Zelenskyy clashes with Trump, Ukrainian air force strikes FSB positions - Friday brief
Collage by RBC-Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance about Russia's war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian aviation targeted positions of Russia's Federal Security Service in the Bryansk region, destroying key infrastructure.
Zelenskyy clashes with Trump and Vance about Russia-Ukraine war
Yesterday, February 28, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on a visit to the United States of America.
The head of state met with US senators and US President Donald Trump.
However, during a conversation with journalists, Zelenskyy and Trump quarreled over the Ukraine war.
Zelensky reminded that the war in Ukraine had not ended under Barack Obama, Donald Trump, or Joe Biden. This provoked a sharp reaction from US Vice President JD Vance, and then from Trump.
After the dispute, the Ukrainian president left the White House early. The signing of the agreement on rare earth metals between Ukraine and the United States was canceled.
Meanwhile, the American leader said that Zelenskyy was not ready for peace.
Read more about Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump in RBC-Ukraine's article.
Ukrainian air force strikes FSB positions in Bryansk region
On February 27, Ukrainian aviation targeted positions of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Bryansk region, destroying key enemy infrastructure, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The strike resulted in the destruction of critical Russian military infrastructure, including:
- Communication equipment;
- Signal amplifiers;
- Satellite communication devices;
- Other technical systems used for coordinating combat operations.
This attack significantly reduced the ability of the Russian army to manage their forces and resources in the region.
US halts support for Ukraine's energy recovery program – NBC News
The US State Department has halted USAID’s initiative to restore Ukraine’s energy system. Hundreds of millions of dollars had been invested in the program, NBC News reports.
According to the outlet, support for Ukraine’s energy recovery program was discontinued this week.
“It significantly undercuts this administration’s abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire, and it’d signal to Russia that we don’t care about Ukraine or our past investments,” an official from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) told NBC News.
UN halts some support programs in Ukraine, says UN chief
The United States has reduced its aid to the UN, leading to the suspension of humanitarian assistance in some regions of Ukraine, stated UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Guterres noted that the significant cuts in US spending on aid, implemented by President Donald Trump, are contrary to Washington's interests.
"In Ukraine, cash-based programming - a key feature of the humanitarian response, reaching 1 million people in 2024 - has been suspended in key regions," Guterres explained.
Ukrainian soldiers destroy Russian thermobaric ammunition depot in Donetsk region
The Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a Russian storage facility for thermobaric ammunition. It happened on the night of February 28 on the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine says.
According to the General Staff, the Russian depot was located near Selydove.
“In addition, 3 more important Russian targets were hit. In particular, the Ilsky oil refinery (Krasnodar Krai of Russia), which is involved in the supply of the Russian occupation army,” the statement said.
