JD Vance jokes:

You know what I'm thinking as I'm coming down the steps is, don't fall and bust your ass in front of all of you, and in front of all these cameras, because they would never let me live that one down.

I've got the angel on my shoulder saying, "JD, don't be partisan. We're going to make this nonpartisan."

And then I've got the devil on my shoulder who wants to talk about every time that Joe Biden fell up or down the stairs.

German carmaker Volkswagen is examining the sale of Audi's 8.33% stake in FC Bayern München AG as part of its major austerity program.

Porsche's stake in VfB Stuttgart is also under review; engagements with VfL Wolfsburg.

The news lands directly on top of last week's report that Volkswagen is preparing to slash 100,000 jobs, with the plan set to go before its supervisory board on July 9.

Source: CORRECTIV

US tries to talk Iran out of Hormuz tolls as Doha talks resume.

US and Iranian negotiators are in Doha for talks focused primarily on the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington arguing Iran stands to gain far more from a nuclear deal than from charging tolls on shipping.

"The US message to Iran was 'Think bigger,'" a US official said — arguing that lifting sanctions under a broader deal would be "100 times more valuable" than "using a gangster tactic to try and charge a toll."

Source: Axios

French Dassault’s CEO Éric Trappier says "the bridges are cut" on Eurodrone:

Airbus told us 'out.'

Well, we don't agree. So we are discussing the reasons why we are out.

I can no longer tell you where the program is, since the bridges are cut, in the programmatic sense of the term.

A Eurodrone over the Sahel — it flies for a long time, it observes well, it must have relevance.

A Eurodrone in an armed conflict where the sky is not completely mastered — it's surely a fairly easy target.

I understood that the French didn't want to buy Eurodrones anymore.

Will it stop, will it not stop — I can't tell you.

NEW: US Navy MH-60S Seahawk crashes in Arabian Sea; one crewmember missing.

A US Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea early Wednesday, US 5th Fleet said.

Three of the four crew members have been recovered in stable condition. A search is underway for the fourth.

The 5th Fleet said there is no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action, and that the cause is under investigation.

It is the second US military helicopter crash in the region in recent weeks.

An Army AH-64 Apache went down in the Gulf of Oman on June 9; President Trump said Iranian forces shot it down, and the crew was rescued by a Corsair drone boat.

Spain Orders Blacklist of US Tech Giant Palantir From Public and Private Companies

The Spanish government blacklisted Palantir due to growing concerns over the potential misuse of classified national security information.

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Putin Approved China Covertly Training Russian Forces

Classified documents reveal China secretly trained Russian military personnel in radiological, biological, and chemical warfare in a secret program personally approved by the Russian president.

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INTERESTING: Russia's MoD confirms interception of long-range ballistic missile; Ukrainian FP-9 test suspected.

Russia's Ministry of Defense has confirmed the interception of a long-range operational-tactical missile.

The statement did not specify where the intercept took place, but photos emerged the previous day showing S-300/400 air-defense engagements over Moscow region at altitudes uncharacteristic for drones or cruise missiles, and a large crater from a downed object.

If confirmed, it would be further evidence of a test use of a Ukrainian ballistic missile — potentially the FP-9, currently under development.

Zelensky:

Russia may not see peace as its priority today.

We will make them.

Zelensky:

Right now, Russia can do only one thing: kill.

Russia no longer has a strong economy.

Russia can no longer save face.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev:

We lifted all the restrictions on transit of goods through its territory to Armenia.

That restriction was imposed because of occupation of our internationally recognized territories by Armenia.

We also started to supply Armenia with critical fuel, particularly gasoline, diesel. In today's geopolitical situation, it has even bigger importance than ever before.

So, we are demonstrating that for us, peace is something we can already touch. We can feel it. And we are learning to live in peace.

EU’s von der Leyen:

In recent years, Azerbaijan has proven to be a reliable, trusted energy partner to the European Union.

We have not forgotten that at a time when Russia weaponized energy and turned off the gas for Europe, Azerbaijan stepped up.

Zelensky on Poland:

As for Poland and the Polish government—you mentioned them—we are neighbors.

Of course, we have certain difficulties in our shared history.

But you know, most countries have difficult moments in their history. Today, however, we live in the present.

Today we are facing aggression against us, and together we are defending the European Union. We must think about the future security of our people.

I believe there is always a solution to every issue if we are prepared to be strong neighbors and if we truly want to find those solutions. Ukraine is ready.

Ukraine is a strong partner and a good friend to its neighbors. I hope our neighbors will continue to support us.

Rutte: European Rearmament Secures Nearly 200,000 US Defense Jobs

European military orders have created a $300 billion backlog in the U.S., sustaining nearly 200,000 American defense jobs, according to the NATO chief.

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We Have the Gayest Parliament in the World: Keir Starmer

Outgoing PM Starmer declared the UK legislature the "gayest parliament" in the world during a Downing Street reception in an attempt to defend his administration's record on LGBTQ+ rights.

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Trump asks AI President Theodore Roosevelt:

Do you consider the Panama Canal your greatest achievement?

Despite Lausanne, Greece Moves to Overhaul Military Bases on Aegean Islands

Extensive fortifications are consolidating small outposts into heavily shielded complexes with:

▪️Troop shelters
▪️Buried command centers
▪️Underground ammunition depots

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Berlin Seeks US Arms Production in Germany to Woo Trump

Germany is actively pressing the US to permit the manufacturing of American weapons on German soil, aiming to keep Donald Trump engaged in European security while addressing military shortfalls.

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Senior Trump administration officials are sharply criticizing Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado over her efforts to return to Venezuela following last week's devastating earthquake, calling the moves a distraction from U.S.-backed relief efforts.

"It's political opportunism and it's grotesque," one senior administration official said.

Another added: "She wants a photo op of her passing out our aid. This is about her interests."

Officials said Machado has repeatedly lobbied Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior U.S. officials to facilitate her return and sought a role in administering aid, but the administration rejected the request.

Machado's attempts to reach Venezuela from Curaçao and later Panama were both unsuccessful, creating what officials described as unnecessary diplomatic complications.

Source: Axios

'Bridges Burned': Dassault-Airbus Ties Break Down Over Troubled Eurodrone Program

Dassault Aviation CEO revealed a severe breakdown in relations with Airbus, after Airbus ordered Dassault out of the delayed European MALE drone project.

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Iran's Ghalibaf:

My mission on my upcoming visit to China is to upgrade Tehran–Beijing ties to a "strategic partnership".