Bulgaria will no longer participate in the Coalition of the Willing, Prime Minister Roumen Radev announced, distancing the country from the group of nations supporting Ukraine.

Radev said the war should be resolved through diplomacy rather than further arms deliveries.

Source: Bloomberg

U.S. strikes hit four locations in Bushehr, Iran, according to Iranian state media.

U.S. strikes hit sites in Abadan and near Mahshahr today with two explosions reported near Mahshahr.

Source: IRIB

Norway sent two F-35 fighter jets to escort their football team home from the World Cup.

China is quietly building relationships inside Russia that extend well beyond Putin, cultivating ties with officials and elites who will shape the country after he is gone.

Russia has also discovered growing Chinese espionage attempts among mid-level government officials — but Moscow is reluctant to raise them with Beijing for fear of damaging the relationship.

Source: WSJ

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar:

I believe defending the case of Israel is defending the case of democracy, of free societies.

It is more than our issue — and with the given history of the Czech Republic itself, they probably know to define that much more than other nations who failed to do so.

French President Macron:

We have agreed on licensing for new capabilities — ADSM, Aster, Scalp — which will allow much faster production of these systems with our Ukrainian friends, on Ukrainian soil.

French President Macron on Europe’s anti-ballistic missile coalition:

At President Zelensky's initiative, we brought together a new coalition — the anti-ballistic coalition — uniting [multiple] countries with our defense industries to concretely accelerate Ukraine's ballistic missile defense.

President Trump has already announced the production of interceptors for Patriot batteries. We have decided to do the same for Aster missiles — which arm the SAMP/T systems we develop with Italy.

This is the purpose of Project Freya — which, by aggregating the capabilities of our countries and our industries, will deliver a common offer and accelerate Ukraine's protection.

French President Macron:

Those who think this war will stop at Ukraine's borders if we yield or seek to accommodate the aggressor are wrong.

The history of our continent has taught us what capitulation costs.

We will not make that mistake again.

Germany's Chancellor Merz's message to Moscow:

It is time to come to the negotiating table.

It is time to agree on a ceasefire.

It is time to end the unnecessary bloodshed in Ukraine.

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

How we shape our security guarantees will be decided by Ukraine and its partners — not by Moscow.

Ukraine is ready to end the war. It always has been.

We too are open to peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia with the support of Europe and the United States.

It is solely up to President Putin now to seize this chance.

Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale ran a $1.5 million-per-month Israeli-funded influence campaign targeting young MAGA conservatives.

The campaign was officially aimed at combating antisemitism and boosting support for Israel, though its impact appears limited.

Source: TIME

Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov:

Kyiv's attacks cannot even be called piracy, because pirates seize goods—they do not destroy them.

NEW: Netanyahu reveals he visited the Dimona Nuclear Reactor today.

Source: Amit Segal

Netanyahu:

I can tell you only one thing. No, I will say it to the leaders of Iran: Do not count on there being calm if you attack us. Do not count on this being a repeat. Because it will not be a repeat.

The last one was powerful enough. This will be something different—more powerful.

The days when someone could strike us and we would not hit back twice as hard are over.

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has ratified the free trade agreement with Türkiye, which was signed in February 2022.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has asked President Isaac Herzog to pardon former soldier Elor Azaria and erase his criminal record.

Azaria was convicted of manslaughter in 2017 for fatally shooting Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in Hebron while the Palestinian lay wounded and motionless on the ground after an alleged stabbing attempt.

He received an 18-month sentence but was released after serving 14 months.

Katz argued that Azaria had already paid a heavy price and that the conviction sends a negative message to Israeli soldiers serving in combat.

Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov:

More than 30,000 citizens of Chad have received their education in our country.

We currently provide 300 state scholarships every year.

Starting from the next academic year, we plan to increase the number of scholarships to 360.

Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov:

African problems require African solutions.

Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov:

Wherever Ukrainians see an opportunity to inflict harm on the Russian Federation, they will ally themselves with anyone—including African extremists who are trying to overthrow legitimate governments in Africa, and indeed with any other scum of society.

Zelensky:

Ukraine will receive licenses to manufacture highly significant weapons: SCALP missiles, AASM guided bombs, and, jointly with Italy, Aster 30 missiles.

France will also cooperate with us and other partners within the framework of the FREYJA anti-ballistic program—an especially important pillar of our future strength.

Ukraine will be the first country to receive the new, upgraded Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG systems. These are effective anti-ballistic defense systems.

France will also provide two SAMP/T batteries to strengthen our defenses later this year. At the same time, France and Italy will accelerate deliveries of Aster 30 missiles by October of this year.

Ukraine will also purchase the first 16 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Ukrainian Air Force, along with their associated weapons.

Training for our pilots and maintenance personnel will begin in France later this year. After that, the first four Rafale aircraft will be transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.