The US says Ukraine is ready to settle the conflict and has agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire following the March 11 meeting in Jeddah; Russia thwarts the largest Ukrainian drone attack on its territory; and the US stock market declines on concerns about an economic slowdown. These stories topped Wednesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia, according to TASS news agency.
Izvestia: What US forced Ukraine to concede in Jeddah
The United States has stated that Ukraine is prepared to settle the conflict and has agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire - not only in the air and at sea, as originally proposed by Kiev, but also on land - pending Moscow’s approval. This was reported by members of the US delegation following the March 11 meeting in Jeddah. However, Kiev’s professed willingness to de-escalate is contradicted by the most large-scale UAV attack on Moscow to date, which resulted in three fatalities. This development, according to Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev, demonstrates that Ukraine is neither prepared for a genuine ceasefire nor for peace. Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador Rodion Miroshnik further stated that the Zelensky administration remains committed to prolonging hostilities.
Despite Ukraine’s direct acts of aggression, Washington not only disregarded them but also announced the immediate resumption of military aid to Kiev. Meanwhile, Donald Trump revealed his intent to engage in direct talks with Vladimir Putin, with negotiations between Russia and the United States scheduled for March 11 or 12. Additionally, the US State Department confirmed that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow on March 13. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry acknowledged that interactions with US representatives could take place in the coming days.
Following the discussions in Jeddah, it was revealed that Zelensky is once again expected at the White House. Furthermore, agreements were reached to accelerate negotiations on rare earth metals.
According to Igor Istomin, Acting Head of the Department of Applied Analysis of International Processes at MGIMO, Ukraine has seemingly given in to US demands regarding the terms of a temporary ceasefire, following an unsuccessful meeting in the Oval Office.
"However, Ukraine’s willingness to pursue a settlement with US backing could serve as a mechanism to exert pressure on Russia, compelling it to respond and make key decisions. Trump likely expects that Moscow may alter its stance and agree to a phased resolution - first implementing a temporary ceasefire, followed by a comprehensive agreement," Istomin told Izvestia.
Vladimir Bruter, expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, believes that Washington is attempting to impose an unfavorable framework upon Russia, having unilaterally announced agreements with Ukraine that were never coordinated with Moscow.
During the negotiations, Western media reported that Washington explicitly ruled out Kiev’s return to the borders of either 2014 or 2022. The Ukrainian side, however, swiftly dismissed these claims as "disinformation." Nevertheless, one reality remains evident - the US has gradually adjusted its strategic approach from an unyielding commitment to Ukrainian victory to the pursuit of intermediary solutions, Izvestia writes.
Yet, it becomes increasingly apparent that Ukraine remains unwilling to make substantive compromises or territorial concessions, senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Blokhin told the newspaper.
"Kiev seeks to engage with Moscow solely from a position of strength. Moreover, Zelensky himself is not prepared for constructive dialogue. If Ukraine refuses to accept Russia’s terms, there is no alternative but for the special military operation to continue," he said.
Izvestia: Russia fends off massive Ukrainian drone attack
The most extensive Ukrainian drone assault on Russian territory to date was deliberately timed to coincide with upcoming US-Ukrainian negotiations, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. The Ukrainian Armed Forces sought to showcase their ability to sustain military operations. In total, Russian forces detected and intercepted 343 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including nearly a hundred targeting the capital. The attack resulted in the deaths of three individuals in Domodedovo. Meanwhile, OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu, during his visit to Moscow, assessed the damage to a residential building in the Moscow Region, following a UAV strike. Experts told Izvestia that the assault will have no impact on Russia’s negotiating stance.
The country’s air defense systems functioned as expected during the raid, effectively neutralizing airborne threats, retired lieutenant colonel and chairman of the board of the all-Russian organization Officers of Russia Roman Shkurlatov told Izvestia.
"There is little military justification for this strike. It is more of a political maneuver, strategically timed to coincide with key international developments," he said. "The nighttime assault was likely intended to signal that Ukraine still has the capability for an air campaign, thereby creating leverage in negotiations. However, this does not serve our interests, as Russia maintains undisputed air superiority," the expert added.
He further noted that Ukraine had been stockpiling UAVs for some time in preparation for such an attack, whereas Russian forces conduct similar operations almost daily.
According to military analyst Alexey Leonkov, Ukraine was only able to carry out this large-scale assault due to Western-supplied technical resources.
"The discussion surrounding Starlink is mere doublespeak - no one is actually disabling it. A strike at this range would require satellite coordination," he said. "This will be confirmed when Starlink routers are found among the remains of downed UAVs, as they were likely used to guide the drones to their targets. Evidently, this was designed as a large-scale, coordinated assault," he noted, adding that Russia’s air defenses have markedly improved - had such an attack occurred a year ago, it would have posed a far greater threat.
Kiev’s provocation is largely driven by the stalled negotiations with Washington over resource agreements, as the US has been pressuring Ukraine to accept tighter commitments in the peace process, associate professor of political theory at MGIMO Ivan Loshkarev told Izvestia.
"Ukraine is deliberately seeking to sabotage the negotiation process while avoiding direct responsibility. The objective is to provoke Russia into responding in a manner that Washington could frame as excessive," Loshkarev explained.
Ultimately, he concluded, this represents a last-ditch maneuver. From a military standpoint, Kiev is no longer capable of launching large-scale offensives and is instead restricted to conducting localized operations.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Europe’s rising gas demand in 2025 prompts search for supplies
As of March 11, natural gas reserves in the European Union’s underground storage (UGS) facilities had dropped to 40 bln cubic meters, representing 36.67% of full capacity. Ahead of the autumn heating season, it will be essential to replenish these reserves while also refilling Ukraine’s UGS facilities, which were nearly depleted last winter. The demand for gas in Europe will be further bolstered by the United Kingdom, which, lacking extensive storage capacity, will require an additional 2-3 bln cubic meters beyond its operational consumption, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes.
Although current gas reserves in European UGS facilities have not yet reached historic lows - being approximately 12 bln cubic meters higher than at this time in 2022 - the circumstances today are significantly different. Two years ago, the EU was still receiving pipeline gas from Russia, with supplies only interrupted via the Yamal-Europe pipeline through Poland. Another major challenge concerns Ukrainian underground gas storage. Previously, Russian gas flowed through Ukraine, allowing for efficient replenishment. Now, with transit suspended and domestic production insufficient to meet demand, refilling these reserves will fall largely to EU member states.
Research Director at Implementa Maria Belova outlined a baseline scenario assuming moderate spring temperatures. Under these conditions, EU gas reserves are projected to shrink to 25-30% by the end of the heating season. To meet the mandated 90% storage level, Europe will need to inject approximately 60 bln cubic meters of gas into its UGS facilities by October, which is more than twice the volume stored in preparation for the previous winter.
Sergey Kaufman, analyst at Finam, supports this assessment, estimating that the EU will require roughly 30 bln cubic meters more than last year.
However, Deputy Head of the National Energy Security Fund Alexey Grivach warns that the situation may be even more complex. By November, European companies will need to obtain 65-70 bln cubic meters of gas - double the amount added last summer - alongside an additional 8-10 bln cubic meters for Ukrainian storage. Exacerbating these difficulties are uncertainties surrounding summer weather conditions and Europe’s fluctuating gas demand. With Ukrainian transit no longer contributing to supply balances, the EU will likely need to source an estimated 60 bln cubic meters of additional imports, primarily from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market.
Beyond cost concerns, Europe also faces the risk of supply shortages in the event of adverse weather conditions, as LNG production in the United States cannot be expanded instantaneously. Securing additional gas supplies will require two possible solutions: diverting LNG shipments from the Asia-Pacific region (particularly China), as was the case three years ago, or reactivating one of the dormant Russian gas import routes.
Belova told the newspaper that Europe is unlikely to address its increased gas requirements by resuming pipeline imports from Russia. However, Chinese companies could play a role in redirecting LNG to the continent.
Vedomosti: Why Syrian Kurds struck deal with Damascus
Late in the evening of March 10, Syria’s transitional authorities reached an agreement with the Kurdish administration governing northeastern Syria on integrating all civilian and military structures under pan-Syrian state institutions. The agreement was signed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, interim Syrian president and leader of the Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham group (an organization designated as terrorist and banned in Russia), along with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to Vedomosti, the deal was reached under US pressure and will end with the withdrawal of their troops.
According to the document, published on al-Sharaa’s X account, all border checkpoints with Iran and Turkey, as well as airports, oil fields, and prisons currently under SDF control, will be transferred to the Syrian government by the end of the year. In return, Syrian Kurds will be granted "constitutional rights," including the ability to use and teach their language and the opportunity for displaced individuals to return to their homes. The agreement also guarantees Kurdish participation in Syria’s political process, regardless of religious affiliation. Meanwhile, the SDF has committed to supporting Damascus in its fight against Assad loyalists and other forces threatening the security and unity of the country.
Washington has a strategic interest in legitimizing Kurdish autonomous institutions within Syria, as this would enable the US to exert influence over both Damascus and neighboring Turkey, chief researcher at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies Vladimir Vasiliev told Vedomosti. He believes that, in an effort to minimize costs, the United States will likely withdraw its military forces from Syria in the near future, delegating the responsibility of protecting US interests to Kurdish armed groups.
At this stage, the agreements remain preliminary and the success of the Kurdish integration process into Syria’s military and political structures will depend on both internal and external regional dynamics, Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies at Moscow State Linguistic University Iqbal Durre told the newspaper. Ideally, the Kurds would prefer to retain their autonomous political institutions and maintain independent armed forces within the Syrian army, but Damascus remains unwilling to yield on these points. These matters will undoubtedly be the subject of intense negotiations, Durre added.
At the same time, despite US support and control over oil resources, Syrian Kurds face persistent pressure from Turkey, which has forced them to engage in dialogue with Damascus, the expert added.
Vedomosti: US stock market falls amid economic slowdown fears
At the opening of the trading session on March 11, key US stock indices continued their declines from the previous day, following Donald Trump’s remarks on the economic transition period. By Tuesday evening (Moscow time), the S&P 500 had dropped by 0.44%, while the Dow Jones fell 0.9%. The NASDAQ 100 made a modest attempt at recovery, rising by 0.1%. However, the previous trading session saw the technology index suffer its worst day since 2022, shedding 3.8% in value and losing $1 trillion in market capitalization, Vedomosti writes.
On March 11, Trump directed the Commerce Department to impose an additional 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum from Canada in response to Ontario’s newly introduced electricity levies. Previously, the administration had imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, while also doubling tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 20%. The US government has further signaled its intent to introduce tariffs on EU imports and implement reciprocal tariffs against nations whose duties on American products exceed those levied by the US.
The escalating trade wars under the Trump administration heighten the risk of a recession for the US economy, prompting investors to seek safer assets, senior portfolio manager at Renaissance Capital Ilya Golubov told Vedomosti. As a result, capital has shifted toward US Treasury bonds and gold, he added.
Market sentiment has also been dampened by concerns over a potential government shutdown and fears that the administration’s aggressive trade, economic, and immigration policies could negatively impact the US economy, said Natalia Malykh, head of equity analysis at Finam to the newspaper.
Uncertainty surrounding Trump’s foreign trade policy in terms of new tariffs or adjustments to existing ones has alarmed investors, leading to widespread sell-offs and profit-taking, stock market expert at BCS World of Investments Denis Buivolov noted. Moreover, fears of rising inflation due to increased tariffs have resurfaced, raising concerns that the Federal Reserve may delay its anticipated interest rate cuts, he added.
TASS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews
