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Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Category: War
March 26, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
War
World

EU Tells Europeans to Prep Three-Day Survival Kits Amid Russia Fears.

The European Union (EU) is urging residents of its member states to prepare emergency three-day survival kits as part of a preparedness strategy as tensions with Russia teeter on the edge of conflict. Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, announced the preparedness strategy on March 26, encouraging EU citizens to have at least 72 hours’ worth of self-sufficient items.

EU citizens will be told to stock up on around a dozen different items, from water to matches, a flashlight, and other basic survival products. “Knowing what to do in case of danger, gaming out different scenarios, that’s also a way to prevent people from panicking,” Lahbib said.

Some European countries have already issued similar instructions for their citizens, including France, which is looking to issue a survival manual to every household in the country.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has been pushing for more involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, alongside British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, floating the idea of sending European soldiers to Ukraine.

Germany has also seen talks of increasing preparedness for a potential conflict, looking to convert various properties into nuclear fallout shelters and bunkers.

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The European Union (EU) is urging residents of its member states to prepare emergency three-day survival kits as part of a preparedness strategy as tensions with Russia teeter on the edge of conflict. Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, announced the preparedness strategy on March 26, encouraging EU citizens to have at least 72 hours' worth of self-sufficient items. show more
March 25, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
War
World

Ukrainian Politician Demands Trump Fire Special Envoy for Being Too Reasonable with Russia.

A Ukrainian politician and member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party has called on President Donald J. Trump to fire Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, complaining that Witkoff uses Russian narratives. Oleksandr Merezkho, a member of Zelensky’s Servant of the People Party, has even claimed that Witkoff may be an agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Merezkho’s criticism comes after Witkoff participated in an interview with Tucker Carlson, asking if Witkoff’s comments on the Ukraine war were from “ignorance, naivety, unprofessionalism” or whether he may be an agent of Putin.

“Of course, we cannot dictate to our American friends who should represent them, but this person should be removed from this delegation; he should not be the President’s representative. Because he is either completely unprofessional or simply repeats Putin’s narratives,” the Ukrainian alleged.

Witkoff told Carlson that he wanted to put himself in Russia’s shoes to create a deal to end the conflict, saying, “A good deal has to work for everybody.” He also spoke of the referendums held in Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, which has led to Russia claiming those areas as part of the Russian Federation, without criticism.

President Trump and President Putin agreed to partial ceasefire terms earlier this month, which included an agreement not to attack energy infrastructure. However, Russia claimed that Ukraine had broken the agreement just hours after it had been agreed upon.

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A Ukrainian politician and member of President Volodymyr Zelensky's party has called on President Donald J. Trump to fire Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, complaining that Witkoff uses Russian narratives. Oleksandr Merezkho, a member of Zelensky's Servant of the People Party, has even claimed that Witkoff may be an agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. show more
March 25, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
War
World

War-Obsessed Zelensky Keeps ‘Victory’ Painting of Moscow on Fire in His Office.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky keeps a painting of Russia’s capital on fire in his office, claiming the piece is “about victory.” TIME published a photograph of Zelensky posing in front of the painting, which appears to depict the Kremlin ablaze along with the tomb of the late Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. Ukraine has directly attacked Moscow several times since the conflict began in 2022, largely using drones, but casualties and damage have been minimal.

The photographs of Zelensky’s office were taken last week, and the artwork was apparently hand-picked by the Ukrainian leader. Along with the painting of Moscow on fire—Zelensky’s favorite—there are two other paintings depicting Ukrainian soldiers invading Russian territory and the sinking of a Russian warship in the Black Sea.

The TIME photos undermine Zelensky’s claims he is trying to engage with both the United States and Russia to negotiate a ceasefire in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. While initially, President Donald J. Trump was able to get the Russians to agree to a ceasefire on striking energy infrastructure, the Russians claimed Ukraine violated the agreement just hours later.

Despite Zelensky’s claims that “victory” is “where I live,” his forces have been in retreat virtually everywhere in recent months. Ukraine did report capturing one small village in the Luhansk region of the Donbas—otherwise almost entirely under Russian control—in recent days, but this comes as a Ukrainian counter-invasion of Russia’s Kursk region, using some of the country’s strongest reserves, is suffering a “catastrophic” rout.

Jack Montgomery contributed to this report.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky keeps a painting of Russia's capital on fire in his office, claiming the piece is "about victory." TIME published a photograph of Zelensky posing in front of the painting, which appears to depict the Kremlin ablaze along with the tomb of the late Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. Ukraine has directly attacked Moscow several times since the conflict began in 2022, largely using drones, but casualties and damage have been minimal. show more
March 20, 2025
William Upton
War
World

This Country Will Soon Distribute Emergency Survival Guides to Every Home.

A survival manual could soon be distributed to every household in France. Once approved, the 20-page booklet will be provided to every French citizen. The government hopes to complete the distribution by summer. According to officials, the manual is intended to help French citizens prepare for imminent threats, including armed conflict within the country’s borders.

“The survival manual aims to encourage citizens to develop their resilience in the face of different crises,” French Prime Minister François Bayrou‘s office stated in a recent media interview. “This includes natural disasters, technological and cyber incidents, health crises like COVID-19, and security crises like terrorist attacks and armed conflict.”

In 2022, the French government launched a website providing instructions on how to prepare for an emergency situation. The manual is believed to feature content similar to that the French government provides online—including strategies to protect one’s family from immediate threats, critical radio channels, and how best to contribute to local reserve defense units. Notably, one section of the booklet will deal with what individuals should do in the case of a nuclear attack.

The French Prime Minister’s office insists that “…the first step in citizen engagement is to be informed about threats and stay updated,” adding: “Engagement can also mean joining associations, such as the reserve forces.”

French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the start of March that the country aims to expand the number of military reservists to 100,000 over the next decade from the current total of 40,000.

France is not alone in distributing emergency manuals to its citizens. Both Finland and Sweden have recently distributed similar booklets with instructions on how to handle extreme weather events, military conflicts, power outages, and other emergency situations.

Image by Alan Levine.

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A survival manual could soon be distributed to every household in France. Once approved, the 20-page booklet will be provided to every French citizen. The government hopes to complete the distribution by summer. According to officials, the manual is intended to help French citizens prepare for imminent threats, including armed conflict within the country's borders. show more
March 19, 2025
News
War

Trump Proposes U.S. Takeover of Ukrainian Nuclear Plants.

President Donald J. Trump has proposed the U.S. take over Ukraine’s nuclear power plants during a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, “American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.”

The statement highlighted discussions on Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants, including the notorious Chernobyl facility. The U.S. government considers its potential involvement as a potential means of securing stability in the region’s power supply.

This conversation took place amid ongoing efforts to address Ukraine’s energy challenges due to the conflict with Russia. The nature and extent of U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s energy sector will likely require further negotiation and agreement between the nations’ governments.

The call between President Trump and President Zelensky comes just a day after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18. During that call, President Trump and President Putin agreed to an energy infrastructure ceasefire in which neither Russia nor Ukraine would target each other’s energy systems.

Just hours later, however, Russia claimed Ukraine had violated the agreement and attacked an oil transfer facility in the Krasnodar region.

Image by Hnapel.

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President Donald J. Trump has proposed the U.S. take over Ukraine's nuclear power plants during a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, "American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure." show more
March 19, 2025
War
World

Zelensky Has Already Broken Trump-Putin Energy Infrastructure Ceasefire Deal: Moscow.

Russia is accusing Ukraine of breaching a U.S.-brokered halt to attacks on energy infrastructure. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald J. Trump held a lengthy 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the latter agreed to a 30-day cessation of attacks on critical energy facilities and infrastructure. However, on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed Ukraine violated the agreement by attacking an oil transfer facility in the Krasnodar Region.

The Russian facility services an international pipeline operation partially owned by American companies. According to the Russians, the incident reportedly involved three drones targeting the Kavkazskaya oil pumping station, causing a fire that emergency crews struggled to control.

Russian military officials allege that Ukraine’s actions were intentional, aiming to disrupt peace efforts between Russia and the United States. Meanwhile, Ukraine alleges that Russia—which has significantly degraded the Ukrainian energy grid—intensified artillery shelling and knocked out power to a Ukrainian city immediately following the pledge to halt energy infrastructure attacks.

“Clearly, this was a premeditated provocation by the Kiev regime aimed at derailing the U.S. president’s peace initiative,” Russian officials said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been reluctant to agree to a ceasefire unless the U.S. agrees to intervene against Russia if the war reignites, is expected to speak with Trump in the coming days.

Diplomatic efforts regarding the Ukraine conflict are set to continue, with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announcing upcoming talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, European and United Kingdom officials plan to expedite arms shipments to Ukraine, anticipating further hostilities despite Trump’s ceasefire proposal.

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Russia is accusing Ukraine of breaching a U.S.-brokered halt to attacks on energy infrastructure. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald J. Trump held a lengthy 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the latter agreed to a 30-day cessation of attacks on critical energy facilities and infrastructure. However, on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed Ukraine violated the agreement by attacking an oil transfer facility in the Krasnodar Region. show more
March 19, 2025
History
News
War

Last Battle of Britain Pilot John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway Dies at 105.

The last remaining pilot who took part in the Battle of Britain in the Second World War has passed away at the age of 105. John A. Hemingway, the last known survivor of the Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots who were pivotal in the fighting, passed away in Dublin, Ireland, the RAF announced.

Known as Paddy, Hemingway flew Hurricane fighters during the crucial air campaign that occurred from July 10 to October 31, 1940. The battle was a turning point in the war as RAF pilots prevented Adolf Hitler’s Operation Sea Lion, a planned invasion of the British Isles.

The RAF had just 749 fighter aircraft against the German Luftwaffe’s 2,550. Despite being outnumbered, the British pilots succeeded in holding off German bombers and securing the air space above Britain.

Winston Churchill, the then-Prime Minister of Britain, acknowledged the valor of the RAF pilots during an address to the House of Commons in August 1940. In his tribute, Churchill stated, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Throughout World War II, Hemingway flew missions over France, Britain, and Italy, surviving being shot down four times between 1940 and 1945. In July 1941, he was awarded Britain’s Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery in combat.

The death of Hemingway comes as some fear the potential of a Third World War amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. President Donald J. Trump aims to end the conflict and has explicitly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he is gambling with World War Three by resisting a ceasefire.

Image via Royal Air Force.

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The last remaining pilot who took part in the Battle of Britain in the Second World War has passed away at the age of 105. John A. Hemingway, the last known survivor of the Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots who were pivotal in the fighting, passed away in Dublin, Ireland, the RAF announced. show more
March 19, 2025
Wake Up Right
War

Breakthrough: Trump and Putin Agree to Energy Infrastructure Ceasefire.

President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached an agreement on an immediate ceasefire for energy and infrastructure in Ukraine—a first major step towards peace.

The details: The agreement came during a nearly three-hour call on Tuesday, resulting in an immediate 30-day ceasefire “on all Energy and Infrastructure,” according to a post by Trump on Truth Social.

  • ↔️ Prisoner swap: Russia also agreed to a prisoner swap with Ukraine that will see both sides release 175 captured soldiers.

Ukraine agrees: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he supported the proposal to stop strikes on energy targets.

Energy and Infrastructure: Since the start of the war, Russia has used drones and missiles to strike Ukrainian energy production. Meanwhile, Ukraine has used drones to target Russian oil production.

Putin comments: Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to Trump “for his desire to contribute to the noble goal of ending hostilities and loss of life.”

What next? The U.S. and Russia will begin working on ‘Phase 2’ of negotiations in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, which will focus on a cease-fire in the Black Sea.

The last word goes to Trump, who said on Truth Social that “hopefully” all sides “for the sake of Humanity, get the job done!”

Be sure to subscribe to the Wake Up Right newsletter! 

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President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached an agreement on an immediate ceasefire for energy and infrastructure in Ukraine—a first major step towards peace. show more
March 17, 2025
War

U.S. Pulls Out of Group Seeking to Prosecute Putin as Trump Focuses on Peace.

The U.S. is exiting the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, a group the former Biden government joined in 2023 to virtue-signal about Russian President Vladimir Putin and others being guilty of war crimes. This move signals President Donald J. Trump’s intent to dial back Biden’s emphasis on personally attacking the Russian leader for alleged crimes and instead seeking to negotiate a peace settlement.

The group was established to address aggression—defined under international law as a violation of a nation’s sovereignty without self-defense justification—holding Russia and its allies, including Belarus, North Korea, and Iran, responsible.
Michael Schmid, president of Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation that oversees the center, confirmed in an internal letter that U.S. authorities will end their participation by late March.

He stressed that the group remains dedicated to prosecuting those behind major international crimes in Ukraine, but its ability to do so without U.S. support will be close to zero.

Separately, the Trump administration is scaling down the Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team, or WarCAT, launched in 2022 under then-Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. The team aimed to support efforts to prosecute Russians following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. During Biden’s tenure, WarCAT played a key role in assisting Ukraine’s corrupt legal system with logistics, training, and case-building.

According to sources, the Trump administration has not detailed its reasons for leaving the investigative group beyond citing a need to redirect resources.

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The U.S. is exiting the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, a group the former Biden government joined in 2023 to virtue-signal about Russian President Vladimir Putin and others being guilty of war crimes. This move signals President Donald J. Trump's intent to dial back Biden's emphasis on personally attacking the Russian leader for alleged crimes and instead seeking to negotiate a peace settlement. show more
March 14, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News
War

Trump Nat Sec. Advisor Predicts Terms of Ukraine Peace Deal.

President Donald J. Trump‘s National Security Advisor has provided new details regarding a potential Russo-Ukrainian peace settlement, including the abandonment of efforts to absorb Ukraine into NATO and the relinquishing of some parts of the country to the Russian Federation. The revelation followed Fox News host Sean Hannity asking National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, “If I were to imagine how this deal unfolds, it’s gonna be the rare earth mineral deal, a component that keeps U.S. involvement and presence in Ukraine. Maybe European troops could be in Ukraine as well. I would imagine that Ukraine being a part of NATO is not gonna happen, and I would imagine that parts [of Ukraine]—maybe the Donbas region in particular or areas that are heavily populated by people from Russia—that would go to Putin in any negotiated settlement. Am I wrong in my conjecture here?”

“Sean, no surprise, you’re not wrong in any of that,” Waltz confirmed, adding that the Trump administration is “discussing all of those things with both sides.”

Following the Western-backed Euromaidan coup against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, the regional government in the mostly Russian-populated Crimean peninsula in Ukraine’s south and separatist elements in the Donbas region in Ukraine’s east declared independence. Crimea was later annexed to Russia, with two separatist-led Donbas republics following suit after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have also been annexed. However, none of the claimed territories besides Crimea are fully under Russian control.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by President Trump earlier this week. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently achieving some significant breakthroughs on the battlefield, is more noncommital, at least for now.

WATCH:


Image by Enno Lenze.

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President Donald J. Trump's National Security Advisor has provided new details regarding a potential Russo-Ukrainian peace settlement, including the abandonment of efforts to absorb Ukraine into NATO and the relinquishing of some parts of the country to the Russian Federation. The revelation followed Fox News host Sean Hannity asking National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, "If I were to imagine how this deal unfolds, it’s gonna be the rare earth mineral deal, a component that keeps U.S. involvement and presence in Ukraine. Maybe European troops could be in Ukraine as well. I would imagine that Ukraine being a part of NATO is not gonna happen, and I would imagine that parts [of Ukraine]—maybe the Donbas region in particular or areas that are heavily populated by people from Russia—that would go to Putin in any negotiated settlement. Am I wrong in my conjecture here?" show more