NATO

The crews of two mine countermeasures ships provided by the United Kingdom have already been trained and are on duty, and three more ships from the Netherlands and Belgium are expected to arrive, giving Ukraine at least five mine countermeasures ships in total.

Russia is using an "amoeba tactic" in Ukraine. the Russians are experimenting with small forces in different places and hope that somewhere there will be a breakthrough, says the chief of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces.

Acting Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said that Russian aggression is a direct problem for Bulgaria.

Russia cannot be a partner in solving problems, because Russia itself is a problem, as Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said during the Black Sea Security Conference.

Serbia plans to sign a €3 billion deal with France to buy a dozen Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation, diversifying its arms purchases amid Russia's war in Ukraine, despite being one of Moscow's closest allies.

At the meeting with the Baltic ministers, Ukraine's Interior Minister discussed security issues such as attacks on infrastructure, mining, migration, arms trafficking, and protecting schools, while the partners viewed the destruction caused by the Russian invasion using virtual reality and pledged support in the form of funds, equipment, training, and reconstruction efforts until Ukraine's victory.

On the Day of the Defense Industry Worker, President Zelenskyy inspected the latest military equipment and weapons, and heard a report on their production and use at the front.

Two Belarusians stole 40 NATO-style assault rifles from a freight train in Germany to sell them on the darknet, but were arrested by police after a sting operation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is preparing a comprehensive strategy and action plan for interaction with Ukrainians living abroad, aimed at preserving their Ukrainian identity.

President Zelenskyy said that all of Ukraine's international partners agree to participate in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, which is estimated to cost about $700 billion, although the final amount cannot be determined until the war is over.

The United States remains Ukraine's most reliable strategic partner, with ongoing dialogue and diverse cooperation between the two countries on a variety of issues, including military assistance, the Peace Summit, and the upcoming NATO summit.

Ukraine expects to receive additional Patriot air defense systems and missiles soon after talks between Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and other leaders.

The Ukrainian warships Cherkasy and Chernihiv, handed over to Ukraine by the United Kingdom, are preparing to participate in the Sea Breeze 2024 international exercise with NATO countries.

President Zelenskyy believes that June should be an important month for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

Five Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian territory in the Rostov and Belgorod regions on the night of April 12, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.

The Netherlands will allocate 400 million euros to support Ukraine, in addition to the more than 2 billion euros already reserved for 2024.

Zelenskyy and Duda discussed a bilateral security agreement, Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the situation in Kharkiv, and Ukraine's future membership in the EU and NATO.

President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs an invitation to join NATO this year, calling it realistic because Ukraine defends the Alliance's common values and deserves reliable security, as does the Baltic region after Finland and Sweden joined.

Zelenskyy met with Czech President Pavel in Vilnius. The two leaders discussed defense support for Ukraine, strengthening cooperation in the defense industry, integration into the EU and NATO, and the conclusion of a bilateral security agreement.

Zelenskyy met with Lithuanian President Nausėda on the eve of the Three Seas summit, discussing the consequences of Russian strikes, Ukraine's urgent need for air defense, and the situation on the battlefield.

Latvia will provide Ukraine with annual military aid of 0. 25% of GDP, as well as support in cyber defense, demining, and drones for 10 years, while unconditionally supporting Ukraine's EU and NATO membership applications.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb called on European countries to focus on immediate assistance to Ukraine and training of their armed forces, rather than speculation about potential Russian aggression outside Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine has the right to strike legitimate military targets outside its territory in self-defense against russian invasion, in accordance with the UN Charter.

Switzerland has approved to join the European joint air defense project "Sky Shield" in order to better coordinate the procurement, training and logistics of ground-based air defense systems with European partners.

Ukraine needs to train women for military service, as Israel does, to protect itself from Russia's constant attacks.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has called for strengthening the military reserve and reviving the national defense industry, and the parliament is discussing a bill on voluntary military training for people aged 18 to 35.

Hungary has suspended its participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty following a joint NATO statement after Russia suspended the treaty in 2023.

Six North Sea countries have signed an agreement to ensure common security standards to protect critical underwater infrastructure, such as energy pipelines and cables, from foreign sabotage and attack.

Lithuania calls on NATO allies to urgently shift to a war economy, increasing defense spending to at least 2% of GDP and expanding military production to deter Russia.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has failed to convince former President Donald Trump to allow the US Congress to provide Ukraine with $60 billion in military aid.