Zelensky's visit to London and the UK's loan for Ukraine's defense support: key highlights from March 1.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Ukraine will receive a $3.2 billion loan from London to bolster its defense capabilities. Here are the key updates from March 1.
Zelensky in London
On March 1 in London, a meeting took place between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The British Prime Minister emphasized that the United Kingdom has an “absolute” and “unyielding” determination to achieve “what we both want to achieve, namely a strong peace for Ukraine based on sovereignty and security.”
Additionally, Ukraine and the United Kingdom signed an agreement to provide Kyiv with a $3.2 billion loan to support its defense capabilities.
Shelling in Ukraine
On March 1, Russian troops launched a missile strike on Odesa. As a result of the strike, two port workers were injured.
Moreover, occupants hit a high-rise building in Zaporizhzhia with a Shahed drone — a fire broke out there.
Furthermore, the Russians opened fire on the Kupiansk community. In the village of Kovsharivka, a nine-story residential building caught fire as a result of the shelling.
Duda urges Zelensky to continue negotiations with the U.S.
Polish President Andrzej Duda called on his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to return to the negotiating table with the U.S. after Zelensky had a fallout with American leader Donald Trump.
He noted that the conversation between the two leaders reached an impasse yesterday. Duda also mentioned that he spoke with Zelensky before his departure and allegedly told him that he “should calmly negotiate with President Trump and that we should seek agreements, a joint solution.”
Duda also stressed that “he sees no other power in the world, besides the U.S., that could stop Russian aggression.” He expressed hope that this policy would ultimately “bring it to an end.”
The Baltic States dissatisfied with being excluded from the Ukraine summit
Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia are “very dissatisfied” that the United Kingdom did not invite their leaders to join the Ukraine summit, scheduled for March 2 in London.
According to a source from Sky News, Moscow will take “note with interest” that these countries were excluded from the summit participants.
The Pentagon deploys additional forces to the south
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the additional deployment of 2,500 to 3,000 troops and Stryker infantry fighting vehicles to the southern border of the U.S.
According to the Washington Post, Hegseth issued an order to deploy a brigade combat team and a helicopter unit for “enhancing and expanding current border security operations aimed at closing the border and protecting the territorial integrity of the United States.”