NATO Secretary-General Rutte: If we won't spend 5% on defense, we will have to learn Russian.

Russian Lavrov is fake news, Trump is not pulling away from Europe, and deserves all praise for achieving 5% in NATO. 1/ Rutte: Russia is now producing 3 times as much ammunition in 3 months as the whole of NATO is doing in a year.

Russia is the first enormous geopolitical challenge for NATO. 2/

Reuters: Dutch and German intelligence confirm Russia's widespread use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including drones dropping choking agents on soldiers.

Russia is ramping up its chemical weapons program with more production and R&D.

1/ Russia is using chloropicrin, a banned choking agent, in improvised munitions like light bulbs and bottles dropped from drones. The use of chemical weapons is becoming widespread, with Ukraine reporting over 9,000 instances.
2/

Ukraine is the first country to stop 400+ Shahed drones per night using interceptor drones, the Telegraph.

The old model — shoot down $20k drones with $1M missiles — no longer works.

NATO is studying Ukraine’s model, but has no working equivalent yet. 1/ Ukraine uses at least 5 types of interceptor drones. Some look like flying wings, others like fins on a missile. The “Sting” by Wild Hornets is manually piloted. Most carry no warhead, they disable by collision. 2/

Putin threatens the world with AI weapons

Putin: We have a lot of high-tech products, based on AI.

Importantly, these are not reverse-engineered.

Many are based on original domestic developments, which we will prioritize supporting.

1/ Putin: One of the key areas is the introduction of robotics into Russia's economy and industry.

The level of automation is still low, but this is crucial for our development

2/

Ukraine drones hit Russian military airfield in Lipetsk and "Energia" plant in Yelets, which produces batteries for UAVs, aviation, and naval.

Security Service of Ukraine struck a Russian ammunition depot in the occupied Donetsk region. 1/ Russian military airfield in Lipetsk hosts Su-34, Su-35, and MiG-31 fighter jets. It was previously attacked in August 2024. Reported 1 person was killed and 2 injured. 2/

Brink: Putin’s goals go beyond Ukraine. In my 28 years working in the region, I’ve seen he doesn’t stop unless clearly opposed.

He aims to reverse Ukraine’s path toward the EU and NATO. He’ll keep going unless firmly confronted. 1/ Brink: We face an ongoing, continuing war in Ukraine. It risks a greater war by not putting more force and pressure on Putin to come to the table. 2/

Russia interfered in the 2016 election to hurt Clinton and help Trump.

CIA reviewed its own investigation into russia's 2016 election interference and concluded there were no major errors in its original findings . - Politico said in today's

1/ However, the review specifically questioned the CIA and FBI's "high confidence" pointing on a single source rather than the multiple sources typically required.

The review did not dispute the underlying quality or credibility of the CIA report.

2/

In Ukraine, McDonald’s is a symbol of normal life and economic growth. In Ukraine, McDonald’s is expanding during war

NYT: McDonald’s will open 10 new restaurants in 2025, bringing the total to nearly 120.

That’s more than before Russia’s invasion.

1/ This spring, McDonald’s reached Transcarpathia for the first time - opening in Mukachevo and Uzhhorod.

Crowds lined up day and night. In Uzhhorod, local officials redrew traffic routes for a McDrive.

2/

Ukraine may have bombed five Russian shadow fleet oil tankers with limpet mines, reports FT.

All five ships called at Russian ports weeks before blasts — experts blame Kyiv.

1/ Explosions hit four tankers in the Mediterranean near Libya and Malta, plus one in the Baltic Sea. EOS Risk’s Martin Kelly: Libyan and other state actors could strike again. 2/

NYT: Under Biden, the US imposed 170 new sanctions per month on energy, weapons, banking, tech. Under Trump: zero.

The pause lets Russia import chips, nav modules, and banking via third countries. 1/ Russian importers use new shell companies registered in March and April to reroute U.S. and EU components. These include STM32 microcontrollers found in Orlan drones and Bosch fuel pumps used in Russian military trucks. 2/

US Isolationists just won a major internal fight and it hurts Ukraine.

WSJ: The U.S. has halted delivery of Patriot missiles and other weapons to Ukraine.

The systems will stay in Pentagon stockpiles.

1/ Trump officials redirected the weapons to meet military needs in the Middle East and prepare for a future war with China.

Arms already allocated to Ukraine were pulled back with no coordination with allies.

2/

Putin: 23,000 houses, schools, hospitals, etc were built or restored in Donbas and Novorossiya [occupied territories] since 2022

[First he flattens Ukrainian homes, kills, and deports. Then builds new ones to resettle them with people from Russia. Colonialism by destruction] 1/ Putin: By 2030, Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, must reach the average Russian level on all indicators, including the quality of life. 2/

Estonian foreign minister gets Russia

Margus Tsahkna: Putin cannot stop the war in Ukraine – for him, it’s existential;

Putin is a “warlord” committed to restoring the Soviet empire, and Ukraine is fighting for all of Europe, interview to @KyivIndependent 1/ Europe must step up – the continent has the resources and must assume leadership in Ukraine's defense, even if the U.S. hesitates; the EU is close to delivering €40 billion in aid this year 2/

Russia has built a sophisticated method to evade sanctions and launder capital through beans into Europe, Kyiv Insider

Russia’s Sberbank, despite being disconnected from SWIFT and under sanctions, transfers funds into the EU using Revolut and N26 1/ These transactions go unnoticed or appear as regular personal transfers - a deliberate, layered workaround that undermines the sanctions regime 2/

Iran shuts down Trump’s claim of nuclear talks.

FM Araghchi: No agreement, arrangement, or discussion has taken place.

Bloomberg: Trump said a deal may be signed next week – now clearly false. 1/ Talks collapsed after the 12-day Iran–Israel war.

The U.S. bombed nuclear sites.

Iran blames the IAEA for giving Israel a pretext. 2/

Russian Central Bank Governor Nabiullina: Russia’s resources are now exhausted. Without investment and reforms, we stall.

[Sanctions are working, Putin denies it]

Since the invasion, Russia’s National Wealth Fund dropped by a third, from $107B to $35B. 1/ Russia’s Economy Minister Reshetnikov warned, Russia is on the verge of a transition to recession. He called the next phase decisive.

Putin dismissed both concerns, claiming all is well. 2/

Trump: We just signed a deal with China. Other countries will pay us tariffs – 25%, 35%, and even 45%.

We’re working on a deal with India. We're opening markets that were never open before. 1/ Trump: We're passing border legislation in Congress.

It will add 3,000 Border Patrol agents and 10,000 ICE officers. These heroes backed me from day one. Now we’re giving them the tools to secure our border. 2/

Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, killed by a Russian missile, won a 2025 Orwell Prize for a book Looking at Women Looking at War.

In Trostianets, she interviewed a woman who survived a Russian execution: shot at, thrown in a pit, awoke under two dead bodies, the Guardian. 1/ In Izium, Amelina documented graves at the central cemetery. One note reads: Site 319. Woman ~50. Hands tied. Plastic bag over head. No name. Ask Sasha if she can identify.

She recorded dozens of such sites working with investigators. 2/

Leavitt: There was no indication to the United States that any of enriched Iranian uranium was moved out Fordow facility prior to the strike. 1/ Leavitt: Trump made 5% NATO defense spending possible, boosting our collective strength and making burden-sharing fair. This is the Trump effect. This is what “America is back” means. 2/

Witkoff: We want everyone to see that this [Iran without nukes] benefits the whole region economically and politically, including Iran. It's a positive step, and conflict is no longer necessary. 1/ Witkoff: Trump aims to expand the Abraham Peace Accords, bringing more countries into the agreement.

Major announcements are expected soon, including nations few thought would join. It's a step to stabilize he Middle East. 2/

Everyone wins from NATO Summit — except Russia.

NATO states raise defense spending to 5% of GDP - to satisfy Trump. The EU secures continued U.S. backing, and Ukraine stays at the table.

Only Moscow is isolated, with no sanctions relief or diplomatic breakthrough, NYT. 1/ Trump got a signed commitment: 5% of GDP on defense — 3.5% for military, 1.5% for infrastructure.

That’s over double the old 2% target. Trump will use it as proof he “made Europe pay” — his core campaign line. 2/