**Ukraine Explores Alternatives to US Intelligence**
Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, said on March 6 that the country is already working on alternatives to US intelligence-sharing. This comes after Washington cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv on March 5.
US officials had frozen all military aid to Ukraine as part of an effort to end Russia’s war in Ukraine on US terms. The intelligence cutoff threatens Ukraine’s ability to track Russian military movements and detect aerial strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
**France Continues to Support Ukraine**
However, France has continued to provide military intelligence to Ukraine, said French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu on March 6. This is in contrast to the US, which has paused its intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
European leaders are expected to discuss additional support for Ukraine and increased defense spending at an EU summit in Brussels on March 6. President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels for the emergency meeting.
**Russia’s War Efforts**
Ukrainian forces downed 68 out of the 112 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, as well as two ballistic missiles launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on March 6 appointing Alexander Darchiev as Russia’s new ambassador to Washington.
**Ukraine’s Response**
Protesters demanded an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange before any peace deal with Russia is signed. Ukraine’s former commander-in-chief and current ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that the US is “destroying this order.”
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