🇬🇧🤝🇫🇷📝🕊🇺🇦 — 📰 ZeroHedge | UK, France, Ukraine Agree To Work On Cease-Fire Plan To Present To US | March 2, 2025:

"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on March 2 that Britain, France, and Ukraine are working on a cease-fire plan to present to the United States as he prepares to host European leaders in discussions to end the Russia–Ukraine war.

Update: perhaps in response to the latest toothless European summit, which Poland's PM summarized best as follows...

*TUSK REITERATES POLAND WON'T SEND ITS TROOPS TO UKRAINE
*TUSK: SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE NOT DISCUSSED IN SUMMIT

... or in other words, once again nothing of significance was agreed upon, Donald Trump posted in his Truth Social account a quote from Gartner analyst Michael McCune, according to whom Zelensky now has "no choice but to back down and accept Trump's terms" suggesting that Trump clearly is content with the outcome of the Friday debacle in the White House.

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🇪🇺🇺🇦⚡️European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen believes that Europe needs to be armed urgently

"We urgently need to re-arm Europe," she said. "All Europeans must invest in defence and give the arms industry a boost." Von der Leyen also promised to change the EU's budget and financial rules, which are enforced by the European Commission, to give countries more scope for massive public investment in arms production.

According to her, European leaders will now discuss measures to forcefully militarize the continent at the summit in Brussels on March 6.

🇬🇧🇺🇦⚡️Following the summit in London, Starmer said that Europe will continue to supply weapons to Ukraine.

He also announced Europe's participation in the peace process, including peacekeepers in Ukraine in the format of "boots on the ground and planes in the sky."

He said Britain and France would work out a plan to end the fighting, and he said that this would require US support.

🇬🇧🇺🇦❗️UK to provide Ukraine with additional $1.6 billion for military purchases, including air defense missiles — Starmer

🇺🇸🇷🇺❗️The US understands that it will not be easy to negotiate with Putin, but intends to try and find out Russia's position on resolving the crisis in Ukraine , Marco Rubio told ABC News.

🇺🇸🇺🇦⚡️"Ukraine is a place of money laundering and corruption."

FBI Director Patel said he had ordered Congress to investigate where hundreds of billions of dollars sent to Kyiv went.

🇪🇺🌐 European and NATO leaders at the London defense summit

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🇺🇸🇪🇺🇺🇦Most European countries currently have no plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine - US Secretary of State Rubio

🇺🇸🇺🇦❗️ The White House announced a complete cessation of funding for Ukraine

🇪🇺❗️The head of the European Commission called on EU countries to launch a new arms race

🇨🇦🇺🇦❗️ Canada may send its troops to Ukraine

Canadian authorities are considering all options to ensure Ukraine's security, including sending troops to the country, Trudeau said.

🇬🇧💸🤝🇺🇦 — 📰 NBC News | U.K.'s Keir Starmer pledges $2 billion to help Ukraine buy missiles | Starmer vowed to bolster Ukraine to allow the nation to negotiate a peace agreement from a position of power | March 2, 2025:

"LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced billions in support for Ukraine on Sunday following a summit with European leaders, just days after President Donald Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

Starmer announced a loan of 2.2 billion British pounds ($2.8 billion) to support Ukraine, funded through the freezing of Russian assets passed on Saturday. He also highlighted a new deal that would allow Ukraine to use 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) in export finance to buy missiles made in Northern Ireland.

Starmer vowed to bolster Ukraine to allow the nation to negotiate a peace agreement from a position of power."

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🇺🇸🇪🇺💸📈🔫 — 📰 ZeroHedge | Can Europe Ever Catch Up On Defense Spending: US Spent $8.4 Trillion In Past Decade... Rest Of NATO Just $3.8 Trillion | March 2, 2025:

"(...)

Consider NATO official figures on defense spending.

Since 2014, in the aggregate NATO countries have spent around 2.5% of GDP on defense. But this is largely because the US spends closer to 3.5% of GDP (and is the largest country in economic terms.) Europe and Canada combined spent only 1.5% of GDP for most of the past decade—only increasing to 2% of GDP in 2024.

Looking at the large European countries, the UK has spent more than 2% of GDP throughout whereas, until recently, Germany consistently spent below 1.5% of GDP and France just below 2% of GDP. Italy and Spain (not shown) typically spend less than Germany.

(...)

Consider the cumulative underspend by NATO countries over the past decade relative to the 2% target and relative to US spending in % of GDP. Data provided by NATO only begins in 2014.

Germany’s shortfall to 2% is largest in absolute terms and adds up to above EUR200bn, Italy about EUR150bn, etc. The aggregate shortfall for Europe is EUR850bn.

To reach further and “catch-up” with the US spending closer to 3.5% of GDP Germany would need to spend an additional EUR550bn (or EUR800bn in total), Italy and France would need to spend above EUR400bn in total, and so on. The aggregate shortfall for Europe since 2014 exceeds EUR2,650bn."

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