Europe must prepare for the US scaling down support for Ukraine - German defense minister

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Europe must prepare for a gradual reduction in U.S. military support for both the continent and Ukraine, according to Tagesschau on June 13.

Pistorius acknowledged that discussions are underway about scaling back U.S. aid rather than ending it entirely. He stressed that Europe will need to assess how much support will be cut and whether it can compensate.

His remarks follow U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s statement that aid to Ukraine will be reduced in next year’s U.S. budget. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has yet to approve any new Ukraine aid packages and appears increasingly distant from peace talks.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker confirmed that discussions about reducing the American military presence in Europe will begin after the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24–25. He emphasized the process will be coordinated to avoid security gaps.

These developments reflect a shift in U.S. strategy. President Trump has pushed NATO allies to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently said most NATO members will soon surpass 2% spending, with a collective goal of reaching 5% within a decade.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO countries—especially Poland and the Baltics—have significantly increased defense spending to meet rising threats.

Putin will deceive Trump in peace talks, and the whole world will see it -Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that any negotiations between the United States and Russia must not exclude Ukraine.

In an interview with U.S. broadcaster Newsmax, Zelenskyy said he cannot control how the U.S. conducts its dialogue with Moscow, but warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted.

"Putin does not want to end the war, and, ultimately, he will deceive Trump. Everyone will see it — the whole world will see it," Zelenskyy said. "He only takes steps toward de-escalation under strong pressure."

Zelenskyy also criticized the idea of discussing Ukraine without its direct involvement: "It's wrong to talk about Ukraine without Ukraine. Resolving our issues without us is simply unfair."

Also Ukrainian President noted that he wasn`t pleased by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s congratulations to the Russian people on Russia Day.

"This was Russia’s Independence Day. They want to strip us of our independence. This war is a war for Ukraine’s independence — Russia’s war against Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

He added that he "does not view it very positively" when a partner nation like the U.S. congratulates a country actively trying to take away Ukraine’s sovereignty.

A Russian FSB agent planned to commit a terrorist act at a playground in Odesa

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has thwarted a planned terrorist attack in Odesa and detained a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agent who was preparing to assassinate a Ukrainian soldier.

According to the SSU, the 31-year-old Odesa Oblast resident was recruited via Telegram and first tasked with setting fire to a military vehicle. After completing this "test" mission, he was instructed to carry out a bombing targeting a Ukrainian officer.

Russian handlers directed him to retrieve components for an explosive device from a concealed location. The bomb was to be planted at a playground near the soldier’s residence and detonated remotely via mobile phone.

SSU operatives arrested the suspect while he was planting the device. He has been formally charged with attempted terrorism, arson, and obstructing the military’s operations. He is being held in custody without bail.