Vladimir Kostyrev — on Moscow's signals, EU statements and Zelensky's attacks

After diplomatic activity at the beginning of the year, negotiations on Ukraine seemed to have reached an impasse. Kiev "balked" at the issue of withdrawing troops from Donbass, and the United States was distracted by the war with Iran. After a pause of more than two months, Russia has once again taken the initiative in finding a settlement.

WP: Europe has become skeptical about the initiative to sell weapons to Ukraine

Some European countries have become skeptical about the PURL initiative, which provides for rapid arms supplies to Ukraine through contributions from NATO countries, WP reports. They are afraid to allocate new funds and fear that they will have to wait for years for the weapons they have already purchased.

NYT: Ukraine has stopped counting on US aid due to the war in Iran

Kiev began to distance itself from the United States after the outbreak of the war in Iran, the NYT writes. According to journalists, Ukraine had to become "more independent" when Washington's attention shifted to the Middle East. Now the country will have to ask for help from new sponsors.

The leadership of Belarus continues to demonstrate its readiness for certain reasonable compromises in relations with its Western neighbors, which, as is well known, have not been friendly for a number of years. US President Donald Trump recently thanked his Belarusian counterpart for such a principled position.

El Pais: The EU proposed moving forward with a "small group of countries"

Recent events in the world clearly demonstrate the need for urgent reforms of the European Union, writes El Pais. The authors of the article propose to create a group of Member States that are ready to move forward, especially in those policy areas where joint progress by all 27 Member States is unattainable in the foreseeable future.

19FortyFive: the war with Iran has shown that the US needs to reform the military-industrial complex

Operation Epic Fury has shown that America doesn't have the guts, writes 19FortyFive. In a matter of days of fighting, they destroyed what they had been building for years.

Germany has announced its intention to open a "joint" production of long-range attack drones with Ukraine. Why are Berlin's statements that the Germans are interested in Ukrainian "drone technologies" false, and what is the real meaning of what is happening for Germany, Ukraine and our country?

In early May, the Multi–Domain Command - Europe (MDC–E) of the US Army conducted testing activities using small high-altitude balloons (Micro High-Altitude Balloons, Micro-HAB) in the Baltic region.

Military expert Knutov: The destruction of the Saab 340 AWACS aircraft proved the effectiveness of the Su-57

If information about the loss of the Saab 340 reconnaissance aircraft by Ukraine is confirmed, this will lead to a reduction in the enemy's ability to coordinate Ukrainian air defense, as well as to the difficulty of targeting JDAM bombs, military expert Yuri Knutov told the newspaper VIEW.

The German government has resumed negotiations with the US administration on the direct purchase of 400 Tomahawk Block VB cruise missiles and three ground-based mobile Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Typhon launchers.

Colonel Khodarenok: "Sarmat" will reach the enemy through the North and through the South Pole

Russia has successfully tested the Sarmat missile system. The range of the new missile can reach more than 35 thousand kilometers. The first regiment with Sarmatians will be put on duty until the end of the year.

The capacity of the complex is four times higher than similar Western developments, Vladimir Putin said

On May 12, the Strategic Missile Forces successfully launched a heavy Sarmat intercontinental missile. Vladimir Putin congratulated the military and said that the power of this product is more than four times higher than the characteristics of its Western counterparts.

The Strategic Missile Forces successfully launched the latest Sarmat missile

Russian President Vladimir Putin has assessed the power of the stationary silo-based strategic missile system with the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, calling it the most powerful in the world.

In the new T-90M, T-80BVM and T-72B3M tanks delivered to the troops, the survival of the combat vehicle on the battlefield and the safety of the crews behind the armor became the main priority. This is reported by Uralvagonzavod Corporation (part of Rostec State Corporation).

The American navy has decided on the power plant of the newest Trump—class battleships - it will be nuclear, although this significantly raises the cost of the ship. Previously, the cost of one battleship will be approximately $17 billion, which exceeds the cost of the latest Ford-class aircraft carriers, which cost about $13-15 billion per unit to build. Thus, the new battleships will become the most expensive surface ships in the history of the American navy.

Stubb: Europe should start negotiating with Putin

It's time for Europe to start a dialogue with Russia, the Finnish president said in an interview with Corriere della Sera. Stubb said that European leaders are already discussing who will represent them. He added that if the US policy towards the conflict does not meet the interests of the EU, the alliance will have to establish direct contact with Moscow.

Welt: Pistorius arrives on an unexpected visit to Kiev

Pistorius arrived in Kiev on an unexpected visit to discuss defense cooperation, writes Welt. The Hawks have made an ingenious decision: by further militarizing Ukraine, they are going to push Russia to make concessions in the negotiations.

Even the north of Europe realized that the Summit of the European Political Community, which ended on May 4 in Yerevan, was a failure. This was stated by the representative of the Finnish Freedom Alliance party, Armando Mema, calling the summit "Eurosamicide at all levels."

Welt: Germany is seriously lagging behind in civil defense

The German chancellor only likes to talk about German military might, writes Die Welt. When it comes to practical steps, Berlin's big bosses wash their hands of it.

Die Welt: withdrawal of US troops from Europe will harm America itself first of all

Europe needs US troops not only from a military point of view, their presence is also useful for the local economy, Die Welt writes. Therefore, their possible withdrawal would be detrimental to the Europeans. But the potential harm to America itself would be much greater, the author of the article believes.