The Pentagon

U. S. intelligence has uncovered attempts by Russia and China to recruit federal employees fired by the Trump administration. The countries have set up special websites to search for former employees with security clearances.

Five former U. S. defense secretaries have called on Congress to investigate Trump's massive firings of military leaders. Among those fired are the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other high-ranking military officials.

The United States and Russia are in talks about possible cooperation on resource extraction in the Arctic. Washington sees this as a way to weaken ties between Moscow and Beijing, despite the concerns of NATO allies.

More than a million US federal employees have submitted reports on their work at the request of Elon Musk. Some agencies ignored the directive, and the White House said that personnel decisions were left to the departments.

Elon Musk demanded that federal employees report weekly accomplishments under the threat of being fired. The heads of key US agencies, including the FBI and the Pentagon, have banned their employees from responding to this demand.

The Pentagon has confirmed $65. 9 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. The total amount of support from the United States reaches $183 billion, of which $3.9 billion has not yet been spent.

US President Donald Trump fires Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown and Navy Commander Lisa Franchetti. Lieutenant General John Kane has been appointed to replace Brown.

The United States threatens to cut off Ukraine's access to Starlink over refusal to provide access to strategic resources. Zelenskyy previously rejected a $500 billion US offer to transfer mineral resources as compensation for military aid.

The U. S. Department of Defense has temporarily postponed layoffs of thousands of probationary employees. The department is studying the potential impact of the layoffs on readiness and the department's operations around the world.

The conservative New York Post has published an article with 10 key points about the war in Ukraine. The publication refutes Trump's statements about Zelensky and emphasizes that Putin is the real dictator.

The United States may include automatic NATO membership for Ukraine as a security guarantee in case Russia violates the peace agreement. This was reported by NBC News with reference to four US officials.

The U. S. Department of Defense has sent the Trump administration a list of 60,000 probationary employees. The Pentagon has also requested that some offices and employees be exempted from the cuts.

The German defense minister believes that public statements by the United States about the impossibility of Ukraine joining NATO strengthen Putin's position. Pistorius emphasized the unacceptability of negotiations without the participation of European states.

The Trump administration has temporarily frozen the processing of immigration applications from migrants from Ukraine and Latin America. The decision is related to checking potential fraud and security issues.

Polish President Duda met with US Special Representative Kellogg to discuss the situation in Ukraine. He stated the active role of the United States in ending the war and expects an increase in the US military presence in the region.

The Ukrainian president said that the US is trying to please Putin with its statements to achieve quick success. Zelenskyy warned against repeating the mistakes of Afghanistan and opposed territorial concessions.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke about the need to increase military production at a meeting in The Hague. According to him, Russia produces more ammunition in 3 months than the whole of Europe.

U. S. Defense Secretary Pete Hagel said that Putin intends to declare victory in the war against Ukraine, regardless of the outcome. The bravery of Ukrainians and the support of allies prevented Putin from achieving his goals.

The US Secretary of Defense said that Ukraine's borders will remain a subject of discussion, and a return to the 2014 borders is unlikely. He also does not guarantee the long-term presence of US troops in Europe due to global challenges.

A senior US official, John Cole, said that the United States has not ruled out Ukraine's potential membership in NATO or a negotiated return to its borders by 2014, contradicting comments made this week by the U. S. Defense Secretary ahead of possible peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Pete Hagseth said that the impossibility of returning to the 2014 borders of Ukraine is not a concession to Putin, but a reality. He emphasized that peace through negotiations would lead to demarcation, which neither side wants.

The President of Ukraine reported on an hour-long conversation with Trump about the war and the US position. Zelenskyy emphasized that negotiations are impossible without American security guarantees and European participation.

Mark Rutte said that Ukraine needs a strong position in the upcoming negotiations with Russia. NATO has allocated 50 billion euros for security assistance over the past year.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that peace should not be imposed on Ukraine, and the United States should be involved in resolving the conflict. He also ruled out the possibility of sending German troops to Ukraine.

European leaders express concern over Trump's phone call with Putin about Ukraine. European foreign ministers insist on EU participation in future peace talks.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced a discussion of Trump's recent statements on peace in Ukraine. Rutte emphasized the importance of achieving peace from a position of strength and avoiding a “Minsk-3” situation.

At the Ramstein meeting, Germany announced the transfer of about 100 guided missiles to Ukraine for the IRIS-T system. Support for Ukraine was confirmed by more than 50 participating countries.

The US Secretary of Defense says that low energy prices and sanctions will force Russia to the negotiating table. The US calls on European partners to increase defense spending to 5% and expand aid to Ukraine.

The United States does not plan to send its troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees. Instead, it is proposed to involve European and non-European troops, but not under the auspices of NATO.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has held his first meeting with newly appointed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. Umerov announced this on Facebook, posting a photo of the meeting.