with US intelligence and military support immediately restored, while massive drone strike hits Moscow and Russian forces advance in Kursk
Summary of the Day – March 11, 2025
In a significant diplomatic shift, Ukraine announced its acceptance of a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire applying to the entire front line as well as air and sea operations, contingent on Russia also adhering to the terms. This development emerged during high-stakes negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where the United States also agreed to immediately restore military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after its recent suspension. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared “the ball is in Russia’s court,” while President Donald Trump indicated he may speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week about the proposal.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces conducted their most extensive drone strike of the war against Moscow overnight, targeting critical oil infrastructure, including the Moscow Oil Refinery and a key Druzhba pipeline facility. Russia claimed to have shot down over 330 drones across ten regions, with Moscow Oblast alone reportedly intercepting 91 unmanned aerial vehicles. Militarily, Russian forces continued their offensive in Kursk Oblast, claiming to have recaptured twelve settlements and approximately 100 square kilometers of territory previously held by Ukrainian troops since their August incursion.
A fire following a strike on the outskirts of Odesa, Ukraine’s southern port city. (Oleksandr Gimanov / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine Accepts 30-Day Ceasefire Proposal If Russia Complies
Kyiv is ready to accept Washington’s proposal to immediately implement a temporary, 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement, the Presidential Office announced on March 11 after talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine emphasized that it will take this step only if Russia adheres to the same terms.
“Ukrainian proposal for this meeting with the Americans was three things: ceasefire in the sky — missiles, bombs, long-range drones — and ceasefire at sea, as well as measures to establish trust to this process, first of all – the release of prisoners,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said following the meeting.
“And today, there was a proposal from the American side to take the first step right away and attempt to establish a complete ceasefire for 30 days, not only regarding missiles, drones, and bombs, not only in the Black Sea but also along the entire front line,” Zelensky explained. “Ukraine accepts this proposal.” He added that the U.S. “must convince Russia” to abide by it.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak (C) attends the meeting between the Ukrainian and US delegations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss issues related to ending the Russian-Ukrainian war. (Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
During the talks, the Ukrainian delegation had initially proposed implementing a partial truce in the sky and at sea, while the U.S. side wanted “to try to do more,” according to a source close to the Presidential Office. Russia’s stance toward any ceasefire remains unclear, as Moscow has repeatedly rejected freezing hostilities along the current front line, believing it has the upper hand on the battlefield.
“Within a certain period of time, we will prepare a final agreement on how to end the war. Now, the discussions concern only the first steps,” the source said, indicating a potentially lengthy path to a comprehensive settlement.
US Immediately Lifts Freeze on Military Aid and Intelligence Sharing
The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine, Ukraine’s Presidential Office announced on March 11 following the productive talks in Jeddah. This marks a significant reversal after the Trump administration suspended all military aid and intelligence following a heated White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump on February 28.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (R) speak with the media following meetings with a Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Saul Loeb/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz confirmed during a joint press conference that Washington will continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program. The resumption of support comes after numerous figures, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, criticized the freeze, with Graham noting that pulling aid from Ukraine in the midst of Russia’s war would “be worse than Afghanistan.”
A source close to the Ukrainian government told CNN that the United States fully restored intelligence sharing to Ukraine on March 11, while Ukrainian Presidential Office Deputy Head Pavlo Palisa confirmed that the flow of military assistance has already resumed.
The delegations also discussed humanitarian efforts essential to the peace process, including prisoner exchanges, the release of detained civilians, and the return of forcibly displaced Ukrainian children to Ukraine. Both sides agreed to determine the composition of their negotiating teams to begin further negotiations toward a sustainable peace that will ensure Ukraine’s long-term security.
Trump: “Ball Is in Putin’s Court” as Peace Effort Accelerates
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed Ukraine’s agreement to the proposed 30-day ceasefire as a significant step forward to a “total ceasefire,” and indicated he would likely speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week to advance the peace process.
“Now we have to go to Russia and hopefully President Putin will agree to that also. And we can get this show on the road,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It takes two for tango, as I have already said, so I hope he (Putin) will also agree as well, and I really think that would be 75% of the way, the rest is getting it documented.”
Trump confirmed that U.S. officials would meet with Russian representatives in the coming days, adding: “Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it. We’re going to meet with them later on, today and tomorrow, and hopefully, we’ll be able to wipe out a deal. But I think the ceasefire is very important. If we can get Russia to do it, that’ll be great. If we can’t, we just keep going on, and people are going to get killed, lots of people.”
The president also revealed that Zelensky would be welcome back to the White House despite their contentious meeting last month. Indicating a softer stance, Trump said “sure” when asked if the Ukrainian leader would be invited again.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the ceasefire proposal puts responsibility on Moscow: “The ball is in their court,” he said during the press conference in Jeddah. “If they reject it, then we’ll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is to peace here.”
Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Strike on Moscow Oil Infrastructure and Druzhba Pipeline
Ukrainian forces conducted their most extensive drone strike of the war against Russia overnight on March 10-11, successfully targeting the Moscow Oil Refinery and a Druzhba oil pipeline facility in Oryol Oblast, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. The operation, carried out by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces in cooperation with the Security Service (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR), “struck a number of strategic objects enabling armed aggression against Ukraine.”
Multiple hits were recorded at the Moscow Oil Refinery, which processes 11 million metric tons of oil per year and provides 40-50% of Moscow’s gasoline and diesel supplies. Explosions were also reported at the Stalnoy Kon fuel facility in Oryol Oblast, a key part of the Druzhba oil pipeline infrastructure that ensures oil supplies to the Ust-Luga port in Leningrad Oblast, located approximately 170 kilometers (100 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces intercepted a massive strike of 337 Ukrainian drones across ten regions, including 91 over Moscow Oblast, 126 over Kursk Oblast, 38 over Bryansk Oblast, and eight over Oryol Oblast. If confirmed, this would mark Ukraine’s most extensive drone attack against Moscow throughout the full-scale war. Russian officials reported three people killed and 18 wounded by drone debris, while claiming civilian sites were damaged across Moscow Oblast.
The Ukrainian military stated it has “detailed information about the strategic facilities” enabling Russian aggression and “adheres to the norms of international humanitarian law and takes measures to protect the civilian population as much as possible.”
The attack had immediate economic consequences, disrupting oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed: “Due to the drone attack last night, crude shipments had to be suspended on the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary.” Russian officials told Szijjarto that work was underway to restore service by evening. The Hungarian minister called on Ukraine to refrain from attacking energy infrastructure supplying his country, stating that “Hungary’s energy supply is a matter of sovereignty.”
Russia Claims to Recapture 12 Settlements in Kursk Offensive
Russian forces have recaptured 12 settlements and 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) in Kursk Oblast previously held by Ukrainian troops, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on March 11. The statement follows Moscow’s recent offensive in the Russian border region, reportedly achieving a breakthrough south of the key town of Sudzha in an effort to encircle the Ukrainian salient.
Russia claims to have recaptured the settlements of Agronom, Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Dmitryukov, Zazulevka, Ivashkovsky, Kolmakov, Kubatkin, Martynovka, Mikhailovka, Pravda, and Yuzhny in recent military operations. The DeepState monitoring group confirmed significant territorial losses on Ukraine’s part in Kursk Oblast since Russia launched its offensive last week.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov visited a command post in Kursk Oblast on March 11, where he heard reports from Kursk Grouping of Forces commander Colonel General Valery Solodchuk and other Russian commanders about operations in the area. Russian forces have also continued conducting raids along the Sumy-Kursk oblast international border.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, claimed that there is currently no threat of encirclement as Ukrainian troops are moving to “favorable defense lines.” Syrskyi added that some of the settlements Russia claims to have retaken “no longer exist” as they have been destroyed by Russian fire and noted that he had decided to reinforce Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast with “the necessary forces and means,” including electronic warfare and drones.
Putin “Unwilling to Compromise” Despite Peace Talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unwilling to compromise in peace talks, complicating U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a settlement, Bloomberg reported on March 10, citing undisclosed Western security officials.
According to the report, Putin has deliberately set “maximalist” demands on territory, peacekeepers, and Ukraine’s neutrality, knowing they will likely be unacceptable to Kyiv and European nations. In June 2024, Putin insisted Ukraine must withdraw from the four partially occupied regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — as a precondition for negotiations.
Despite Trump’s claim on February 24 that Putin would allow European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a deal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has rejected the idea. Western officials believe Putin is prepared to continue the war if his conditions are not met, raising doubts about his seriousness regarding a settlement.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed these claims in a comment for Bloomberg, insisting that Russia remains open to diplomatic negotiations. “Russia is open for peace efforts and prefers to reach our goals through peaceful and diplomatic means,” he told the outlet.
Russian reactions to the 30-day ceasefire proposal have been negative among ultranationalists. Russian milbloggers rejected the proposal, claiming the United States and Ukraine will “abandon” peace “at the first opportunity” and that the war in Ukraine is “existential” for Russia. One blogger claimed that accepting the ceasefire would be “pure betrayal and sabotage,” while Russian State Duma Deputy Viktor Sobolev stated that Russia should not agree to the “unacceptable” proposal because it would allow Ukraine to rearm and regroup.
Macron Urges “Credible Security Guarantees” for Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron urged European and NATO military leaders on March 11 to develop a concrete plan for “credible security guarantees” for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. Speaking at a closed-door meeting in Paris with military chiefs from more than 30 allied nations, Macron emphasized that Europe must “throw its full weight behind Ukraine, and itself.”
His appeal followed Ukraine’s endorsement of the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire. The meeting included representatives from 34 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, but no U.S. officials were present.
Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer have taken the lead in forming a “coalition of the willing” to enforce an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine. The French presidency reported that military leaders from European and NATO countries, including the U.K. and Turkey, agreed that security guarantees for Ukraine “should not be separated from NATO and its capabilities.”
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu underscored the importance of planning for Ukraine’s future military needs, adding that: “We will reject any form of demilitarization of Ukraine.”
Following the military chiefs’ meeting, defense ministers from Europe’s five largest military powers—France, the U.K., Germany, Italy, and Poland—are set to gather in Paris on March 12. EU and NATO representatives, as well as Ukraine’s defense minister, will also take part in discussions focused on “the necessary rearmament of Europe” and continued military support for Kyiv.
European Leaders Welcome Ceasefire Proposal and Peace Effort
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the results of Ukraine’s talks with the U.S. in Jeddah and reaffirmed the EU’s support for the peace initiative. She praised the resumption of U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing, as well as the initiation of a peace agreement proposal.
“This is a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” von der Leyen said on social media. She added that the EU is looking forward to participating in the negotiation process: “The EU is ready to play its full part, together with its partners, in the upcoming peace negotiations.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the U.S.-led effort “a remarkable breakthrough,” while his office pushed back against U.S. President Trump’s assertion that Ukraine “may not survive” the war against Russia. “We’ve always said that Ukraine, at the other end of this process, must emerge as a sovereign territory,” Starmer’s spokesperson said.
In Poland, Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that the country is prepared to resume the transport of American aid to Ukraine through its territory. “We are fully prepared to resume American support,” the minister said, expressing readiness to activate Poland’s Jasionka hub with full operational capabilities for American support.
Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that, after several days of stalled negotiations, a return to talks represented a crucial and positive step. He added that Trump could now test whether Russia’s previous declarations were genuine or merely an attempt to undermine Western unity and solidarity with Ukraine.
Russian Artillery Kills Four, Including Children, in Donetsk Oblast
Russian troops launched a series of attacks on March 11 against Donetsk Oblast, killing at least four civilians and injuring five, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. Two brothers, aged 11 and 13, were among those killed in the attacks. Additionally, two women, aged 51 and 57, died of severe injuries.
Russian forces used FPV drones, artillery, and bombs to carry out the attacks in multiple settlements and cities of Donetsk Oblast, including Rivne village, Molocharska village, Pokrovsk, and Rodynske. Some of the injured civilians are in serious condition, including a 14-year-old child. Multiple victims suffered from head and neck wounds.
“I say this every day: evacuate!” Filashkin wrote on Telegram. “And every day I am forced to write tragic reports about more deaths. Parents, even if you don’t care about yourselves, at least save your children! Their lives are your responsibility!”
The aftermath of Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast. (Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, Telegram)
Aftermath of a Russian attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast. (Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov / Telegram)
Across Ukraine, Russian attacks killed at least one person and injured 17 others over the past day. Ukraine’s Air Force intercepted 79 of the 126 Russian drones launched overnight, including Shahed-type attack drones, as well as one Iskander-M ballistic missile. Russian forces have regularly targeted settlements in Donetsk Oblast with artillery and airstrikes, often resulting in civilian casualties.
JD Vance Responds to Cousin Fighting for Ukraine: “No Interest in Arguing in Public”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance responded to his older cousin Nate Vance’s criticism, calling Nate “the toughest guy [he] knew” but claimed that Nate did not reach out to him via their family members.
Nate Vance, a 47-year-old former US Marine, fought for nearly three years as a member of Ukraine’s “Da Vinci Wolves” elite infantry unit. He criticized JD Vance’s stance on Ukraine in a recent interview with French outlet La Figaro, particularly regarding the infamous White House meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump – with JD Vance accusing Zelensky of being ungrateful for US support – that Nate called “an ambush of absolute bad faith.”
“JD is a good guy, intelligent… When he criticized aid to Ukraine, I told myself that it was because he had to please a certain electorate, that it was the game of politics. But what they did to Zelensky was an ambush of absolute bad faith,” he said.
Addressing Nate’s criticism in a recent interview with Fox News, the vice president said he has “always considered Nate the toughest guy [he] knew” and that he was “always happy to talk to him.” However, JD Vance said he has “no interest in arguing with [Nate Vance] in public” and questioned why Nate Vance did not try to reach out via mutual family members to share his first-hand account of what he witnessed in Ukraine.
“As far as his criticisms, I have no interest in arguing with him in public, but I do feel the need to address one issue in particular: His failed effort to contact me. I am unsure why Nate felt the need to reach out to my Senate office, rather than to his mom, dad, or sister, all of whom I am in contact with regularly,” JD Vance said. The vice president also said he has thus far not commented on Nate Vance because he “didn’t want to endanger his life more than it already was.”
Two-Thirds of Ukrainians See Russia’s Goal as Genocide, Poll Shows
The vast majority of Ukrainians – 66% – see Russia as an existential threat, believing Russia’s goal in the war is to commit physical genocide of Ukrainians, seize all or most of Ukraine’s territory, and destroy Ukraine as a nation, according to a new poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
A total of 87% of all Ukrainians said Russia does not want to stop at the Ukrainian territories it already occupied from 2014-2024. In western and central Ukraine, which are further from the front line, 89-90% of Ukrainians support this statement, and 80% in the eastern and southern regions, the survey says.
“Our surveys show that the higher threat Ukrainians perceive, the more they are willing to continue the resistance and reject unacceptable demands,” KIIS wrote. More citizens of Ukraine in the west (70%), in the center (68%) and in the south (62%) are convinced that Russia wants to commit physical genocide or destroy Ukrainian statehood and the nation. In the east, 46% of respondents shared this point of view.
According to the same polling organization, 47.1% of Ukrainians consider it “completely unacceptable” to agree to territorial concessions and give up on NATO membership as a prerequisite to ending the war. Only 8.2% said they would “easily agree” to this scenario, while 38.1% of respondents called this option difficult but “generally acceptable.”
“Nowadays, one can often hear the statement of G. Meir, ‘You cannot negotiate with someone who has come to kill you.’ For the average Ukrainian, these words fully reflect the realities of the brutal war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for many years under false pretenses,” said Anton Hrushetskyi, deputy head of KIIS.
Ukrainian Soldier on Vacation Saves Stabbing Victim in Venice
A Ukrainian soldier on leave provided first aid to a victim of a stabbing attack in Venice on March 10, saving his life, according to the soldier’s testimony and Italian media reports.
The incident occurred at 4:37 p.m. when a young man of North African origin was stabbed after getting into an altercation with another man in Venice’s historical center, the Corriere del Veneto newspaper reported. The injured man began bleeding profusely and collapsed, while the assailant fled the scene.
The vacationing Ukrainian soldier who was passing by aided the victim while other bystanders alerted the authorities. “The boy was lucky that I was nearby with a first aid kit and tourniquets. Otherwise, the s**t would have leaked out by the time the ambulance arrived,” the soldier, who goes by the name Kapitan (Captain) Dvizhukha on social media, wrote.
The identity of the victim and the attacker or the motivation behind the attack remain unclear, but the quick actions of the Ukrainian servicemember highlights the medical training that many Ukrainian soldiers have received during the ongoing war.
Slovak “Ammunition for Ukraine” Initiative Raises €600,000
The Slovak “Ammunition for Ukraine” fundraiser raised €600,000 ($654,436) to purchase ammunition for the Ukrainian army, its organizers reported. The freshly collected funds are the third round since the organization started raising funds in April 2024.
From April 2024 to March 2025, Ammunition for Ukraine reported that it raised some €5 million. “Over 75,000 donors in ammunition fundraisers from Slovakia, Czech Republic, and also from other countries of the world, also supporters and influencers understand the situation and we believe will continue to help,” Ammunition for Ukraine PR representative Sergio Danilov told Kyiv Post.
So far, Ammunition for Ukraine has already delivered 2,700 122mm artillery shells and 5,500 grenades for grenade launchers. The Slovaks set up the fundraiser “Ammunition for Ukraine – If not the government, we will send it” in response to Bratislava’s cessation of military aid to Ukraine, which happened following the election of Prime Minister Robert Fico, who took power in 2023.
Otto Šimko, a 100-year-old Slovak partisan who fought against Nazis in the Slovak National Uprising in 1944, serves as the ambassador for the ammunition fundraiser. “This is proof that there is still a feeling in Slovakia that Ukraine needs to be helped because it is also about us,” Šimko is quoted in an Ammunition for Ukraine press release.
The initiative represents a grassroots effort to counter the Slovak government’s policy. Prime Minister Fico has remained friendly toward Moscow despite Russia’s full-scale invasion, even threatening to cut electricity flows to Ukraine after Kyiv announced it would halt the transit of Russian gas to Europe.
Sweden Warns of Increased Russian Intelligence Activity After NATO Membership
Sweden’s security has been strengthened since it joined NATO, but its membership has also made the Nordic country a higher priority for Russian intelligence, the Swedish Security Service (Sapo) said Tuesday.
“Foreign powers are carrying out vast activities that threaten Sweden’s security. We are seen as part of the collective West and are becoming a pawn in a global game, especially now that we are part of the NATO alliance,” Fredrik Hallstrom, head of operations at Sapo, told a press conference.
Over the past year, there have been several incidents, including cyber-attacks, drone flights over sensitive areas and cable breaks in the Baltic Sea, said Sapo chief Charlotte von Essen. “As a NATO ally, we are safer, but we must at the same time be prepared for it meaning a changed and increased interest from the intelligence services, especially from Russia,” von Essen told reporters. “There is now a risk of sabotage against Sweden,” she added.
According to the intelligence service, Russia, Iran, and China are the main threats to the Scandinavian country’s security. Hallstrom added that Swedish assets are also a source of interest for foreign powers. “This concerns, for example, technology procurement, strategic acquisitions, but also possible targets for sabotage. We must be prepared to act both quickly and discerningly,” he said.
Sweden became NATO’s newest member in March 2024, ending two centuries of military non-alignment to join the trans-Atlantic security alliance in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
French Media Battle Over Russian Threat Assessment
French Sunday newspaper readers woke up this past weekend to starkly different visions of their country’s relationship with Russia, highlighting a growing divide in how French media portrays the Russian threat to Europe.
“The bidding war of fear,” said the headline of Journal du Dimanche (JDD), accusing President Emmanuel Macron of seeking to panic France in an address to the nation last week when he described Russia as a “threat” to all of Europe. The JDD has taken an increasingly right-wing stance critical of Macron since coming under the ownership of tycoon Vincent Bollore, joining his other right-wing outlets.
By contrast, its Sunday rival La Tribune Dimanche, a centrist weekly, chose to highlight an interview with Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a close ally of Macron, whose stern face covered the front page. “Those who deny the Russian threat are wrong,” he said.
The Elysee took the highly unusual step of issuing a denial that Macron had ever sought to “scare” the French, in a statement on the official social media account of the French presidency. “In this serious period… everyone must ensure that the facts are perfectly accurate,” it said. “The moment demands clarity, patriotism and a sense of national unity.”
After Europa 1 presenter Laurence Ferrari accused French officials of “wanting to go to war against Russia,” a prominent Elysee advisor, asking not to be named, denounced the channel as “radio KGB.” The Le Monde daily accused Bollore’s titles of “overtly defending Russia,” pointing to Pascal Praud, the star anchor on CNews, who on March 3 stated: “Russia has won the war and we, the Europeans, lost it, along with Ukraine.”
The influence also extends to publishing books through Bollore’s ownership of renowned publisher Fayard, part of the Louis Hachette Group it owns. This month, the house published the book “Bannie” (“Banned”) by Xenia Fedorova, the former director of the French version of Russian state-run foreign language channel RT, which was banned in France after the invasion.
White House Lists Saudi Talks as Major Achievement for Trump
The White House has listed the negotiations in Saudi Arabia with Ukraine and Russia as one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s key achievements on his 50th day in office on March 10.
“President Trump has brought Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table through historic peace talks in Saudi Arabia in pursuit of peace,” the statement reads, positioning the talks as a major foreign policy victory for the administration.
The statement references U.S. officials’ meetings with Russian representatives in Riyadh on February 18 and in Istanbul on February 27 to discuss restoring bilateral relations and preliminary peace talks, which were conducted without Ukraine’s participation. These discussions were followed by the Ukraine-U.S. meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11.
Trump’s overtures to Russia have raised concerns in Kyiv and across Europe that the U.S. is sidelining its allies in pursuit of a swift settlement. Tensions between Kyiv and Washington escalated after Trump’s heated exchange with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28, which resulted in the freezing of all U.S. military aid and the restriction of intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
The White House statement presents the Saudi Arabia meetings as evidence of Trump’s effectiveness in bringing parties to the table, though critics have questioned whether the process is aimed at securing a just peace or simply ending the conflict regardless of the terms.
Ukraine is World’s Top Arms Importer, Report Says
Ukraine was the world’s largest importer of major weapons over the past five years, new research has found. Deliveries to the war-torn Eastern European state amounted to 8.8% of global arms trade from 2020 to 2024, an increase of over 9,600% compared to the previous half decade, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The main supplier of weapons to Ukraine, by some distance, was the United States, which also reinforced its position as the world’s largest exporter of arms. The U.S.’s share of worldwide exports grew to 43%—up from 35% in the preceding period—with France in second place at 9.6% and Russia in third at 7.8%. Exports of arms by Moscow declined by a massive 64% in comparison to 2015-2019, attributed to Russia’s prioritization of supplies for its own armed forces and the impact of international sanctions.
Arms from America made up 45% of Ukraine’s imports between 2020 and 2024, with Germany becoming Kyiv’s second-biggest supplier at 12% and Poland the third-largest at 11%. All in all, the level of imports to European states—many of whom are increasing defense spending in light of the Ukrainian conflict—was 155% higher than in the preceding period.
“In 2024 Ukraine’s ability to strike at longer range was increased as several states supplied long-range missiles and aircraft, and some allowed Ukraine to use those weapons to attack targets on Russian territory,” SIPRI’s report said. “For example, France, the U.K. and the USA supplied missiles with a range of 300 km, while Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway delivered combat aircraft and Belgium and France prepared to do so.”
Although 9.3% of Washington’s total deliveries went to Ukraine, a larger percentage went to Saudi Arabia. Poland’s share of global weapon exports rocketed during the last half decade, from less than 0.05% of the world’s total to 1%, an increase of over 4,000%. The overwhelming majority—96%—of Poland’s exports went to Ukraine.