The US has rejected a Canadian proposal to set up a task force to tackle Russia's so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers.

Negotiations are underway at next week's G7 summit to formulate a joint statement on maritime issues. The US is pushing to strengthen language on China and water down language on Russia.

Canada proposes a sanctions monitoring task force; the US is pushing to remove 'sanctions' from its statement on Russia, replacing it with 'generating revenue'.

Source: Bloomberg

Israel will send negotiators to Qatar on Monday to try to secure more hostage releases.

Steve Witkoff will travel to Doha on Tuesday to broker a new deal between Israel and Hamas. Two US officials have confirmed this.

Witkoff is expected to join the Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli/Hamas negotiators, who began talks on Monday.

Source: Axios, Bloomberg

A majority of French people support increasing defense spending, even if it means increasing the public deficit, according to a poll.

La Tribune Dimanche, conducted a poll and found that 68% are very supportive or tend to support boosting the defense budget, and 66% favor financing it via deficit spending.

Source: Bloomberg

Geneva Centre for Security Policy's Sustainable Ceasefire Plan for Ukraine:

A possible third-party brokered ceasefire between the sides in Ukraine could be achieved through a variety of measures involving other countries and international organisations.

Military and Security Arrangements:

- Ceasefire line: It must be mapped and agreed, considering infrastructure and civilian needs.
- Buffer zone: Recommended 10-15 km wide with strict military withdrawal and no-fly restrictions.
- Heavy weapons restriction zones: Withdraw troops 7.5 km from the ceasefire line and restrict missile deployment.
- Joint Military Coordination Commission (JMCC): Acts as monitoring and dispute settlement body, possibly with third party oversight.

International Monitoring & Verification:

- A 15,000-strong international mission with military, police and civilian components.
- Includes reconnaissance, rapid reaction teams, static observers and UAV surveillance.
- Could be UN, OSCE or multinational coalition.
- Reports directly to a parent organisation (UN Security Council or OSCE).

Source: Geneva Centre for Security Policy, NYT

French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu announced that France will provide military aid to Ukraine worth 195 million euros. The deal will be financed through interest from frozen Russian assets, according to an interview with the official in La Tribune Dimanche.

Russia may seek to test NATO's unity and Article 5 collective defense clause, Germany's BND intelligence chief Bruno Kahl told DW

He warned that Russia could pose a direct threat to Europe sooner if the Ukraine war ends before 2030.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa led morning prayers at a mosque in Mezzeh, his childhood home, and spoke about the events of the last few days in the coastal region.

Al Sharaa described the events as ‘expected challenges’. ‘We must preserve national unity and internal peace in the country and we have the ability to live together,’ he said.

Elon Musk:

I literally challenged Putin to one on one physical combat over Ukraine and my Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off.

Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan, along with Defense Minister Guler and Intel chief Kalin, will participate in the Security Summit in Amman today with their Jordanian, Iraqi, Lebanese and Syrian counterparts.

The countries earlier had discussions on the administration of the ISIS camps in Syria and Iraq.

Can the US switch off Europe’s weapons?

The answer: Absolutely YES!

European militaries rely on US technology for maintenance, software updates, and spare parts. If Washington cuts support, key systems like fighter jets, missile defenses, and drones could become inoperative.

Richard Aboulafia warns of potential US “kill switches” in European weapons:

“If you postulate the existence of something that can be done with a little bit of software code, it exists.”

55% of Europe’s defense imports (2019-2023) came from the US—a sharp rise from 35% in the previous five years (SIPRI).

Countries like Denmark, Norway, the UK, and Switzerland rely on US-made F-35s for air defense. The F-35 requires constant software updates via ALIS, soon to be replaced by Odin.

Sash Tusa warns:

“If the US stops updates, the equipment stops working—if not instantly, then very, very quickly.”

Source: FT

Qatar warns against military action on Iran's nuclear nuclear facilities.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani voiced strong opposition to military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning of severe consequences.

Qatar opposes attacks on Iran, calling them a “regional catastrophe” that would destabilize the Gulf.

Qatar warns that targeting nuclear sites like Bushehr could contaminate the Persian Gulf, crippling desalination plants and cutting off fresh water supplies.

France-Italy’s SAMP/T System Fails in Ukraine

French-Italian SAMP/T missile defense system, designed to protect Ukraine from airborne threats, has encountered serious operational issues since its deployment.

1. Software Malfunctions: The system reportedly struggled with technical issues that prevented effective interception of ballistic missiles.

2. Aster Missile Shortages: Ukraine quickly depleted its stock of Aster missiles, the system’s primary munition, limiting its effectiveness.

3. Performance Concerns: Compared to the U.S.-supplied Patriot system, which has successfully intercepted Russian missiles, SAMP/T has underperformed, raising doubts about its reliability in high-intensity warfare.

A spokesperson for Eurosam, the joint venture behind SAMP/T, has not yet commented on these performance concerns.

F-35 ‘Kill Switch’ Fears Shake Berlin

Germany plans to buy 35 F-35A fighter jets from the U.S. for €8.3 billion, plus additional infrastructure costs. However, fears are growing that Donald Trump could remotely disable these jets.

At the core of the debate is a potential “Kill Switch”, which could let the U.S. deactivate the aircraft if its strategic interests change.

Joachim Schranzhofer, communications chief at Hensoldt, stated:

“The ‘Kill Switch’ in the F-35 is more than just a rumor. A simpler way is through the mission planning system, which would keep the jet grounded.”

Wolfgang Ischinger, former diplomat and Munich Security Conference chief, warned:

“If we fear that the U.S. could do to Germany’s F-35s what they did to Ukraine, we should consider canceling the contract.”

Source: Bild

The armed group Common Resistance Front (FCR), active in the Kivu region, has officially joined the ranks of the AFC/M23. The AFC/M23 has also called on other Congolese armed groups and political actors to join its cause.

A remnant of the ousted regime hid weapons in Qadmus before making their escape.

Source: Inside Idlib

Iran, Russia, and China to hold joint naval drills off Iran’s coast this week, starting Tuesday in Chabahar port. The exercises in the northern Indian Ocean aim to boost cooperation and counter U.S. influence, Iranian media reports. Warships from all three nations, including Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, will take part.

Observers include Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, and more.

Source: Naval News, Iranian media reports

Ukrainian media report that the U.S. has stopped supporting electronic warfare (EW) systems on transferred F-16 jets.

Before delivery, the jets were upgraded with AN/ALQ-131 pods, PIDS+, and ECIPS+ systems, enhancing their ability to counter Russian EW threats.

The U.S. Air Force modernization provided updated data on Russian EW and SIGINT systems, enabling Ukrainian jets to record enemy signal emissions.

As U.S. and Ukrainian officials gear up for talks in Saudi Arabia, President Trump has told aides that a minerals deal with Kyiv won’t restart aid or intel sharing unless Ukrainian President Zelenskyy shifts his stance on peace talks, per U.S. officials.

Source: NBC

Sudan’s Combatting Violence Against Women Unit said on Saturday that 1,138 rape cases had been documented in areas controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) between April 2023 and February 2025.