The Daily Populous Thursday March 12nd, 2026 morning edition
Authored by politico.eu and submitted by mvanigan

POLITICO reported Wednesday that some Baltic and Nordic countries have a plan to give Ukraine enough money to keep it afloat through the first half of this year, even if Orbán maintains his veto.

But when it comes to peace negotiations, Zelenskyy was clear that Trump’s influence will still be key. “We need negotiations. We support them,” Zelenskyy said in the interview. “We don’t trust Russia, but I think, and I trust that Americans really want to finish with this war. I hope that they will help us, but we need more pressure on Russia, not on me.”

His comments come a week after Trump voiced renewed frustration with Zelenskyy, telling POLITICO that Ukraine’s leader needed to “get on the ball” and do a deal. Trump suggested he had more confidence in Putin’s willingness to negotiate a truce than Zelenskyy’s, without offering evidence for his view. “I think Putin is ready to make a deal,” Trump said.

Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 he has alarmed Kyiv and its European allies by appearing repeatedly to take Putin’s side, condemning Zelenskyy as a “dictator” and blaming him for starting the war, despite the fact that it was the Russian military that invaded in an unprovoked attack in February 2022.

Even so, talks with Trump’s envoys in December suggested the U.S. was ready to provide some form of security guarantee for Ukraine, which would underpin any peace deal. But there are still no details on what those promises would look like, Zelenskyy said.

“Be honest. For us, it’s very important, but we don’t have a clear answer,” he said.

wwarnout on March 11st, 2026 at 19:59 UTC »

Seriously. Trump has sided with Putin, and criticized Zelenskyy so many times that one wonders which side he's on.

[narrator: Putin's side, dummy.]

postusa2 on March 11st, 2026 at 19:03 UTC »

I'm not sure it's possible, but the healthiest outcome here would be if Ukraine can win without US support. They have been innovative, creative, diligent, and despite the support.

Ukraine on the other side of this conflict will be a nation that has fought for and understands the value of its democracy - a lesson that many seem to have forgotten. They will be a leader for our times, a power in Europe, battle hardened, ready for modern conflict, and one owing its continued freedoms to the sacrifices of its citizens.

InvestingTSX on March 11st, 2026 at 18:59 UTC »

Instructions unclear, removed all sanctions on Russian oil