Saturday, August 23, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

White House approves sending cluster bombs to Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

  • US President Joe Biden has approved the delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of the Pentagon's 42nd aid package to Kiev.
  • The decision to send the weapons, which are banned in over 100 countries, has been described as a reckless and desperate move and has been sharply criticized even by the US's own allies.
  • The decision is now being interpreted by analysts in the West as a sign that the war is going much worse for the US and Ukraine than previously acknowledged.
Published 10 July 2023
– By Editorial Staff
B-1 Lancer aircraft dropping cluster munitions.
2 minute read

The White House has approved the delivery of cluster bombs to Ukraine, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced Friday. The cluster bombs are part of another large $800 million military aid package to Kiev confirmed by the Pentagon the same day.

Cluster bombs are banned in more than 120 countries, but the U.S., Ukraine and Russia are not among them. While the US has banned the export of weapons with a “dud rate” of more than 1%, this restriction can be lifted by a presidential waiver.

The aid package announced by the Pentagon includes cluster munitions fired by 155-millimeter howitzer guns, 31 howitzer guns, and ammunition for Patriot anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons.

Allies protest

Several human rights groups have protested the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Kiev. UN human rights spokeswoman Marta Hurtado has long called on all countries in the world not to use this type of weapon.

Following the announcement, a number of House Democrats voiced their opposition, with Pennsylvania Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D) arguing that the decision could damage the perceived “moral high ground” of the US.

A victory for Ukraine is an essential victory for democracies across the globe, but that victory cannot come at the expense of our American values and thus democracy itself, Houlahan told the New York Times about the decision.

The decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine has also been strongly criticized by the United States’ own allies. The United Kingdom, Spain, Canada, and Germany say they oppose the use of cluster munitions.

No to cluster bombs and yes to the legitimate self-defence of Ukraine, which we understand is not carried out with this weapon, commented Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) is an international treaty that bans cluster munitions, which are projectiles such as aircraft bombs, artillery shells, or rockets that break up into smaller submunitions during flight to bombard a larger area.

Cluster munitions provide greater area coverage than conventional bombs, but they have also been described by many as "inhumane" because some of the munitions do not detonate but remain as unexploded ordnance. These can affect civilians decades after the fighting has stopped. This is why, according to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, civilians account for up to 97% of cluster bomb casualties.

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Ukraine’s plan: EU pays 100 billion for American weapons

The war in Ukraine

Published 19 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Once again, it appears that EU citizens will be the ones financing the arms deliveries to Kiev.
2 minute read

Ukraine has presented a proposal where the country promises to buy American weapons for $100 billion – financed by Europe – in exchange for American security guarantees after a potential peace agreement with Russia. This emerges from a document that the Financial Times has obtained.

According to the proposal, Kyiv and Washington would also conclude a $50 billion agreement to produce drones together with Ukrainian companies that have developed the technology since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukraine shared the proposals with European allies ahead of Monday’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, according to four people with insight into the matter.

The document does not specify which weapons Ukraine wants to buy, but the country has previously expressed wishes to acquire at least ten American Patriot air defense systems to protect cities and critical infrastructure.

Trump: “We’re not giving anything”

Ukraine’s proposal appears designed to appeal to Trump’s desire to benefit American industry. On Monday, when Trump was asked about additional American military support to Ukraine, he responded that “We’re not giving anything – we’re selling weapons”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during the meeting with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders that the group wants the US president’s help to secure a ceasefire.

— I can’t imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire. So let’s work on that and let’s try to put pressure on Russia because the credibility of these efforts we are undertaking today depends on at least a ceasefire, Merz said.

Rejects Russian demands

The document emphasizes that “lasting peace shall be based not on concessions and free gifts to Putin, but on [a] strong security framework that will prevent future aggression”.

Ukraine is also said not to accept any agreement that includes territorial concessions to Russia and insists on a ceasefire as a first step toward a complete peace agreement, according to the document.

Kiev also rejects the proposal Putin is said to have presented to Trump about freezing the front line if Ukraine withdraws troops from the partially occupied eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Such a move would create “a foothold for a further and rapid advance of Russian forces towards the city of Dnipro” and enable Putin to “achieve the goals of aggression by other means”, it is claimed.

Ukraine also demands full compensation from Russia for war damages, potentially financed through the $300 billion in Russian assets that have been seized and frozen in Western countries. Sanctions relief should only be granted if Russia follows a future peace agreement and “plays a fair game”, the document emphasizes.

USA: Putin accepts NATO-like security guarantees for Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 18 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump ahead of Friday's meeting in Alaska.
5 minute read

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed that the USA and its European allies can offer Ukraine security guarantees similar to NATO’s collective defense rule in case of attack. This was reported by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff after the meeting between the two presidents.

Witkoff, who participated in the talks at a military base in Alaska, described the development as a breakthrough:

— It was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that, he said, calling the whole thing “game-changing”.

— We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO, Witkoff told in an interview with CNN.

Trump’s envoy gave few details about how such an arrangement would work. However, the development represents a major change for Putin. It could be a solution to circumvent his opposition to Ukraine’s NATO membership – something Kiev has long sought.

The issue is expected to be central during Monday’s meeting at the White House, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leading European leaders will discuss how the 3.5-year-long conflict can be brought to an end.

Article 5 as model

Article 5 forms the heart of the US-led military alliance NATO. It states that an armed attack against one member country is considered an attack against all member countries.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also participated in the summit, emphasized that this week’s talks focus on designing the structure of the security guarantees:

— How that’s constructed, what we call it, how it’s built, what guarantees are built into it that are enforceable, that’s what we’ll be talking about over the next few days with our partners, Rubio said, describing it as a “major concession” by Russia.

Witkoff also revealed that Russia has agreed to introduce legislation ensuring they do not “attack or violate the sovereignty of any territory”.

— The Russians agreed on enshrining legislatively language that would prevent them from – or that they would attest to not attempting to take any more land from Ukraine after a peace deal, where they would attest to not violating any European borders.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the news from the White House when she spoke in Brussels together with Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, a European coalition is planning to create a military force to monitor a future peace in Ukraine:

— We welcome President Trump’s willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine and the ‘coalition of the willing’ – including the European Union – is ready to do its share, she said.

Zelensky demands practical guarantees

Zelensky in turn thanked the USA for the signal of support for the guarantees, but claimed that much is still unclear:

— There are no details how it will work, and what America’s role will be, Europe’s role will be and what the EU can do – and this is our main task: We need security to work in practice like Article 5 of NATO.

French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the content of the security guarantees is more important than what they are called:

— We’ll show this to our American colleagues, and we’ll tell them, ‘Right, we’re ready to do this and that, what are you prepared to do?’ That’s the security guarantee, Macron said.

“Will have consequences”

Witkoff and Rubio also defended Trump’s decision to abandon demands for a ceasefire in favor of a complete peace agreement. They stated that significant progress was made during the meeting:

— We covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal. We began to see some moderation in the way they’re thinking about getting to a final peace deal, Witkoff said without going into details.

Rubio, who is also Trump’s national security advisor, explained that a ceasefire was impossible on Friday because Ukraine was not present:

— Ultimately, if there isn’t a peace agreement, if there isn’t an end of this war, the president’s been clear, there are going to be consequences. But we are trying to avoid that.

— We’re still a long ways off. We’re not at the precipice of a peace agreement. We’re not at the edge of one. But I do think progress was made towards one, he continued.

Territorial concessions on the agenda

A central question for Monday’s meeting is what territorial concessions Zelensky can accept. After the meeting with Trump, Putin repeated his demands for Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas region, but it is unclear whether Trump sees this as acceptable.

Witkoff added that Russia wants territory based on legal borders, not battle lines:

— There is an important discussion to be had with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there. And that discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday.

Zelensky has so far rejected Putin’s demands that Ukraine give up the Donbass region – which Russia does not yet fully control – as a condition for peace. In Brussels, he recently claimed that “the constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land”.

Trump: No Crimea or NATO for Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 18 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Trump demands concessions from Ukraine - but how far-reaching these should be remains unclear.
2 minute read

US President Donald Trump is convinced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can stop the war “immediately”. This by accepting conditions that would mean Kiev gives up NATO ambitions and territories.

According to Donald Trump, Zelensky can end the war with Russia very quickly – but only if he is willing to make significant concessions. The American president wrote this on his Truth Social platform ahead of a planned meeting with the Ukrainian leader scheduled for Monday.

“Zelenskyy can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight”, Trump wrote on Sunday on Truth Social, and continued:

“Remember how it started. No getting back Obama-given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”

Photo: facsimile/Truth Social

The American president was referring to the events of 2014, when the then-US President Barack Obama’s administration did not intervene after Crimea voted to reunite with Russia following a Western-backed coup in Kyiv.

Cautious optimism

According to reports, the peace proposal to be discussed at Monday’s meeting could mean that Ukraine gives up its remaining positions in the Donbass region. The proposal would also mean that current battle lines are frozen in exchange for a ceasefire.

Such conditions have been categorically rejected by Zelensky in the past. The Ukrainian president has consistently maintained that Crimea and other regions must return to Ukrainian control, and he has rejected all compromises on territorial concessions.

Monday’s meeting comes shortly after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where both leaders expressed cautious optimism about the possibilities of finding a solution to the conflict.

Additional Russian demands

Moscow has repeatedly clarified its conditions for peace: Ukraine must abandon its NATO ambitions, undergo demilitarization and “denazification,” and recognize Russian control over Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – regions that have voted to join Russia.

Putin has also emphasized that a peace agreement must serve Russia’s security interests and create a fair balance of power in Europe for lasting peace to be achieved and maintained.

As an alternative to NATO membership, Washington and its European allies are considering offering Ukraine security guarantees outside NATO’s framework. This was stated by US special envoy Steve Witkoff to Fox News yesterday.

Whether Zelensky will accept Trump’s conditions for peace, or whether he chooses to continue the fight, remains to be seen after Monday’s meeting at the White House.

Putin and Trump agree on “major points” after summit

The new cold war

Published 16 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The two presidents during the joint press conference following the summit shortly after midnight Nordic time.
2 minute read

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met overnight into Friday for a summit in Alaska, where the situation in Ukraine was at the center of discussions. No concrete ceasefire agreement was reached, but both leaders described the meeting as constructive and indicated that dialogue will continue.

At a joint press conference following the meeting, Trump described the talks as “extremely productive” and explained that the parties had agreed on “several major points,” although no final agreement was signed.

– So just to put it very quickly, I’m going to start making a few phone calls and tell them what happened. But we had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there, said the American president.

Putin emphasizes bilateral relations

Putin opened the press conference by focusing on the relationship between the US and Russia. The Russian president expressed confidence that Trump will contribute to improved relations between the two superpowers.

– In general, me and President Trump have very good direct contact. We’ve spoken multiple times. We spoke frankly on the phone … Our advisers and heads of foreign ministries kept in touch all the time, and we know fully well that one of the central issues was the situation around Ukraine, Putin explained during the press conference.

Despite the ongoing war, Putin described Ukraine as a “brotherly nation,” which can be seen as an attempt to signal openness to diplomatic solutions.

Meeting concluded after midnight

The summit, which lasted just over two and a half hours, concluded shortly after midnight local time. Around 2 AM Central European Time, Putin headed to his plane for the return journey to Moscow.

Although no concrete results were presented, both leaders hinted that negotiations may continue. Trump’s statement that he will “start making some calls” suggests that diplomatic efforts will continue.

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