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Through a major step to strengthen its long-term defense, the Ukrainian government has finalized a preliminary agreement to acquire as many as 100 Rafale warplanes, drones, air defense equipment and additional essential equipment from the French Republic. This deal was formalized by Ukrainian president Zelenskyy and France's leader Emmanuel Macron during a shared press briefing at the Elysée presidential palace. The Ukrainian leader referred to the arrangement as “an unprecedented agreement.”

Forcibly Taken Children: Relatives Lose Communication

A number of families of Ukraine's children who were taken against their will to Russia have raised concerns about their well-being, stating that every line of communication has been cut off. At a rare press event in Paris, a legal guardian, who is responsible for two children removed after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in recent years, said that Russian authorities are ignoring all requests to help with the children's return.

Unmanned Aerial Strike Hits Turkey-Registered Tanker in Southern Ukraine

A drone hit a Turkey-registered tanker and caused a fire in southern the Odesa region, officials said. This event took place just one day after Zelenskyy approved a deal to bring in US LNG through the area. The MT Orinda was hit while offloading liquefied petroleum gas at Izmail harbor, according to Turkey's maritime authority. All 16 crew members on board were safely removed and not a single person was hurt.

Romania's Officials Relocate Villages After Drone Attack

Romanian officials said they had relocated two communities close to the Ukrainian border following the aerial strike on the MT Orinda. Since invading Ukraine in recent years, Russian forces has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's ports in the Danube River area, triggering alerts in adjacent the country.

US Leader Donald Trump Willing to Sign Russia Sanctions Bill

The American leader Donald Trump is prepared to sign a bill to enact sanctions on the Russian Federation, provided that he retains final decision-making authority over these measures, a senior White House official said. Trump told journalists late on Sunday that it was “OK with me” that Republicans were working on a bill to impose restrictions on countries engaging commercially with Moscow over its failure to reach a ceasefire agreement with the Ukrainian government.

Polish Prime Minister Describes Rail Blast an “Unprecedented Case of Disruption”

Poland's leader, Tusk, has described an explosion along a part of railway line employed in shipments to Ukraine as an “unprecedented instance of sabotage” that might have led to catastrophe. These remarks coincided with a statement from legal authorities saying that an inquiry had been initiated “concerning actions of disruption of a terrorist kind […] carried out on orders of a foreign intelligence service against the nation of Poland.”

China Premier Shows Willingness to Deepen Cooperation with Russia

The Chinese government is ready to deepen cooperation with Russia in the energy sector, agriculture and other investments, Leader Li Qiang stated during a meeting with Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin in the Russian capital. The Chinese premier informed Mishustin that China welcomes more farm and food-related products from Russia, according to a state-run media outlet. The Chinese side also desires that Moscow will make it easier for companies from China to invest and do business in Russia, the source mentioned. The Russian leader told his counterpart that the cooperation between the both nations has consistently demonstrated its resilience to outside pressures.