INTERNACIONAL
Putin thanks Trump for principles of ceasefire push, but does not say yes
In an address full of nuance, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday thanked President Donald Trump for his efforts to end the hostilities in Ukraine, but said he wanted lasting peace over a 30-day ceasefire.
«The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it,» Putin said in a carefully worded message during a news conference in Moscow. «But there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners.»
«We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis,» Putin added.
From left, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security advisor Mike Waltz meet with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 18, 2025. (Associated Press)
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Putin was careful not to directly say no to the 30-day ceasefire deal Ukraine agreed with earlier this week, but he also suggested there were too many variables to be discussed, like what happens to the Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, which he said will be fully surrounded in the coming days.
The Kremlin chief also claimed a ceasefire would only benefit Ukraine as it would allow Kyiv to mobilize and rearm.
«In these conditions, I believe it would be good for the Ukrainian side to secure a ceasefire for at least 30 days,» Putin said.
The Russian president’s comments echoed ones issued by his top aide earlier in the day when Yuri Ushakov told a Russian reporter, «Our position about this is that it’s nothing other than a temporary breathing space for Ukrainian forces and nothing else.»
«We believe that our goal is a long-term peaceful normalization – we are striving for this,» he added. «Our concerns are known. No one needs steps that imitate peaceful actions in this situation.»
Ushakov, who met with national security advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month in Saudi Arabia, said ultimately Putin would address Moscow’s position on the ceasefire during a press conference later on Thursday.
The comments came after Ushakov said he spoke with Waltz and as special envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Moscow to further discuss the agreement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their talks at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Reports on Thursday suggested Russia has put forward its own wishlist items to achieve an end to the fighting, but those demands remain unconfirmed. Previous demands included barring Ukraine from joining NATO and control over the five Ukrainian regions it has illegally seized – only one of which Russia fully occupies.
Ukraine on Tuesday agreed to the 30-day ceasefire following an hours-long meeting with Waltz and Rubio in Saudi Arabia, contingent on the Kremlin’s acceptance of the terms.
The ceasefire was an attempt to get both sides to lay down their arms so that further negotiations on issues like territory, occupation status, the return of prisoners and the return of abducted Ukrainian children could then be hashed out.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions.
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security advisor Mike Waltz are interviewed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 18, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool)
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Russia ramped up its barrage of missile and drone attacks after the U.S. paused military aid and intelligence sharing after Trump suggested he didn’t believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was «serious» about peace.
The comments came following an Oval Office blow-up when Zelenskyy refused to sign a mineral deal without security guarantees from the U.S.
Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of being «disrespectful.»
But following the successful talks with Ukraine in Jeddah this week, the U.S. immediately lifted its aid and intelligence pause.
«Ukraine is committed to moving quickly toward peace, and we are prepared to do our part in creating all of the conditions for a reliable, durable, and decent peace,» Zelenskyy said in a post on X Thursday. «I thank our teams for the fact that military aid and intelligence sharing resumed.
«Ukraine was ready for an air and sea ceasefire, but the U.S. proposed extending it to land. Ukraine welcomes this proposal,» he added.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference at the Ukraine peace summit in Obbürgen, Switzerland, on June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
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Zelenskyy said Putin’s thus far silence on the ceasefire proposal «once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible.»
«We hope that U.S. pressure will be sufficient to compel Russia to end the war,» he added.
Groenlandia está en un territorio de gran importancia estratégica
Un niño lanza hielo al mar en Nuuk, Groenlandia, el martes 11 de marzo de 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)Groenlandia podría ser una rica fuente de minerales de tierras raras y energía
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European leaders were notably silent on Tuesday following the text exchange between Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, who noted their «loathing» of their long-standing allies.
«I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC,» Hegseth said in response to Vance, who questioned U.S. leadership in advancing security policies in the Red Sea to counter Houthi aggression and reopen shipping lanes.
Vance broke from President Donald Trump, who directed the U.S. to ramp up strikes against the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen which, backed by Iran, began escalating attacks on merchant ships along the major trade route following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.
President Donald Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend U.S. shipping assets and deter terrorist threats, the White House posted on X on March 15, 2025. (The White House)
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Following the offensive push earlier this month, Vance, in a Signal group chat, texted the U.S.’s top security officials, including Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and CIA Director John Ratcliff, among others, that only «3 percent of U.S. trade runs through the [Suez Canal]. 40 percent of European trade does.»
«There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this,» he added in reference to the route that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, and which is vital in connecting shipping from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. «I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.»
«If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again,» he added.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron hold a meeting during a summit at Lancaster House in central London, Britain March 2, 2025. (JUSTIN TALLIS/Pool via REUTERS)
However, despite the degrading comments regarding the U.S. top allies, European leaders were noticeably tight-lipped in their response when Fox News Digital reached out for comment, and public statements were nearly non-existent.
The lack of public retort could suggest Europe is biting its tongue while it evaluates how to maintain a relationship with an administration that routinely argues against the value of its long-standing European allies.
«Reality is that there is certainly an element of European freeloading on relying on America as the one country that has the capability to really take on the Houthis in a major way and drive them out,» Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, an international affairs think tank based in London told Fox News Digital. «The Houthis are a desert dwelling ragtag bunch of terrorists, and most European countries do not have the capabilities to deal with that sort of situation.
From left to right, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth participate in a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
«That tells you how bare Europe’s military cupboard is,» he continued. «The idea that 50 years ago that would have been the case would have been laughable, but it’s here today.»
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Ultimately, Mendoza argued, there would be an «element of hypocrisy» if Europe were to try and push back on the comment.
«So I think a lot of Europeans, while not liking the way this conversation has unfolded…can’t actually dispute the substance, even if we don’t like the methodology for this conversation,» he added. «And therefore, it is probably better to say little about it than to risk this sort of bigger argument about burden sharing, once again, coming to the fore.»
In the Signal text exchange, the administration officials said that «further economic gain» would need to be «extracted in return» for the U.S. taking the operational lead – which some British lawmakers took issue with, noting the Trump administration’s renewed attempt to «extort» money from its allies.
Additionally, the leader of the U.K.’s Liberal-Democrats, typically a more centrist party to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, took to X to say the text exchange showed, «JD Vance and his mates clearly aren’t fit to run a group chat, let alone the world’s strongest military force. It has to make our security services nervous about the intelligence we’re sharing with them.»
Though the official responses from nations looking to make inroads with Trump, like the U.K. and France, maintained they will continue to pursue «cooperation» with Washington.
The U.K. – whose navy and air force have been heavily involved in countering Houthi aggression in the Red Sea alongside the U.S. – told Fox News Digital, «The U.S. is our primary ally, and we cooperate more closely than any other two nations on defense, intelligence, and security.»
The British-registered cargo ship Rubymar is seen sinking on March 3 after it was targeted by Yemen’s Houthi forces while traveling in the Red Sea. ( Al-Joumhouriah channel via Getty Images)
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«The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to secure shipping in the Red Sea and has conducted a series of U.K. and joint U.K.-U.S. strikes over the past two years – helping to diminish Houthi rebel assets in the region,» a British Embassy spokesperson said. «Prime Minister [Keir] Starmer has been clear about the need for European nations to step up their security contribution and the U.K. has led with announcing a major increase in defense spending and committing U.K. troops to a future Ukraine peace keeping force.»
Similarly, a spokesman for the French Embassy said, «France is not in the habit of commenting on reported remarks, no matter how surprising they may be. The United States is our ally and France intends to continue cooperating with Washington.»
INTERNACIONAL
With Trump’s blessing, Israel has Hamas terrorists on back foot: ‘Operating in survival mode’
IDF troops in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces says it recently concluded the encirclement of Tel al-Sultan in Gaza. (IDF Video)
Israel’s war in Gaza resumed in full force last week after the collapse of a two-month ceasefire and a deadlock in negotiations over the release of the remaining hostages. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a new wave of airstrikes, quickly followed by coordinated ground operations in three key areas: the Netzarim Corridor, Gaza’s northern coastline and the Rafah district in the south.
With expanded U.S. support and favorable shifts in the regional landscape, this next phase signals a significant evolution in Israel’s military objectives, from degrading Hamas’s battlefield capabilities to dismantling its ability to govern.
«We’ve been fighting them for 10 days,» said Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror (res.), former Israeli national security advisor. «All they’ve managed to do is fire seven rockets. That tells you how much damage we’ve inflicted already.»
ISRAEL LAUNCHES NEW GROUND OPERATION IN GAZA
IDF troops encircled Tel al-Sultan in Rafah, Gaza, as they dismantled terrorist infrastructure in the area. The IDF said the operation was to reinforce control and expand the security zone in southern Gaza. (IDF)
A senior Israeli security official told Fox News Digital: «We seized weapons caches, labs, and command centers. Hamas today is not functioning like an army. It’s a dangerous terror group, but it’s not what it was on October 7.»
According to Israeli data, most of Hamas’s senior command has been eliminated and only fragmented units remain.
«They’ve lost their experienced leadership,» the official said. «They’re operating in survival mode.»
This time, Israel is operating under dramatically improved conditions, both militarily and diplomatically.
«The strategic environment has changed,» Amidror told Fox News Digital. «Hezbollah is weaker, Iran is constrained, and the American administration is offering us true support. They’re not telling us where to bomb or how to fight.»
With fewer threats on other fronts and strong backing from the Trump administration, the IDF has broadened its scope to include Hamas’s political leadership.
«We’re not just degrading military capabilities anymore,» Amidror said. «We’re dismantling the structure that allowed Hamas to govern.»
During the pause in fighting, Hamas consolidated control over humanitarian aid, confiscating supplies, reselling goods and using them to recruit fighters and maintain loyalty. Israeli officials now say that won’t be allowed to continue.
TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE OVER’ GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABILIZE MIDDLE EAST
Hamas terrorists watch as hostages are released to the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. (TPS-IL)
«We are working to find a solution so that humanitarian aid reaches civilians and is not weaponized by Hamas,» the senior Israeli security official explained. He noted that Gaza currently has sufficient food reserves and that Israel is developing new delivery mechanisms that bypass Hamas entirely.
Fifty-nine Israeli hostages remain in Hamas captivity. Their continued detention has sparked nationwide protests, with families urging the government to prioritize a negotiated release. But the renewed fighting puts those hostages in greater danger.
«The only real limitation is the hostages,» Amidror acknowledged. «We want them alive, and fighting a war while trying to protect them is a huge challenge.»
«My position is that first we have to get the hostages back, even if we need to commit to end the war and pull back to a security perimeter,» said Ram Ben Barak, former deputy head of Mossad and current Knesset member. «We can commit to that, but only if Hamas gives all the hostages back. If they don’t, that alone is a reason to go back to war. And even if Hamas does return them, we’ll be watching. If Hamas starts smuggling weapons again or training fighters, that, too, will be a reason to go in and hit them hard.»
Israeli soldiers sit on a tank in front of the northern Gaza Strip as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on March 18, 2025. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
The security official said military pressure is part of a coordinated effort to bring the hostages home.
«They released a group of hostages earlier than planned because of the pressure we applied in Netzarim when they refused to release Arbel Yehud,» he said.
Despite tactical gains, Israeli leaders know the war cannot eliminate Hamas’s ideology. The mission, they say, is to prevent it from ever ruling Gaza again.
MORE AID IS SUPPOSED TO BE ENTERING THE GAZA STRIP. WHY ISN’T IT HELPING?
Israeli troops encircle Tel al-Sultan in Gaza. (IDF)
«We won’t go back to the days when we let them quietly build an army,» Ben Barak told Fox News Digital. «We’ll strike every time we see military training or arms smuggling. They’ll never have tanks or armored vehicles again.»
Ben Barak said Israel can’t remain in Gaza long-term: «If we stay like we did in Lebanon for 19 years, we’ll leave in shame. The only way to win is to have someone else replace Hamas and govern Gaza.»
He also pointed to the West Bank as a partial model: «In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority governs, and we operate from the perimeter when needed. We need the same in Gaza: an internationally backed civil authority that rebuilds the [Gaza] Strip and keeps Hamas out.»
Still, he cautioned against illusions of peace.
«There won’t be peace in the next 20 years. But like Egypt did with the Muslim Brotherhood, we can suppress Hamas’s ideology and stop it from taking root again.»
Ben Barak also said Gazans who wish to leave should be allowed to: «Let them out. If they have visas and want to go, Israel should let them. It will make military operations easier in a less densely populated area.»
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Israeli forces are now deeply embedded in Gaza, with simultaneous operations in the north, south and central regions.
«These aren’t symbolic moves,» Amidror said. «We’re positioning ourselves for the next stage. We will eventually need to reach every tunnel, blow up the infrastructure, and kill every Hamas terrorist. It is achievable, but it will take at least a year.»
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