Thursday Briefing: How Trump’s suspensions could affect Ukraine

Plus, vive le cinéma.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 6, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering what President Trump's moves could mean for Ukraine and the latest from the Middle East. Plus: The return of moviegoing in France. Ukrainian soldiers in the Dnipro region last month. The U.S. supplies just 20 percent of Ukraine's military hardware, but experts say it's essential. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times How Trump's suspensions could affect Ukraine The U.S. has stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, U.S. officials said yesterday, days after President Trump suspended military aid. Officials said the pauses were meant to pressure Ukraine to cooperate with Trump's plan to end the war with Russia. Some U.S. officials suggested the suspensions could be fairly short-lived if Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, bent to the demands of the White House. After some prodding and counseling from European leaders, Zelensky is working to get in Trump's good graces. European leaders are set to meet in Brussels today to discuss how to support Ukraine and strengthen their own military capabilities. But Trump's decision to withhold U.S. support could reorder the battlefield. Without U.S.-made weapons, Ukraine's forces could start to buckle in as little as four months, analysts said. About 20 percent of Ukraine's military hardware comes from the U.S. But that 20 percent "is the most lethal and important," one expert said. Analysis: "If Russia sees potential for quick military gains from a weakened Ukraine, the incentive for talks will diminish for Moscow," said Andrew Kramer, our Kyiv bureau chief. By halting U.S. assistance, Andrew added, Trump "is essentially asking Ukraine to agree to terms in advance, without knowing what they are." Related: In a televised address, President Emmanuel Macron said France would be willing to discuss extending the protection afforded by its nuclear arsenal to European allies. For more: These charts show how crucial U.S. aid is for Ukraine. Humanitarian aid from the U.S. Agency for International Development, meant for Venezuelans, in a Colombian warehouse in 2019.  Meridith Kohut for The New York Times The Supreme Court thwarts Trump on foreign aid The Supreme Court yesterday rejected President Trump's emergency request to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid. The court, by a 5 to 4 vote, instead asked a lower court to clarify its February order compelling the Trump administration to resume foreign aid payments. The top court's ruling was one of its first moves in response to Trump's campaign to slash government spending. Two conservative justices joined the court's three liberal members to form the majority, suggesting that Trump could face a more skeptical Supreme Court than its mostly conservative composition might have indicated. More on Trump Trump said he would pause tariffs on cars coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico for one month. Oil prices dropped as economic uncertainty over tariffs rippled through global markets. House Republicans accused the Democratic mayors of New York, Denver, Boston and Chicago of harboring criminal immigrants. Trump confidently told Greenlanders that he'd make them "rich." They weren't impressed. In his address to Congress on Tuesday night, the president celebrated his disruption of the government but glossed over the costs. South Africa is preparing a new trade offer to present to Trump, hoping to ease boiling tensions with Washington. Track Trump's actions since he took office. Hamas fighters during a handover of Israeli hostages last month. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times The U.S. and Hamas held direct talks U.S. officials held direct talks with Hamas in Doha, Qatar, about hostages held in the Gaza Strip, breaking with a long-running American policy of refusing to directly engage groups that the U.S. has designated as terrorists. The talks focused on securing the release of Edan Alexander, the only Israeli American hostage still believed to be alive, and the bodies of four other Israeli Americans who were kidnapped and taken to Gaza in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to an Israeli official and a Western official. The result of the discussions was not immediately clear, but mediators have been seeking to extend the current truce between Israel and Hamas and secure the freedom of the remaining hostages. Gaza: An Arab plan to rebuild the enclave leaves many questions unanswered, and its postwar future looks no closer to a resolution. MORE TOP NEWS The New York Times China: After a video blogger visiting a Chinese village came across a woman chained by the neck, his video set off a major moment for women's rights. Here's what happened next. Crime: The U.S. charged a dozen Chinese citizens with taking part in a sophisticated hacking ring that steals data from Americans. Syria: Fighting in the northeast has intensified, jeopardizing the new government's efforts to unify the country. California: Thousands of campsites across the state's national forests could close because of staffing shortages, according to a memo. Cars: Tesla's sales in Germany plunged in February, part of a wider slump across Europe. Business: Adidas said it had sold its last pair of Yeezy sneakers, as the sportswear giant tries to move past its scandal-ridden partnership with the rapper Ye. France: Witnesses at the trial of a surgeon accused of sexually abusing 299 people, most of them children, testified about warning signs that went unheeded. Science: Researchers identified a gene that seems to help slow the aging of women's brains. SPORTS NEWS Hockey: Wayne Gretzky is both a Canadian hero and a Trump supporter. Some Canadians want him to pick a side. Soccer: The evolution of one of soccer's trickiest skills took a startling step forward, thanks to Lizbeth Ovalle's adapted "scorpion kick." N.B.A.: LeBron James became the first player in league history to reach 50,000 points across the regular season and playoffs. Tennis: Emma Raducanu discussed the disturbing behavior of a spectator at a recent match: "I could barely breathe." MORNING READ Peter Flude for The New York Times The Yellow Bittern hardly looks like London's most divisive eatery, but its chef, a Communist, has seemingly enraged half the city. Critics say the restaurant is full of paradoxes — the stew costs 20 pounds, but the wine costs hundreds, and the chef has scolded patrons online for not spending enough money. What really chafes some people are the hours: The place is open only for weekday lunch, when most Londoners are too busy for an expensive, leisurely meal. Lives lived: Peter Sichel, who played a crucial role in the C.I.A. as a station chief in Cold War Berlin and in Hong Kong and later popularized Blue Nun wine, died at 102. CONVERSATION STARTERS "The Electric State": Here's how Netflix made the cute round-headed robot at the center of the film. The end of the world as we watch it: After the apocalypse, will we decamp to a suburb or a high-rise? Two shows imagine the future of urban living. Royal life: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has returned to Netflix with a cooking and lifestyle show. Here are five takeaways. ARTS AND IDEAS Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Vive le cinéma French viewers are heading back to movie theaters. According to fresh data, France was one of the few countries that saw more big-screen attendance last year than in 2023. The trend is related to a French idea about a moral obligation to support the arts outside the home, and to a film industry that has helped shape Paris's urban landscape. In other countries, box office revenues have risen because of premium theaters. But France's uptick is different. "It's almost mystical," an analyst said. In Paris: The stars turned out for the city's own Met Gala. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Cook: This farro and broccoli stew is hearty yet full of life. (Find more ways to use roasted broccoli here.) Watch: The new Marvel series "Daredevil: Born Again" is a deluxe comic-book adaptation, meticulously produced and filmed. Read: These two books celebrate the 1920s jazz scene in New York and Paris. Shop: These lace-up shoes feel timeless. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha P.S. Have you been married for more than 30 years? 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