Free Republic

Reuters) - Russian troops are trying to carve out a buffer zone in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, although so far without substantial success, the regional governor said on Tuesday. The Sumy region borders on Russia's Kursk region, where Russian forces have lately recaptured territory seized last year in the Ukrainian military's only major cross-border incursion of the war. Kyiv has said for months that it is concerned about Moscow's troops trying to advance into Sumy. Russia has said its forces have captured some territory there and have driven all Ukrainian troops out of Kursk.

Russia has rejected a Ukraine war peace deal proposed by Donald Trump, the US president, because it does not grant international recognition to territory seized by Moscow’s troops.Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, also suggested the plan did not satisfy the Kremlin’s demands to oust Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, and limit the size of Kyiv’s armed forces.The rejection came as Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, offered a temporary, 72-hour truce next month to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Despite our already outlining each of these details the New York Times is now confirming, do not overlook the geopolitical consequences that will surface as a result of their publication. The New York Times published two articles {HERE and HERE} revealing: 1) that U.S. military boots are on the ground in Ukraine. (2) The U.S. military is actively involved in the ongoing targeting of strikes into Russia. (3) The CIA is operating in Ukraine and conducting targeted strikes into the Russian Federation mainland.

The Russo-Ukrainian War is now three years old, and the third Z-Day, on February 24, 2025, was marked by a substantively different tone than prior iterations. On the battlefield, Russian forces stand significantly closer to victory than they have at any point since the opening weeks of the war. After reversals early in the war as Ukraine took advantage of Russian miscalculations and insufficient force generation, the Russian army surged in 2024, collapsing Ukraine’s front in southern Donetsk and pushing the front forward towards the remaining citadels of the Donbas. At the same time, 2025’s Z-Day was the first under...

Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson TRUMP: "Zelensky, by the way, I see he's trying to back out of the rare earth deal — and if he does that, he's got some problems." From Rapid Response 47 8:18 PM · Mar 30, 2025

Ukrainian officials and military analysts have warned that Russian forces are preparing a fresh offensive in the coming weeks, aiming to intensify pressure on Ukraine and strengthen Moscow's position in potential ceasefire negotiations. The anticipated push could lead Russian President Vladimir Putin to delay peace talks in favour of pursuing further territorial gains, Ukrainian officials said. They reiterated long-standing claims that Russia has no genuine interest in meaningful negotiations to end the war. As the spring fighting season approaches, analysts and military commanders report that the Kremlin is planning a multi-front assault across the 1,000-kilometre frontline. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ukraine has little chance of surviving Russia's assault without U.S. support, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday after phone calls this week by U.S. President Donald Trump with Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin."Probably it will be very, very, very difficult. And of course, in all the difficult situations, you have a chance. But we will have low chance - low chance to survive without support of the United States," Zelenskiy said in an interview on the NBC News program "Meet the Press."An excerpt was released on Friday from the interview, which will be broadcast on Sunday.Trump discussed...

KYIV/BRUSSELS (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Ukraine would be involved in peace talks with Russia, after Kyiv and its European allies warned against a "dirty deal" between Washington and Moscow following Trump's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Ukraine would have a seat at the table during any peace negotiations with Russia over ending the war."They're part of it. We would have Ukraine, and we have Russia, and we'll have other people involved, a lot of people,” Trump said.Asked whether he trusts Putin, he said: "I believe that...

when "things have calmed down" to "cut our military budget in half"

Russia is willing to work with President-elect Donald Trump to help improve relations with Ukraine so long as the U.S. makes the first move, Kremlin officials said this week, adding fresh momentum for the possibility of peace talks as its war in Ukraine threatens to stretch into a third year. Speaking to reporters Thursday in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia could be ready to come to the negotiating table regarding its "special military operation" in Ukraine— echoing the phrasing used by the Kremlin to describe its war in Ukraine — so long as the U.S. acted...

THE bizarre fiefdom of Chechnya has long been controlled by warlord and top Vladimir Putin crony Ramzan Kadyrov and his trigger-happy cosplay soldiers. Disturbed chief Kadyrov, 48, has ruled over the twisted Russian republic since 2007 with his reign now coming under fire again since the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash took place on his doorstep. The Christmas Day disaster left 38 dead after the packed passenger plane lost control and smashed into a fireball as it hit the ground. Reports have been swirling in the days since saying it was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile believed to...

Russia out, U.S. inVIDEO

Ukrainian officials are holding high-level talks with the incoming Trump administration, seeking to narrow wide differences on achieving a settlement of Kyiv’s war with Russia even before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. A top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet Wednesday with Keith Kellogg, Trump’s choice as special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, and Mike Waltz, the incoming national security adviser, according to a Trump transition official and several people familiar with the discussions. Kellogg has signaled support for the Biden administration’s efforts to rush weapons to Ukraine, saying it will give Trump leverage with Moscow...

Vladimir Putin will reject Donald Trump's proposed peace plan and would only end the conflict in Ukraine if he gives him huge concessions, a hardliner close to the Kremlin has warned. Russian tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev, who is sanctioned by the West, slammed Trump's recently picked envoy Keith Kellogg and his proposals on how to end the conflict with Kyiv. 'Kellogg comes to Moscow with his plan, we take it and then tell him to screw himself, because we don't like any of it. That'd be the whole negotiation,' Malofeyev said bluntly in an interview from a luxury Dubai resort. -snip-...

Russia opposes simply freezing the conflict in Ukraine because Moscow needs a “solid and long-term peace” that resolves the core reasons for the crisis, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign intelligence chief said on Tuesday. Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), said that Russia had the initiative on the battlefield. -snip- Russia is open for talks, Naryshkin said.

Senior American officials voiced serious concern on Saturday following the leak of two US intelligence documents allegedly outlining Israel’s preparations for a potential strike on Iran. These documents were published by a Telegram account linked to Iran. While both the US Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the leaked documents, they did not deny their authenticity. The documents included an alleged report from the US Department of Defense's visual intelligence agency, which had been circulated within the US intelligence community three days earlier. The report detailed alleged recent actions at...

Frontline | The War in Ukraine and Global Security: 'The Kremlin knows this is not sustainable' as Putin's losses mount in Ukraine | Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges Times Radio 836K subscribers 5-14-2024 3:00 p.m. 30:32 Minutes "I don't think that they can maintain their industry and an army of this size that they need, given the casualties they're suffering." Russian manpower shortages because of the war in Ukraine are not sustainable, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges tells Frontline on #timesradio 15,449 views 2 hours ago

Chasiv Yar, eastern Ukraine — Ukraine's ammunition starved troops pulled back from two more villages in the country's war-torn east this week, ceding them to Russian forces who've capitalized on their enemies' shortages to seize more territory after taking the hard-fought city of Avdiivka about two weeks ago. After punishing battles that decimated Bakhmut and then Avdiivka — cities that stood as symbols of Ukrainian resistance for months, even years, but ultimately fell to Russian firepower — Russia's forces have turned their sites and their guns on the nearby city of Chasiv Yar.

But upcoming Biden administration and German decisions concerning the deployment of precision deep-strike weapons — namely ATACMS and the Taurus cruise missile — are likely weighing heavily on Putin’s mind, along with the coming introduction of F-16 fighter jets. Ditto bilateral security guarantees, some signed just days ago, with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Canada — and Sweden’s and Britain’s announcements last week of additional military assistance. Europe is not giving up on Ukraine. Propaganda wins aside, it was a losing week for Putin... As many as 65 soldiers from Russia’s 39th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade...

Letter to Congress from American Veteran in Ukraine Jake Broe [I am a United States Air Force veteran who served as a Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer (13N). 437K subscribers 2-24-2024 17:00 Minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg49VcsWvd8 Excerpt: "Jake is sharing an opinion piece from an American Service veteran currently in Ukraine. An American Veteran plea arm Ukraine or Surrender Freedom. This man's name is John Roberts call sign name is Jackie Not everyone has and uses social media. Not everyone wants to be on camera. So today, I'm going to use my platform and my voice to share his message. This is...