Trump administration is eyeing major cuts to funding for domestic HIV prevention.

Source: WSJ

Zelensky:

We are not a salad or compote to be on Putin's menu, despite his appetites.

Zelensky:

Ukrainian military personnel remain in Kursk and will remain there as long as this operation is necessary.

NEW: According to local reports Israeli army advanced towards the area between al-Asha and al-Rafid towns in the Quneitra countryside.

In Southern Quneitra, the Israeli army accompanied by a large number of tanks and bulldozers entered the al-Jamus base.

Israeli warplanes flew over the area during the movement of the Israeli army.

UPDATE: The presidents of Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda held a surprise meeting in Qatar and committed to a ceasefire amid the ongoing occupation of eastern Congo by Rwanda-backed rebels.

President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Tuesday in Doha “as part of an effort to ease the situation” in eastern Congo, the three countries said in a joint statement Tuesday posted on X.

The meeting came after the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pulled out of peace talks planned for earlier in the day in Angola.

Source: Bloomberg

US President Trump hosted Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser as the Gulf state seeks to increase access to US technology.

Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's national security adviser and brother of the country's president, discussed increasing Emirati investment in the US, technology, and energy.

The UAE is pushing to buy cutting-edge chips from companies including Nvidia Corp. as part of a bid to become a regional powerhouse in AI.

Donald Trump expressed caution over closer ties between China and Russia, outlining plans to improve ties with two countries that have united in opposing the US on the world stage.

“As a student of history, which I am — and I’ve watched it all — the first thing you learn is you don’t want Russia and China to get together,” the US leader told Fox News, in comments that came shortly after he wrapped talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that fell short of securing a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.

Trump’s embrace of Russia has been seen by some analysts as an attempt to split Moscow from Beijing, in a so-called “reverse Nixon” — a reference to America’s efforts in the Cold War era to divide the two powers.

Source: Bloomberg

French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to modernize the Luxeuil air base for nuclear deterrence, requiring a €1.5 billion investment. By 2035, the base will host two squadrons of F5 Rafale jets and ASN4G hypersonic nuclear missiles, doubling staff to 2,000. This move, less than 200 km from Germany’s border, signals strategic intent amid concerns over U.S. commitment to Europe. The base previously housed nuclear weapons until Rafale jets were relocated in 2011.

Source: Politico

Donald Trump's efforts to broker peace are faltering. His call with Putin failed to secure a full ceasefire in Ukraine, with Russia only agreeing to limit attacks on energy targets. Meanwhile, a Gaza ceasefire collapsed, and Trump's foreign policy missteps are raising concerns about U.S. influence and leverage. Critics say his impatience and lack of strategy are emboldening adversaries.

Source: FT

U.S. May Surrender NATO’s Supreme Command

Trump administration is considering ending exclusive U.S. control over NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), a position held by American generals since 1951.

This move is part of a broader Pentagon restructuring, including a potential merger of U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The plan aims to save $270 million in the first year—just 0.03% of the $850 billion defense budget.

Source: NBC

BIG: Poland to deploy anti-personnel mines on border with Russia and Belarus.

Polish MoD:

We have no choice. The situation at the border is serious.

Trump administration halts coordinated US efforts to combat Russian sabotage, disinformation, and cyberattacks, easing pressure on Moscow.

Regular NSC meetings with European allies on Russian hybrid warfare are no longer held.

FBI, DOJ, and DHS have ended key programs tracking Russian influence operations.

Source: Reuters

Google Acquires Israeli Cybersecurity Firm Wiz in $32 Billion Deal

Wiz’s founders, alumni of Israel’s cyber intelligence Unit 8200 & Unit 81, leveraged their military cyber expertise to dominate cloud security market.

Wiz quickly became a leader in cloud security, achieving $500 million in annualized recurring revenue and aiming to double it by 2025.

This is Google's largest acquisition.

The deal cements Alphabet’s push into AI & cybersecurity, competing with Amazon & Microsoft.

Fighting between the White Army and government forces in South Sudan has displaced at least 50,000 people. In recent days, the government has carried out numerous air strikes on White Army strongholds in Upper Nile. Local reports said that there are civilian casualties because of government strikes.

Meanwhile, Sudanese RSF was involved in South Sudan clashes. RSF attacked the South Sudan armed opposition, aka White Army, at the north-western border, local reports say.

India has asked the Netherlands to halt military supplies to Pakistan, citing concerns over regional security and "terrorism support."

The Netherlands has previously provided Alkmaar-class mine countermeasures vessels and patrol ships to Pakistan.

China’s naval expansion is outpacing the U.S., with 400 ships to America’s 295. While U.S. vessels are more advanced, China’s massive shipbuilding capacity gives it a strategic edge in a prolonged war.

Experts warn the U.S. must act now to close this "ship gap" by ramping up production and preparing for long-term naval competition.

In a long war, the U.S. would struggle to replace losses quickly, while China could rapidly replenish its fleet, posing a serious strategic disadvantage.

To counter China’s advantage, the U.S. could expand shipbuilding capacity, stockpile critical materials, and integrate allied shipyards in Japan and South Korea.

Source: Foreign Affairs

Trump on Russia-China "marriage":

As a student of history, which I am — and I've watched it all — the first thing you learn is you don't want Russia and China to get together.

Obama forced them to a marriage, which would never have taken place. It was always a natural enemy situation.

They’re probably friendly now, but we’re gonna be friendly with both.

German Defence Minisiter Pistorius:

Russia’s pledge to halt attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid counts for "nothing". Trump would have to win greater concessions from Vladimir Putin.

Attacks on civilian infrastructure continued despite the so-called pivotal phone call.

Putin is playing a game, and I doubt the American president will watch for much longer.

Mission Data Files: The Invisible Kill Switch of the F-35

The Pentagon insists that the F-35 does not have a remote “kill switch”, but it doesn’t need one.

While there is no direct mechanism to disable an allied jet remotely, the Mission Data File (MDF) system effectively serves as a functional equivalent.

These files are essential for the aircraft’s stealth optimization, target identification, and overall combat effectiveness.

Without timely updates from the United States, an allied nation’s F-35 could become significantly less capable in modern warfare.

MDFs are the F-35’s electronic battle manual, loaded with real-time intelligence and threat recognition data.

These files:
✔️ Optimize stealth flight paths (the “blue-line” track) to avoid enemy radar detection.
✔️ Enable sensor fusion, allowing the jet to identify and classify enemy aircraft and missile threats.
✔️ Provide electronic warfare data, essential for jamming and countermeasures.

Each allied nation depends on U.S.-controlled MDF updates to keep their jets operationally relevant. Without these updates, an F-35’s ability to detect new threats diminishes over time, making it more vulnerable.

The U.S. doesn’t need a physical shutdown mechanism—simply delaying or withholding MDF updates would significantly impact a foreign operator’s ability to deploy the F-35 effectively.

Since MDFs are updated by U.S. facilities, Washington retains control over how and when allied nations receive critical updates.

🇺🇸 U.S. Military Presence in the Indo-Pacific & Australia

The U.S. has 100,000+ troops stationed across the Indo-Pacific, maintaining strategic bases and alliances to counter regional threats.

Compiled by Clash Report

EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas:

Russia can’t be trusted.

It's clear that Russia does not really want to make any kind of concessions.

What Russia wants is for Ukraine to let its guard down