Russo-Ukrainian War

Mark Rutte, selected as the new NATO Secretary General, is a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a dedicated supporter of Ukraine. His nearly 14 years as the Dutch Prime Minister have honed his ability to broker concessions.

The defense ministers of Russia and the United States engaged in a telephone conversation for the first time in over a year, reported Reuters. The two sides presented starkly different accounts of the discussion.

Two key advisers to Donald Trump have presented him with a plan aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, as reported by Reuters. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, one of Trump's national security advisers, outlined that the proposal entails offering Ukraine more American weapons contingent upon initiating negotiations with Russia.

The European Union yesterday slapped new sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, targeting Moscow's shadow fleet of tankers moving liquefied natural gas through Europe as well as several companies.

The European Union has announced its 14th package of sanctions against Russia in response to its ongoing aggression towards Ukraine. These new measures, introduced on Monday, include unprecedented restrictions on Russian natural gas, although they stop short of banning imports, similar to previous actions taken against crude oil and coal.

Ukrainian armoured military vehicles drive on a road in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, on June 20, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine on Saturday said Russia had launched a "massive" overnight attack on energy infrastructure in the country's west and south.

European Union countries agreed on a 14th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, diplomats said on Thursday, including a ban on re-exports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in EU waters.

Belgium, which holds the rotating EU presidency until July 1, said on the X platform that the package "maximises the impact of existing sanctions by closing loopholes".

Russia and Vietnam pledged on Thursday to deepen ties as President Vladimir Putin made a state visit aimed at bolstering his alliances to counter Moscow's growing isolation over the war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin begins a state visit to Vietnam on Thursday, a day after signing a mutual defense pact with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

Putin and Kim inked a strategic treaty at a summit in Pyongyang that included a pledge to come to each other's aid if attacked. Kim also pledged his "full support" for Russia's war on Ukraine.

Türkiye has achieved the NATO target of allocating at least 2 percent of its annual gross domestic product to defense spending.