Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events – day 1,100

Here is the situation on Friday, February 28:

Fighting

• Moscow’s Defence Ministry said its forces reclaimed the Nikolsky settlement in Russia’s western Kursk region, which was previously occupied by Ukraine.
• Russian forces carried out attacks on energy sites in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, said Governor Oleh Syniehubov. He said one man was injured in the town of Balakliya in southeast Kharkiv.

Politics and diplomacy

• North Korea deployed additional troops to Russia, reported South Korea’s YTN television channel, citing Seoul’s intelligence agency. However, the size of the contingent was not revealed.
• European Council President Antonio Costa said he had invited Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the EU Leaders’ special summit scheduled for March 6. This summit will reportedly discuss support for Ukraine.

• Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hosted the secretary of Russia’s Security Council Sergei Shoigu, where they discussed the relationship between the two countries in the field of education, security and defence issues, Anwar said on X.
• France’s Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the country is in talks with Ukraine to access Kyiv’s mineral wealth for military use.
• Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that all five Ukrainian regions that Russia claims to have annexed would be off the table in any negotiations. Despite not having full control over four of these regions, Peskov said, the territories are “inscribed” in Moscow’s constitution and “inseparable” from the country.
• Kyiv’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhy responded to Peskov’s remarks claiming Ukrainian territory as Russian land, calling it “laughable”. “Ukraine has its internationally recognised borders,” Tykhy said.
• Russia and the US held a nearly six-and-half-hour meeting in Istanbul to discuss normalisation of diplomatic relations and the future of their respective embassies. It was earlier reported that Ukraine would not be part of this discussion.
• Zelenskyy met Ireland’s Prime Minister Michael Martin in a brief layover in Ireland on his way to the US to meet US President Donald Trump. Irish national broadcaster RTE reported that Zelenskyy thanked Martin and the Irish people for their support.
• Ukraine’s cabinet approved the country’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha or Economic Minister Yulia Syvrydenko to sign the rare minerals deal with the US.
• Trump announced he would sign the minerals deal with Zelenskyy on the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Washington.

• Reuters news agency reported, quoting a senior Trump official, that the minerals deal does not include future Ukrainian war-fighting fund guarantees nor any commitment of US troop support.
• NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte said Ukraine’s NATO allies are preparing billions in aid and security contribution guarantees.
• Trump downplayed his previous comment calling Zelenskyy a “dictator” and asked, “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that,” when asked about it by journalists.
• Speaking with Starmer, Trump also said he is confident that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would not attempt to restart a war on Ukraine once a truce is reached.