Daily Digest Online

ROME — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a firm rejection of mounting pressure from the United States to cede territory to Russia as a pathway to peace, declaring that Ukraine has "no moral right" to surrender any of its land as he intensifies diplomatic efforts to secure unwavering support from European allies. The Ukrainian leader's defiant stance comes amid sustained lobbying from Washington. In an interview with Politico published Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump again pressed Zelenskyy to accept a proposal requiring Ukraine to relinquish control of the Donbas region. Trump argued that Russia holds the "upper hand" and that Ukraine must "play ball," claiming other unnamed Ukrainian officials "loved the proposal." In response, Zelenskyy, speaking via WhatsApp to journalists, was unequivocal: "Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anyt...

LONDON, UK — European leaders have declared that "now is a critical moment" to dramatically increase support for Ukraine and intensify economic pressure on Russia to end the war. The statement followed a high-stakes meeting in London on Monday, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought unified backing ahead of delicate peace negotiations with the United States. Zelensky met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street to discuss the latest version of a U.S.-backed peace proposal. The meeting highlighted European efforts to balance firm support for Ukraine with the necessity of keeping the United States, under President Donald Trump, engaged in the diplomatic process. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Starmer's office said, "The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressu...

The European Commission has proposed an unprecedented plan to raise €90 billion for Ukraine over the next two years by either using frozen Russian state assets as collateral for a "reparations loan" or by borrowing on international markets, according to a Reuters report. The European Union's executive arm has put forward a landmark proposal to fund Ukraine's military and essential services by leveraging assets frozen from Russia. The plan, detailed by Reuters on Wednesday, outlines two options: securing a "reparations loan" using immobilized Russian state assets as collateral, or borrowing against the EU budget. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated the €90 billion fund would cover roughly two-thirds of Ukraine's financing needs for 2026 and 2027. "Since pressure is the only language the Kremlin responds to, we can also dial it up," she told reporters. The proposal faces significant hurdle...