UK’s Starmer to meet Trump in Washington – DW – 02/27/2025

The Russian Defense Ministry said that least one person has been killed in the Belgorod region overnight following a series of drone strikes.

“A local resident was killed as a result of an explosive device being launched by a drone at a car” in the town of Graivoron, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on social media.

The Defense Ministry also said that it had successfully shot down 19 drones overnight. Ukraine has stepped up strikes on military and infrastructure targets in recent weeks, following massive Russian bombardment of Ukrainian energy facilities throughout the winter.

According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), the North has sent more soldiers to back up Russian troops in Ukraine.

The NIS said that North Korean troops appeared to be stationed in Russia’s southern Kursk Oblast following a short-term withdrawal from the region.

On top of supplying Russia with vast amounts of weapons, assessments indicate that Pyongyang has sent at least 10,000 troops since last fall, with an additional 1,000 joining them in recent weeks. However, their lack of experience has made them easy targets for drone attacks. In January, the NIS reported that about 300 North Koreans had died in the conflict and some 2,700 had been injured.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was headed to the White House on Thursday as European leaders have been feeling increasingly shut out of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

“We’re going to do the best we can to make the best deal we can for both sides,” US President Donald Trump said Wednesday at a US Cabinet meeting. “For Ukraine, we’re going to try very hard to make a good deal so that they can get as much (land) back as possible.”

Since taking office, the US president has shown himself willing to make major concessions to Moscow, including siding with Russia during a UN vote on condeming the invasion.

The meeting with Starmer comes a day before Trump is sent to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign a contentious agreement that would see Ukraine hand over rare earth minerals in exchange for US aid.