Wednesday Briefing: Putin and Trump discuss Ukraine

Plus, Israel's strikes in Gaza.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 19, 2025 Good morning. We're covering the Putin-Trump call about Ukraine and the aftermath of Israel's strikes in Gaza. Plus: An unlikely friendship saves a New York dive bar. President Vladimir Putin of Russia is demanding an end to Western military and intelligence support for Ukraine. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters Putin said he'd accept a cease-fire for energy targets During a call with President Trump, President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that he would accept a halt to strikes on energy infrastructure in Russia's war with Ukraine, as long as both sides honored it, according to the Kremlin. But the Russian leader did not agree to a broader, 30-day cease-fire proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he was open to suspending attacks on energy targets, but he, too, insisted that the deal not be one-sided. "It cannot be the case that Russia attacks our energy sector, and we remain silent," he said. "We will respond." Putin has told Trump "that the 'key condition' to resolving the conflict was an end to military and intelligence aid to Ukraine by the West," said my colleague Paul Sonne, who covers Russia. That path, he added, "would essentially make Ukraine perpetually vulnerable to Russia." The White House said a pause on energy strikes would be a first step toward peace, but the outcome of the call with Putin seemed to fall well short of what Trump had suggested was possible. Analysis: Halting attacks on energy targets would benefit both nations. Ukraine has struggled with Russia's repeated attacks on its power grid, and Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities have jeopardized a crucial revenue stream. Related: The U.S. is seeking access to Ukrainian minerals, which require extensive energy to process. The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia power plant in southern Ukraine could help with that goal, Kyiv says. Russia significantly stepped up its sabotage campaign as it sought to pressure Europe and the U.S. to curb their support for Ukraine, a study found. Children were among those killed in the airstrikes, Gaza's health ministry said. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times Israel's strikes on Gaza killed more than 400 Israeli forces launched devastating aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip yesterday, ending a temporary cease-fire with Hamas that began in January and raising the prospect of a return to all-out war. More than 400 people, including children, were killed in the strikes, Gaza's health ministry said, one of the war's deadliest single-day tolls. Here's what to know. The attacks came after weeks of fruitless talks aimed at extending the fragile cease-fire. The first phase of the truce expired in early March, but it had largely held as diplomats worked to broker an extension to free the surviving Israeli hostages and end the war. Of the 59 hostages still in Gaza, fewer than half are believed to be alive. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested yesterday that Israel would carry out more attacks in tandem with negotiations. "This is just the beginning," he said. "We will keep fighting to achieve all of the war's objectives." Hamas officials argued that Israel had brazenly overturned the truce, but it had no immediate military response. Analysis: Israel appears to have returned to war in an attempt to crush Hamas's hopes of retaining control of Gaza, Patrick Kingsley and Ronen Bergman write. Chief Justice John Roberts with President Trump before the president's address to Congress this month. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times The U.S. chief justice pushed back against Trump Hours after President Trump called for the impeachment of a judge who'd ruled against his administration, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare public statement denouncing the idea. "For more than two centuries," Roberts said, "it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision." The judge attacked by Trump had ordered a halt to the deportation of hundreds of migrants to El Salvador. Context: The deportation case has emerged as a flashpoint in a larger debate over presidential power and the role of courts to review how that power is applied. More on the Trump administration Trump said that a U.S. recession might be worth the cost. Economists disagree. A federal judge found that efforts by Elon Musk and his team to permanently shutter U.S.A.I.D. were likely to have violated the Constitution. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said bird flu should be allowed to spread on U.S. poultry farms so immune birds could be identified. Scientists called that a terrible idea. Chinese state media is gloating over drastic budget cuts to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, two U.S.-funded media outlets that highlighted rights abuses in China. Track Trump's actions since he took office. MORE TOP NEWS Keegan Barber/NASA, via Getty Images Space: Two NASA astronauts splashed down off Florida's Gulf Coast after a stay on the International Space Station that lasted some nine months longer than planned. Tech: Google agreed to buy the cybersecurity start-up Wiz for $32 billion, its biggest acquisition yet. Germany: Parliament narrowly approved a plan to loosen government borrowing limits in order to spend heavily on defense and infrastructure and offset the U.S. pivot away from Europe. Sudan: U.S. foreign aid cuts are hitting lifesaving resources that refugees fleeing violence and famine in Darfur depend upon. Britain: After weeks of tense internal debate, the center-left Labour government outlined plans to curb rising welfare costs. France: Caroline Darian, the daughter of Gisèle Pelicot, is pursuing her own case against her father for rape and sexual assault. South Africa: The country refused to remove scientists from a base in Antarctica after investigating claims of physical assault and sexual harassment. Crime: Former hospital managers in Britain called for a halt to the Lucy Letby murder inquiry, citing new evidence that suggested the babies had died of other causes. Nepal: Drones will be used to airlift heavy, dangerous loads on Mount Everest, a task normally carried out by mountain guides. China: Government officials have been racing to show how they're using DeepSeek's A.I. technology since the company's founder met with Xi Jinping. SPORTS NEWS Baseball: It's hard to be ubiquitous in Tokyo, but Shohei Ohtani has found a way. "You really have to see it to believe it," one fan said. Soccer: Manchester United is in a financial mess. An expert offers an explanation of how the team got there. Tennis: Read how Britain's Jack Draper beat the odds to claim victory at Indian Wells in California. Golf: Rory McIlroy vanquished some demons to win the Players Championship. Is this his best chance of going on to win the Masters? MORNING READ Graham Dickie/The New York Times Lucy's, a beloved New York City dive bar, sat dark and empty behind an iron gate after a new landlord more than doubled the rent. An unlikely friendship between Ludwika Mickevicius, 84, and John Neidich, 43, gave it a second lease on life. Lives lived: John Hemingway, who flew fighters in the Battle of Britain and was the last known survivor of the nearly 3,000 pilots and crew, died at 105. CONVERSATION STARTERS Exoneration: Witches are having a cultural moment. Some states are taking up their cause. Preparing for surgery: A writer explores how a Jewish ritual changed her relationship with mortality. History by the inch: In the 1920s and '30s, clerks at The New York Times collected stamps from overseas, preserving a window into the era. A watchful eye: After turning over scores of artworks thought to have been looted, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has hired a restitution specialist. ARTS AND IDEAS Piet Mondrian; via Mondrian/Holtzman Trust and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Photo by Kristopher McKay One flower, one painting Piet Mondrian is known for his abstract works of glossy black lines and planes of red or blue. But Jason Farago, our critic at large, kept returning to the artist's portrait of a single true-to-life chrysanthemum, with its blue galaxy of petals. "Whether in solo flower or abstract field, he is teaching you the beauty of parts and wholes," Jason writes. Go inside the work. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: Throw together this honey garlic shrimp in under 30 minutes. Read: In "Changing My Mind," Julian Barnes makes a case for the joys of flexibility. Travel: Helsinki is worth visiting for the architecture alone. Style: Take inspiration from our fashion photographer's look of the week. Pack: What's in your emergency travel bag? 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 Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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