Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that Ukrainian territorial concessions from areas seized by Russia since 2014 would be necessary for a peace agreement, emphasizing that both sides must compromise for a resolution. He highlighted the lack of a purely military solution, acknowledging the difficulty for either side to achieve complete victory. Rubio’s statements came ahead of Saudi Arabian negotiations involving Ukrainian and US officials, where future US military aid to Ukraine will be discussed, contingent upon a demonstrated commitment to peace from Ukraine. The US delegation, including Rubio, will engage with the Ukrainian team, led by Andriy Yermak and Rustem Umerov.
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Elon Musk attributed a massive outage on his social media platform, X, to a cyberattack originating from the Ukraine area. While Musk did not offer concrete evidence, experts cast doubt on Ukrainian government involvement, suggesting Russia may be responsible for the attack to discredit Ukraine before crucial peace talks. The timing of the attack, coinciding with these talks and following a US halt on offensive cyber operations against Russia, points towards a deliberate attempt to disrupt negotiations. Thousands of users reported issues with X throughout the day, though Musk later claimed the platform was restored.
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Following a recent Oval Office meeting, Prime Minister Starmer spoke with President Trump regarding the resumption of U.S. aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Trump indicated a near-resolution to the suspension, though specifics remain undisclosed. Starmer, aiming to balance support for a Ukrainian peace deal with U.S. relations, is convening a second virtual meeting of countries prepared to offer military support for a ceasefire. This Saturday’s meeting will further develop a “coalition of the willing” and bolster efforts toward peace while securing crucial U.S. security guarantees.
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Following Australian Prime Minister Albanese’s suggestion of Australian troops joining a Ukraine peacekeeping coalition, the Russian embassy in Canberra issued a stern warning of “grave consequences.” This warning, framed as a preventative measure rather than a threat, underscores Russia’s opposition to Western military presence in Ukraine. The embassy views such a deployment as undermining peace efforts and alleges Australia is prolonging the conflict. Conversely, opposition leader Peter Dutton and other prominent figures have voiced their opposition to sending Australian troops to Ukraine.
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February marked the second consecutive month of declining Canadian car trips to the U.S., with a 23% decrease compared to the previous year. This significant drop follows similar declines in January, unprecedented since March 2021. Contributing factors include President Trump’s economic threats against Canada, a weakened Canadian dollar increasing travel costs, and severe snowstorms impacting travel conditions. Air travel to the U.S. also experienced a slight decrease.
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Following Senator Mark Kelly’s trip to Ukraine and subsequent advocacy for continued U.S. support, Elon Musk labeled him a “traitor.” Kelly, a veteran combat pilot and astronaut, defended his stance, emphasizing the importance of U.S. aid to Ukraine’s sovereignty and security. Musk’s criticism follows a pattern of attacks on Kelly and aligns with his broader criticisms of U.S. involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. This public exchange comes amidst a backdrop of shifting U.S. policy towards Ukraine, influenced by recent political events involving President Trump.
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Multiple outages affecting the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, occurred throughout Monday, beginning around 5:40 a.m. ET. These outages, reported globally, resulted in users’ inability to access posts and received error messages. While X experienced intermittent service restoration, a peak of 40,000 issue reports coincided with further outages. A hacking group, Dark Storm Team, claimed responsibility for a DDoS attack, prompting Elon Musk to acknowledge a “massive cyberattack” and investigations into its source.
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Germany’s €8.3 billion purchase of 35 American F-35 fighter jets faces potential cancellation due to concerns about a US-controlled “kill switch,” heightened by President Trump’s actions in Ukraine. This fear, fueled by reports of deactivated US-supplied aircraft in Ukraine, raises questions about European reliance on US military hardware and the potential for US political interference in allied defense capabilities. The debate underscores Europe’s increasing dependence on US arms and the need for greater strategic autonomy in defense. This situation is prompting Germany and other European nations to bolster domestic arms production and diversify their defense suppliers.
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Elon Musk reported a massive cyberattack against X, attributing it to either a large, coordinated group, a nation-state, or both, given the significant resources employed. The attack, which involved multiple waves of denial-of-service attacks, caused widespread outages affecting approximately 40,000 users according to Downdetector. These disruptions peaked twice on Monday in the UK. Investigations into the attack’s origin are ongoing.
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Lucas Sielaff, a German citizen, and his American fiancée were detained by CBP at the San Diego border after entering from Tijuana. Following accusations of visa violation despite Sielaff’s claims of compliance, he was arrested by ICE and held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center for over two weeks. After intervention, Sielaff was deported to Germany, expressing gratitude for his release. While ICE cited visa violation as the reason for detention, CBP and ICE did not provide further details to inquiries.
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John Q. Hosedrinker