"The Kremlin has belatedly reacted to Washington proposals toward ending the war in Ukraine, by praising and welcoming the Trump administration's ruling out Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); however, as The Wall Street Journal reports in the wake of high-level meetings in Europe last week, Moscow "showed no urgency inreaching a deal."
"We have heard from Washington at various levels that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is out of the question," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a Monday press briefing. "This is something that satisfies us and coincides with our position."
"Ukraine should not be a member of NATO and should not have prospects for integration with it," Peskov said. "This would be a threat to the national interests of the Russian Federation. And this is one of the root causes of the conflict." Zerohedge
"Apparently trying to out-hawk the late John McCain, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has described that he recently traveled to Ukraine and spent several days at the front lines.
The 51-year old Republican rep from Pennsylvania spent a total of a week inside the war-ravaged country, visiting soldiers while making declarations that Ukraine and the US will defeat the Russian military.Fitzpatrick even did a provocative photo op wherein he signed an artillery shell "to Putin". And even more alarming is that he filmed himself firing a large gun, which may have been an anti-aircraft weapon..... the Congressman was trying to be as provocative against the Russians as possible, at a moment a Republican president is trying to forge peace between Moscow and Kiev.
Crucially, Fitzpatrick traveled around with Ukraine’s National Guard Artillery and Third Assault Brigade - the latter which is made up of Azov Special Operations soldiers and is commanded by Andriy Biletsky, who has long been accused of having neo-Nazi links and ideology.He wrote on X after the trip, "It was my profound honor to deliver a very ‘personal’ message to Vladimir Putin today, from the front lines of the war near the Russian border, on behalf of our PA-1 community. The only permissible details to share are that ‘the message was delivered on target.’"This does suggest he may have been firing on or near an actual war zone - though the security risks would be enough to probably prevent him from getting very close to any real fighting." ZH
"In Kherson region, Russian aggression claimed the life of one person and left seven others injured over the past 24 hours." Ukrin
"Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 38 Russian drones, while an additional 16 decoy drones vanished from radar screens without causing any damage." Ukrin
"As many as 165 combat engagements were recorded on the front lines in Ukraine. The enemy launched airstrikes in the areas of the following settlements: Marinka, Krasnopillia, Vysoke, Mala Rybnytsia, Myropilske, Prokhody, Studenok, and Uhroidy in the Sumy region; Oleksandropil, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, Muravka, Novodarivka, and Dachne in the Donetsk region; Malynivka, Zaliznychne, Shcherbaky, Novoiakovlivka, and Stepnohirsk in the Zaporizhzhia region.Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Defense Forces' aviation, missile troops, and artillery struck ten enemy personnel, weapons, and equipment concentration areas, two command posts, and six artillery systems.
In the Kupiansk sector, the enemy launched two assaults near Petropavlivka and Zahryzove.
In the Lyman sector, the enemy attacked 25 times, trying to advance near Nove, Nadiia, Novomykhailivka, Hrekivka, Myrne, Kolodiazi, Torske, and toward Novyi Myr and Zelena Dolyna.
In the Siversk sector, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions twice in the areas of Verkhniokamianske and Pereizne.
In the Kramatorsk sector, four clashes were recorded near Vasiukivka, Chasiv Yar, Markove, and Stupochky.
In the Toretsk sector, the enemy launched 23 attacks near Toretsk, Dyliivka, and Shcherbynivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 61 enemy assaults and offensive actions near Sukha Balka, Myroliubivka, Yelyzavetivka, Sukhyi Yar, Vodiane Druhe, Kotlyne, Uspenivka, Novooleksandrivka, Nadiivka, Troitske, Tarasivka, Promin, Lysivka, Udachne, Preobrazhenka, Kotliarivka, Andriivka, and toward Oleksandropil, Novopavlivka, and Berezivka.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the enemy attacked Ukrainian positions 19 times near Kostiantynopil, Vilne Pole, Pryvilne, Novosilka, Rozlyv, and toward Odradne.
In the Orikhiv sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled three enemy assaults toward Stepove and Novodanylivka.
In the Dnipro River sector, the enemy conducted two unsuccessful offensive operations." Ukrin
