Inside Trump's overseas argumentation plans
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday the U.S. has not stopped subject assistance to Ukraine aft recently sworn-in U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced helium would intermission overseas assistance grants for 90 days.
Zelenskyy did not clarify whether humanitarian assistance had been paused. Ukraine relies connected the U.S. for 40% of its subject needs.
"I americium focused connected subject aid; it has not been stopped, convey God," helium said astatine a property league with Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

The 2 leaders met successful Kyiv connected Saturday to sermon the vigor needs of Moldova's Russian-occupied Transnistria region, which saw its earthy state supplies halted connected Jan. 1 owed to Ukraine's determination to halt Russian state transit. Ukraine has said it tin connection ember to the Transnistrian authorities to marque up for the shortfall.
The aboriginal of U.S. assistance to Ukraine remains uncertain arsenic President Trump begins his 2nd word successful office. The American person has repeatedly said helium wouldn't person allowed Russia's penetration of Ukraine to commencement if helium had been successful office, though helium was president arsenic warring grew successful the eastbound of the state betwixt Kyiv's forces and separatists aligned with Moscow, up of Putin sending successful tens of thousands of troops successful 2022.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump told Fox News that Zelenskyy should person made a woody with Putin to debar the conflict. A time earlier, Trump besides threatened to enforce stiff tariffs and sanctions connected Russia if an statement isn't reached to extremity the warring successful Ukraine.
Rubio sent an bid to each U.S. diplomatic and consular posts instructing a intermission connected "all caller obligations of funding, pending a review, for overseas assistance programs funded by oregon done the Department and USAID." The message was successful enactment with the executive order Mr. Trump signed connected Monday to reevaluate U.S. overseas aid. It was not instantly wide however the bid volition interaction U.S. overseas assistance to Ukraine and different countries.
The order, which was obtained by CBS News, said that crossed the U.S. government, "it is presently intolerable to entree capable accusation successful 1 spot to find whether the overseas assistance policies and interests supported by appropriations are not duplicated, are effective, and are accordant with President Trump's overseas policy."
Speaking successful Kyiv connected Saturday, Zelenskyy said helium had enjoyed "good meetings and conversations with President Trump" and that helium believed the U.S. person would win successful his tendency to extremity the war.
"This tin lone beryllium done with Ukraine, and different it simply volition not enactment due to the fact that Russia does not privation to extremity the war, and Ukraine does," Zelenskyy said.
Grinding eastbound offensive
With Trump stressing the request to rapidly broker a bid deal, some Moscow and Kyiv are seeking battlefield successes to fortify their negotiating positions up of immoderate prospective talks.
For the past year, Russian forces person been waging an aggravated run to punch holes successful Ukraine's defenses successful the Donetsk portion and weaken Kyiv's grip connected the eastbound parts of the country. The sustained and costly violative has compelled Kyiv to springiness up a bid of towns, villages and hamlets.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed Friday that Russian troops had fought their mode into the halfway of the strategically important eastbound of Velyka Novosilka, though it was not imaginable to independently corroborate the claim.
Elsewhere, 3 civilians were killed Saturday successful shelling successful the Russian-occupied country of Ukraine's Kherson region, Moscow-installed Gov. Vladimir Saldo said.
He urged the residents of Oleshky, which sits adjacent to the frontline successful confederate Ukraine, to enactment successful their homes oregon successful weaponry shelters.
Russia besides attacked Ukraine with 2 missiles and 61 Shahed drones overnight Saturday. Ukrainian aerial defenses changeable down some missiles and 46 drones, a connection from the aerial unit said. Another 15 drones failed to scope targets owed to Ukrainian countermeasures.
The downed drones caused harm successful the Kyiv, Cherkasy and Khmelnytskyi regions, with Ukrainian exigency services saying that 5 radical had to beryllium from a 9-story flat artifact successful the Ukrainian capital.
Russia besides struck Ukraine's eastbound Kharkiv portion with drones causing casualties and damage, section authorities said Saturday.
Drones targeted the city's Shevchenkivskyi, Kyivskyi and Kholodnohirskyi districts, said Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Russia utilized a Molniya drone – an inexpensive limb that has been developed and precocious deployed by Russia – successful the Shevchenkivskyi district, sparking a fire. The attacks disrupted the city's h2o and energy supplies, the politician said.
Terekhov said the fig of victims was inactive being determined, portion Kharkiv's governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said 3 people, 2 women and a man, were injured successful the strikes.
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