Overview
- Following Paris talks, the UK said leaders of a “coalition of the willing” signed a declaration to place foreign troops in Ukraine after a peace deal, while the text lacks concrete national commitments and leaves the U.S. role undefined.
- The Russian Defence Ministry reported capturing Bratskoye in Dnipropetrovsk region and claimed heavy Ukrainian losses, as Dnipro’s mayor announced a citywide blackout and authorities in Kryvyi Rih reported missiles hitting apartment buildings.
- Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that any Western military units or bases on Ukrainian soil would be treated as an intervention and designated as lawful targets.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that deploying multinational forces in Ukraine would be impossible without Moscow’s approval, underscoring the gap between European intentions and Russian red lines.
- With the U.S.-announced operation in Caracas still reverberating, an energy analyst said potential Venezuelan oil expansion would pressure OPEC+ toward lasting increases in production quotas.