Trump administration has yet to finalize its decision on withdrawing troops from Syria.

CENTCOM has been asked to present options and risks, including a full withdrawal, partial pullback, or troop increase.

Meanwhile, Israel is pressuring the U.S. to take a larger role in the region, warning that if Washington does not step up, it may act unilaterally to protect its interests.

Source: Senior U.S. official to Al Jazeera

Macron is considering to increase France's military spending from 2.1% to 5% of GDP.

This possibility is being studied by Macron in the event that the United States decides to no longer protect Europe.

I don't know if 5% is the right figure for France, but in any case; we will have to go up, Macron said.

Source: Franceinfo

Trump's envoy Steven Witkoff describes his visit to Russia as productive, saying:

"I had a long talk with President Putin, building a friendship with him. That led to Mark Fogel getting on the plane."

US House Speaker Mike Johnson says that the US Congress has no appetite to approve new military aid to Ukraine.

The funding should be stopped because this is going on for too long, Johnson said.

Putin:

The Oreshnik warheads can withstand temperatures equal to the temperature of the Sun.

The European Union will announce the suspension of its sanctions on Syria on Monday.

Source: AFP

US and Ukraine want to finalize minerals deal this week.

Trump administration is considering a minerals agreement as a way to link the US and Ukraine, but most of Ukraine's future security guarantees will lie with Europe.

Source: Bloomberg

“We created a monster,” one U.S. official said, criticizing European allies for fueling Zelensky’s confidence while refusing to send troops.

Another White House official compared the Ukrainian leader to an actor making a “rookie mistake,” saying he has started identifying too closely with his public image.

European Commissioner for Defense Kubilius is expected to announce a new aid package to Ukraine on Monday, on the third anniversary of the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa met with Chinese Ambassador Xi Hongwei and his delegation at the People’s Palace in Damascus.

Trump will let Canadians keep their national anthem if they join the US as the 51st state.

Polish President Duda:

I told Zelensky that U.S. support is the only way to stop the bloodshed and achieve peace in Ukraine.

I suggested to Zelensky that he remain committed to a calm and constructive path of cooperation with Trump.

Iranian President Pezeshkian responds to the U.S.’s ‘maximum pressure’ policy with a Turkish
line of poetry:

“Do not cross the coward’s bridge; let the flood take you.

Do not rest in the fox’s shadow; let the lion devour you.”

These lines emphasize integrity, warning against reliance on untrustworthy allies.

They suggest facing danger (the flood or lion) is better than seeking refuge with the deceitful (the fox).

Drone Swarms Coming Soon

Ukraine’s Digital Ministry announces that drone swarms will soon be operational:

“Several companies are working on this, with constant testing at training grounds. I believe we’ll see results soon.”

Lithuanian President Nauseda:

I agree with the US's criticism that today the burden of NATO's budget expenditures, with the US bearing the lion's share, is not divided fairly, so Europe should at least double its participation in this.

Trump's envoy Kellogg calls Zelensky "courageous leader of a nation at war"

Russia is reportedly open to using $300 billion in frozen assets for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.

However, Moscow insists that a portion be allocated to Russian-controlled territories.

The assets, frozen in Europe and the US, have been a major diplomatic dispute since 2022.

Source: Reuters

German Chancellor Candidate Friedrich Merz:

It is crucial that Europeans make the greatest possible efforts to ensure that we are at least capable of defending the European continent on our own.

We need to have discussions with both the British and the French — the two European nuclear powers — about whether nuclear sharing, or at least nuclear security from the UK and France, could also apply to us.

White House Press Secretary:

Without taxpayer money, Zelensky wouldn't have a country, so the president is frustrated by his comments.