Dispute between Zelenskyy and Trump, change in tules for deferral from mobilization: February 28 highlights

Zelenskyy argued with Trump and Vance

On February 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington for his first White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The two were expected to sign a minerals deal, but a dispute erupted over the Russia-Ukraine war with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.

Trump later wrote that Zelenskyy is “not ready for peace” but added he “can come back” if he changes his mind.

Zelenskyy left the White House early, and the minerals deal was postponed. French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk voiced support for Zelenskyy.

Russians crossed the border of Sumy Oblast, but were pushed back

Russian troops crossed Ukraine’s border near Novenkе in Sumy Oblast on February 25 but were pushed back, General Staff spokesperson Dmytro Lykhoviy said.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, noted these were infantry groups without vehicles.

Air defense manufacturer NASAMS plans to open a company in Ukraine

Norwegian company Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace is in talks to establish a company in Ukraine. This will allow it to produce hundreds of air defense missiles each year.

In addition, the production of these missiles in Ukraine will be based on Ukrainian technologies.

The government has changed the rules for reserving workers from mobilization.

On February 28, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers updated deferment rules for the draft, adjusting the average salary criterion and removing a 72-hour data check for state workers.

A new decree also grants deferments to civilians freed from Russian captivity.

The Shliakh system for humanitarian aid travel has been closed

The government ended the Shliakh system for drivers moving humanitarian cargo, replacing it with a new mechanism.

The State Border Guard Service said men aged 18-60 transporting aid or medical goods now cross on standard terms.

Poroshenko's lawyers have prepared a lawsuit to the Supreme Court

Lawyers for Ukraine’s fifth president and European Solidarity leader Petro Poroshenko plan to challenge sanctions against him in the Supreme Court.

Attorney Illia Novikov said the sanctions were rushed, containing three errors.

OPORA chairman: Theoretically, presidential elections can be held

Ukraine’s Constitution doesn’t ban presidential elections, only the martial law statute does, meaning changes could theoretically allow a vote, Olha Aivazovska, head of the OPORA civic network, told hromadske.

Schoolboy prepared terrorist attack in a crowded place in Zhytomyr

Police detained a 16-year-old from Zhytomyr Oblast who, on Russian orders, planned to plant a homemade bomb near the Heroes’ Glory Alley in Zhytomyr, a busy public spot.

In Mariupol, the resistance movement blew up an FSB vehicle

Overnight into February 28, Mariupol’s resistance movement bombed a car carrying an FSB officer in the occupied city, the Mariupol City Council reported, citing local resistance.

In the Czech Republic, a tram driver forcibly removed Ukrainians with a child from the bus

A video spread on Czech social media showing a Prague tram driver yelling at Ukrainian passengers, allegedly over their child dirtying a seat, and hitting the man.

“You don’t belong in this country!” he shouted.

Prague’s transit agency said it’s addressing the incident.

Other news

• Starting March 1, Ukraine will raise pensions by 11.5%.
• Ukrenergo will display grid status in an app to help users avoid emergency outages.
• The Defense Ministry got 7.5 million euros in IT gear from Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
• Romania’s acting president said his country could transit peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.