Overview

• The White House reiterated there will be no U.S. ground troops in Ukraine and directed planning for U.S. Air Force cooperation with NATO, with senior generals meeting European counterparts on potential air support.
• Ukraine reported large overnight drone and missile strikes across several regions that killed and injured civilians, and President Volodymyr Zelenski called for stronger sanctions and tariffs on Russia.
• Reuters-based reporting says the Kremlin’s conditions for a deal include Kyiv ceding the Donbas, abandoning NATO membership hopes, and prohibiting Western troops on Ukrainian soil.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said collective security arrangements cannot be decided without Russia, rejected Western troop deployments, and stressed any leaders’ summit must be thoroughly prepared.
• European allies discussed security guarantees that could include U.S. air patrols from Romania and European troop contingents in western Ukraine, as U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said Europe should shoulder most of the costs.