An international coalition, led by Canada and Ukraine, called on Russia to unconditionally return abducted Ukrainian children. 38 countries, the Council of Europe, and the EU signed a joint statement, emphasizing the violation of international law.
16-year-old Rafael Kazbekova won gold at the Junior World Climbing Championship in Helsinki. She became the first Ukrainian in 15 years to win "gold" in the U17 category.
The US Department of Defense announced on July 31, 2025, the signing of large-scale contracts worth tens of billions of dollars. The agreements cover aviation, navy, army, scientific developments, and international cooperation, including arms supplies to allies.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha met with the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Jussi Halla-aho. The parties discussed Ukraine's European integration, NATO accession, and defense cooperation.
France and 14 other states signed a joint statement calling on the world to recognize the Palestinian state. This happened after a conference in New York aimed at reviving the two-state solution.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha discussed defense cooperation with the Association of Finnish Defense and Aerospace Industries. Ukraine invited Finnish companies to an international defense forum and expressed interest in Finland's experience in building shelters.
Ukraine's leading allies in Europe plan to approach the EU for tens of billions of euros in loans for joint procurement of weapons for Ukraine and to strengthen their own defense. The SAFE program envisages loans for weapons, financed by EU debt with a 45-year repayment period.
Nine countries have officially expressed interest in borrowing funds from the EU military procurement program SAFE by the deadline. Poland plans to request 25 billion euros, and Greece – at least 1.2 billion euros.
The ICRC, together with the National Police of Ukraine and the Commissioner for Missing Persons, will conduct DNA sample collection in the Baltic and Northern European countries. Applications are accepted until July 31, 2025, to search for missing relatives.
A number of countries issued a joint statement, calling on Israel to cease hostilities in the Gaza Strip due to the suffering of the civilian population. The Israeli Prime Minister's advisor called this statement a "delusion" that sends Hamas a "wrong and dangerous signal" because it does not pressure the group.
Poland is finalizing negotiations to acquire a stake in the satellite company Iceye, which gained prominence for tracking Russian troop movements. This investment will add to the $550 million raised by the company, which is valued at over $1 billion.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that he would vote against the EU budget for 2028–2034, which provides for the allocation of 100 billion euros to support Ukraine. He justifies this by saying that the budget "sends Hungarians' money to Ukraine" and "destroys Hungarian farmers."
The Trump administration is reviewing the schedule for transferring Patriot air defense systems so that Germany can promptly transfer two complexes to Ukraine. The US will accelerate arms supplies to allies who transfer their stocks to Ukraine.
France supports the European Commission's proposal for an EU budget of almost 2 trillion euros for 2028–2034, citing threats from Russia. Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands consider such expenditures excessive and demand a more frugal approach.
The number of Russia's hybrid attacks in Europe has sharply increased since 2022, with over 200 incidents recorded between 2014 and 2024. The main targets are energy, transport, and communications, and the attacks are aimed at weakening European unity.
Today, July 17, Donetsk "Shakhtar" will play the Europa League qualification return leg against Finnish "Ilves" in Finland. In the first match, "Shakhtar" won 6:0, which makes them the clear favorite.
Law enforcement agencies from over ten European countries, Canada, and the USA conducted a joint operation "Eastwood" against the NoName057(16) network. As a result, over a hundred computer systems were destroyed and seven arrest warrants were issued, including for six Russian citizens.
US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with NATO on arming Ukraine. Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, the Baltic states, the Netherlands, Canada, and Great Britain supported the initiative, while the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia refused.
President Zelenskyy stated that a demonstration of force would compel the Russian dictator to sit down at the negotiating table, possibly without its direct application. He emphasized that Russians only understand force, which is why Ukraine needs strong sanctions and weapons.
US President Donald Trump agreed to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's proposal regarding aid to Ukraine, offering to sell five Patriot systems instead of two. This change of position was the result of efforts by EU and NATO leaders, including the President of Finland and the NATO Secretary General.
In Finland, as of July 15, a ban on real estate transactions for citizens of Russia and Belarus came into force. This decision, explained by the need to strengthen the country's security, applies to all types of transactions.
European NATO allies and Canada will take on the main role in financing American weapons for Ukraine. This will include air defense systems, ammunition, and other equipment.
Satellite images from Planet Labs recorded large-scale construction at five Russian nuclear facilities, including Osipovichi, Gadzhiyevo, Kaliningrad, Kamchatka, and Novaya Zemlya. The modernization indicates Moscow's possible plans for nuclear forces amid tensions in Europe.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb participated in a triathlon competition in Joroinen under the pseudonym AS. He took second place in the men's fitness category, completing the distance in 1:04:19.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced agreements on strengthening air defense and additional investments in weapons production following the Ukraine Recovery Conference. The event also became a platform for strengthening the Defense Forces and developing weapons production.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may attend the "Helsinki+50" conference in Finland on July 31, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Invitations have also been sent to Russian representatives.
Fugitive businessman Serhiy Kurchenko and a number of high-ranking Russian officials have been served with a notice of suspicion for appropriating Ukrainian enterprises in the occupied territories. From 2017 to 2021, they exported products worth over 55 billion hryvnias to Russia and other countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Rome. The parties discussed the situation on the battlefield, support for Ukraine's defense production, and joint arms production, as well as challenges for Europe due to Russia's cooperation with allies.
On July 10, a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing took place, where countries agreed to strengthen economic pressure on Russia, including sanctions, to achieve a ceasefire and negotiations. Economic and military support for Ukraine will also continue.
Donetsk "Shakhtar" will play against Finnish "Ilves Tampere" on July 10 at 21:00 in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. The match will take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and will be broadcast on UPL-TB.
