UNITED 24 Media Telegram Highlights
Crimea is a Ukrainian peninsula, and its recognition as Russian was not discussed during the conversation with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Without Ukrainians, Crimea is dying—there have been no tourists there for 11 years. Before the occupation, three million tourists visited in the summer, 2.8 million of them Ukrainians, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Norway is tripling its defense support for Ukraine to $8 billion, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced. The funds will be allocated for artillery, ammunition, drones, and investments in developing Ukraine’s production base. The decision was unanimously approved by parliament.
US presidential envoy Keith Kellogg stated that the upcoming talks between the US, Ukraine, and Russia in Saudi Arabia will follow the “proximity principle,” with discussions taking place in adjacent rooms.
❗️Russian forces launched a massive drone attack overnight. More than 15 explosions were reported in Odesa, leaving parts of the city without power. Explosions were also heard in Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kremenchuk.
In Engels, [the] strike resulted in the loss of Russian missiles, including Kh-101, though the exact number is yet to be determined, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Emmanuel Macron is exploring alternatives to deploying European military forces in Ukraine, including the idea of establishing a mission under the UN to protect a potential peace agreement. This concept was discussed with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a European Council summit. However, such a UN peacekeeping mission would require approval from the Security Council, where both Russia and possibly the US could veto it, making its implementation uncertain.
Additionally, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is signaling a shift in focus from sending European ground troops to providing air and naval support to Ukraine. There is also opposition within the EU from leaders like Giorgia Meloni and Donald Tusk, who view the deployment of European troops as costly and ineffective. These factors may complicate Macron's proposal.
The European Union has stopped discussing the confiscation of frozen Russian assets, according to the conclusions of the EU summit on March 20, obtained by Deutsche Welle. The approved text states that under EU law, these assets must remain frozen until Russia ends its war against Ukraine and compensates for the damage caused.
Several EU countries opposed confiscating over 200 billion euros in Russian assets, citing legal constraints, potential risks to European financial competitiveness, the importance of using interest from these assets to support Ukraine, and their value as leverage in future peace negotiations.
“We are starting to think about the endgame in Ukraine, about peace talks, a ceasefire, a peace agreement that could be signed in three months or three years. And people are starting to understand that having these assets may be more important than confiscating them without knowing what to do with them,” said a European diplomat before the summit.
Italy has launched the “Pro.UKR” project, a €9 million initiative aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural development and food security in Odesa region, the Italian Embassy in Ukraine told the EP.
The agreement for the project was signed in the Italian city of Bari between the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Research, Italian Ambassador Carlo Formosa, and Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Vitaliy Koval.
“Pro.UKR” will enhance the capabilities of agricultural producers in Odesa region, focusing on providing tools for agricultural and livestock production, introducing advanced technologies, and implementing sustainable irrigation systems. The project will be fully carried out in Odesa.