Politics
Bruno Retailleau arrived in Kyiv ahead of the French elections
Bruno Retailleau, former French Minister of the Interior and president of the Republicans party, has arrived in Kyiv. He is a candidate in the 2027 French presidential election. Retailleau chose Ukraine as the destination for his first international campaign tour and stated that the country has been resisting Russian aggression for over four years.
Zelenskyy proposes a new format for negotiations with Russia
Ukraine wants to increase Europe’s involvement in potential peace talks with Russia. To this end, it is considering reviving the E3 diplomatic format, involving the UK, France and Germany.
The ISW has explained why Russia has launched nuclear exercises at this particular time
Russia has launched nuclear exercises to demonstrate its strength to Ukraine’s allies and thereby put pressure on them. Moscow is also seeking to divert attention from its failures on the battlefield.
The US Department of Justice has barred the Internal Revenue Service from conducting audits of the Trump family
The US Department of Justice has barred the US Internal Revenue Service from conducting any investigations into past tax claims involving President Donald Trump, his relatives and his companies. The relevant document was published on 19 May.
The US is reducing the number of combat brigades in Europe
The Pentagon has reduced the total number of US combat brigade groups stationed in Europe from four to three.
China denies that Xi Jinping warned Putin that he would come to regret the war against Ukraine
China has officially denied reports in the Western media that the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, allegedly told US President Donald Trump that Putin would ‘come to regret’ launching a full-scale war against Ukraine.
Trump held a meeting on plans for war with Iran following the suspension of the attack
US President Donald Trump held a closed-door meeting with his national security team, during which military scenarios regarding Iran were discussed. The meeting took place a few hours after Trump announced the suspension of strikes which, he said, might have been launched on Tuesday.
The US wants access to Ukrainian technology as part of a drone deal
The United States is seeking access to Ukrainian technology and intellectual property rights as part of a drone agreement that is currently being finalised.
Former head of Montenegro's secret service sentenced for spying on politicians
In Montenegro, the former director of the National Security Agency, Dejan Peruničić, has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. The case concerns the illegal wiretapping and surveillance of opposition politicians, journalists, former prosecutors and church figures.
For the first time, members of the Russian State Duma have spoken of the need to end the ‘special military operation’, as the economy cannot cope
Russia needs to ‘wrap up’ the war against Ukraine quickly, as the country’s economy cannot withstand a prolonged continuation of the ‘special military operation’.
Zelenskyy and Péter Magyar may meet in the coming months
The EU believes that negotiations between Kyiv and Budapest regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority may indicate a shift in Hungary’s position on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Against this backdrop, diplomats suggest that a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Péter Magyar could take place in the coming months.
The war against Ukraine has weakened Russia’s ability to fight NATO — the Pentagon
The full-scale war against Ukraine has significantly limited Russia’s ability to wage a large-scale conflict against NATO in the near future.
