Morning Update: Zelensky acknowledges Ukraine is losing ground as Russian invasion enters third year, Western support slows

Good morning,

As the Russian invasion enters a third year and Western support slows, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged that his country was losing ground – a situation that could worsen unless the flow of U.S. military aid resumes.

Zelensky said 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in action over the first two years of the war, the first time that figure has been made public.

In a news conference in Kyiv to mark the start of a third year, he forecast that the coming months would be difficult for his country, as stores of artillery shells and air-defence missiles run low and Russia pushes ahead with a counteroffensive. That assault recently forced Ukrainian troops to concede the shattered city of Avdiivka to the invading forces.

Read more:

• Trudeau signs security agreement with Ukraine during surprise visit marking second anniversary of war
• Foreign correspondent Mark MacKinnon answers readers’ questions on the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war

Open this photo in gallery:

This is the daily Morning Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for Morning Update and more than 20 other Globe newsletters on our newsletter sign-up page.

Canadian judges are casting aside their deference to government with recent rulings

Traditionally, judges in Canada have stayed away, mostly, from telling the Prime Minister, cabinet and the legislative branch what to do. The underlying idea: The “separation of powers” among the different branches of government needs to be respected, even as judges maintain their role as guardians of constitutional rights and freedoms. Cabinet and legislators weigh priorities and set political directions – and judges defer.

But Federal Court Justice Henry Brown’s ruling, which ordered Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet to appoint more judges, cast aside such deference, in the latest sign of a muscular judiciary unwilling to defer to the executive or legislative branches of government.

Open this photo in gallery:

Off to Michigan, Nikki Haley is staying in the race despite Trump’s South Carolina primary win

Despite Donald Trump’s easy primary victory in South Carolina, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says it’s not “the end of our story.”

Defying calls from South Carolina Republicans to exit the race, Haley planned to travel Sunday to Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday. With his win Saturday in the first-in-the South contest, Trump has now swept every primary or caucus on the GOP early-season calendar that awards delegates. His performances have left little manoeuvring room for Haley, his former U.N. ambassador.

Read more:

• Analysis: Trump’s triumph in South Carolina is both a symbol of his strength and a statement of his political weakness

Open this photo in gallery:

Netanyahu says a ceasefire deal would only delay ‘somewhat’ an Israeli military offensive in Rafah

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says an Israeli military offensive in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah could be “delayed somewhat” if a deal is reached for a week-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, claiming that a total victory in the territory would come within weeks once the offensive begins.

Netanyahu confirmed to CBS that a deal is in the works, with no details. Talks resumed Sunday in Qatar at the specialist level, Egypt’s state-run Al Qahera TV reported, citing an Egyptian official as saying discussions would follow in Cairo with the aim of achieving the ceasefire and release of dozens of hostages held in Gaza as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel is nearing the approval of plans to expand its offensive against the Hamas militant group to Rafah on the Gaza-Egypt border, where more than half the besieged territory’s population of 2.3 million have sought refuge.

Read more:

• U.S. and British strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen answer militants’ surge in Red Sea attacks on ships

Open this photo in gallery:

Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop

Also on our radar

Rural Nevada bets big on cloud seeding, pitting fears of drought against doubts in the science: In the parched Pahrump Valley, officials see weather modification as their best hope to get more water. But experts who have seen the technology tried before are skeptical.

Larger loan losses expected as big banks set to report earnings: Canada’s biggest banks are expected to report larger losses from commercial real estate loans in first-quarter earnings this week, contributing to lower growth in profits, analysts say.

Avison says it did not default on debt payments after S&P downgrade for defaulting on payments: Avison Young’s chief executive says it did not default on debt payments and that its lenders have agreed to forgive more than half the amount owed, after the major commercial real-estate firm was downgraded by a top credit-rating agency.

Electricity producer TransAlta is being squeezed by uncertainty over government policies, CEO says: Uncertainty over government electricity policies and the energy transition are spooking the market, driving an undervaluation of Calgary-based independent power producer TransAlta Corp., says the company’s chief executive.

Wall Street’s Jefferies Financial introduces specialist bankers to a generalist market: Ask Brian Friedman, the president of Jefferies Financial Group Inc., what separates his Wall Street investment bank from a host of U.S. and Canadian rivals, and he talks about “structural depth.”

Pharmacare will not jeopardize Canada’s fiscal standing, Freeland says: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the pharmacare deal between the federal Liberals and the New Democrats will not jeopardize Canada’s fiscal standing, as her government prepares to table legislation this week for a program that is expected to cover diabetes and birth control medications.

Who would you pick to sing We Are the World in 2024? Cast your votes now

This week, The Globe is embarking on a tale of “what ifs” and asking readers to vote on who they’d pick for a 2024 version of We Are the World, the iconic 1985 charity song – and the subject of a recent Netflix documentary. Each day, we’ll be posting a new category with 20 musicians to choose from. Four from each group will make it to the ultimate final group, revealed this Saturday, March 2. Cast your votes for the first category now.

Morning markets

Markets stall: World shares stalled just below record highs on Monday as investors awaited inflation data from the United States and euro zone that could further refine interest rate expectations. Around 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 slid 0.34 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 lost 0.04 per cent and 0.43 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.35 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.54 per cent. New York futures were flat to lower. The Canadian dollar was down slightly at 73.95 US cents.

What everyone’s talking about

The Maple Leafs’ new marching orders are “don’t jinx it”

“If this all happened in November, it would be harmless, speculative fun. But it’s less than two weeks to the trade deadline. There couldn’t be a more awkward moment for the Leafs to do a phantom impression of the 85 Oilers.” – Cathal Kelly

Easier said than done: A foreign grocer does not simply walk into the Canadian market

“There is no doubt competition forces everyone to get better. But the current grocery retail landscape is already about 30-per-cent foreign-owned. Walmart, Costco and Whole Foods Market are all U.S.-based retailers. Is there really room for more?” – Peter Chapman

Having immigrant engineers and physicians driving Ubers is a national disgrace

“Governments should put in place measures to enable our highly educated immigrants to contribute at the tops of their skill levels. Fixing our immigrants’ underemployment problem, RBC estimated, could add about $50-billion annually to Canada’s gross domestic product and contribute to a regeneration of the country’s productivity.” – Claudia Hepburn

Today’s editorial cartoon

Open this photo in gallery:

Living better

This summer, cabin resorts offer a low-stress vacation

In recent years, an alternative to expensive cottage rentals has emerged – cabin resorts. Often intentionally small, with less than a dozen cabins available, these private accommodations have the same rustic appeal of cottages, with access to the water, whether river, lake or ocean, and nature, typically a wooded area, but with the amenities and customer service of a traditional resort.

Moment in time

Alfred Coward: celebrating accomplishments of Black Canadians in various fields

Open this photo in gallery:

For more than 100 years, photographers and photo editors working for The Globe and Mail have preserved an extraordinary collection of news photography. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. This month, we’re remembering the accomplishments of Black Canadians in different fields.

Early in life, Nova Scotian jazz pianist Alf Coward wanted to mix music and medicine. He performed where he could while pursuing pre-med studies, and his spot on CJFX in Antigonish, N.S., helped to pay for his room and board when he attended St. Francis Xavier University. He thought music could play an important role in therapy, and that one day a doctor might prescribe a patient “one dose of Duke Ellington every hour.” By 1950, he had played in several jazz orchestras and decided to break out on his own, forming the Alf Coward Band. When CBC TV Halifax opened in 1955, Mr. Coward became the star of CBC’s first variety show to air in the Maritimes. After the show ended, Mr. Coward moved to Toronto and took a two-week gig at George’s Spaghetti House, a popular club, that extended to seven years as crowds turned out for a healthy dose of his jazz. Solana Cain

Enjoy today's horoscopes. Solve today's puzzles. Read today's Letters to the Editor.

If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday morning, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.