Category: Russian Federation

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prime Minister Keir Starmer to host leaders summit on Ukraine

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer to host leaders summit on Ukraine

    The Prime Minister will intensify his efforts in pursuit of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine by convening international leaders at a summit in London today [2 March 2025].

    The Prime Minister will intensify his efforts in pursuit of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine by convening international leaders at a summit in London today. 

    The Prime Minister has this weekend reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine and is determined to find a way forward that brings an end to Russia’s illegal war and guarantees Ukraine a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security. 

    The summit rounds off a week of intense diplomacy for the Prime Minister, which has seen him raise UK defence spending and travel to Washington D.C. for productive talks with President Trump in support of UK and European security. The Prime Minister spoke again with both President Trump and President Zelenskyy on Friday evening following the events of yesterday at the Presidents’ meeting in Washington D.C. 

    The Prime Minister will welcome Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Downing Street this morning, before being joined at the summit in central London by the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania. The Turkish Foreign Minister, NATO Secretary General and the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council will also attend. 

    The Prime Minister has been clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine, a determination he reiterated when he warmly welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street on Saturday evening ahead of the summit. 

    Discussions at the summit will focus on: 

    • Strengthening Ukraine’s position now – including ongoing military support and increased economic pressure on Russia. 

    • The need for a strong lasting deal that delivers a permanent peace in Ukraine and ensures that Ukraine is able to deter and defend against future Russian attack. 

    • Next steps on planning for strong security guarantees. 

    Following the announcement earlier this week that the UK will spend 2.5% of its GDP on defence by 2027, the Prime Minister will be clear on the need for Europe to play its part on defence and step up for the good of collective security. 

    The UK has already been clear it is willing to support Ukraine’s future security with troops on the ground. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

    Three years on from Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, we are at a turning point. Today I will reaffirm my unwavering support for Ukraine and double down on my commitment to provide capacity, training and aid to Ukraine, putting it in the strongest possible position. 

    In partnership with our allies, we must intensify our preparations for the European element of security guarantees, alongside continued discussions with the United States.   

    We have an opportunity to come together to ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine that secures their sovereignty and security.   

    Now is the time for us to unite in order to guarantee the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security, and secure our collective future.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK reinforces support for Ukraine with £2.26 billion loan to bolster Ukrainian defence capabilities

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    UK reinforces support for Ukraine with £2.26 billion loan to bolster Ukrainian defence capabilities

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko will today (Saturday 1 March) sign the UK-Ukraine Bilateral agreement.

    • The £2.26 billion loan will bolster Ukrainian military capability, and will be paid back using profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets.
    • Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko will sign the formal loan agreement today (Saturday 1 March), with the first tranche of funding expected to reach Ukraine later next week.
    • The loan demonstrates the UK’s commitment to Ukrainian defence. A strong Ukraine is vital to UK national security – the first duty of any government and central to the Plan for Change.

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko will today (Saturday 1 March) sign the UK-Ukraine Bilateral agreement.

    This agreement will deliver £2.26 billion in funding to Ukraine, which will be paid back using the extraordinary profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets held in the EU.

    This is the UK’s contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans to Ukraine scheme, through which G7 countries will collectively provide $50 billion to support Ukraine.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    A safe and secure Ukraine is a safe and secure United Kingdom. This funding will bolster Ukraine’s armed forces and will put Ukraine in the strongest possible position at a critical juncture in the war.

    It comes as we have increased our defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, which will deliver the stability required to keep us safe and underpin economic growth.

    The loan will be fully earmarked for military procurement to bolster Ukraine’s defences, with the first tranche of funding expected to be disbursed to Ukraine next week.

    Russia’s obligation under international law to pay for the damage it has caused to Ukraine is clear and this G7 agreement, backed by the profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets, is an important step to ensuring this happens.

    The funding will be delivered in three equal annual payments of £752m.

    The announcement of the loan agreement is on top of the £3 billion a year commitment by the UK to provide military aid for Ukraine. The Prime Minister has been clear that a strong Ukraine is vital to UK national security.

    This loan follows the announcement by the Prime Minister committing the Government to increase UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with an ambition to spend 3% of GDP on defence in the next parliament as economic and fiscal conditions allow.

    This represents the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, safeguarding our collective security and funding the capabilities, technology and industrial capacity needed to keep the UK and our allies safe for generations to come.

    As set out in the Plan for Change, national security is the first duty of the government, and investment in defence will protect UK citizens from threats at home while also creating a secure and stable environment for economic growth.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 1 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 1 March 2025

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street this afternoon. 

    The Prime Minister reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine, adding that the UK will always stand with them, for as long as it takes.

    The Prime Minister re-stated his determination to finding a path that ends Russia’s illegal war and ensures a just and lasting peace that secures Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security. 

    The leaders looked forward to continuing these discussions at tomorrow’s leaders’ summit in London.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 1 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    PM meeting President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 1 March 2025

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street this afternoon. 

    The Prime Minister reiterated his unwavering support for Ukraine, adding that the UK will always stand with them, for as long as it takes.

    The Prime Minister re-stated his determination to finding a path that ends Russia’s illegal war and ensures a just and lasting peace that secures Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security. 

    The leaders looked forward to continuing these discussions at tomorrow’s leaders’ summit in London.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: More Support for Trump Administration’s Pursuit of Peace in Ukraine

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Support continues to roll in for the unwavering commitment of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Vance to the American people and the Trump Administration’s relentless pursuit of peace. Speaker Mike Johnson: “Thanks to President Trump – the days of America being taken advantage of and disrespected are OVER. The death and destruction of the Russian-provoked war needs to stop immediately, and only our American President can put these two countries on a path to lasting peace. President Zelenskyy needed to acknowledge that, and accept the extraordinary mineral rights partnership proposal that President Trump put on the table. What we witnessed in the Oval Office today was an American President putting America first.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “The only person on the planet who is actively trying to bring an end to this conflict is named Donald Trump, the President of the United States.” National Security Advisor Mike Waltz: “It’s not clear that Zelenskyy truly wants to stop the fighting. He came in, even though he was warned not to, determined to litigate all of that … This was the wrong approach, wrong time in history, and definitely the wrong president to try to do this.” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard: “Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your unwavering leadership in standing up for the interests of the American people, and peace. What you said is absolutely true: Zelensky has been trying to drag the United States into a nuclear war with Russia/WW3 for years now, and no one has called him on it. Thank you, Vice President @JDVance for speaking out so forcefully and clearly, about the necessity of diplomacy.” UN Ambassador-designate Elise Stefanik: “President Trump will ALWAYS stand up for the American people – especially in the Oval Office. Peace through strength is back on the world stage because of President Trump’s bold and strong leadership.” Sen. Eric Schmitt: “Zelensky was probably used to talking this way to American leaders. Apparently, no one told him that things have changed. The age of America Last foreign policy is over. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America First.” Sen. Lindsey Graham: “I have never been more proud of the president. I was very proud of JD Vance, standing up for our country.” CNN’s Scott Jennings: “All Zelenskyy had to do today was put on a tie, show up, smile, say thank you, sign the papers, and have lunch. That’s it — and he couldn’t do that.” Marc Thiessen: “There was no ambush. Z was set up for success. All he had to do was not get into a public fight and sign the minerals deal.  Not hard. A lot of work went into making a successful moment possible and he blew it and then refused to apologize.” Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller: “The way that President Trump defended Americans after YEARS of being fleeced and abused and taken advantage of and taken for granted — millions of American hearts swelled with overflowing pride today to watch President Trump put Zelenskyy in his place.” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “[Zelenskyy] refuses to recognize the practical reality of this war. It has been going on for years, his countrymen are dying, and the people who have been funding this effort — the American people — are sick and tired of footing this bill.” Rep. Victoria Spartz: “It’s such a disservice to the Ukrainian people to play hero and politics and trying to increase his rating … Being so insulting to the American people after how much was done by us for Ukraine and for Europe, I can’t believe it.” Rep. Kevin Hern: “President Trump is determined to end the war in Ukraine. He is determined for the world to get back at peace, as it was when he was in office before.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the meeting between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office:

    “Today in the Oval Office, in front of the entire world, Donald Trump and JD Vance chose to berate an American ally and side with a brutal dictator—willfully ignoring the plain fact that it was Putin who launched a deadly and unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation and started this awful war. Putin is the dictator with blood on his hands—and it is appalling, dangerous, and an affront to American values to pretend otherwise. Russian state media is already celebrating Trump’s disgraceful conduct in this meeting—this should be a wake-up call to everyone, and especially Republicans who have gone along with Trump’s acquiescence to Putin for far too long, to separate right from wrong, and truth from fiction.

    “As I have said time and again, standing up for a strong and sovereign Ukraine in face of Putin’s aggression is not only the right thing to do, but it is squarely in America’s interest. As a U.S. Senator, I will continue to stand with Ukraine as they chart a path forward to protect their democracy and statehood.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats Condemn Trump and Vance’s Disgraceful Oval Office Outburst During Meeting with Zelenskyy and Reiterate Support for Ukraine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 28, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—joined her fellow SFRC Democratic colleagues Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) in issuing the following statement condemning President Trump and Vice President Vance’s rhetoric during their meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy:

    “Today’s behavior by President Trump and Vice President Vance would be more shocking if it wasn’t the new normal that this administration is forcing on our allies, partners and even our own citizens. Russia has not been able to break Ukraine’s spirit nor its will to fight. We are certain President Trump’s childish tantrum will not reach that objective either. Ukrainians have strong bipartisan support for their fight in Congress and Ukrainian flags continue to hang across our communities in the United States. We stand with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and will continue to condemn Putin’s aggression toward the brave and honorable citizenry of Ukraine.”

    -30-



    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia ready for dialogue with all countries, including U.S.: Kremlin

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Russia is open to dialogue with all countries including the United States, given that it is based on mutual respect, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

    “We want to build dialogue not only with America, but with all countries, based on mutual respect and mutual benefit,” Peskov said.

    He said Moscow will follow the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expected to take place in Washington on Friday, including the outcomes of the talks and the related statements to be made.

    Trump said Wednesday that the Ukrainian leader would go to Washington on Friday to sign a minerals partnership agreement.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump, Zelensky cancel signing of minerals deal after White House shouting match

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A press conference at the White House scheduled for Friday where U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky planned to sign the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal was canceled, following a tense shouting match between the two inside the Oval Office earlier in the day.

    U.S. President Donald Trump (C) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Feb. 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)

    What should have been a normal press pool spray before the high-stakes Trump-Zelensky bilateral meeting transpired into a fireworks-filled blowup aired on TV that no one would expect, all starting with an interjection by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who was present in the room, demanding that the Ukrainian leader be thankful for Trump’s effort to get his country out of its three-year conflict with Russia.

    “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict,” Vance told Zelensky during the unprecedented public confrontation, which later saw the three of them — Trump and Vance versus Zelensky — repeatedly race to talk over one another.

    Rebuking Vance, Zelensky’s remarks that the United States will “in the future” feel the problem brought to it by the Ukraine-Russia conflict was pushed back by Trump, who said Zelensky was “in no position to dictate what we are going to feel” given that he “allowed” himself “to be in a very bad position.”

    “You don’t have cards right now. With us you start having cards,” Trump said as Zelensky, whose voice was barely audible in the face of a shouting Trump, was heard saying he was not playing cards.

    “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country,” Trump piled on and continued.

    After the chaotic Oval Office confrontation, Trump posted a statement on Truth Social saying: “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”

    For his part, Zelensky took to X and said: “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you (President Trump), Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Condemns Trump-Vance Attack Against Ukraine and Zelenskyy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC—Today, after President Trump and Vice President Vance held a press event with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, during which they ridiculed Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s war of survival against Russia, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

    “Today’s spectacle in the Oval Office was a political ambush and a shameful failure of American leadership.

    “President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine are fighting for their very lives and existence. Unlike Donald Trump or JD Vance, I have traveled to Ukraine and seen firsthand the death and destruction wrought by Vladimir Putin against innocent people. To mock Ukraine and our allies is a travesty that only benefits Putin.

    “Furthermore, today’s cruel and callous display does great harm to U.S. standing in the world. Trump and Vance are communicating to the world that the United States is not to be trusted. Adversaries and allies alike will take note.  

    “To my Republican colleagues, where is your voice? We are watching America’s leaders surrender to Russia, forfeit our leadership in the world, and do strategic harm to our country — and for what? This is not who we are, and silence is complicity.

    “I will always stand with Ukraine and place America’s national security interests above theatrics and craven partisanship.”

    Last night, Senator Reed spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to reject the Trump Administration’s weak, dangerous strategy toward Ukraine and NATO. His full remarks can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Blasts Trump’s Staged Oval Office Stunt During Meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy: “We need to stand with our allies—not shout at them.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today released the following statement in reaction to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s tumultuous meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: 
    “Today’s staged Oval Office dressing down of an American ally was a disgrace. President Trump and Vice President Vance’s behavior left the world with no question that the Trump Administration stands with Putin. That’s far from the message President Zelenskyy received this morning when a bipartisan group of colleagues and I met with him and said that America will not abandon the people of Ukraine as they defend their country against Russia’s unjust invasion. 
    “President Trump’s actions are dangerous for Ukraine, dangerous for Europe, and dangerous for the United States. We need to stand with our allies—not shout at them.” 

    Senator Welch meets with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Washington, D.C., February 28, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Activities of the Secretary-General in Switzerland, 23-24 February

    Source: United Nations 4

    On Sunday, 23 February, the Secretary-General arrived in Geneva to take part in the opening of the fifty-eighth session of the Human Rights Council, scheduled to begin on Monday morning.

    In his remarks to the Human Rights Council, the Secretary-General began by recalling that this year’s opening session was held under the weight of a grim milestone — the third anniversary of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, in violation of the UN Charter.  The Secretary-General reiterated his call to the international community to spare no effort to bring an end to this conflict and to achieve a just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions.

    Turning to the work of the Council, the Secretary-General said that without respect for human rights, sustainable peace is a pipedream.

    Human rights are the oxygen of humanity, he added, but one by one, they are being suffocated.  But, as the recently adopted Pact for the Future reminds us, Mr. Guterres said, human rights are, in fact, a source of solutions — by advancing human rights through development, through climate action, through stronger, better governance of technology and by recognizing that the rule of law and human rights go hand-in-hand.  (See Press Release SG/SM/22562.)

    In the afternoon, the Secretary-General also spoke to a high-level session of the Conference on Disarmament.

    He reiterated that the nuclear option is not an option at all and reminded participants that, in the Pact for the Future, adopted in September, Member States recommitted to nuclear disarmament — and to the final objective of complete disarmament.  (See Press Release SG/SM/22563.)

    While in Geneva, the Secretary-General held a number of bilateral meetings.  He met Judith Suminwa Tuluka, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Maka Botchorishvili, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia; Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait; Ervin Ibrahimovic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Montenegro; and Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.  He also spoke by phone with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha.

    The Secretary-General travelled back to New York on Monday evening.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis: Colorado Continues to Stand with Ukraine

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Colorado Governor Jared Polis released a statement following President Trump and Vice-President Vance’s chaotic meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

    “In Colorado, we support freedom and we will not cater to a brutal Russian dictator who is no friend to America, our interests or future. Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Putin’s illegal and brutal invasion of their country is critical for their freedom, the future of the Ukrainian people and important for American global safety and national security. America plays a crucial role in supporting our international allies and protecting democracy abroad, Colorado continues to stand with Ukraine.” 

    At Governor Polis’s direction, the State of Colorado has cut off all diplomatic and financial connections with Russia and Russian-owned businesses, and previously provided a surplus of combat armor to those who are on the front lines fighting Putin’s tyranny. Governor Polis met with President Zelensky this past summer along with America’s Governors. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM call with President Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: 28 February 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM call with President Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: 28 February 2025

    The Prime Minister spoke with the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister spoke with the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister reflected on his recent visit to the US and the importance of working with international partners to uphold European security.

    Discussing the war in Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary to deter Russian aggression.

    The Prime Minister went on to set out his aims for the Leaders’ Summit he is convening in London on Sunday and said he was looking forward to Türkiye’s Foreign Minister participating in these talks.

    The leaders agreed to stay in touch.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Statement On President Trump’s Oval Office Remarks To Ukrainian President Zelenskyy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 28, 2025
    ROCKFORD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after President Trump and Vice President Vance’s tense and embarrassing meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy:
    “After calling the President of Ukraine ‘a dictator’ and blaming him for invading his own country, President Trump and Vice President Vance berated President Zelenskyy for not showing enough gratitude. With 46,000 Ukrainians fallen in battle against the real invader, Vladimir Putin, the Unites States should be thanking President Zelenskyy for Ukraine’s heroic stand on the frontlines of democracy against the Russian war criminal. 
    “Former President Ronald Reagan and the late Senator John McCain are rolling over in their graves at the thought of an American president sullying America’s image by siding at the UN with dictators in Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and Nicaragua while disrespecting a true American ally—Ukraine. Let me be clear: We cannot let President Trump rewrite history or upend proven partnerships with decades of bipartisan support. I extend my sincere apologies to President Zelenskyy and again reaffirm my support for our Ukrainian friends.”
    Earlier this week, Durbin introduced the Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act, legislation that would provide temporary guest status to Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are already in the United States through the “Uniting for Ukraine” parole process. The bill allows Ukrainians to stay and work in the U.S. until the Secretary of State determines that hostilities in Ukraine have ceased and it is safe for them to return. U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) are cosponsors of the legislation. Bill text can be found here.  
    Durbin also joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and others in leading a simple resolution this week that expresses continued solidarity with the people of Ukraine and condolences for the loss of thousands of lives to Russian aggression; rejects Russia’s attempts to militarily seize sovereign Ukrainian territory; reaffirms U.S. support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine; and states unequivocally that Ukraine must be at the table for negotiations on its future.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Increase Oversight of Foreign Ownership of American Agriculture

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act to increase scrutiny surrounding the purchase of agricultural land by foreign adversaries like China. The bipartisan bill would permanently add the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to add additional scrutiny of farmland and agricultural industry purchases by foreign adversaries like China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran and help prevent improper foreign disruption to the U.S. agriculture industry.
    “Wisconsin’s farms are the backbone of our state,” said Senator Baldwin. “They’re not just about food, they’re about people’s livelihoods, our economy, and our way of life. That’s why I’m fighting to protect our family farms and agricultural communities from bad actors like China that threaten our food supply, economy, and national security. I’m proud to work with Democratic and Republican colleagues to protect our farmers and rural communities and ensure our Made in Wisconsin agricultural economy stays strong for the next generation.”
    CFIUS is the governmental body that oversees the vetting process of foreign investment and acquisition of American companies. In addition to permanently adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, the bill would require that the Secretary report any transaction that could threaten national security, specifically concerning purchases made by adversarial nations like China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran.
    Over the past few years, the United States has experienced a rapid increase in foreign investment in the agricultural sector, particularly from China. Growing foreign investment in agriculture and other essential industries, like health care and energy, threatens our country’s national security. 
    According to USDA data from December 2023, foreign investors own approximately 45 million acres of U.S. agricultural land. This represents an increase of over 1.5 million acres in one calendar year. Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land increased modestly from 2012 to 2017 at an average increase of 0.6 million acres per year. However, since 2017, this number skyrocketed to an average of 2.6 million acres annually. Additionally, between 2010 and 2021, entities or individuals from China increased their ownership of U.S. agricultural land more than twentyfold, from 13,720 acres to 383,935 acres.
    Data from the 2023 Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) report shows that Kansas agricultural land with foreign interest totals over 1.3 million acres.
    CFIUS is authorized to oversee and review foreign investment and ownership in domestic businesses as it relates to national security. Currently, the Committee does not directly consider the needs of the agriculture industry when reviewing foreign investment and ownership in domestic businesses.
    Specifically, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act would:
    Add the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of CFIUS
    Protect the U.S. agriculture industry from foreign control through transactions, mergers, acquisitions, or agreements
    Designate agricultural supply chains as critical infrastructure and critical technologies
    Require a report to Congress on current and potential foreign investments in the U.S. agricultural industry from USDA and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
    The bill is led by Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and also co-sponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Todd Young (R-IN), and Deb Fischer (R-NE). U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) also introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Slams DOGE’s Unlawful USAID Firings and Termination of Billions of Dollars of Life-Saving Aid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Welch Demands Explanation from Secretary Rubio
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding an urgent response to the baseless mass-firings of over 5,500 federal employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In the letter, Senator Welch demanded answers from the State Department on Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE’s, actions that directly violate funds appropriated by Congress through the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. 
    Senator Welch released the following statement:   
    “I’m deeply distressed by the Trump Administration and Secretary Rubio’s reckless and illegal actions terminating thousands of experienced, dedicated USAID employees without cause or credible justification. These public servants, many of whom have spent decades serving their country and protecting U.S. interests around the world, were given less than 15 minutes to clear out their desks. It’s immoral and illegal. 
    “I’m also appalled by how Secretary Rubio and Elon Musk’s DOGE have unlawfully cut off funding appropriated by Congress for vital international assistance programs that protect U.S. security interests around the world. In recent weeks, Secretary Rubio has terminated billions of dollars in U.S. foreign assistance programs on which hundreds of millions of people depend for their health, safety, and well-being, in direct contravention of the law. These funds were provided on a bipartisan basis in prior appropriations acts which included many pages of provisions requiring the Administration to obligate the funds for explicit purposes. While DOGE’s mission might be to ‘save money,’ it cannot do so in ways that plainly violate federal law and the Constitution. And it should not do so if the result would undermine U.S. national interests and damage our international credibility. 
    “As the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, I’ll state what every American knows and DOGE needs to learn: the Constitution does not allow the President to ignore the law. Trump’s blatant disregard for the Constitution and the destruction of hard-earned goodwill around the world is beyond distressing and requires immediate action. Congress and the American people deserve answers from Secretary Rubio regarding how he intends to ensure that the State Department complies with the law.” 
    Under the Trump Administration, hundreds of millions of dollars in State Department programs have been illegally terminated under categories and programs explicitly required by the FY24 Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. By law, funds appropriated by Congress are to be spent as specified for each of the countries, programs, projects, and activities. 
    By way of example, the FY24 Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act provides no less than: 
    $960,000,000 for food security and agricultural development programs to carry out the purposes of the Global Food Security Act of 2016, including for the Feed the Future Innovation Labs. 
    $451,000,000 for water supply and sanitation projects. 
    $365,750,000 for biodiversity conservation programs. 
    $300,000,000 to carry out the purposes of the Countering Russian Influence Fund, as authorized by the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017. 
    $250,000,000 to implement a multi-year strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including efforts to combat a variety of forms of violence against women and girls. 
    $225,500,000 for programs in sub-Saharan Africa. 
    $117,040,000 to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor for programs that support good governance, credible and competitive elections, freedom of expression, association, assembly, and religion, human rights, labor rights, independent media, and the rule of law. 
    $111,000,000 for activities to combat trafficking in persons internationally, including for the Program to End Modern Slavery. 
    Read the full letter and watch a video of Senator Welch’s remarks on DOGE’s Unlawful USAID Firings and Termination of Billions of Dollars of in Aid.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Raised voices and angry scenes at the White House as Trump clashes with Zelensky over the ‘minerals deal’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    The visit of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House has not gone to plan – at least not to his plan. There were extraordinary scenes as a press conference between Zelensky and Trump descended into acrimony, with the US president loudly berating his opposite number, who he accused of “gambling with world war three”.

    “You either make a deal or we’re out,” Trump told Zelensky. His vice-president, J.D. Vance, also got in on the act, accusing the Ukrainian president of “litigating in front of the American media”, and saying his approach was “disrespectful”. At one point he asked Zelensky: “Have you said thank you even once?”

    Reporters present described the atmosphere as heated with voices raised by both Trump and Vance. The New York Times said the scene was “one of the most dramatic moments ever to play out in public in the Oval Office and underscored the radical break between the United States and Ukraine since Mr Trump took office”.

    Underlying the angry exchanges were differences between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government over the so-called “minerals deal” that Zelensky was scheduled to sign. But any lack of Ukrainian enthusiasm for the deal is understandable.

    In its present form, it looks more like a memorandum of understanding that leaves several vital issues to be resolved later. The deal on offer is the creation of what will be called a “reconstruction investment fund”, to be jointly owned and managed by the US and Ukraine.

    Into the proposed fund will go 50% of the revenue from the exploitation of “all relevant Ukrainian government-owned natural resource assets (whether owned directly or indirectly by the Ukrainian government)” and “other infrastructure relevant to natural resource assets (such as liquified natural gas terminals and port infrastructure)”.

    This means that private infrastructure – much of it owned by Ukraine’s wealthy oligarchs – is likely to become part of the deal. This has the potential of further increasing friction between Zelensky and some very powerful Ukrainians.

    Meanwhile, US contributions are less clearly defined. The preamble to the agreement makes it clear that Ukraine already owes the US. The very first paragraph notes that “the United States of America has provided significant financial and material support to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022”.

    This figure, according to Trump, amounts to US$350 billion (£278 billion). The actual amount, according to the Ukraine Support Tracker of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, is about half that.

    Western and Ukrainian analysts have also pointed out that there may be fewer and less accessible mineral and rare earth deposits in Ukraine than are currently assumed. The working estimates have been based mostly on Soviet-era data.

    Since the current draft leaves details on ownership, governance and operations to be determined in a future fund agreement, Trump’s very big deal is at best the first step. Future rounds of negotiations are to be expected.

    Statement of intent

    From a Ukrainian perspective, this is more of a strength than a weakness. It leaves Kyiv with an opportunity to achieve more satisfactory terms in future rounds of negotiation. Even if any improvements will only be marginal, it keeps the US locked into a process that is, overall, beneficial for Ukraine.

    Take the example of security guarantees. The draft agreement offers Ukraine nothing anywhere near Nato membership. But it notes that the US “supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace”, adding that: “Participants will seek to identify any necessary steps to protect mutual investments.”

    The significance of this should not be overstated. At its bare minimum, it is an expression of intent by the US that falls short of security guarantees but still gives the US a stake in the survival of Ukraine as an independent state.

    But it is an important signal both in terms of what it does and does not do – a signal to Russia, Europe and Ukraine.

    Trump does not envisage that the US will give Ukraine security guarantees “beyond very much”. He seems to think that these guarantees can be provided by European troops (the Kremlin has already cast doubts on this idea).

    But this does not mean the idea is completely off the table. On the contrary, because the US commitment is so vague, it gives Trump leverage in every direction.

    He can use it as a carrot and a stick against Ukraine to get more favourable terms for US returns from the reconstruction investment fund. He can use it to push Europe towards more decisive action to ramp up defence spending by making any US protection for European peacekeepers contingent on more equitable burden-sharing in Nato.

    And he can signal to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that the US is serious about making a deal stick – and that higher American economic stakes in Ukraine and corporate presence on the ground would mean US-backed consequences if the Kremlin reneges on a future peace agreement and restarts hostilities.

    That these calculations will ultimately lead to the “free, sovereign and secure Ukraine” that the agreement envisages is not a given.

    For now, however, despite all the shortcomings and vagueness of the deal on key issues –– and the very public argument between the parties – it still looks like it serves all sides’ interests in moving forward in this direction.

    This article has been updated with details of the meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    Tetyana Malyarenko does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Raised voices and angry scenes at the White House as Trump clashes with Zelensky over the ‘minerals deal’ – https://theconversation.com/raised-voices-and-angry-scenes-at-the-white-house-as-trump-clashes-with-zelensky-over-the-minerals-deal-250855

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA: Support Pours in for President Trump, VP Vance’s America First Strength

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Today, President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance made clear to the world that the United States will not be taken advantage of — a sentiment echoed by the cabinet and members of Congress from across the country.
    Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Thank you @POTUS for standing up for America in a way that no President has ever had the courage to do before. Thank you for putting America First. America is with you!”
    Sen. Lindsey Graham: “I’ve never been more proud of President Trump for showing the American people — and the world — you don’t trifle with this man … He wanted to get a ceasefire. He wants to end the war and Zelenskyy felt like he needed to bait Trump in the Oval Office.”
    Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: “I am so proud of our Commander-in-Chief. Thank you President @RealDonaldTrump and @VP for standing up for America. We will not tolerate the political games and disrespect of America. America is back.”
    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “Amen, Mr. President.”
    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: “Thank you, President Trump, for standing up for the American people and our nation on the global stage.”
    Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum: “Thank you @POTUS for standing strong for America while working to end the killing abroad.”
    Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: “American leadership is back — in the Oval Office — and on the world stage. FEARLESS. BOLD. RELENTLESS. We will save America.”
    Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy: “Thank you @POTUS for standing up for the United States. The American people will not stand for disrespect of our President, Oval Office, or our generous taxpayers. Peace is only accomplished through strength and our allies need to understand that.”
    Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner: “President Trump is standing up for forgotten Americans, not endless foreign wars. Biden’s legacy — increased homelessness, record high interest rates, all-time highs to buy a house, and Americans footing the bill. That ended January 20th. The American people are behind @POTUS.”
    Sen. Jim Banks: “Thank you President Trump for standing up for America!”
    Sen. Marsha Blackburn: “Thank you President Trump and VP Vance or standing up for America.”
    Sen. Bill Hagerty: “The United States of America will no longer be taken for granted. The contrast between the last four years and now could not be more clear. Thank you, Mr. President.”
    Sen. Josh Hawley: “Remember: the U.S. Senate has repeatedly and for years voted BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars to Ukraine with no strings attached and with no true oversight. It’s time for some ACCOUNTABILITY.”
    Sen. Jim Justice: “Glad to have a @POTUS and @VP in charge that absolutely put America FIRST.”
    Sen. Mike Lee: “Thank you for standing up for OUR COUNTRY and putting America first, President Trump and Vice President Vance!”
    Sen. Bernie Moreno: “Finally we have a President who will speak the TRUTH and stand up against Washington’s endless wars. American taxpayers have been funding this war, it’s time to stop the killing and stop risking World War 3!”
    Sen. Markwayne Mullin: “Under this President— the greatest, freest, and most generous nation on Earth is putting America First. I’d encourage anyone who has a problem with that to reevaluate their priorities.”
    Sen. Rick Scott: “Thank you President Trump for standing up for America.”
    Sen. Eric Schmitt: “It’s about time we have leaders who say what the American people are really thinking and prioritize the core national interests of America. The American taxpayer is tapped out, and President Trump and VP Vance are spot on.”
    Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “Thank you Mr. President and Vice President Vance for putting America first”
    Majority Leader Steve Scalise: “President Trump is fighting for PEACE around the world and is putting America First as our best negotiator—he’s the only one to get Russia to the table to consider a serious and lasting peace agreement with Ukraine.”
    Chairwoman Lisa McClain: “President Trump inherited this war. He has said from the beginning he wants to bring peace. @POTUS is a strong leader, and I know his negotiations will bring a deal together.”
    Rep. Andy Biggs: “Gone are the days of foreign leaders walking all over us and snubbing their noses at America’s generosity. There’s a new President and Vice President in town. World leaders would be wise to humble themselves.”
    Rep. Tim Burchett: “Job well done by @realDonaldTrump and our VP @JDVance. Give respect to get respect.”
    Rep. Mike Collins: “Thank God we finally have a @POTUS who is willing to put America FIRST. Blessed are the peacemakers.”
    Rep. Eli Crane: “America First. Thank you, President Trump and Vice President Vance.”
    Rep. Dan Crenshaw: “If you are the leader of a country in a dire situation with no path to peace without American support, do not come into the Oval Office and argue with the President of the United States in public. Just a word of advice.”
    Rep. Andrew Clyde: “President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing up for the AMERICAN PEOPLE. Our great country will NOT be taken advantage of or disrespected.”
    Rep. Byron Donalds: “This is what putting the AMERICAN PEOPLE FIRST looks like. Thank you @realdonaldtrump and @JDVance for standing up for our nation.”
    Rep. Brandon Gill: “America First in action. Thank you, @realdonaldtrump and @JDVance, for prioritizing our people and for promoting peace!”
    Rep. Lance Gooden: “President @realdonaldtrump and Vice President @JDVance will never allow the United States to be disrespected or taken advantage of. America First, always!”
    Rep. Paul Gosar: “Thank you, Mr. President and Vice President. The days of the USA getting pushed around are clearly over.”
    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “President Trump and Vice President Vance will put America First every single time. Putting Zelensky in his place while he disrespects the U.S. in the Oval Office is exactly what American leadership should look like. This is what We The People want to see!”
    Rep. Pat Harrigan: “America’s priorities come first. @POTUS and @VP made it clear—Ukraine’s interests are not America’s interests. We’ve spent hundreds of billions with no accountability, no clear objectives, and no plan for peace. It’s time to put America first and end this war.”
    Rep. Mark Harris: “Thank you, President Trump and Vice President Vance, for boldly defending America’s interests. This is PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH”
    Rep. Diana Harshbarger: “The act displayed by Zelenskyy in the Oval Office was nothing short of a massive show of disrespect for the Trump Administration and the American people. Despite this, President Trump and Vice President Vance are holding the line and trying to end this conflict peacefully. God bless them both.”
    Rep. Wesley Hunt: “You do NOT blame the people fighting to save your country! America leads—no more excuses!”
    Rep. Nancy Mace: “Peace through strength live from the Oval”
    Rep. Thomas Massie: “Is this the end of Zelensky’s presidency? He hitched his wagon to Biden and the deep state. They lost and now he doesn’t seem to be playing his cards well.”
    Rep. Brian Mast: “American won’t be taken advantage of and America won’t be taken for granted. Thank you, President Trump and Vice President Vance for standing up for America.”
    Rep. Addison McDowell: “AMERICA AND THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER ALWAYS COME FIRST”
    Rep. Mary Miller: “What has happened in Ukraine is a travesty. Joe Biden threw “gas on the fire.” Ukraine lost an entire generation, and Americans hundreds of billions in tax dollars. We thank God for giving us strong leadership. Thank you @POTUS and @VP for putting America’s interests first, and working to end this terrible war.”
    Rep. Riley Moore: “It is amazing to have a President and VP who put America First! Thank you President Trump and VP Vance for fighting for our country and our people!”
    Rep. Troy Nehls: “President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing up for the American people. This is America First leadership on display. Thank you POTUS and VP!”
    Rep. Ralph Norman: “THIS is strong leadership that is ensuring we put the American people FIRST. Thank you @realDonaldTrump and @JDVance for standing up for our nation.”
    Rep. Andy Ogles: “This is what it looks like to stand up for America.”
    Rep. Mike Rulli: “You don’t have the cards!”
    Rep. Keith Self: “TOUGH and FAIR. The world is witnessing American leadership back in the White House. Thank you President Trump and Vice President Vance.”
    Rep. Victoria Spartz: “Zelensky is doing a serious disservice to the Ukrainian people insulting the American President and the American people – just to appease Europeans and increase his low polling in Ukraine after he failed miserably to defend his country. This is not a theater act but a real war!”
    Rep. Greg Steube: “Ridiculous grandstanding by Zelensky in the Oval Office. The United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to defend Ukraine. And this is the thanks the American people get?  It’s time to end this war.”
    Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “TRUMP IS THE GREATEST NEGOTIATOR AMERICA HAS EVER HAD! AMERICA IS BEING MADE GREAT BEFORE OUR VERY EYES!”
    Rep. Andy Weber: “America FIRST. Strong, unapologetic leadership on the world stage is BACK!”
    Rep. Joe Wilson: “I agree with President Trump that Ukrainian soldiers have been unbelievably brave! Critical Minerals Deal a major step forward toward ending the war responsibly. More sanctions on Russia & arms for Ukraine create maximum leverage for FULL land swap Art of the Deal!”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Joins Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats’ Statement Blasting Trump Administration’s Reckless Termination of U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 28, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee—joined her fellow SFRC Democratic colleagues Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) in issuing the following statement on the Trump Administration’s reckless termination of nearly all U.S. foreign assistance programs: 

    “It is clear that the Trump Administration’s foreign assistance ‘review’ was not a serious effort or attempt at reform but rather a pretext to dismantle decades of U.S. investment that makes America safer, stronger and more prosperous. There is no indication Secretary Rubio conducted a program-by-program review of the more than 9,000 awards or considered the dire national security implications of these rash actions. Ending programs first and asking questions later only jeopardizes millions of lives and creates a power vacuum for our adversaries like China and Russia to fill. 

    “While it’s easy to assume that these cuts will only affect people thousands of miles away, the fact is, the impact will be felt by American farmers who will no longer get top dollar for their crops to feed the hungry, churches who will no longer have the support of the U.S. government in their missions, American families who fall sick when diseases like Zika, Ebola and Malaria once again reach our shores and U.S. biotech companies who will no longer sell their drugs to treat the vulnerable overseas. Secretary Rubio should immediately come before our Committee. We expect him to not only consult with Congress but follow the law,” said the Senators in their statement.

    -30-



    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Global: Foreign powers have long profited from Ukrainian resources – Trump’s minerals grab is no exception

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Victoria Donovan, Professor of Ukrainian and East European Studies, University of St Andrews

    Donald Trump and Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, meet outside the Élysée Palace in Paris. Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock

    Donald Trump’s grab for Ukraine’s minerals, which the US president is demanding as compensation for his country’s wartime assistance to Kyiv, might seem like a new low in a week of US-Ukraine relations lows.

    The latest draft of Trump’s “minerals deal” would grant the US substantial control of a new fund that would invest in Ukrainian reconstruction. The fund would receive 50% of the profits from the future monetisation of government-owned Ukrainian natural resources such as lithium and titanium, as well as coal, gas, oil and uranium.

    This deal, despite offering no guarantee of continued US military support, is a slight improvement on Trump’s first offering. That bid would have imposed financial conditions on Ukraine harsher than those forced on Germany after the first world war.

    However, the deal will still require future generations of Ukrainians to shoulder the cost of a war for which they bear no responsibility. Commentators, including British foreign minister David Lammy, have noted that it would be more just to seize frozen Russian assets and use them to cover the cost of repairing the damage Russia has wreaked across the country.

    But, while many in the west have balked at Trump’s barefaced extractivism, his actions are entirely in line with the way western capitalists have approached Ukraine and its resources since the 19th century.

    The Donbas region of Ukraine is a major coal mining and industrial area.
    deniks315 / Shutterstock

    Ukraine’s east, referred to as Donbas, is often thought to have been industrialised in the 1930s, when Joseph Stalin was leading the Soviet Union. At this time, Donbas was marketed to the world as a symbol of proletarian superabundance. It was a place where miners and steelworkers exceeded their production quotas by 30 or 40 times.

    But the development of industrial extraction in eastern Ukraine dates back much earlier and was powered, in part, by European capital and technology.

    In the mid-19th century, when this part of Ukraine was controlled by the Russian empire, the Russian tsars opened the country’s borders to foreign capital investment in the hopes of accelerating its industrialisation drive. A series of fiscal measures were introduced that made it more attractive to foreigners to invest in the empire’s emerging industrial markets.

    This encouraged a wave of economic migration from western Europe to all regions of the multinational state. Foreign capitalists often partnered with Russian business elites based in Saint Petersburg and other major cities and set about generating huge amounts of profit from the extraction of the empire’s valuable resources.

    Donbas, with its wealth of minerals, was a region of particular interest for foreign capitalists. French, Belgian, German, Dutch and British industrialists all relocated to the region in the second half of the 19th century hoping to make their fortunes by excavating the region’s salt, chalk, gypsum, and coal. In fact, there was so much Belgian capital circulating at one point that Donbas became known as “the tenth Belgian province”.

    Despite the paternalism of some foreign managers, the extraction of Ukraine’s minerals did little to improve the life of local communities. Rather, it contributed to the displacement of indigenous people and caused massive environmental and ecological damage.

    Urban planning often replicated the segregated conditions of European colonies in Africa and India. Foreign settlers lived apart from local workers, in privileged housing located in better provisioned parts of town downwind of the toxic fumes of the blast furnaces and the chimney stacks.

    In the settlement of Hughesovka (now known as Donetsk), which was named after the Welsh industrialist John Hughes, Welsh settlers attempted to reconstruct the trappings of British life on the Ukrainian steppe.

    They built tennis courts and an Anglican church, arranged tea parties, and even had an amateur dramatics society. Meanwhile, the local workforce lived in abject poverty, often accommodated in barracks or mud dugouts.

    In these dismal conditions, infectious disease and dissatisfaction were widespread. There are several reports of riots following large-scale outbreaks of cholera and local hospitals were reportedly overflowing.

    Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this period of European capitalist exploitation was drawing considerable interest from researchers.

    The “European” industrial heritage of Donbas was being used to tell different stories about the region and to highlight its complex, multicultural history. This heritage was seen to hold potential as a counter-narrative to the toxic “Russian world” propaganda emanating from the occupied territories, which maintains that Ukraine is an integral part of Russia’s historic sphere of cultural influence.

    But there is a danger in being too romantic about this chapter in history. Foreign capitalist investment in the extraction of Ukrainian minerals was not a classic example of settler colonialism. However, it bore many similarities to western European colonial practices in other parts of the world at this time.

    What this history reminds us is that Ukraine has long been located at the intersection of empires. And these empires have often collaborated to plunder the country’s resources, offering little or nothing in return.

    We can see this kind of predatory collaboration of imperial and neo-imperial regimes once again taking shape. Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, is trying to tempt Trump away from a deal with Ukraine with promises of access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in the occupied territories.

    We must continue to gather and protest, as many of us did on the three-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion this week, to resist such politics of resourcification.

    Victoria Donovan’s research has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, 2019-2023.

    ref. Foreign powers have long profited from Ukrainian resources – Trump’s minerals grab is no exception – https://theconversation.com/foreign-powers-have-long-profited-from-ukrainian-resources-trumps-minerals-grab-is-no-exception-250811

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tatyana Golikova presented the national project “Family”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova presented the national project “Family” at an extended meeting of the State Duma Committee on Family Protection, Fatherhood, Motherhood and Childhood.

    Tatyana Golikova presented the national project “Family”

    Previous news Next news

    Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, Minister of Labor and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov, Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova and Deputy Minister of Education Andrei Nikolaev spoke about the prerequisites for the formation, main goals and directions of the new national project.

    As Tatyana Golikova noted, the national project “Family” is comprehensive and was formed taking into account the instructions of the President of Russia and his decree No. 309. It is aimed at achieving three national development goals:

    • preserving the population, strengthening health and improving well-being of people, supporting families;

    • realizing the potential of each person, developing his talents, raising a patriotic and socially responsible individual;

    • comfortable and safe living environment.

    “When developing the national project, we focused on the family in the broadest sense of the word. Therefore, the national project included measures aimed at both stimulating new births and supporting various types of families, including young, large families, and older generations of families,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

    She noted that the national project “Family” replaces the national projects “Demography”, “Culture” and some activities of the national project “Healthcare” and takes into account all the experience of positive decisions accumulated in recent years.

    The national project consists of five federal projects. The Ministry of Labor has been appointed as the head of three projects: FP “Family Support”, “Large Families”, “Older Generation”. FP “Maternity and Childhood Protection” is assigned to the Ministry of Health, FP “Family Values and Cultural Infrastructure” to the Ministry of Culture.

    17.9 trillion rubles have been allocated for the implementation of the national project over six years, including 7.8 trillion rubles over the next three years.

    “The President of the country has set the task of ensuring sustainable growth in the birth rate, increasing the total fertility rate to 1.6 by 2030 and to 1.8 by 2036. The target value can be achieved provided that not only the social sphere, but also all areas of our life – the economy, development of housing and rural infrastructure, improvement of cities and towns – will work towards this goal,” said Tatyana Golikova.

    According to her, preliminary results for 2024 show that, compared to 2023, the total fertility rate, according to Rosstat’s operational data, has remained almost unchanged, decreasing by 0.7% to 1.4.

    At the same time, 18 regions have seen an increase in the birth rate. It is important that among them are regions of Central Russia, the North-West from the cluster “Demographic Winter” – these are Smolensk, Oryol, Ryazan, Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions.

    “The growth dynamics of births of third and subsequent children has been maintained – by 1.1% compared to the previous year. At the same time, Russia, like many developed countries, is characterized by demographic challenges and new trends in the development of the institution of the family. Based on these challenges, we have formed seven key areas,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    The first direction is the implementation of the “plus one child in every family” approach. The target is large families.

    The second direction is to level out the high regional differentiation in birth rates.

    According to preliminary results for 2024, in 38 regions, excluding new regions, the birth rate is higher than the Russian average, and in two – the Chechen Republic and Tuva – it exceeds the level of simple reproduction – 2.1. In general, the differentiation between regions has not changed – the indicator differs by three times).

    In such conditions, federal umbrella measures with uniform conditions for the entire country must be supplemented in all subjects with regional support measures linked to local specifics and targeted work with individual groups of regions, supporting them from the federal level. It is important that the growth of the total fertility rate in the territory, support for large families, and the reduction of their poverty become a personal project of each governor.

    The third direction is the creation of conditions for the harmonious combination of professional development with the birth and upbringing of children.

    “To do this, we are fine-tuning both state and corporate policies. Together with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia, we have developed recommendations for the implementation of corporate social policy. Informally, we call them the “corporate demographic standard”. At the end of the year, it was adopted by the Russian Tripartite Commission,” noted Tatyana Golikova. “As you remember, at the final meeting of the State Council, the President supported certain additional measures, including tax incentives for employers, so that there would be an opportunity to support working women and working families. And of course, an important topic here is support for the older generation.”

    The fourth direction is increasing the birth rate in rural areas.

    The village has traditionally been the basis for population growth in the country, large families. Despite the decrease in the total fertility rate in the village by a third in the last 10 years, the fertility rate in the village as a whole is currently maintained at the level that must be achieved throughout the country by 2030. It is important to maintain it at this level and, if possible, increase it.

    “Last year, a pilot project was launched in three regions – Novgorod, Tambov and Penza regions, which is aimed at developing infrastructure. And although not much time has passed, we are already seeing the first positive results. Over the three quarters of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, the number of women registered for pregnancy at antenatal clinics in the pilot regions increased by 15% on average, and the number of women who continued their pregnancy increased by 22% on average,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    “Another area is improving the well-being of families so that they can make decisions about having another child. These are, of course, new targeted support measures. And here, both within the framework of the national project and within the framework of individual state programs and general policy, we will continue measures aimed at increasing the minimum wage, increasing citizens’ labor incomes, and, of course, keeping inflation low,” Tatyana Golikova emphasized.

    The sixth direction is strengthening reproductive health and developing children’s medicine. It is planned to further increase additional investments in infrastructure and technologies in healthcare.

    The seventh direction is strengthening the values of the family institution. All events related to the national project “Culture” implemented in previous years are concentrated here. These include cultural centers, cinemas in rural areas, modernized theaters and museums, model libraries, renovated and equipped children’s art schools, and new cinemas.

    “There are no trifles in issues such as birth rate. This really should become the business of every governor, so that there are more of us, Russians,” concluded Tatyana Golikova.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 02/28/2025 Changes in the parameters of the third deposit auction of the Federal Treasury

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    Application selection date 02/28/2025. Unique application selection identifier 22025044. Deposit currency rubles. Type of funds – funds of the single treasury account. Maximum amount of funds placed on bank deposits, million monetary units 1,160,000. Placement period, in days 4. Date of depositing funds 02/28/2025. Date of return of funds 03/04/2025. Interest rate for placement of funds (fixed or floating) FIXED. Minimum fixed interest rate for placement of funds, % per annum 20.05. Basic floating interest rate for placement of funds-Minimum spread, % per annum-Terms of conclusion of the bank deposit agreement (fixed-term, replenishable or special)Fixed-term. Minimum amount of funds placed for one application, million monetary units 1,000. Maximum number of applications from one credit institution, pcs. 5. Application selection form (open or closed)Open.

    Schedule of application selection (Moscow time). Venue of application selection: Moscow Exchange PJSC. Application acceptance: from 18:30 to 18:40. Applications in preliminary mode: from 18:30 to 18:35. Applications in competition mode: from 18:35 to 18:40. Formation of a consolidated register of applications: from 18:40 to 18:50. Setting the cutoff rate and (or) recognizing the application selection as unsuccessful: from 18:40 to 18:50. Sending an offer to credit institutions to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 18:50 to 19:30. Receipt from credit institutions of acceptance of the offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 18:50 to 19:30. The time of transfer of the deposit in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 63 and 64 of the Order of the Federal Treasury dated April 27, 2023 No. 10n.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: 3 million tourists visited the Russian North and the Arctic in 2024

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko during a working trip to Arkhangelsk and the Solovetsky Islands in the Arkhangelsk region.

    The growth in visits to the northern territories is an important result of the development of domestic tourism and the discovery of the potential of the country’s unique regions. This was stated on Arctic Day by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko during a working visit to Arkhangelsk and the Solovetsky Islands in the Arkhangelsk Region.

    The Deputy Prime Minister summed up the results of tourist visits to the regions of the Russian North and the Arctic in 2024.

    “The number of tourist trips around Russia is steadily growing, including in the regions of the Russian North and the Arctic. In 2024 alone, they were visited by 3 million people – this is 7% more than in 2023. This applies to both Russians and guests from abroad. The steady growth of domestic tourism ensures that we fulfill the task set by Russian President Vladimir Putin – to almost double the tourist flow in the country by 2030 – to 140 million people. This is largely due to the implementation of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality” and the interest of the regions in creating places of attraction,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    Of the total number of tourists who visited the regions of Russia, according to the calculations of the Center for Strategic Research, more than 1.3 million tourists visited the Arctic territories (in 2023, according to estimates, about 1.2 million people visited the territory). Among the northern regions, tourists most often visited the Vologda Region and Karelia (about 700 thousand trips), and among the Arctic regions – the Murmansk Region (almost half a million trips).

    Chukotka is the leader in popularity growth, where the number of tourists has more than doubled. There is also a significant increase in tourist trips in the Murmansk Region (18.6% year-on-year), Krasnoyarsk Krai (16.1%) and Yakutia (10.6%).

    The number of foreign tourists has almost doubled, with more than 75,000 trips made. The largest share of foreign tourists is in the Murmansk Region (7.7%); in December, they made 20% of all trips to the region. At the same time, foreign tourists, unlike Russians, are equally active in traveling to the Arctic and the North in both winter and summer. From December 2023 to February 2024, they made 23,500 trips, and in the summer of 2024 – 25,500.

    Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov emphasized that the growing interest in the Russian North and the Arctic is not accidental and that the further growth of tourist trips to these regions is directly related to the development of modern tourism infrastructure.

    “The unique nature and culture of these territories attract more and more Russian and foreign tourists. The development of tourism infrastructure, including the construction of glampings and modular hotels on the coast of the Barents Sea and in Prionezhye, helps to further attract travelers. Over the past two years, more than 570 million rubles have been allocated to regions in the Arctic zone under the national project “Tourism and Hospitality” for the creation of modules. Large hotel complexes with a total number of rooms of about 1.1 thousand are also being built with support. The project of the ski resort “Ray-Iz” in the Polar Urals, which will become a powerful point of attraction for both Russian and foreign guests, was also supported under the preferential lending program,” the head of the Ministry of Economic Development noted.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexander Novak held a meeting with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Alparslan Bayraktar

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Alexander Novak held a meeting with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey, Alparslan Bayraktar.

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    Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak held a meeting with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Alparslan Bayraktar.

    The main topic of the meeting was cooperation in the oil, gas, coal, electric power and nuclear industries. It was noted that interaction in the energy sector is a strategic area of cooperation between Russia and Turkey.

    The parties discussed further investment cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, issues of supplying Russian energy resources to the Turkish market and increasing the share of mutual settlements in national currencies, as well as the progress of construction of the Akkuyu NPP, four power units of which are planned to be built in the Republic of Turkey by 2028.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted the good results of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Turkey in 2024. In 2023, Türkiye took third place among Russia’s foreign trade partners (third in exports and fifth in imports).

    “Political interaction between our countries remains intensive. We appreciate the principled position of the Turkish leadership – to continue developing mutually beneficial bilateral partnership with Russia, despite pressure from Western countries. I am confident that through the channels of the bilateral Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, every effort will be made to achieve new results in the trade and economic sphere,” Alexander Novak emphasized.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Clarification of the procedure for registering clients during the DSVD

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    The procedure for registering clients on weekends, previously announced in Developer Newsletter #17, has been clarified:

    Messages with “L” type operations will be processed only for new short trading codes. Messages with “L” type operations for changing market information of current (previously registered) short trading codes will be rejected with an error.

    The news text on the website has been changed to reflect the new registration procedure. Link: HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M.A detailed description of the weekend trading technology is available at the link: HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M..

    Contact information for media 7 (495) 363-3232Pr@moex.kom

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: The deadlines for sending notifications to the Bank of Russia have changed when individual officials of financial organizations change

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    From March 1, 2025 the terms are increasing sending to the Bank of Russia notifications of dismissal from office (termination of temporary performance of official duties) of heads of internal control, internal audit and risk management services of a credit institution, special officials responsible for the implementation of internal control rules in a credit institution for the purpose of countering the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime, the financing of terrorism and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

    In addition, the amendments will make it possible to clearly determine from what moment the period for sending to the Bank of Russia notifications of appointment to a position (dismissal from a position), temporary performance of official duties (termination of official duties) of individual officials of credit institutions, insurance organizations, non-state pension funds, management companies of investment funds, mutual investment funds and non-state pension funds, microfinance companies is calculated.

    Preview photo: PATCHARIN.IN / Shutterstock / Fotodom

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial News: How Weekend Trading Should Work

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    The Bank of Russia has defined the conditions for trading on weekends in order to minimize risks for exchanges and their clients. Trading on Saturday and Sunday will not be considered as separate days, but as additional sessions on Monday. This will allow not to conduct clearing and settlements on weekends. The regulator sent the corresponding order to the organizers of trading.

    At the first stage, the exchanges must set the size of the price corridor within 3% (both up and down) of the value of the securities that formed by the end of Friday. The Bank of Russia recommends including highly liquid shares in the list of securities admitted to weekend trading. Such restrictions are aimed at avoiding increased volatility in the market.

    In the future, the Bank of Russia will monitor the trading activity of participants, the quality of pricing, and what financial instruments are traded on exchanges. All this will allow us to assess the possibility of scaling up trading on weekends and will be taken into account when deciding on the need to introduce additional restrictions.

    Preview photo: ShishkinStudio / Shutterstock / Fotodom

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 02/28/2025, 17-19 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A104TQ2 (EDR 1P-08) were changed.

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    02.28.2025

    17:19

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on 28.02.2025, 17-19 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 100.18) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1078.43 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 12.5%) of the security RU000A104TQ2 (EDR 1P-08) were changed.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU strategic autonomy and fertilisers – P-000834/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-000834/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Esther Herranz García (PPE)

    The latest sanctions announced against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine impose higher tariffs on nitrogen fertiliser imports into the EU from Russia and Belarus. As a result, the price of such fertilisers is expected to rise, increasing pressure on EU farmers.

    In light of both this and the fact that farmers are already facing challenges and are expressing their dissatisfaction at not being considered when such decisions are made, as well as in view of the need to continue to support Ukraine:

    • 1.What action does the Commission plan on taking to compensate EU farmers once these measures enter into force in July 2025?
    • 2.As one of the steps it could take, does the Commission intend to grant derogations under the Nitrates Directive to allow the current limit of 170 kg N/ha to be exceeded when using organic fertilisers (RENURE)?

    Submitted: 25.2.2025

    Last updated: 28 February 2025

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