Deflection and distraction are the order of the day as Russia readies its response to Ukraine’s cease-fire plan.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Western countries of allegedly believing in Satan and seeking to destroy the consensus in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). “We still believe that only consensus can save the OSCE. And the West — I don’t know what it believes in, probably no one but Satan — is doing everything to destroy the consensus ,” Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu. The Russian Foreign Minister stressed that the West is taking deliberate steps that threaten the very existence of the organization.
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Lavrov: Nothing on ceasefire, American efforts to break U.S. off China are futile, Rubio recognizes multi polar world where country’s power is defined by its strength, smaller countries are second rate, we still want other Ukrainian territories, where ethnic Russians live.
not the first time he’s blamed Satan
WASHINGTON-THE ONION—Warning that Americans should brace themselves for an economic “period of transition,” President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that a recession would be an unfortunate but necessary step on the way to all-out depression. “Look, what we’re doing is very big and will cause some pain, but that pain is necessary to cause total economic collapse,” Trump said during a press conference, adding that while his decision to implement billions of dollars in tariffs on foreign imports and fire 20,000 federal workers could cause a temporary disturbance, Americans would ultimately emerge much, much worse for it. “Things might be bad for a little while, but we’re okay with that, because we know that in the end these policies will drive markets into a deadly tailspin and push the economy to a point of no return. Trust me. Some hardship now will only make your bank accounts more empty in the long run. If everything goes right, none of you will be able to afford food, housing, or retirement ever again.” At press time, many of Trump’s most vocal defenders stressed that they trusted the president to usher in the greatest depression the nation had ever seen.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a Russian military command post in Kursk Oblast for the first time since Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024 — demonstrating Putin's desire to use Russia's seizure of Sudzha to project military success and strength against the backdrop of the US-Ukrainian temporary ceasefire proposal. Putin visited a command post in Kursk Oblast and heard reports from Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov.[31] Gerasimov specifically commended elements of the "Veterany" Assault Detachment (Russian Volunteer Corps), 11th VDV Brigade, 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment (72nd Motorized Rifle Division, 44th AC, LMD), and "Akhmat" Spetsnaz Detachment for conducting the operation in which Russian forces used an underground pipeline to covertly attack behind Ukrainian positions in Sudzha. Putin thanked elements of the 76th and 106th VDV divisions, 11th and 83rd VDV brigades, 56th VDV Regiment (7th VDV Division), 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet), 810th Naval Infantry brigade (Black Sea Fleet), 177th Naval Infantry Brigade (Caspian Flotilla), 34th Motorized Rifle Brigade (49th Combined Arms Army [CAA], Southern Military District [SMD]), 22nd Motorized Rifle Regiment (72nd Motorized Rifle Division, 44th AC, LMD), 1220th Motorized Rifle Regiment (3rd Motorized Rifle Division, 20th CAA, Moscow Military District [MMD]), "Akhmat" Spetsnaz, and "Veterany" Assault Detachment for their efforts in Kursk Oblast. Putin acknowledged that Russian forces have yet to completely push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk Oblast and stated that Russian forces must seize all of Kursk Oblast "in the shortest possible time."
This is only the second time that Putin has visited Russian forces on the frontline since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Putin visited the Russian "Dnepr" Grouping of Forces' headquarters in occupied Kherson Oblast and the "Vostok" Rosgvardia headquarters in occupied Luhansk Oblast in April 2023.[32] Putin wore a military uniform during his visit to the Kursk Oblast headquarters — a notable move as he wore a suit in his April 2023 visits to the frontline. Putin is likely trying to posture himself as an engaged wartime leader and to include himself among the Russian military-political leaders responsible for recent Russian advances in Kursk Oblast.[33] Putin is also likely attempting to portray himself as a strong and effective military commander ahead of US-Russian meetings, including a meeting with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on March 13 during which the delegations will likely discuss the US-Ukrainian temporary ceasefire proposal.
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Russian forces launched a series of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of March 11 to 12. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched three Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from occupied Crimea and 133 Shahed and decoy drones from the directions of Oryol, Kursk, and Bryansk cities; Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; and occupied Cape Chauda, Crimea.[79] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 98 drones over Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Rivne, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Odesa and Kherson oblasts and that 20 decoy drones were "lost," likely due to Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) interference.[80] Ukrainian officials reported that Russian drones struck Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Sumy oblasts and that Russian missiles and drones damaged civilian and energy infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and a civilian Barbados-flagged ship and port infrastructure in Odesa City.[81] Ukrainian officials reported that the Russian ballistic missiles that struck the port of Odesa and the Barbados-flagged ship likely had cluster munition warheads.[82] Ukrainian officials reported on March 12 that Russian forces conducted a "double-tap" missile strike, likely with an Iskander-M missile, against Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast following March 11 strikes on residential, administrative, and enterprise infrastructure in and near the city.[83]
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Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 98 drones over Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Rivne, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Odesa and Kherson oblasts
- Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov offered a vague response on March 12 to the US-Ukrainian 30-day ceasefire proposal.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin may hold hostage the ceasefire proposal to which Ukraine has agreed in order to extract preemptive concessions before formal negotiations to end the war have started.
- Senior US and Ukrainian officials have said that the purpose of the temporary ceasefire is for Russia and Ukraine to demonstrate their willingness for peace and that the temporary ceasefire and negotiations to end the war are separate matters, whereas the Kremlin may intend to conjoin them.
- Russian insider reports about the demands that the Kremlin may make before agreeing to the temporary ceasefire are in line with Russian officials' public statements in the past months.
- US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe and Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Head Sergey Naryshkin had a phone call on March 11 amid talks about the war in Ukraine.
- Russian forces recently seized Sudzha amid continued Russian assaults in Kursk Oblast on March 12.
- Russan President Vladimir Putin visited a Russian military command post in Kursk Oblast for the first time since Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024 — demonstrating Putin's desire to use Russia's seizure of Sudzha to project military success and strength against the backdrop of the US-Ukrainian temporary ceasefire proposal.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk and Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast and near Borova, Toretsk, and Velyka Novosilka.
https://t.co/594RbGqQFa
Russian forces recently seized Sudzha amid continued Russian assaults in Kursk Oblast on March 12. Geolocated footage published on March 12 indicates that Russian forces recently seized Sudzha and advanced to southern Zaoleshenka (immediately northwest of Sudzha).[22] A Ukrainian source reportedly affiliated with Ukrainian military intelligence stated on March 12 that Ukrainian forces have started withdrawing from Sudzha.[23] ...Geolocated footage published on March 11 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced west of Basivka (west of Sudzha across the international border in Sumy Oblast).[25]
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