Russia on Friday dismissed a Western plan to provide Ukraine with long-term security guarantees, even as more than two dozen countries pledged troops and resources to a proposed “reassurance force” after any eventual peace deal. The announcement followed a Paris summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and attended by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, with leaders from the U.K., Germany, Italy, and other allies joining remotely.
In a bizarre and revealing moment on the red carpet of China’s World War II victory parade, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were caught on a hot microphone discussing radical life-extension through organ transplants. The conversation, apparently believed to be private, was inadvertently aired by Chinese state media and quickly picked up by observers.
A 39-year-old man has been charged after driving an SUV into the gates of the Russian consulate in Sydney on Monday morning, Australian police confirmed. The incident occurred at around 8 a.m. in the eastern suburb of Woollahra.
A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was struck by radar jamming while flying over Bulgaria, in what officials suspect was a Russian operation. The incident occurred as von der Leyen traveled on a four-day tour of European Union nations bordering Russia and Belarus.
The Norwegian government announced Sunday it will purchase a fleet of British-made warships to strengthen its navy amid growing regional security concerns. The move marks a significant defense investment by the NATO member as tensions escalate in Europe following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia unleashed a massive assault on southern Ukraine overnight into Saturday, striking residential areas and leaving dozens of civilians wounded just days after a rare and deadly airstrike on central Kyiv. The escalation comes as U.S.-led peace efforts continue to falter.
Germany’s government launched a major campaign Wednesday to expand voluntary military service as leaders warn that Russian aggression demands a stronger Bundeswehr. The push comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz seeks to make Germany “the strongest conventional army in Europe” while avoiding an immediate return to compulsory conscription.
Gasoline shortages are spreading across parts of Russia after a series of successful Ukrainian drone strikes damaged key oil infrastructure. With at least 12 strikes between August 2 and August 24, mostly targeting refineries in the Ryazan-Volgograd corridor, Russia’s fuel supply chain is under mounting stress.
