Japan to provide almost USD 6 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2026

Ukraine’s key European allies are exploring the possibility of involving Russia in negotiations to bring the war to an end. However, the final decision on the next steps rests with the Ukrainian leadership.

The United Arab Emirates has begun actively purchasing and testing Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iranian Shahed-136 drones. However, it soon became clear that the drones alone were not enough – the entire Ukrainian detection and coordination system is required for them to operate effectively.

The EU has announced that preparations are underway for the official launch of the first cluster as part of the accession negotiations between Ukraine and Moldova and the European Union.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a new nuclear materials production plant and stated that the country’s capacity to produce materials for nuclear weapons had more than doubled in five years.

Romania has announced that it is preparing additional measures to strengthen air defences on NATO’s eastern flank following the crash of a Russian drone on its territory. Several NATO allies are planning to join in bolstering these defensive capabilities.

The US is prepared to resort to military action against Iran once again if negotiations over its nuclear programme prove fruitless. At the same time, officials in Washington say that Donald Trump continues to hope for a diplomatic solution

Ukraine has received a new launcher for the IRIS-T air defence system. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Germany for its support and stressed that, due to large-scale Russian air strikes, the country needs to further strengthen its air defences

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has stated that Ukraine’s international partners must step up economic pressure on Russia to force the Kremlin into genuine negotiations to end the war

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that negotiations involving Washington to end Russia’s war against Ukraine have effectively been suspended due to a lack of progress

Brian Mast, Chair of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, has stated that Washington has no plans to approve new large-scale financial aid packages for Ukraine

MP Danylo Getmantsev stated that parliamentarians are dissatisfied with the slow progress in bringing the economy out of the shadows, and that, instead of delivering tangible results, the Economic Security Bureau is ‘feeding’ the public with presentations and manipulating the figures in its reports.

Petrol stations in Moscow and St Petersburg are introducing limits on the sale of petrol and diesel. The companies attribute these measures to market conditions and supply difficulties.

The Ukrainian wheat market is starting the 2026/27 season with substantial carryover stocks and favourable forecasts for the upcoming harvest. Towards the end of the current marketing year, export activity picked up significantly, boosting market sentiment and trade expectations.

The Head of the Government, Yulia Svyrydenko, noted that energy facilities remain one of the main targets of Russian attacks, particularly the latest one on 2 June.

The State Tax Service has announced that it has uncovered evidence of a large-scale scheme to transfer funds abroad via more than 2,300 companies. The total value of foreign trade transactions carried out by these entities exceeded 198 billion hryvnias.