Russian forces now control a vast lithium deposit in the eastern part of Ukraine, which would have been used in the minerals deal that was reached between Kyiv and the Trump administration that sees the alkali metal as a top priority for national security in the future.
The Russian military now completely occupies the entire Luhansk region in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported on Monday, citing Leonid Pasechnik, the Kremlin-installed leader in the region.
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump did a swing in the Middle East and was treated like a king during stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to score a victory last week during a NATO summit in The Hague when allies agreed to increase their military spending to the 5-percent mark by 2035, a significant increase from the current 2-percent mark.
The German government plans to make good on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s promise to accelerate military spending in the face of the threat from Russia to its east, and will increase its military spending from €95 billion in 2025 to €162 billion by 2029.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in an interview that Iran will likely be able to begin enriching uranium within a few months and said some of the nuclear infrastructure bombed by the U.S. is “still standing.”
Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, spoke with Tucker Carlson in March and was asked about the likelihood that Russia decides to roll over Ukraine and enter further into Europe.