President Donald Trump's comments on intelligence sharing with Ukraine precede discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia. Stay tuned to Candraokey News for further updates.
The US President Donald Trump stated that his administration has almost ended the suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine. According to SIPRI, Ukraine is currently the world’s biggest purchaser of weapons.
Ukraine keeps targeting Russia, including an assault on a storage facility in the Samara region during the night.
Moscow orders two British diplomats to leave the country.
Here’s a summary of the Key developments regarding Russia's conflict in Ukraine on Monday, March 10. Reload for latest updates.
Russian troops push forward in Kursk—reports
On Monday, Russian troops made deeper incursions into Kursk, as reported by military analysts.
Last August, Ukraine advanced into the western part of the Russian region with the aim of utilizing this move as leverage to regain territories occupied by Russia and strengthen its position in possible ceasefire negotiations.
However, Ukrainian forces have encountered numerous difficulties since then and have found it hard to maintain control over portions of Kursk.
The Ukrainian military reported on Sunday that Russian troops utilized a gas pipeline for an unexpected assault in a particular region.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated on Sunday that its troops had seized control of four villages within a few days.
A Russian warfare blog called Two Majors reported that Russian troops had seized control of the settlement of Ivashkovsky and stated that Russian units were moving towards what was referred to as the "cauldron" in Kursk from a minimum of seven different angles.
Yuri Podolyaka, a military blogger of Ukrainian origin who supports Russia, mentioned finding it difficult to keep pace with the rapid developments as the Russians advanced quickly. He stated that numerous Ukrainian units found themselves encircled in multiple areas around Kursk.
"In just four days, Russian forces have reclaimed as much ground in the Kursk area as they often failed to secure over several months," noted Rybar, a blogger with ties to the Defense Ministry.
Rybar stated, "The frontline has been breached," further noting that Russian troops were positioning themselves within the Ukrainian borders to block the primary routes connecting Kursk with Ukraine’s Sumy region.
UK providing guidance to Ukraine on handling peace negotiations, according to reports.
According to reports from British media outlets, the UK is providing guidance to Ukraine on managing peace negotiations before a meeting involving both US and Ukrainian officials takes place in Saudi Arabia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, during the weekend, as reported. The Times.
Alex Norris, the UK parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Housing, stated during a television appearance on Sky News that their nation’s responsibility was to guarantee Ukraine is in the “ strongest possible position,” when questioned regarding the report.
Russia increased assaults via land and air on Ukraine following the announcement that Washington would stop sharing intelligence with Kiev.
The Kremlin says there is political willingness to rebuild U.S.-Russia ties.
Russia views rebuilding relations with the U.S. as a lengthy and challenging process, yet maintains that there is political resolve on both ends to progress, according to statements from the Kremlin.
"We find ourselves at the beginning of the journey toward rebuilding our bilateral relationship. While the path forward remains lengthy and challenging, it’s encouraging that both presidents have shown their commitment in this regard," stated Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to journalists.
Peskov emphasized the importance of assessing whether Ukraine genuinely sought peace, particularly as the nation prepares for upcoming diplomatic discussions with US officials starting Tuesday in Saudi Arabia aimed at concluding the ongoing conflict within their borders.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has expressed his readiness to discuss a peace agreement with Russia at an early stage. However, he is also looking for assurances from both the United States and European nations regarding Ukraine’s long-term safety and security.
Ukraine has been pursuing peace from the "very first second" of the conflict, according to Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine has consistently sought peace from the outset of the conflict, emphasizing that the ongoing war persists solely due to Russian actions.
The Ukrainian leader is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia late Monday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
U.S. and Ukrainian representatives are scheduled for talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at negotiating a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
U.S. officials plan to utilize the discussions to determine if Kyiv is keen on a "practical" peace agreement, according to one of them who spoke with Reuters news agency.
They are also keen to observe if negotiations can mend the situation. The relationship between the Ukrainian president and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy won't be attending the discussions scheduled for this week.
Poland's Tusk urges 'respect' following dispute over Starlink
After an online disagreement between Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the social media site X, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, avoiding direct references, urged “mutual respect” amongst allies.
The conflict arose regarding the utilization of Starlink internet services in Ukraine, with Poland covering the costs. Starlink is under the ownership of Elon Musk, the wealthy entrepreneur and confidant of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rubio criticized Sikorski following the Polish minister's comment about potentially changing providers if Starlink fails to perform reliably.
The U.S. Secretary of State remarked that Sikorski was "fabricating information" and advised him to "express gratitude," highlighting the significant contribution of Starlink to Ukraine’s efforts.
On Monday, the Polish Prime Minister seemed to criticize Rubio.
"Genuine leadership involves respecting both partners and allies, even those who may be less powerful or smaller. It should never involve arrogance. Dear friends, please consider this," Tusk stated in a message posted on X as well.
Musk has also chimed into the dispute, referring to Sikorski as a "petty individual." He stated emphatically that he wouldn’t discontinue Starlink services in Ukraine, even though the Trump administration had previously halted both military assistance and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Poland commits $50 million (€46 million) to maintain Ukraine’s Starlink services. Shares of Franco-British satellite company Eutelsat surged by 650% last week due to speculations about potential switches involving Poland and Ukraine.
Russia states there are no discussions scheduled with the US for this week.
Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, has refuted claims that representatives from Russia and the United States were scheduled to hold discussions in Saudi Arabia this week.
Zakharova stated that a meeting was "not scheduled," and added that Russia has not been provided with any details about this from the U.S. side, as reported by the Russian state news agency TASS.
The Trump administration provoked anger among US allies, including Ukraine, after the US president opened up direct communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, having publicly disagreed with Trump, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday where he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for discussions.
Russia orders two officials at the UK embassy in Moscow to leave the country.
On Monday, Russia's FSB security agency announced the expulsion of two British "diplomats," alleging they had been engaged in espionage.
The two people involved are the UK's second secretary and the spouse of the first secretary.
The FSB stated that their counterintelligence efforts uncovered an undisclosed British intelligence operation being conducted beneath the guise of the national embassy.
The Russian Foreign Ministry additionally mentioned that they had called upon the representative from the British Embassy in Moscow.
Ukraine claims it has brought down most of the Russian drones that flew overnight attacks.
On Monday, Kyiv reported that Russia had launched 176 drones at Ukraine during the night.
The Ukrainian Air Force claimed in aTelegram post that they had taken down 130 drones.
An additional 42 failed to meet their objectives, the military also stated.
The fate of the leftover four drones was not instantly clear.
Ukrainian drone attacks ignite blaze in Russia's Samara region
Despite the suspension of military assistance and intelligence sharing by the United States under President Trump, Ukraine has persisted in attacking locations within Russia.
A sudden assault occurred at a warehouse in Russia’s Samara region, according to officials on Monday. It was reported that firefighters were dealing with a fire at the location.
The Russian Emergency Ministry reported on Telegram that there were no casualties due to the fire. They stated that the incident occurred in Novokuibyshevsk and was confined to a region covering approximately 1,600 square meters (around 17,222 square feet).
Andriy Kovalenko, a representative from Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, stated that an oil refinery was struck in Novokuibyshevsk.
The Russian Defense Ministry additionally reported that three drones were brought down over Samara.
These reports couldn't be confirmed by independent sources.
The Samara region is situated in the southeastern portion of the European section of Russia, located at a considerable distance from the frontier with Ukraine.
Trump says US 'just about' lifted intelligence pause on Ukraine
US President Donald Trump stated that his administration has "virtually" removed the intelligence restrictions concerning Ukraine.
He additionally mentioned his anticipation for positive outcomes from the discussions between US representatives and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
"I am confident we will achieve significant progress this week," Trump stated.
The US President expressed his belief that Ukraine would enter into a minerals agreement with the United States.
"They will sign the minerals deal but I want them to want peace... They haven't shown it to [the] extent they should," he added.
Trump also said that his administration is looking at a lot of things regarding tariffs on Russia and that they are not concerned about military exercises involving Russia, China and Iran.
U.S. representatives intend to convene with a group from Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
According to SIPRI, Ukraine has become the leading global importer of weapons.
Ukraine is now the world's largest arms importer, more than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Currently, Ukraine makes up 8.8% of the overall import volume of heavy weaponry, which includes equipment such as tanks, combat aircraft, submarines, and similar systems.
Every five years, India takes the second spot with a rate of 8.3%, trailed by Qatar at 6.8%, Saudi Arabia at 6.8%, and Pakistan at 4.6%.
The SIPRI report indicates that at least 35 nations have aided in Ukraine’s armament procurement, where the United States holds the largest share at 45%, trailed by Germany contributing 12% and Poland providing 11%.
The SIPRI data focus on the quantity of arms delivered rather than their monetary worth. Given that these quantities may vary significantly each year, the researchers analyze them over five-year intervals—in this instance, comparing 2020-24 with 2015-19.
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On Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Saudi Arabia for a meeting with the nation's crown prince, while his delegation will remain behind to engage in discussions with U.S. officials.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was heading towards Saudi Arabia for discussions scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
Following a disagreement between Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance, Washington decided to halt military assistance and intelligence collaboration with Ukraine.
There is hope that these discussions might aid in resetting relationships.