France pushed for strict EU defence-fund rules that limited participation by non-EU companies, including those with UK links.

Those same rules have now backfired: France received €15.1bn instead of the €16.2bn it requested from the EU's €150bn SAFE fund because some Franco-British projects—particularly involving missile maker MBDA—were deemed ineligible.

The rules require 65% of funded defence products to originate within the EU (plus Norway, Iceland, or Ukraine).

Since the UK has not finalized an agreement to contribute financially to the scheme, many joint UK-EU defence projects cannot qualify.

Source: FT

Srebrenica was not only a massacre. It was a systematic attempt to erase a community, destroy families and remove an entire people.

NEW: Poland's Defense Minister announces that, after consulting PM Tusk, he has ordered the declassification of all Polish military donations to Ukraine from 2022–2026.

BIG: Netanyahu Cabinet Votes Unanimously to Defy High Court, A First in Israeli History

Netanyahu government unanimously voted to refuse recognition of any decisions by Israel's Second Authority for Television and Radio — the body that regulates commercial broadcasters.

This directly defies High Court ruling that ordered the council to keep operating despite falling below its legal quorum after a wave of resignations the court found were likely orchestrated by the Communications Minister's office.

It's the first time an Israeli government has formally declared it will not abide by a High Court ruling.

Egypt's President Sisi at the opening of Octagon state HQ in new Egyptian capital:

There was a day when the Constitutional Court was besieged.

And another day, the Council of Ministers was besieged. And on another day, they threatened the Ministry of Defense. And on another day, they besieged the Media Production City.

It was imperative for the State to move out of the capital, and for this situation not to happen again.

I am speaking with utmost frankness here. The State must move out of the capital so that this scenario is never repeated.

The evil-doers and the terrorists will not stop. And God helps us, but we must also take the necessary precautions. Therefore, the State could no longer remain there.

The parliament will not be there, the cabinet will not be there, and the Ministry of Defense will not be there, as it used to be. No, that is over.

No one can ever do that in Egypt again.

France's President Macron will visit Damascus, Syria "in the near future", making him the first Western head of state to visit post-Assad Syria.

He'll bring a delegation of investors and French companies, signaling Paris wants a serious stake in Syria's reconstruction.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger publicly revealed at a Berlin security summit that Angela Merkel once told the German defense industry:

We don't really need you — if there's a problem, we call the Americans.

He said German arms manufacturers were pushed into "the dirty corner" and weren't wanted in their own country before Russia's 2022 invasion.

Source: Welt

Germany's Defense Minister Pistorius says Ukraine no longer needs Taurus cruise missiles because its own drones are already successfully hitting Russian oil refineries and military logistics deep inside Russia.

Netanyahu:

We have some other friends, like a small country called India.

It has 1.4 billion people, uh, and boy, do we have tremendous support there?

This Facebook thing, and I'm just flooded by by these, by the overwhelming support there, and we have many others.

Many leaders call me up and say, hey, look, I've got this problem with public opinion, but I want you to know we respect you.

And can we make some deals, and can you teach us some of the things that your military does?

And can we have some of your AI and cyber expertise, you know?

Netanyahu:

The Christian villages in Lebanon...

Some of them have actually asked to be annexed to Israel because we protect them against Hezbollah.

Netanyahu:

We're not in a permanent state of war.

I, myself, with President Trump, we brought forth four peace deals.

It's not only the Christians in Lebanon who ask for our protection.

It's the Druze, it's Muslims, Sunni Muslims, and quite a few of the Shiite Muslims too.

Netanyahu:

People let themselves be swept by these irrational protests. Toxic ideology.

I don't think it lasts because America can try — just try it. Try socialism.

We tried it here. Didn't work that much.

Netanyahu on long-term durability of the US-Israel relationship:

I won't tell you that I'm not worried about it because I think it has something to do with the penetration of social media that has been used and abused by countries — three in particular.

They've bot farms that pushed the stuff against America and against Israel...

It focuses on young people, young Americans, and I can't say that I'm not worried about the effect that it has.

It's hard because democratic countries don't have the ability to fight this — this bot war — and with the same means we are accountable.

It's not so simple, but I think you'll see a correlation between the penetration of certain social media and the decline in patriotic American feelings and support for Israel.

Netanyahu:

It concerns me that there's that element of anti-Israel — first of all, at the Democratic Party.

I'm concerned with that, and to the extent that we can do something to mend it, obviously I'll do it.

The people who hate Israel end up hating America.

North Korea test-fired 12 long-range, nuclear-capable cruise missiles in rapid succession from one of its new Choe Hyon-class destroyers — the first modern guided-missile destroyers in the North Korean Navy.

Trump Calls Putin and Zelensky to Revive Stalled Peace Talks

The US president offered to help negotiate a settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war during an extensive telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ahead of the NATO summit in Türkiye.

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French Presidential Candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the US-France relationship:

Fundamentally, non-alignment and independence.

Every domain in which we are in their hands, we must get out of. I'm thinking particularly of digital data storage and artificial intelligence.

In 250 years of history, 226 years of war. That doesn't exactly inspire my sympathy.

They stole half the territory of Mexico.

For those who still have any doubt that we need a cautious and distant friendship with them, go watch Antonin Baudry's film — you'll see how the United States intended to occupy us and replace our currency.

French Presidential Candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Macron receiving Trump at Versailles:

This man attacked a country, Iran — an illegal war — with an associate, Mr. Netanyahu, who invades all his neighbors.

After he imposed on us 5% of our GDP to buy American weapons and tariffs that are unbearable, and which the European Union accepted with its usual spinelessness.

Come down to earth, my friend.

You really think going to Versailles is enough to stop a war? It's the opposite.

When you go to Versailles, you generally start wars.

French Presidential Candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Iran & Israel:

Is Iran a threat to the world? No, I don't believe that for a second.

The illegal attack on Iran produced a strengthening of the regime, which now enjoys absolutely unprecedented prestige in the world because Iran defeated both Netanyahu and Trump.

It was a very bad service that both of them rendered to universal humanity.

Today it is Netanyahu who does not respect peace — massacring the Lebanese en masse and continuing to kill Palestinians en masse.

The principal source of disorder and war is the government of Mr. Netanyahu with fascists in power, and the fact that this country is nuclear-armed without anyone ever holding it to account...

I find all of this very dangerous.

'We Will Call the Americans': How Germany's Merkel Dismissed Rheinmetall

Rheinmetall CEO revealed that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel explicitly told the defense firm, "We don't really need you," prior to the Ukraine war.

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Majority of American electorate doesn't believe Iran war was worth the cost, risking Republican prospects ahead of midterms.

▪️58% of voters say war isn't worth the cost
▪️Trump approval drops to 36%
▪️White House seeking $67B in new military funding

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