Zelensky rejected calls for an immediate ceasefire
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls for Ukraine to agree an immediate ceasefire in its war with Russia, saying it would be “failure for everyone” if detailed security guarantees did not accompany a cessation of hostilities.
The Ukrainian president stood firm on his position during comments made after meeting with European leaders at a summit in London on Sunday.
While Trump and his supporters have pushed for Kyiv to accept a ceasefire—an idea also supported by Lord Peter Mandelson, the UK’s ambassador to Washington—Zelenskyy remains unconvinced.
He pointed to Russia’s past behaviour as the reason for his caution. Zelenskyy explained that Russia failed to honour a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine after its 2014 invasion, which taught him an important lesson about peace agreements without proper safeguards.
“If you don’t have an end to the war and you don’t have security guarantees, no one is able to control a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said from London’s Stansted airport as he prepared to fly back to Ukraine.
European leaders are planning a Ukraine peace proposal for the US
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Sunday that European leaders will create a Ukraine peace plan to show the United States. This plan is important because Ukraine needs security guarantees from Washington to help protect against Russia.
The London summit came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had a difficult meeting with US President Donald Trump that ended early. Despite this setback, European leaders strongly backed Ukraine and promised more assistance.
European leaders also agreed they need to increase their defence spending to demonstrate to Trump that Europe can handle more of its own security needs. The European Commission leader even suggested changing rules that currently limit how much debt countries can take on.
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Trump announced plans for a US cryptocurrency reserve
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to create a national cryptocurrency reserve, naming five digital currencies he wants included to help make the US “the Crypto Capital of the World.”
After Trump’s announcement, the market prices of the named cryptocurrencies – Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana and Cardano – quickly rose in value.
This move follows Trump’s campaign strategy of building support among cryptocurrency supporters. His approach contrasts with former President Joe Biden, whose administration had tightened regulations on cryptocurrencies because of worries about fraud and illegal money transfers.
The exact details of how this cryptocurrency reserve will function remain unclear. But we will likely get more information at the first White House Crypto Summit this Friday.
Trump announced this through social media on Sunday, stating he had signed an order that “directed the Presidential Working Group to move forward on a Crypto Strategic Reserve that includes XRP, SOL, and ADA.”
He followed this about an hour later with another post adding: “And, obviously, BTC and ETH, as other valuable Cryptocurrencies, will be at the heart of the Reserve.”
NLC threatened a fresh protest against power tariff hikes
The Nigeria Labour Congress has vowed to organise workers and citizens for a nationwide protest if the Federal Government goes ahead with its planned electricity tariff increase, calling it “economic violence against the working class and broader Nigerian populace.”
The National Union of Electricity Employees has also warned the government against raising electricity prices, arguing that Nigerians should not pay more for unreliable service.
In a communiqué released after its National Executive Council meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, on February 28, 2025, which was shared with journalists on Sunday, the NLC rejected what it described as a “sham reclassification” of electricity consumers by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The labour group accused the Ministry of Power and NERC of trying to push consumers into higher payment categories under the false promise of better service while actually making economic hardships worse.
“The ruling elite, acting as enforcers of global monopoly capital, are determined to further deepen the misery of the Nigerian people through incessant tariff hikes, increased taxation, and relentless economic strangulation,” the statement read.
Dangote refinery bought its first Algerian crude oil shipment
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has bought its first shipment of one million barrels of Algeria’s high-quality light sweet Saharan Blend crude oil, according to a report by Argus.
This purchase represents an important development for the refinery as it expands its crude oil supply sources and works towards reaching its full daily refining capacity of 650,000 barrels.
The shipment should arrive between March 15 and 20 and will be the first time the refinery processes Algerian crude, which is famous for its low sulphur content and excellent refining yields.
Saharan Blend crude has an API gravity of 45.3 and contains just 0.1 per cent sulphur, making it highly valued and typically exported to European markets.
According to the report, the refinery purchased the shipment from trading company Glencore last week, though the price was not disclosed as neither party directly confirmed the transaction.
“None of the tankers that have loaded in Algeria so far in February have flagged Africa as their destination, suggesting this cargo will load in March,” the report stated.
