Ukraine's Budanov: We can keep fighting Russia for years

Interviewer: And if the peace process and all the negotiations do not lead to anything concrete, how much longer can both we and the aggressor keep fighting?

Budanov: We can keep fighting—believe me—for years.

Interviewer: Years? Five?

Budanov: Why are you saying five?

Interviewer: Well, you need some kind of benchmark—more or less.

Here has always been this traditional, stereotypical view—especially before the full-scale invasion—that Russia has an enormous amount of resources: territory, people, forests, oil…

Budanov: That stereotype is true. If we are talking about Ukraine alone and Russia alone, then yes, you are right. But we are not alone.

And that is what I am telling you: the main thing is that we do not lose our friends, partners, and allies.

Source: RBC-Ukraine

Meanwhile, Macron is welcomed by Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa at the People's Palace in Damascus.

The Élysée says French President Macron did not hear any explosions while en route to meet the Syrian President at the People's Palace in Damascus.

Élysée confirms Macron is safe and unharmed, and his visit continues as scheduled.

French President Macron and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa are together in Damascus.

Both are safe.

NATO's Rutte in Ankara:

We will launch a counter-drone marketplace.

The aim is to help procure counter-drone capabilities at scale and speed.

NATO's Rutte in Ankara:

Today, we are launching the NATO Drone Edge Initiative. Through this initiative, allies are investing over 40 billion dollars in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years.

Allies are also committing to train five times as many drone operators in their armed forces by the end of 2027.

Serbia celebrates U.S. Independence Day.

Canadian PM Mark Carney:

The assumptions that had shaped decades of Canadian defense and foreign policy have been upended.

Put another way, history is back with a vengeance. We face numerous and growing threats, from incursions in our Arctic to attacks in our cyberspace.

The nature of warfare is changing rapidly, driven by a proliferation of drones, autonomous systems, hypersonic missiles, to name a few.

More menacingly, authoritarian regimes are increasingly assertive. The burdens within our traditional alliances are shifting, and middle powers such as Canada are seeking greater strategic autonomy through partnerships amongst the like-minded.

We must meet both the realities of a changing climate and that new geopolitical landscape.

Canadian PM Mark Carney:

Today, as part of our commitments to defend Canada and to support our allies, I’m pleased to announce that Canada has selected TKMS as the preferred supplier for Canada’s patrol submarine project.

NATO's Rutte in Ankara:

The United States and several of its leading defense companies — including Anduril, Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon — have agreed new industrial cooperation initiatives with major European players in the defense sector, like Diehl, PGZ, and Rheinmetall.

This will allow us to produce or sustain key American capabilities such as Abrams tanks, AMRAAMs, ATACMS, the Barracuda 500M, small diameter bombs, and Stingers here in Europe.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska:

Following the success of its original IMECE Earth observation satellite, Türkiye is announcing an ambitious plan for the development of two additional high-resolution satellites.

They will be built here in Türkiye by the TUBITAK Space Institute with a contract worth over 300 million US dollars.

Türkiye has also signed contracts with ASELSAN for the development of low earth orbit satellites and military communication systems, as well as the procurement and development of early warning radar systems within the scope of the Steel Dome National Integrated Air Defense Architecture.

These contracts are worth in total over 350 million dollars, and they will enhance Türkiye’s ability to remain connected on the battlefield and their detection and early warning capabilities.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska:

Six allies have come together to develop and deliver low-cost cruise and ballistic missiles at scale.

Another initiative includes the development of a prototype for a generic NATO 155-millimeter munition, which is complemented by a new NSPA contract to procure even more of this important caliber.

Our host nation, Türkiye, has also committed to procuring a significant number of ATMACA land-based long-range cruise missiles.

All together, these initiatives are worth approximately 1.6 billion dollars.

Zelensky arrives in Ankara for the NATO Summit.

Turkish President Erdogan meets with Canada's Carney in Ankara.

NOW: NATO allies conduct a historic combined signing ceremony as part of the NATO Summit in Ankara.

The financial value of the deals will be revealed by Secretary General Mark Rutte tomorrow.

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck 8 sanctioned Russian "shadow fleet" tankers overnight in the Sea of Azov.

Greek shipping companies earned at least $3.8 bn transporting Russian oil since July 2023 under the G7 price-cap regime.

Dynacom Tankers led with about $915m, followed by Olympic Shipping (Onassis Group) at $404m, with Stealth Maritime and Polembros Shipping also earning more than $200m each.

Source: FT

Turkish Foreign Ministry:

In recent days, the baseless allegations circulated by Israeli officials in a coordinated and deliberate manner have been part of a disinformation campaign.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his associates deliberately distort any criticism directed at them and seek to shift the agenda through a systematic propaganda effort.

These attempts, however, are no longer convincing the international community. They have failed to conceal the Netanyahu government's genocide in Gaza, its policies of occupation and annexation in the region, and its destabilizing actions.

Türkiye's objective is for all countries and peoples in the region to live in peace, stability, and prosperity.

With this understanding, we once again call on Israel to pursue a constructive and peaceful policy.

As Türkiye, we will continue to speak the truth.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir:

They wanted me to hand sandwiches to those terrorists, those terror supporters, and tell them how beautiful Israel is. With me, that ends. I’m not a sucker.

I took away the marmalades, the chocolates, the lamb meat, the ping-pong, the televisions, the radio.

They used to come out fat; today they come in fat and leave thin.

That’s how terrorists should come out.

Finnish President Stubb and Turkish President Erdogan meet in Ankara.