Several significant international developments unfolded overnight. Donald Trump made a headline-grabbing statement at the White House, announcing plans to rename the US Department of Defense to the Department of War. The documentation is being prepared, and Congress will soon discuss the proposal. Trump also praised Alexander Lukashenko and said the next G20 summit will be held in Miami, possibly inviting leaders from China and Russia as observers.
In Russia, the Ryazan oil refinery, the largest in the “Rosneft” network, was partly shut down following a Ukrainian drone strike. Processing capacity dropped to about one third. Reuters reports that recent attacks have knocked out up to 17% of Russian refining capacity, underscoring Russia’s vulnerability to drone warfare.
Meanwhile, China chose not to send top officials to the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, despite Russia’s claims of strong partnership. Analysts view this as a sign of cooling relations between the two countries.
Ukraine is set to receive new military aid: the US is negotiating a $100 billion package and preparing initial shipments of Standard guided missiles. However, deliveries will be gradual, and Ukraine will not receive the full quantity at once.
The EU and US will coordinate new sanctions against Russia on Monday, but differences remain, especially regarding the transfer of Russian frozen assets, with Belgium still refusing to release them for Ukraine.
Within the EU, politicians highlight Europe’s limited ability to pressure Russia without American support. Croatia, a member of the “coalition of the willing,” stated it will not send armed forces to Ukraine.
In Ukraine, protests took place at Maidan against new legislative changes for soldiers, with activists demanding a military ombudsman law.
Russia announced plans to reinforce its border with Finland amid reports of weapons caches in Europe possibly linked to Russian interests.
The European Commission fined Google nearly 3 billion euros for violating antitrust regulations, prompting Trump to threaten EU trade retaliation.
