For Ukraine, the logic of this war has never changed: make Russia pay dearly for every metre. Force them to bleed for ground, and in Pokrovsk, that strategy is paying dividends. Before Russia's full-scale invasion, Pokrovsk was a town of 80,000, a logistics hub and administrative centre in western Donetsk. Now it's a shattered shell. What remains is not a city, but a position: roads, supply routes, and terrain that shape the wider fight.
"in the dead of night, in fair weather or foul, to go to dangerous places to find those who would do our nation harm, and deliver justice on behalf of the American people in close and brutal combat if necessary," Hegseth said. "In this profession," he went on, "you feel comfortable inside the violence so that our citizens can live peacefully. Lethality is our calling card, and victory our only acceptable end state."
Trump has seemingly switched loyalties several times during the course of this war, and just prior to his meeting with Zelensky took a phone call, and arranged a future in-person meeting, with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin. Since Trump took office in January, Putin has masterfully evaded further U.S. sanctions and placed in doubt America's previously unwavering support for Ukraine through a determined campaign of personal flattery and dangling hypothetical business deals in front of the American president.
From Kursk, North Korean units are using drones to conduct aerial reconnaissance missions over the neighboring Sumy region in Ukraine, identifying troop positions and supporting Russian follow-on strikes against identified targets, Kyiv said. Ukraine has "intercepted communications between North Korean drone operators and personnel of the Russian army," Kyiv shared in a statement published to the Telegram messaging app. It said that North Korean drone operators "adjusted the fire of multiple launch rocket systems against Ukrainian positions."
In a short, six-minute speech from the White House on Friday, the US first lady explained she has developed an open channel of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and they have been discussing the return of the children. list of 3 itemsend of list My representative has been working directly with President Putin's team to ensure the safe reunification of children with their families between Russia and Ukraine, she said.
"us as the European Union to talk directly to Putin. This was not supported by some countries, primarily the Baltic states. Poland was also against it as they were afraid that we did not have a common policy towards Russia."
Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign nation with 1994 security assurances from Russia, has killed or maimed tens of thousands of combatants and civilians. Efforts by President Donald Trump to end this war have failed, with an emboldened Vladimir Putin escalating hostilities in Ukraine, while the credibility of NATO, flying drones into Poland and Romania and recently violating Estonia's airspace.