Bulgaria and Ukraine Agree to Strengthen Energy and Defense Cooperation
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation focused on energy and defense cooperation
Kallas and Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Monday that Ukraine would not accept any agreements regarding its future that are negotiated exclusively between Russia and the United States without Ukraine's involvement. Zelensky emphasized that the situation was critical, calling for Europe's inclusion in the peace process to ensure the outcome is fair and comprehensive. He criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to make the negotiations bilateral, expressing concerns about the lack of progress in addressing Ukraine’s interests in peace talks.
Meanwhile, EU security chief Kaja Kallas voiced strong support for Ukraine, asserting that Europe would continue backing the country if it rejects any peace terms imposed by Russia and the United States without its consent. Kallas underscored the importance of including both Ukraine and Europe in any peace agreement, stating that any deal made without their participation would fail. She described such unilateral agreements as problematic and warned against rushing into a quick, potentially flawed solution. Kallas made it clear that a lasting peace could only be achieved with full involvement from all key stakeholders, including the European Union.
Ukrainian forces continue to cling to their positions in and around Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, as Russian troops push deeper into the two cities, tightening the noose and threatening to cut off the defenders entirely
Russian forces have made new advances both in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts, including inside the embattled city of Pokrovsk
Belgium’s refusal to back the European Union’s proposed multibillion-euro loan to Ukraine may risk the continuation of International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that his administration is not currently considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles
Russia has deployed the 9M729 cruise missile in attacks on Ukraine, marking the first official confirmation that this ground-launched missile
Russian forces have concentrated roughly 11,000 troops in an effort to encircle Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence