** Germany has dispatched Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, according to U.S. President Donald Trump, as reported by Bloomberg. Trump confirmed he has not spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin since announcing a 50-day ultimatum for a war settlement, threatening “100% secondary tariffs” on Moscow if talks fail.
Overnight, explosions and injuries were reported across Ukrainian cities. Kyiv’s military authorities issued multiple alerts as waves of Russian drones targeted the capital and other regions, with local media confirming ballistic missile threats. Kharkiv faced intense shelling, with at least 17 explosions leaving three wounded. Kryvi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk region also endured a mass drone strike. Russia’s TASS agency separately reported air-raid alerts in Ukraine’s Vinnitsa and Rovno regions.
Trump denied Financial Times claims that he privately urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to strike deeper into Russian territory, including Moscow or St. Petersburg, should long-range weapons be provided. “I’m not considering that for now,” Trump stated at the White House. When asked whether he sided with Ukraine or Russia, he replied: “With neither—I stand for humanity and ending this bloodshed.”
The EU condemned Russia’s escalating use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas cited intelligence from the Netherlands and Germany confirming over 9,000 banned chemical attacks since the invasion, warning: “Moscow wants Kyiv to surrender.” However, EU nations remain divided on new Russia sanctions, with Slovakia blocking a package including oil and gas price caps. Kallas urged the U.S. to “share the burden” of weapons costs (estimated at $10 billion).
The Kremlin responded cautiously to Trump’s tariff threat, stating it needed time to analyze his remarks but remained open to dialogue. Russian officials dismissed the ultimatum as “theatrical” and “unacceptable,” with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accusing the EU and NATO of pressuring Trump.
Pope Francis appealed for a “truce to halt the march of hatred” during a charity event, emphasizing: “Our humanity is at stake.” Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Trump’s “posture shift” toward Putin but stressed Russia’s ongoing “brutal attacks on civilians” showed no commitment to peace.
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