WAR news: Middle East, Ukraine, else where

[chirpy]

Trump's envoy Witkoff claims Ukraine will hold presidential elections.

Ukraine has not held elections during Russia's full-scale war because they are prohibited under martial law, which was declared on Feb. 24, 2022.

 

The U.K. will host three more days of military planning sessions next week to prepare high-level plans on mobilizing a European-led "coalition of the willing" in the event of a ceasefire in Ukraine, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Office said on March 21.

 

 

[chirpy]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his unwavering support for Russia's war in Ukraine during a meeting with Russian security council secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, North Korea state media reported Saturday.

article on China and Ukraine:

summary:  China playing all sides - sees opportunity to fill gap if USA pulls out of NATO, wants tension to remain in Ukraine/Russia as draws attention from them.

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/analytics/china-with-putin-or-trump-whose-side-beijing-1742467209.html

 

[chirpy]

ukraine - russia still throwing attacks at each other

Ukraine skeptical of any significant results from negotiations to take place in Saudi on the 24th

Both say they will not conceded any land

China considering joining Ukraine peacekeeping mission, Die Welt reports.

"The inclusion of China in a 'coalition of the willing' could potentially increase Russia's acceptance of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine," an unnamed EU diplomatic source reportedly told Die Welt.

 

Iran sending delegation to speak with USA next week concerning nukes and support of Yemen

 

Israel still receiving rockets - from yemen, lebanon, gaza and responding with force

 

Egypt has said they will allow Gazans into the Sinai to make way for clean up and redevelopment of gaza.

 

 

 

[chirpy]

The first round of US-Ukraine talks ended late on Sunday night, and within hours, Washington’s delegation began discussions with Russia’s representatives.

The US and Ukraine will hold another round of talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday, after US and Russian delegations conclude their meeting, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Ukraine say Russia stalling talks to benefit their positions

NO big news release on the talks so will assume no agreements yet made

Both sides are still actively fighting

Both going into talks adamantly saying neither would concede land.

Zenlensky has said NO to UN peace keepers in Ukraine and no to France about using French troops as peace keepers

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Turkey unrest growing - Erdogan's position becoming more unstable. One issues is 4 million syrian refugees in the country and another is putting in prison a presidential challenger.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards have unveiled new missile systems on three strategic islands in the Gulf, saying they can target nearby "enemy bases, vessels, and assets", state media reported Saturday.

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Hamas says the offer from Egypt to allow Gazans to settle in the Sinai is an option while Gaza is rebuilt.

 

 

 

 

[chirpy]

A meeting between Russian and US officials on a partial ceasefire in Ukraine ended after 12 hours of negotiations in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Russian state media reported, with a joint statement expected the following day.  

With Ukrainian negotiators waiting nearby, a day after they sat down with the US team, the Americans and Russians met in Riyadh with a Black Sea ceasefire top of the agenda.
A joint statement on results would be published Tuesday.  

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Iran said on Monday it was open to indirect talks with the United States after President Donald Trump sent the country’s leadership a letter offering talks for a new nuclear deal while restoring a sanctions campaign and threatening military action if diplomacy is unsuccessful.

Iran, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction, denies seeking a nuclear weapon, but it has ramped up its enrichment of uranium up to 60 percent purity, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so, and has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities.

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No progress on release of hostages held by Hamas.  Hamas proposed releasing 2 if Israel did a cease fire.  Initial reaction via rumors are -  no deal, release them all or we keep attacking and moving further south into Gaza.

 

[chirpy]

Russia backs resuming Black Sea Initiative in more 'acceptable' form, Lavrov says.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that the issue was the focus of the 12-hour Russian-U.S. talks in Riyadh on March 24.

 

Russia is pushing to gain full control over four occupied Ukrainian oblasts—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—during negotiations with the United States in Saudi Arabia, the Moscow Times reported, citing sources familiar with the Kremlin’s strategy.

Moscow refused to share any specific outcomes of the 12-hour Riyadh talks with the Trump administration on a partial ceasefire with Ukraine, saying that “the contacts were technical.”

Macron to host Zelensky in Paris on March 26 ahead of security summit.

The Paris summit on March 27 will bring together Germany, Poland, the U.K., and other coalition members who have pledged to support Ukraine's post-war security.

 

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Yemen still lobbing missiles at Israel

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Despite an apparent lack of Arab partner states willing to accept Gaza residents voluntarily leaving the Strip, the number of civilians departing Gaza has risen over the last month. Since the beginning of March, 1,000 residents have left the Gaza Strip, with another 600 expected to leave this week, according to Hebrew media reports. During the 2023-2024 war period, around 35,000 Gaza residents fled the Strip for other countries, often paying bribes to be smuggled out through Egypt.

 

 

[chirpy]

The Kremlin said that the Black Sea ceasefire would come into effect after the West lifts the sanctions against Russia's Rosselkhozbank and other financial organizations involved in supporting international food trade operations and restores their connection to the SWIFT messaging system.

"All parties agreed to implement the presidential agreement on a complete ban on strikes on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and Russia," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

Washington vowed to help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.

------ incremental steps - peace still in the works

[chirpy]

Report of USA Air Muscle build up at Diego Garcia - Iran in range?

Gaza - People protesting Hamas - telling Hamas to return hostages, stop the war and leave Gaza.  Hamas has lost all top leaders as when one is chosen, he it targeted by Israel. 

My thought - lack of leaders, Gazans tired of war and standing up to Hamas, maybe something will soon happen to end the fighting.

Russia/Ukraine  agree to limited cease fire on energy and Black Sea. Neither trusts the other to abide by it........ we will see. 

Negotiations are happening so that is a good start.

Yemen still lobbing rockets at israel

[chirpy]

Top diplomats of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Tuesday expressed their cautious support for the Trump administration’s peace efforts with Ukraine and Russia, as they remain skeptical of Moscow’s intentions, and urged for proper monitoring and verification mechanisms to be in place in order to force the Kremlin to honor the agreements reached.

CIA Chief John Ratcliffe admitted that Russia is gradually gaining ground in the war, but he also believes people have underestimated Ukraine’s ability to resist.

Russia launched 117 drones over Ukraine overnight, out of which 56 were downed and 48 were lost from radar without causing damage, the air force said.

Russia meanwhile accused Ukraine of attacking its energy infrastructure overnight. President Vladimir Putin had ordered a 30-day truce on such targets last week but Kyiv has said Russian strikes on energy sites have continued unabated.

 

 

 

[chirpy]

On the Border of Lithuania and Belarus:

Four US soldiers who went missing after an exercise at the Pabradė training ground have been found dead. US soldiers were training with Lithuania troops. The soldiers and a vehicle went missing, search found them killed, does not mention how they were killed.

Belarus supports Russia against Ukraine and has been hosting Russian troops and supplies.

https://kauno-diena-lt.translate.goog/naujienos/kriminalai/nelaimes/ziniasklaida-pabradeje-dinge-keturi-amerikieciu-kariai-zuvo-1217916?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp#google_vignette