Free Republic

KYIV — For nearly three years, distressed Ukrainian troops, veterans and their families — including some soldiers on the brink of suicide — have relied on a U.S.-funded hotline to connect with trained psychological, legal and medical experts. But after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week suspending almost all U.S. foreign aid programs for 90 days, the... “The support line is temporarily unavailable,” a recorded voice now tells callers. “The Veteran Hub thanks you for your trust. The consultants will return to work as soon as it becomes possible.” The Trump administration’s sudden move to suspend foreign...

Ukrainian troops are facing down a ferocious Russian counteroffensive in Kursk as Putin seeks to take back Russian land before any talks. The fight to control some 200 square miles of land in western Russia became even more brutal in recent days as the Kremlin, ahead of possible negotiations with the incoming Trump administration to end the war, appears set on removing Russian territory from the equation. -snip- The timing appears to demonstrate the Kremlin’s growing appreciation for how Kursk may play into future talks: If negotiations are to occur, Russia wants to make sure only Ukrainian land is up...

As Ukraine prepares to mobilize tens of thousands of men to address a critical shortage of soldiers amid intensified Russian attacks, Ukrainian commanders in the field say they are bracing for most of the new troops to arrive with poor training. Ukrainian commanders have long griped about lackluster preparation for recruits at training centers. But with Russia on the offensive, the persistent complaints are a reminder that a newly adopted mobilization law intended to widen the pool of draft-eligible men is just one step in solving the military’s personnel problems. An influx of conscripts under the new law is still...

Even as he promises international partners that Ukraine will handle the fighting if given needed weapons and other support, President Volodymyr Zelensky and his top military commanders have failed so far to come up with a clear plan to conscript or recruit many thousands of new soldiers critically needed to defend against Russia’s continuing attacks. Zelensky’s inability to forge a political consensus on a mobilization strategy — despite months of warnings about a severe shortage of qualified troops on the front — has fueled deep divisions in Ukraine’s parliament and more broadly in Ukrainian society. It has left the military...