Trump Taps Former DHS Official Troy Edgar for U.S. Ambassador Role in El Salvador 
Union-Aligned Investors Question Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet on Trump Immigration Policies 
Trump Weighs Reclassifying Marijuana as Schedule III, Potentially Transforming U.S. Cannabis Industry 
Sydney Bondi Beach Shooting Sparks Calls for Stronger Protection of Jewish Community in Australia 
Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency 
Federal Judge Declines to Immediately Halt Trump’s $300 Million White House Ballroom Project 
Italy Supreme Court Upholds Salvini Acquittal in Migrant Kidnapping Case 
European Leaders Tie Ukraine Territorial Decisions to Strong Security Guarantees 
Dan Bongino to Step Down as FBI Deputy Director After Brief, Controversial Tenure 
U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami Raise Hopes for Potential Ukraine War Deal 
Zelenskiy Urges Allies to Use Frozen Russian Assets as EU Summit Nears 
Honduras Election Recount Delayed Amid Protests and Political Tensions 
Trump Attends Dover Ceremony Honoring U.S. Personnel Killed in Syria 
Taiwan Political Standoff Deepens as President Lai Urges Parliament to Withdraw Disputed Laws 
Trump Administration Plans Major Increase in Denaturalization Cases for Naturalized U.S. Citizens 
U.S. House Advances GOP Healthcare Bill as ACA Subsidies Near Expiration 
A top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed that a demilitarized zone be established inside Russia. The zone would be part of a settlement after the war to protect Ukrainian regions from attacks from Moscow.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter on Monday that a demilitarized zone should be set up around 100 to 120 kilometers inside Russia along the border as part of a settlement after the war. Podolyak said that such a zone would ensure the protection of Ukrainian regions from potential Russian attacks in the future.
“It will be necessary to introduce a demilitarization zone of 100-120 kilometers on the territory of Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, and Rostov republics,” said Podolyak, referencing Moscow’s backing of separatist entities that refer to themselves as “people’s republics” in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
“The key theme of the post-war settlement should be the establishment of safeguards to avoid the recurrence of aggression in the future,” said Podolyak, adding that the measure would be to make sure Ukrainian regions on the front lines are safe. Podolyak also said the demilitarized zone could initially have an international presence to keep the area in control.
Podolyak’s comments follow those of the Russian governor of Belgorod, which called for the annexation of Kharkiv to prevent cross-border shelling by Ukrainians, which Moscow blames for the incidents. Russia has also alleged that Ukraine has increased its drone attacks on targets within Russia. Kyiv has denied the accusations saying that it is fighting a defensive war in its own territory.
On the same day, the British defense ministry, in its intelligence bulletin, said that Russia held military exercises around the bridge in the annexed Crimea region. The drills included creating a smoke screen, according to the ministry, using TDA-3 smoke generators “likely of the 28th Brigade of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops.”
The ministry said that Russia considers this a part of its “camouflage and deception” tactic. However, such a tactic was “generally been ineffectual” in the war in Ukraine due to a lack of central planning and a “poor low-level battle discipline.”
Photo: President.gov.ua/Wikimedia Commons(CC by 2.0)
