A British drone industry would not be a cost. It would be a renaissance. British kit, designed here, built here, used by our forces and sold to our allies. War has already changed. Britain needs to as well. dailymail.com/debate/article…

Today, the European Union took a major step forward. All Member States agreed to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova. At the first Intergovernmental Conference on Monday, we will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process. It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions. This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges. And a signal that the EU’s offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable. Enlargement is a strategic choice. By bringing our nations closer together, we strengthen peace, security and prosperity across our continent. In a world marked by growing uncertainty, a larger European Union is in our common interest. Enlargement remains one of the EU’s greatest success stories and our best investment in our shared future.

A course of action has been approved – to increase the financial sustainability of our defense and ensure the continued transformation of the Ukrainian Army. First – pay. We have the resources to increase pay in the military. The minimum will be 30,000 hryvnias in rear areas. The more combat missions, the higher the level of pay. There will be new, significantly stronger contracts for infantry personnel. On average, 300,000 hryvnias on the front line. Everything depends on our Ukrainian infantryman. The contracts will be structured to ensure clarity: contract terms of 10, 14, and 24 months with clear conditions – meaning clear temporary discharge. Guaranteed terms – and real temporary discharge. In addition, payments for Ukrainian combat commanders will be increased, and this should create a positive incentive to preserve command experience within the Army. Second, I am grateful to all the volunteers from other countries who are fighting for freedom in Ukraine. I have instructed that significantly more opportunities be opened for foreign volunteers to join the Ukrainian Army. There will be additional recruitment mechanisms to support this. Third, further simplification of transfers for warriors, more opportunities to advance within the Army, and more positive incentives to join the defense. I expect every element of the changes now being implemented to show its effectiveness this summer. The Ministry of Defense will present the details of the decisions.

Russia ‘not looking for conflict’, says Nato’s top US commander ft.trib.al/UFeUAUm

We continue to apply Ukrainian long-range sanctions against Russian military facilities and the oil industry. In particular, last night Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingos struck a military plant in Cheboksary that supplies the occupier’s army with components for drones and missiles. I thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine for their precision! The Kuibyshev oil refinery in the Samara region was also hit last night. The distance from the frontline is more than 900 kilometers. I am grateful to the warriors of the Special Operations Forces, the Unmanned Systems Forces, and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. The entirely just responses of the Security Service of Ukraine also reached two oil infrastructure facilities in the Vladimir region, at a distance of 700 kilometers. I thank everyone who fights and works for Ukraine!

.@FT Exclusive: Russia’s security services shut parts of a special surveillance system protecting President Vladimir Putin and his closest aides in the wake of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s assassination in Tehran. w/ @MehulAtLarge ft.com/content/6f4d806c-eb22…

!! FCAS is dead - that's it ! Berlin pulls plug on Franco-German fighter jet ft.com/content/c13f2931-f2b5… via @ft