HEGSETH: The document says Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, won't seek one, won't buy one, won't have one BRENNAN: The JCPOA said that too HEGSETH: But they didn't have the threat of military force the way we do that Iran respects. President Trump led with military might.

Putin: NATO started the war. It wasn't Russia who started the special military operation. His lies are getting more and more delusional. "Russia is standing alone against the entire collective West, represented by the well-known North Atlantic bloc - NATO. All NATO countries are intensifying their efforts and doing everything possible to organize these hostile actions against Russia and, as they believe, bring the war they unleashed against Russia to a victorious conclusion. It was they who started this war. It wasn't us who launched the hostilities at the beginning of the 'special military operation'."

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.

Yet another VLCC (which has been violating US OFAC sanctions on Iran and Venezuela over the past five years) has managed to slip past the US Navy blockade line. Did she do anything fancy? Nahh. The crew simply switched off her AIS transponder. Yet another two million barrels of storage space available, should Iran need it. How are those peace talks coming along? #OOTT #IranWar #Tankers (Satellite imagery by ESA Copernicus Sentinel-2)

🇩🇪🇫🇷 France may withdraw from the joint French-German tank development project MGCS (Main Ground Combat System). This was stated by Rheinmetall's CEO, Armin Papperger, who noted that a final decision has not yet been made, but such a risk exists. According to Papperger, France is considering a significant budget cut, which could reduce expenses to less than half of what was originally planned. He also added that the companies involved in the project — Rheinmetall, KNDS, and Thales — have received only 25 million euros in funding since the project's inception. The MGCS program, launched in 2017 to replace the German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc tanks, has been postponed multiple times. This uncertainty arose shortly after the collapse of the joint fighter project, FCAS, which further strains French-German defense cooperation.

This week’s #SecurityBrief now up on @YouTube. ‘The end of NATO?’ youtu.be/VO6L5fv8hxQ?is=-p1a…

The heroes of Normandy deserve remembrance, gratitude and humility. Using D-Day commemorations as a platform for culture-war politics is shameless. Yet that increasingly seems to be standard practice for the Trump administration.

Some of the first footage of a French-supplied Mirage 2000-5F in Ukrainian service conducting a strike mission on the eastern frontline. Seen here screaming just a few dozen feet over the ground before tossing its load of bombs (likely French AASMs) at a Russian target.

UPDATE: The large-scale Russian attack expected over the past 72 hours could take place tonight. Drone activity across Ukraine remains ongoing, while up to 7 Tu-95MS strategic bombers are reportedly being prepared and could take off within the next minutes or hours. Additional missile and ballistic missile launches remain a possibility. Kyiv remains one of the main areas to watch tonight, with many residents already heading to metro stations and shelters. All updates regarding bomber takeoffs, missile launches and other developments will be posted under this thread.

Ukraine has released the full video of Operation Spiderweb the daring container hidden drone operation which left over 40 Russian airforce aircraft damaged or destroyed last year.