Overview

• Ukraine reported its most extensive air attack of the war with more than 800 drones and 13 missiles, killing at least four people and damaging the Council of Ministers building in Kyiv for the first time.
• President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed for immediate, binding security guarantees and said deployments could involve thousands of Western troops, citing a 45-nation coalition with 26 ready to provide concrete support.
• President Vladimir Putin warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be treated as legitimate targets and rejected the inclusion of Western contingents in any security framework, as the Kremlin described future talks as difficult.
• The European Union advanced discussions on stricter sanctions and a phased cutoff of Russian energy, facing resistance from Hungary and Slovakia, while coordinating with Washington on the next measures.
• EU officials pushed to expand Europe’s defense industry and cover Ukraine’s financing needs in 2026, exploring cooperation on drone and technology development, as Italy’s Giorgia Meloni urged drafting legal guarantees rather than sending troops.