Ukraine has agreed to stop striking energy sites for 30 days as part of a mutual pause in attacks proposed by Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed and accepted this with President Trump during a phone call, where Trump described the conversation as “very good.” Zelensky said the talk was “positive, very substantive and frank,” and expressed gratitude for America’s support.
The two leaders’ discussion followed Trump’s conversation with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s leader. This marked the first time Trump and Zelensky spoke since their unsuccessful meeting at the Oval Office last month. During the call, Trump also suggested that the U.S. could take control of Ukrainian power plants, an idea deemed likely unworkable by Ukrainian energy experts. The White House announced that teams would gather in Saudi Arabia in the following days to discuss extending the pause to include activities in the Black Sea, aiming for a full cease-fire.
Zelensky emphasized that the agreement would require U.S. monitoring and the preparation of a list of sites needing protection. He mentioned that relying solely on Putin’s assertion of not striking energy sites was insufficient, noting that war has made the Ukraine practical.
Most of what Putin agreed to during the call with Trump was spun as a concession, but the Russian leader did not actually give in. Russia’s military has continued to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with recent strikes affecting power supplies.
In related news, Canada is in talks to join a project to expand the European Union’s (E.U.) military industry, potentially providing an alternative to the U.S. market. Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, visited Paris and London, calling Canada “the most European of non-European countries.”
Israel has intensified its presence in the Gaza Strip, seizing parts of a major corridor known as the Netzarim Corridor, marking the most significant ground operation since a fragile truce with Hamas collapsed. Israeli forces aim to create a “partial buffer zone” in the territory between the north and south. Despite wide-scale aerial bombardment in Gaza, Hamas has not responded militarily. In Jerusalem, thousands of Israeli protesters called for a renewed cease-fire.
Elsewhere, President Trump stated that Houthi militants in Yemen would be “completely annihilated” by U.S. military strikes and warned Iran to stop supporting them.
In India, men in a village named Paraswara were recently sworn in to form a local government after their wives had successfully won the elections, highlighting the issue of women’s sidelining in rural Indian politics.
Anthony Dolan, former chief speechwriter for Ronald Reagan, passed away at the age of 76. In 1983, he famously referred to the Soviet Union as the “evil empire” while serving under President Reagan.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/briefing/ukraine-israel-canada.html
