United 24 Media:
🔹 Rutte to Meet Trump in Washington Tomorrow Amid Expected “Big Statement” from U.S. President on Russia — Reuters
The NATO Secretary General will also hold meetings with Secretary of State Rubio and Defense Minister Høgseth.
🔸 Ukraine Signs Major Arms Contracts at Rome Conference
According to n-tv, Ukraine signed at least five agreements with international defense partners. Among them is a contract with D&M Holding Company, a U.S. arms manufacturer specializing in ammunition.
Ukraine also signed agreements with the Italian Defense Ministry to boost cooperation between unnamed Ukrainian and Italian defense companies.
🔹 Ukrainian Intelligence Hits Latest Russian Buk-M3 Air Defense System Worth $45 Million
Ukrainian intelligence officers directed a strike on a Russian Buk-M3 air defense system valued at $45 million.
According to the General Staff, Russia also lost three tanks, several armored vehicles, an air defense system, over 100 units of equipment, and around 1,240 personnel in a single day.
In total, the enemy has lost 1,194 air defense systems since the start of the full-scale invasion.
🔸 Ukraine Begins Producing Special Anti-FPV Drone Ammunition — Forbes
Ukraine has started manufacturing new 5.56 mm ammunition designed to counter FPV drones, and it is already being supplied to the front lines.
The rounds are compatible with standard NATO assault rifles, such as the CZ Bren and M4, widely used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. When fired, the ammunition breaks apart into several high-speed projectiles, creating a shotgun-like effect with an effective range of up to 50 meters.
This development is especially significant as Russia deploys fiber-optic drones, which are resistant to electronic warfare, Forbes notes.
🇺🇸 Republican Senator Lindsey Graham expects a record-breaking supply of weapons to Ukraine in the coming days to help defend against Russian aggression.
“One of Putin’s biggest miscalculations was trying to outmaneuver Trump. There will be a major push in the coming days and weeks to force Putin to the negotiating table,” he said.
According to Graham, the conflict is nearing a turning point as Trump shows growing interest in supporting Ukraine.
🔸 The Russian threat on Europe’s borders — from the Caucasus to the Arctic — is prepared, organized, and persistent. We must be ready to confront and contain it to preserve peace, French President Emmanuel Macron told the military.
Macron said he has made defense a national priority and announced a steady increase in the military budget through 2027. He also urged “every French citizen to be more aware of today’s threats.”
“To be free in this world, you have to be feared — and to be feared, you must be strong.
We have a strong army, but we must address weaknesses: ammunition stockpiles, drone capabilities, air defense and electronic warfare, space assets, and the development of our reserves.
We will add €3.5 billion in 2026 and another €3 billion in 2027. That year, our defense budget will reach €64 billion — double what it was in 2017,” Macron said.
⚡️We are preparing new long-range strikes and will do everything to bring the war onto Russian territory — President Zelenskyy.
🇺🇸 Trump’s special envoy, Kellogg, has arrived in Ukraine, the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, announced.
“Defense, strengthening security, weapons, sanctions, protecting our people, and deepening U.S.-Ukraine cooperation — many important topics to discuss,” he wrote.
🔹 The EU is close to finalizing its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, which includes a new cap on Russian oil prices — Reuters reports.
According to sources, all elements of the package have been agreed, though one member state still has technical reservations about the price cap. Full agreement is expected today, ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, where the package could be formally approved.
The plan includes a dynamic pricing mechanism. On Friday, the European Commission proposed a floating cap — 15% below the average market price of oil over the previous three months. One source said the starting price would be around $47 per barrel, based on the average price of Russian oil over the past 22 weeks.
The cap will now be reviewed every six months, rather than every three as originally proposed.
Slovakia, which had delayed the package, has now agreed to the new measures but is still awaiting assurances from the European Commission over its concerns regarding the phase-out of Russian gas supplies.
Unanimous approval by all EU member states is required for the sanctions to take effect.
🤡 Amid Trump’s shift in rhetoric, Putin’s negotiator outlines Russia’s expectations from the U.S. and mentions Biden
Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian dictator’s special representative, called for a “constructive dialogue between Russia and the U.S.” He claimed such dialogue “will always be more beneficial than the outdated and destructive language of pressure.”
Dmitriev also stated that “only cooperation can ensure true peace” and referred to former U.S. President Joe Biden, saying his “mistakes and deception will be corrected.”