**Zelensky’s Approval Rating Jumps After Trump Clash, Poll Shows**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s approval rating has increased to 68% following a heated exchange with US President Donald Trump. A poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that trust in Zelensky rose from 57% before the diplomatic spat to 68% after it.
The most significant jump came after the February 28 Oval Office meeting, which ended in a public dispute over security guarantees for Ukraine and the cancellation of the US-Ukraine mineral agreement signing. Before this meeting, 57% of Ukrainians trusted Zelensky, while 37% did not, resulting in a trust-distrust balance of +20%.
The poll, conducted via telephone interviews, surveyed 1,029 adult Ukrainian citizens residing in government-controlled territories.
**Russia Launches Aerial Assault on Ukraine**
Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault overnight, firing 67 missiles of various types and deploying 194 drones. The attacks killed at least two people and injured 24 others over the past day, regional officials reported.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron is “preparing to use nuclear weapons against Russia,” despite the French leader not making such a statement directly.
**International Support for Ukraine**
Twenty-six EU member states denounced Russian aggression and pledged continued support for Ukraine in a joint resolution issued at an emergency summit on March 6, despite Hungary dissenting.
Norway‘s parliamentary leaders agreed to increase aid for Ukraine by 50 billion Norwegian krone ($4.6 billion) to a total of 85 billion Norwegian krone ($7.8 billion) in 2025.
**Global Reaction to the Conflict**
US President Donald Trump suggested on March 6 that Ukraine was to blame for the US halting military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, saying that the embattled nation “brought it on themselves.”
However, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed the United Kingdom for “stepping up” in taking a lead among European allies to support Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces reportedly attacked the command post of the 17th Tank Regiment of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast. This number includes 1,150 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
**Next Steps**
European Council President Antonio Costa said that Ukraine’s best security guarantee is its own people and that the international community needs to think about more durable solutions than solely sending European peacekeepers to Ukraine.
The EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels discussed a possible peace agreement, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying he would make a decision “pretty soon” on how to proceed.