Putin still intends Ukraine domination - U.S. intelligence reports say

The article by Washington Post U.S. intelligence assessments, including a classified report dated March 6, 2025, indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unwavering in his ambition to dominate Ukraine, even as ceasefire talks gain traction. Distributed to policymakers in the Trump administration, these assessments reveal that Putin’s maximalist goals—established before the 2022 invasion and rooted in his 2014 annexation of Crimea—persist despite Russia’s occupation of roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory. Intelligence sources, speaking anonymously, underscore that Putin’s public demands, such as Ukraine relinquishing annexed eastern provinces and maintaining a pro-Moscow stance, signal his intent to subjugate rather than negotiate with Kyiv, casting doubt on his sincerity in pursuing peace.

According to the WP report, U.S. intelligence assessments are shaping the Trump administration’s diplomatic strategy, though they also highlight potential obstacles to ending the three-year war. While President Trump pushes for a 30-day ceasefire and expresses confidence in negotiating with Putin—suggesting on March 12, 2025, that a deal could benefit Russia—the intelligence suggests Putin’s resolve may only falter if military or economic pressures intensify. With over 95,000 Russian casualties and a strained economy, Putin’s position remains precarious, yet experts like Eric Ciaramella argue that a lasting ceasefire hinges on security guarantees for Ukraine, which Putin is unlikely to concede, complicating U.S. efforts to broker a resolution.

Putin sent Trump additional signals on a ceasefire offer - Kremlin`s spokesperson

Russia has sent "additional signals" to U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the offered ceasefire to Ukraine through special envoy Steve Witkoff, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on March 14.

Peskov confirmed that Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin late on March 13. He added that both sides will now discuss potential dates for a call between Trump and Putin.

"Through Witkoff, Putin also passed information and additional signals to Trump," Peskov noted.

The visit comes as the U.S. seeks Russian agreement on a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine accepted during talks in Jeddah on March 11. Washington resumed military and intelligence aid to Ukraine following that agreement.

Putin said on March 13 that Russia is open to a truce but wants Ukraine to stop mobilization, training, and foreign arms deliveries during the ceasefire.

Trump called Putin’s conditions "promising but incomplete," saying he is open to meeting the Russian leader.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Putin’s response as "manipulative," suggesting Moscow is preparing to reject the ceasefire.

Witkoff, who previously negotiated for the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel from Russian prison, reportedly had direct talks with Putin for over three hours during his February trip to Moscow.

Ukrainian activist murdered in Odessa downtown

Ukrainian activist Demyan Hanul was shot dead in central Odesa on March 14, the National Police reported.

Hanul, 31, was a prominent public figure, blogger, and founder of the Street Front NGO. He had participated in the EuroMaidan Revolution and the May 2 clashes against pro-Russian forces in Odesa.

Known for organizing rallies, military fundraisers, and campaigns to remove Soviet and imperial monuments, Hanul had also reported threats against his life. In July 2024, he said Russian sources leaked personal data about his family and offered a $10,000 bounty for an attack on him.

The shooter fled the scene, and police have launched an investigation. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said he is taking personal control of the case, sending top police investigators and a National Police regiment to Odesa. Later, a suspect was arrested, and the investigation continues.

Pro-Russian media initially claimed the shooter was in military uniform, but Klymenko denied this. Authorities are working to identify and arrest the perpetrator.

50% of Ukrainians not ready to give up territories under any circumstances – poll

Half of Ukrainians remain firmly opposed to any territorial concessions to Russia, even if refusing to do so prolongs the war, according to a new poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) between February 14 and March 4, 2025.

Despite growing international pressure on Kyiv to seek a negotiated settlement, 50% of Ukrainians say under no circumstances should Ukraine give up any part of its territory — a figure virtually unchanged from 51% in December 2024.

At the same time, 39% of respondents expressed willingness to accept some territorial concessions to achieve peace as soon as possible, compared to 38% in December. Another 11% were undecided.

Russia is using exactly the same narratives against NATO as it did before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Kremlin officials are increasingly reviving disinformation narratives similar to those used to justify Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now aimed at creating an information environment to support potential aggression against NATO countries, including Finland and the Baltic states, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). In an interview with National Defence magazine published on March 13, Russian presidential aide and former Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev accused NATO of using threats as its main tool in international relations and claimed that its "European wing" is pursuing a policy of "blocking" Russia in the Baltic region. Patrushev also alleged that the UK is "orchestrating" NATO's escalation to derail Russia-U.S. dialogue and manipulate Finland's policies, suggesting that while Finnish authorities are hostile toward Russia, the Finnish population is more sympathetic. He went further to make a veiled territorial claim, declaring that the Gulf of Finland has a "historical geographic affiliation with Russia" and implying that Finland’s past as part of the Russian Empire should not be forgotten — an alarming attempt to legitimize potential future claims.

The ISW warns that these narratives mirror the false claims Russia used to justify invading Ukraine, such as the alleged discrimination against Russian speakers and fabricated military threats. Patrushev’s statements reflect an ongoing Kremlin effort to divide the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, while undermining NATO unity. By accusing Western powers of manipulating Finland and the Baltic states, Russia appears to be laying the groundwork for future provocations, adjusting its propaganda to exploit existing tensions within the West. ISW emphasizes that the Kremlin is reapplying the same disinformation playbook against NATO that it previously used against Ukraine and other former Soviet states, signaling a potential escalation that Western leaders must take seriously.

Russia has abducted over 19,000 Ukrainian children; 1,700 more are missing

Ukraine is urging the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to address the illegal deportation of 19,546 Ukrainian children by Russia, as well as the disappearance of 1,700 others amid ongoing Russian aggression. Speaking at a regular meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Yurii Vitrenko, stressed that these actions are a blatant violation of international law and part of a deliberate genocidal policy pursued by the Kremlin against the Ukrainian people. Vitrenko underscored that Ukraine will "never agree to compromises" on the issue of deported children and emphasized that only 1,227 of these children have been successfully returned home, while Russia continues to block repatriation efforts. He also revealed that at least 380 Ukrainian children have been placed under so-called "temporary guardianship" — a euphemism for illegal adoption — inside Russia.

Vitrenko called on the OSCE and the broader international community to take more decisive action to ensure the return and reintegration of these children to Ukraine. "We consider this a matter of critical importance for future generations," he said, urging the OSCE to play a stronger role in facilitating the return of deported children, securing the release of illegally detained civilians and medical workers, and protecting the rights of prisoners of war. He also highlighted the urgent need to free Crimean political prisoners and to stop the systematic torture and inhumane treatment of Ukrainian civilians and POWs held in Russian captivity, condemning Moscow’s refusal to grant international monitors, including the UN and Red Cross, access to these detainees.

Russians hit the downtown of Kherson, one man injured

Russian forces struck the downtown of Kherson with a glide bomb on March 14, injuring a 23-year-old man, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration.

The attack damaged social infrastructure, shops, and destroyed civilian vehicles.

The injured man was hospitalized with a mine-blast injury and is currently under medical examination.