Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin during their phone call, March 18, 2025 (Drew Angerer/Gavriil Grigorov/Getty/AFP)

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Can Putin Sustain His Invasion to Conquer Ukraine?

Thursday’s Coverage: “They Are Going to Lose More Lives” — Trump Administration Cuts Off Weapons to Kyiv

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1631 GMT:

The International Atomic Energy Agency says the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine lost all off-site power today.

The outage is the ninth during Russia’s full-scale invasion but the first since late 2023.

“The ZNPP currently relies on power from its emergency diesel generators, underlining extremely precarious nuclear safety situation,” the IAEA said.

Ukrainian officials said a Russian strike hit a power line to the plant.

The six reactors in the complex, the largest in Europe, have been dormant during Russia’s occupation.

UPDATE 1547 GMT:

Thursday night’s Russian missile and drone strike on Odesa damaged the Chinese Consulate, just before Chinese parts were found in Russian drones that attacked Kyiv, says Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

The assault on Odesa killed two people and injured six others.

China has not publicly acknowledged the damage to its diplomatic premises.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Thursday that Beijing cannot afford for Russia to lose the war in Ukraine, while denying direct Chinese assistance to Moscow’s invasion (see 0731 GMT).

UPDATE 1454 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted about his 40-minute call with Donald Trump:

We had a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is critically important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies.

UPDATE 1358 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken by phone with Donald Trump.

Presidential Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak posted on social media, “A very important and meaningful conversation between the Presidents. All the details — coming soon.”

The call lasted around 40 minutes and included discussion of the intensified Russian strikes on Ukraine and air defense, following the Trump Administration’s suspension of deliveries of military aid.

Trump has also spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The reality TV star made no commitments over Merz’s appeal for more support for Ukraine’s air defense.

UPDATE 1356 GMT:

At least one person was killed in Russia’s overnight bombardment of Kyiv.

The body was found during rescue operations.

“Today’s attack was like the worst nightmare come to life,” said resident Olha Vershynina at the site of damaged residential buildings in the Solomianskyi district. “When the strike happened, the lights went out and glass came crashing down on my head. It was terrifying. Our entire building was shaking.”

UPDATE 1141 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced another exchange of prisoners of war with Russia:

UPDATE 1137 GMT:

A spokesperson for the German Government says talks are underway to purchase Patriot air defense missile systems from the US and provide them to Ukraine.

There are various ways to fill this Patriot gap. I can confirm that intensive discussions are indeed being held on this matter.

UPDATE 1132 GMT:

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has addressed Donald Trump in a social media post after Vladimir Putin restated his ultimata and Russia followed up with drone and missile strikes.

UPDATE 0813 GMT:

German and Dutch intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use in Ukraine of banned chemical weapons, including a choking agent dropped from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot.

Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for tougher sanctions against Moscow: “This intensification is concerning because it is part of a trend we have been observing for several years now, where Russia’s use of chemical weapons in this war is becoming more normalized, standardized, and widespread.”

Dutch intelligence cited Russian use of chloropicrin, a banned warfare agent first used by Germany during World War 1. The head of the military intelligence agency MIVD, Peter Reesink, said the conclusions followed “our own independent intelligence”.

In May 2024, the US accused Russia of using chloropicrin, a chemical compound more toxic than riot control agents.

Brekelmans said at least three Ukrainian deaths have been linked to chemical, and more than 2,500 people injured on the battlefield have reported chemical weapons-related symptoms.

Reesink spoke of “thousands of instances” of chemical weapons use, citing a Ukrainian figure of 9,000.

UPDATE 0748 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has commented on Russia’s overnight strikes, noting a record-setting launch of 550 missiles and drones.

All of this is clear evidence that without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behavior. For every such strike against people and human life, they must feel appropriate sanctions and other blows to their economy, their revenues, and their infrastructure. This is the only thing that can be achieved quickly to change the situation for the better. And it depends on our partners, primarily the United States.

Another image of the dense, threatening smoke from the Russian attacks on Kyiv:

UPDATE 0731 GMT:

China reportedly does not want a Russian loss in Ukraine because it fears the US would shift its whole focus to Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s foreign policy head Kaja Kallas of Beijing’s fear in a four-hour conversation, said “several people familiar with the exchange”.

Wang rejected the claim that China is materially supporting Russia’s invasion, financially or militarily. He said that had Beijing provided the assistance, the invasion would have succeeded long ago.

The sources said Wang gave Kallas several “history lessons and lectures”.

UPDATE 0714 GMT:

Ukrainian drones struck multiple targets in Russia overnight, including a high-value defense facility in the Rostov region in the southwest.

Andrii Kovalenko of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council said a drone hit the Azov Optical and Mechanical Plant. The plant manufactures critical components for the Russian military, including sights, rangefinders, thermal imaging systems, and fire control equipment for tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, ships, and aircraft.

Acting Rostov Governor Yuriy Slyusar, acting governor of Rostov Oblast said towns in the region were struck by drones, with several cars and shattered windows in residential buildings in Azov.

He claimed a drone strike reportedly collapsed a section of a residential apartment building in the village of Dolotinka, killing an elderly woman.

UPDATE 0709 GMT:

Christopher Miller of the Financial Times summarizes the link between the Trump-Putin phone call and Russia’s assault on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

Residents taking shelter:

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Vladimir Putin’s forces have bombarded Kyiv after he told Donald Trump that he will not pull back from his 40-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In an hour-long call with Trump on Friday, Putin effectively restated ultimata that include Russia seizing all of four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk and Luhansk in the east and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south — as well as the Crimea peninsula. Ukraine would be kept weak, demilitarized, and “neutral” with no security guarantees from international partners. All sanctions would be lifted on Russia, with amnesty for its war crimes, as Moscow seeks seek the departure of the Zelensky Government.

While Putin paid lip service that “Russia continues to seek a political negotiated solution to the conflict”, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said, “Russia will pursue its goals, specifically addressing the root causes that led to the current situation, and will not back down from these objectives.”

Trump told reporters as he left for an event in Iowa, “I didn’t make any progress with [Putin] at all.”

He waffled about the Pentagon’s halt to deliveries of military aid to Ukraine, insisting, “We’re working with them and trying to help them.” Then he diverted any blame to his predecessor Joe Biden, saying he “devastated our entire country” and the US needs to “make sure we have enough weapons for ourselves”.

Hours later, Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack across Ukraine.

In Kyiv, at least 23 people have been injured, with 14 victims hospitalized. Apartment buildings, businesses, a school, a medical facility, railway lines, and other civilian infrastructure were damaged. Fires made it dangerous for onlookers to breathe, with officials warning residents to close their windows because of dangerous levels of “combustion products”.

“Russia, a terrorist country, has wreaked havoc,” posted Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv military Administration. “The Russians bring nothing but terror and murder. That is a fact.”

Ukrainian Railways said the attack damaged rail infrastructure and cautioned residents to expect delays due to diverted routes.

Other cities were bombed such as Poltava in central Ukraine, where two people were injured.

Video from the port city of Odesa in the south: