Russian invasion

The fighting
Experts: Trump's alarm is wrong – but Ukraine must get out

Donald Trump claims in a recent post on Truth Social that "thousands of Ukrainian troops" are completely surrounded in Kursk and he urges Vladimir Putin to avoid a "horrible massacre" and "spare their lives".

"The short answer is that this is simply untrue", writes Russia and defense expert Michael Kofman on X.

Donald Trump has painted himself as a humanitarian figure who wants to stop the killing but here he is not entirely right, says Sky News defense analyst Michael Clarke.

Ukraine has lost its foothold in Kursk but the soldiers who remain should be able to escape – they are not in a "trap" as Putin claimed yesterday and Donald Trump is pretending today, Clarke tells his own TV channel.

– But if they are to get out, they have to get out now, says Clarke.

Soldiers in the region say that Ukraine has withdrawn in an orderly manner over a period of two weeks, writes the Guardian.

The Ukrainian General Staff also denies the reports.

“Reports of the enemy’s alleged ‘encirclement’ of Ukrainian units in the Kursk region are untrue and are being created by the Russians for political purposes,” writes the General Staff on X.

Saab’s missile to be sent to Ukraine again

A bomb called GLSDB, manufactured by Swedish Saab and American Boeing, is to be sent to Ukraine again, two sources told Reuters.

According to the news agency, the weapon will begin to be used “within a couple of days” because it is already in place. In addition, it has been modified to better withstand Russian GPS interference, which according to military data previously disrupted it during the Ukraine war.

The weapon is actually aircraft-borne, but by mounting an engine on it, the bomb can be fired from both the ground and ships, writes DI.

Change of power in Germany
Clear: Merz agrees with the Greens and can borrow

Germany's future Chancellor Friedrich Merz has agreed with the Social Democrats SPD and the Greens to exempt security investments from the debt brake rules, writes Reuters.

After marathon talks, the parties have agreed to exempt investments in civil defense, cyber security and "support for states that are attacked in violation of international law". The news agency notes that the latter part is a clear wink to Ukraine and that Germany will be able to borrow unlimited funds to finance defense investments.

Merz says in a statement that there will no longer be a lack of financial resources to "defend freedom and peace" in Europe.

– Germany is back, he says according to the Financial Times.

Swedish security situation
Must: Cooperation with the US – until proven otherwise

Some of the US allies are reportedly considering sharing less intelligence with the US after Donald Trump's rapprochement with Russia. But Must chief Thomas Nilsson tells TT that the US is still seen as a "very important partner":

Members of the so-called Five Eyes alliance – Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK – are reportedly considering not sharing as much intelligence with the US, for fear of leaks and that secret agents will be exposed. This information is, however, officially denied.

– There is no difference in principle, but we will continue the work bilaterally and within NATO. We stand by that until proven otherwise, Nilsson tells the news agency.

The decision to temporarily suspend intelligence on Ukraine and the appointment of the new intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, who has been criticized for being pro-Russian, are also believed to have contributed.

Sanctions
After Hungary's demands: Three Russians will be exempt from sanctions

The EU has lifted sanctions against three Russians after Hungary demanded it, sources with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg.

Before sanctions against a number of Russian individuals were to be extended for another six-month period, Hungary threatened to veto them unless eight of them were removed from the list.

One of them was the oligarch Mikhail Fridman, who Luxembourg also wanted removed from the list. However, he remained on it in the end, and it is not clear which three Russians were removed at Hungary's request. According to Russian Sistema sources, one of them is Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, writes Meduza.

The EU's extensions of sanctions against Russians have been routine since the invasion, but Hungary has begun to protest since the US election last fall.