Ukraine reels as Trump pulls US support while Russia’s war rages on
Kyiv, Ukraine – Zynaida Shelepenko is still reeling about what happened in the White House on Friday. “They cornered Zelenskyy like two bandits, like two mafiosi who want your money and your humiliation,” the 52-year-old bank clerk told Al Jazeera, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with United States President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Therefore, Shelepenko said, she was not surprised with Trump’s Monday night decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine after Zelenskyy refused to apologise for the spat and said his aborted visit to Washington, DC, “didn’t bring anything positive”. The Ukrainian president and his US counterpart have since struck more conciliatory tones, but to Shelepenko, there is a clear winner from these tensions between Washington and Kyiv, which until Trump came to power were close allies. “Guess who’s cheering now? The vampire, the killer of children in the Kremlin,” she said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We saw the most shameful moment in American history.” Advertisement If the US aid is stopped altogether, the move will entail “great financial and legal problems” for US arms manufacturers such as Lockheed that have been commissioned to produce weaponry for Kyiv, said military analyst Mykhailo Zhirokhov, who is based in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. Washington may also stop providing intelligence data to Ukraine, including crucial, real-time information from military satellites, and stop training Ukrainian pilots and other servicemen to operate F-16 fighter jets and advanced weaponry, he said. “This would be the worst-case scenario,” Zhirokhov told Al Jazeera. The best-case scenario would be a diplomatic solution reached within several months before Kyiv runs out of the weapons and ammunition that have already been delivered, he said. The halt will significantly affect Ukraine’s air defence capabilities, especially in large cities such as Kyiv and Odesa, where advanced, US-made Patriot systems are stationed. Even though the systems and missiles have been supplied by Germany and Israel, the missiles are manufactured only in the US and each costs several million dollars. Patriots have proved to be the most effective and far-reaching weapon against most Russian cruise and ballistic missiles – even the ones Putin has termed as indestructible. There will also be a dire shortage of missiles for the HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and Western-supplied F-16 jets, Zhirokhov said. Despite Trump’s reputation for being chaotic and unpredictable, his decision has an underlying geopolitical motive, according to Kyiv-based analyst Igar Tyshkevych. Advertisement Trump sees Ukraine as an obstacle in a brewing confrontation with ascending China over global dominance. By cajoling Moscow and lifting US sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine, Trump wants Putin to side with Washington and “drag [Moscow] as far as possible” from China, Tyshkevych said. “Trump thinks he has to do it fast,” he told Al Jazeera. “To him, it’s of paramount importance to finish pressuring Ukraine so that it agrees to concessions to Russia and to a ceasefire.” Zelenskyy, left, meets Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, February 28, 2025 [Brian Snyder/Reuters] Ukraine spent ‘too much time’ on debates To a history teacher-turned-soldier, Trump’s plan resembles the 18th-century partitions of Poland between Russia, Austria and Prussia. At the time, Poland included most of what is now western and central Ukraine and was in an alliance with Lithuania. The partitions were partly caused by the Polish parliament’s cumbersome voting system, where each aristocrat had veto power and could stall decisions on the most problematic issues for months. “Their parliament spent too much time on debates, while Russia and the Germans were improving their armies,” Anatoly, a 37-year-old serviceman recovering from contusions at a hospital in central Kyiv, told Al Jazeera. “Unfortunately, Ukraine too spent too much time on debates, on the destruction of [Soviet-era] weaponry and on the minimisation of armed forces, while [expletive] Putin waged wars in Chechnya and Georgia and restructured his army,” said Anatoly, who withheld his last name in accordance with wartime protocol. Advertisement In the early 1990s, Kyiv gave up its entire Soviet-era nuclear arsenal, the world’s third-largest, in return for security guarantees from four nuclear powers – Russia, the US, France and the United Kingdom. Throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s, the West also funded the destruction of conventional Soviet-era weapons such as tanks, artillery and shells, while Kyiv transferred its heavy bombers to Moscow as payment for natural gas supplies. However, the spat in Washington, DC benefits all sides, according to Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher with Germany’s Bremen University. Trump got rid of commitments worth tens of billions of dollars and will potentially help US arms manufacturers earn billions on weapons the European Union will commission for Kyiv, he said. “Trump paid for it by being called names in the Northern Hemisphere. Well, he got used to that,” Mitrokhin told Al Jazeera. Zelenskyy gained the most by reviving his fading image of a tireless, fearless hero, Mitrokhin said. Zelenskyy will get a lot more Western – mostly European – military aid, while what seems like a Gordian knot actually helped shift the EU’s position towards defending Ukraine instead of empty declarations, he said. Rescuers and medical workers evacuate a patient from a hospital hit by a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1, 2025 [Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters] “Moreover, Zelenskyy doesn’t have to sign the deal on the real US control over funds for arming and rebuilding Ukraine, and a full lack of external control over his work is what every top Ukrainian official dreams about,” Mitrokhin said. Advertisement Zelenskyy will not have to conduct a presidential vote as his armed forces managed to prevent the fall of the key eastern city of Pokrovsk and even counterattacked on the eastern front, he said. Meanwhile, anti-Trump politicians in the UK, France, Canada and Germany seeking a stronger NATO without Washington feel emboldened. “This scandal is a political gift to them,” Mitrokhin said. Even Putin will reap political gains, as “Trump will be a more active friend without being burdened by Ukraine”, he said. But
‘UP bhej do, hum…’: UP CM Yogi Adityanath hits out at Samajwadi Party’s Abu Azmi over Aurangzeb remarks
SP MLA Abu Azmi had reportedly said that Aurangzeb was not a “cruel administrator” and “built many temples”. He added that the battle between the Mughal emperor and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was for state administration and not about Hindu and Muslim.
Indian city to be renamed after Ratan Tata…, is in this state…
“As a mark of recognition to the tremendous role and contribution of Late Ratan Tata and the Tata Group towards the state’s development, #AssamCabinet has decided to name the upcoming Electronic City in Jagiroad as Ratan Tata Electronic City, Jagiroad,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Ramadan 2025 Timetable: Sehri, Iftar timings for March 6 in Delhi, Noida, Lucknow, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, more
This deeply respected tradition, which has been observed for centuries, begins with the sighting of the new moon, an event of immense religious significance.
Georgia House advances bill to ease death penalty law for intellectually disabled people
The Georgia House unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday lessening the threshold for a person facing the death penalty to be considered intellectually disabled, which would make them ineligible for a death sentence. State Rep. Bill Werkheiser, a Republican, had previously introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for someone to prove they are intellectually disabled in order to avoid the death penalty in the Peach State, which has one of the nation’s toughest thresholds to overcome. That bill was proposed just months before Willie James Pye, whose IQ was allegedly low enough to show he was intellectually disabled, was executed after his conviction in the 1993 rape and shooting death of his former girlfriend, Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. Pye’s lawyers argued he was intellectually disabled and brain-damaged. Pye’s execution bothered Werkheiser, whose legislation at the time never had a vote in committee, but this bill has received more legislative support after passing the House unanimously. Now it heads to the Senate. SOUTH CAROLINA DEATH ROW INMATE CHOOSES FIRING SQUAD AS EXECUTION METHOD Georgia became the first state to outlaw the death penalty for intellectually disabled people in 1988. The U.S. Supreme Court later followed suit and ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. However, the court allowed states to determine the threshold for a person to be considered intellectually disabled. Georgia requires people to prove intellectual disability beyond a reasonable doubt, making it the only state with such a high burden of proof. The bill advanced on Tuesday also allows defendants to present evidence of intellectual disability at a pretrial hearing that would be mandatory if prosecutors agree. If convicted at trial, defendants could then present evidence of intellectual disability in a separate process before the same jury. Defendants who are found to have an intellectual disability would receive a life sentence if convicted. “I believe it is incumbent upon the state to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” Werkheiser said. In another case, Warren Lee Hill was executed in Georgia in 2015 for killing a fellow detainee despite his lawyers arguing that he had an intellectual disability. In 2002, a judge said that if Georgia used a lower standard than reasonable doubt, Hill would likely have been found intellectually disabled. When the Georgia Supreme Court in 2021 upheld the death penalty for Rodney Young, the justices found he had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was intellectually disabled, although then-Presiding Justice David Nahmias wrote that he would “embrace” legislative efforts to lower the threshold. Young was sentenced to death in the 2008 killing of Gary Jones, his ex-fiancée’s adult son. Prosecutors have testified in committee hearings that they do not oppose amending the reasonable doubt standard, but they are against changes to the trial process and the addition of a pretrial hearing. “The proposed bill cherry-picks from several different states,” said T. Wright Barksdale III, district attorney for the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit in central Georgia. Proponents of the bill argue that if jurors have already heard the details of a gruesome crime, they may have a difficult time evaluating evidence of the defendant’s intellectual disability without bias. Most states allow defendants the opportunity to prove their intellectual disability before the trial and have separate processes for determining a defendant’s guilt and for determining their intellectual disability. “Changing only the standard of proof is insufficient for ensuring that Georgia does not continue to execute people with valid claims of intellectual disability,” said Mazie Lynn Guertin, executive director of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. IDAHO MURDERS CASE: BRYAN KOHBERGER’S LIKELIHOOD OF FIRING SQUAD EXECUTION INCREASES Barksdale claims that the proposal would make the process too complicated and would prevent the death penalty from being carried out at all. “As this law is constructed, and based on my experience of trying capital cases, it would, for all intents and purposes, cripple us to a point that we would never have a real fair shot at ever obtaining a death penalty for anyone,” Barksdale said, adding that lawmakers should abolish the death penalty if that is what they want, but lawmakers have said that is not their intention. During two committee hearings on this bill, Republican and Democrat lawmakers seemed unconvinced that the procedural changes would make the process too complicated. Death penalty cases, they noted, already take a long time, including many motions and hearings ahead of the trial. “We have the death penalty in this state. I’m not going to debate it,” Democrat Rep. Esther Panitch, who is also a criminal defense attorney, said Tuesday. “But if we’re going to mete out the ultimate punishment, it should only be for the worst of the worst, and those we have spent the time to make sure understand their culpability.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
‘Law will take its course whether she is DGP’s daughter…’: Karnataka CM legal advisor on Ranya Rao’s arrest for alleged gold smuggling
The arrest comes after allegations that she was involved in smuggling 14.8 kilograms of gold from Dubai into India. In light of the situation, Congress MLA and Legal Advisor to the Karnataka Chief Minister, AS Ponnanna, made a statement regarding the arrest.
Weather update: Chilly winds hit Delhi as IMD issues snow alert for mountains
The IMD has issued an ‘orange’ alert for snowfall and heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. Due to the snow alert for the mountains, the weather in the Delhi-NCR region has become cooler, especially in the mornings and evenings.
Top 5 moments from Trump’s address to joint session of Congress
President Donald Trump addressed both chambers of Congress Tuesday evening in an expansive speech that lasted more than 90 minutes, as he took a victory lap for his accomplishments thus far and previewed his vision for the future. The speech marked Trump’s first address before Congress since he reclaimed the Oval Office in January. Though similar to a State of the Union Speech, Trump’s address did not carry the same official title as he has not been in office a full year. Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments from Trump’s address, including Democratic protests, chants of “USA, USA, USA” and Trump revealing that a top terrorist has been apprehended. Trump spoke for about an hour and 40 minutes, notching the longest address a president has delivered before a joint session of Congress, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The longest speech on record previously was held by former President Bill Clinton, when he spoke for one hour and 28 minutes during his State of the Union Address in 2000. “To my fellow citizens, America is back,” Trump declared at the start of his Tuesday speech. “Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden Age of America,” he said. “From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years. And we are just getting started.” The audience broke out into chants of “USA, USA, USA” as Trump opened his speech by declaring “America is back,” Trump rattled off a handful of accomplishments since taking office, notably the Department of Government Efficiency’s work to stamp out government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, as well as securing the border and previewing how his tariff plans will lead to an economic “boom” for Americans. ‘HE’S BACK’: TRUMP’S JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TO BE BLANKETED WITH 6-FIGURE AD BUY TOUTING TAX PLAN “Every single day, we will stand up and we will fight, fight, fight for the country our citizens believe in and for the country people deserve,” Trump said in his conclusion. “My fellow Americans, get ready for an Incredible future, because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson ordered the sergeant at arms to remove Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green after he repeatedly shouted during Trump’s opening remarks. “Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of decorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the sergeant at arms to restore order to the joint session,” Johnson warned as a handful of Democrats disrupted Trump. “Mr. Green, take your seat,” he said, as Green continued shouting and shaking his cane at Trump. Johnson ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Green from the chamber. Green, one of Trump’s most vocal critics, already has filed impeachment articles against Trump over what he called “ethnic cleansing in Gaza.” DEMOCRAT REMOVED FROM HOUSE CHAMBER AFTER DISRUPTING TRUMP’S SPEECH TO CONGRESS: ‘TAKE YOUR SEAT’ Some Democrats had warned their colleagues against protesting Trump ahead of the speech, with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, for example, saying they should let him “stew in his own juice.” Democrats, however, protested nonetheless, including remaining seated as Trump celebrated his policies, and held up signs reading “false,” “lies,” “Musk steals” and “Save Medicaid.” Some female Democratic lawmakers wore pink suits in protest of policies they claim are anti-woman, while other Democrats were heard jeering Trump throughout the speech. Trump honored the lives of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray — who both were brutally killed by illegal immigrants under the Biden administration — including naming an animal refuge after Nungaray. “Alexis, I promised that we would always remember your daughter, your magnificent daughter,” Trump said while directing his attention to Jocelyn Nungaray’s mom, Alexis. “And earlier tonight I signed an order keeping my word to you. One thing I have learned about Jocelyn is that she loved animals so much. She loved nature. Across Galveston Bay, from where Jocelyn lived in Houston, you will find a magnificent National Wildlife Refuge. A pristine, peaceful, 34,000-acre sanctuary for all of God’s creatures on the edge of the Gulf of America.” The 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was sexually assaulted and murdered by strangulation when two illegal immigrants in their 20s allegedly lured the young girl under a bridge before killing her in June 2024. “Her precious Jocelyn walked to a nearby convenience store,” Trump said. “She was kidnaped, tied up, assaulted for two hours under a bridge and horrifically murdered. Arrested and charged with this heinous crime are two illegal alien monsters from Venezuela, released into America by the last administration through their ridiculous open border. The death of this beautiful 12-year-old girl, and the agony of her mother and family touched our entire nation greatly.” Trump also celebrated the life of Laken Riley, who was 22 years old when she was discovered beaten to death by an illegal immigrant in 2024 after going for a run on the University of Georgia’s campus. TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER “Laken was viciously attacked, assaulted, beaten, brutalized, and horrifically murdered,” Trump said during his speech. “Laken was stolen from us by a savage illegal alien.” Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law upon taking office for a second time in January, saying that the U.S. will never forget Riley through the law that directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer. Trump declared during his speech that the U.S. “will never, ever forget our beautiful Laken Riley” through legislation he singed into
Red state leader calls for states to stand behind Trump’s ban on funding illegal immigration
As Democrat states double down on resisting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Oklahoma Education Superintendent Ryan Walters is calling on states to stand behind the president and take a proactive role in implementing his executive orders. Walters, a Republican, believes that all state elected officials and agencies, including state education systems, have a role to play in implementing President Donald Trump’s agenda. “You’ve got Democrat governors, you’ve got Democrat elected officials saying we’re going to thwart this in any way we can,” he said. “Where are the states that are moving at lightning speed to enact these agenda items?” Last week, he filed an inquiry to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to clarify how the Oklahoma public education system can implement Trump’s executive order ending taxpayer funding for programs that incentivize illegal immigration. DEMS CLAIM TRUMP KILLED IMMIGRATION BILL, BUT HIS SUCCESS ON THE BORDER PROVES HE HAD THE RIGHT IDEA: EXPERT The order, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” directs the heads of each federal executive department and agency to examine their agencies to “ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.” The purpose of this, according to the order, is to “prevent taxpayer resources from acting as a magnet and fueling illegal immigration to the United States.” Drummond responded on Monday by praising Trump and his order while asserting that it does not affect state agencies and that Walters’ request is “nothing more than manufactured political drama.” He also criticized Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt for what he called his “many failures in dealing with this critical issue here in Oklahoma.” TRUMP ADMIN PROMISES TO BE ‘RUTHLESSLY AGGRESSIVE’ IN RESPONSE TO SUSPECTED CARTEL KILLING OF US CITIZEN Stitt, in turn, responded to these criticisms by telling Fox News Digital, “Sadly, once again, we are just getting noise from people campaigning for their next political promotion.” Stitt said that “being governor has been one of the greatest honors of my life” and he “will continue to do everything in my power to protect both Oklahomans and the innocent children in our communities.” In response, Walters said he was “disappointed but not surprised by AG Drummond’s response.” “He has a responsibility to offer opinions on all laws, not just the ones he deems worthy,” he said. “Once again, he is refusing to support President Trump’s executive order on illegal immigration at a time when we all need to move forward with a unified front to protect Oklahoma families.” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Walters asserted that though the order only pertains to federal tax dollars, it is also up to state education officials to make sure the funding they receive from the federal government complies with the order. “What we’ve seen here with this latest executive order is to not allow illegal immigrants to have access to federal funds. Well, in education, there’s a lot of different federal funding streams that come into states,” he explained. DEM AND GOP GOVERNORS URGE TRUMP TO ‘LET THE STATES PLAY A ROLE’ IN IMMIGRATION DECISIONS Walters said that under the Biden administration, the Oklahoma education system was flooded with illegal immigrant students, which he said caused “chaos” in the schools. He estimates Oklahoma spent a minimum of $474 million on illegal immigrant students, which he said took away resources and opportunities from students who are U.S. citizens. Since Trump retook the White House, Walters has been a vocal advocate for policies he believes will aid the administration in putting an end to the migrant crisis. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE In late January, he announced that Oklahoma public schools would begin tracking students’ immigration status and share that information with federal authorities. However, Stitt has opposed this policy, and it is currently under consideration by the state legislature. Walters continued, “We are applying President Trump’s executive orders in every way possible, and that means, yes, you’ve got to know how many illegal immigrants are in your school system, how does this apply to formulas funding streams, how does this apply to grant funding streams, so that you’re able to ensure that those executive orders are being followed through on.” TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE Ultimately, Walters believes “education systems across the country” should be following suit and moving quickly to similarly implement Trump’s orders. “Here’s the reality that’s facing states right now,” he said. “Are you going to align with President Trump’s illegal immigration agenda, which means you are going to ensure that illegal immigrants are being accounted for and that you are ensuring that every executive order from President Trump is being carried out for illegal immigration, or are you going to support President Biden’s illegal immigration view, which is don’t ask, don’t even acknowledge it?” “There couldn’t be a [more] clear mandate from this last election,” he went on. “Every state has a decision to make, and they should all be aligning with President Trump.”
‘America is back’: Lawmakers rally around Trump after ‘phenomenal’ joint address to Congress
Washington D.C. – Republican lawmakers say “America is back” after President Donald Trump’s joint speech to Congress, while Democrats labeled the address as “bizarre.” “President Trump was phenomenal. He laid out so many things he’s done in just 6 weeks, but also what’s ahead for the American people to get our country back on track,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said after the speech. The president delivered a joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening, which received frequent standing ovations from the GOP and saw several interruptions from members on the Democrat side of the aisle. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that it was “fantastic,” while Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, called it “outstanding.” However, Democratic Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., said that the president’s address was “bizarre.” 13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR EARNS STANDING OVATION AS HE BECOMES SECRET SERVICE AGENT DURING TRUMP SPEECH Following the speech, Republican lawmakers began calling out their Democratic colleagues for not standing for the president’s guests, including DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old cancer survivor who was a guest at the speech. “I was so disappointed that my Democratic colleagues couldn’t stand and show love for some of the Americans that were recognized tonight. That was really heartbreaking to me,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. “You have a little 13-year-old boy with brain cancer who worked diligently to overcome that. For him, when his dad lifted him up, for him to look out across that room and not to have everyone in there standing for him was heartbreaking.” “America is back,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “The Democrats really embarrassed themselves. I mean they wouldn’t even stand up for DJ who survived cancer.” Asked what he thought about the speech, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told Fox News Digital “not much.” TRUMP PROMISES ‘THIS WILL BE OUR GREATEST ERA’ IN JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS “I think he did a great job,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital after the speech. “America is back. It’s how he started, it’s how he ended. Great pride, and look at the difference between that and Joe Biden.” “The biggest thing is it’s super embarrassing for Democrats,” Moreno said. “I think they totally disparaged themselves today by just standing there. They couldn’t clap for a 13-year-old boy.” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said that “Trump spent as much if not more time talking about retaking the Panama Canal, Greenland and its status, onward to the moon, as he did about how to reduce prices for the average American.” But Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., told Fox that Trump “was confident” and “knew what his mission was.” “I also saw someone who knows how to communicate with the American people exactly what he wanted to do,” Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., told Fox. “And he recapped what he ran on, and he recapped what he’s already accomplished in the short time since he’s taken the presidency.” Trump’s speech was interrupted by several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Al Green, D-Texas., who was removed from the chamber by the sergeant at arms following an order from Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.