Ukraine receives Patria armored vehicles as Zelenskyy signs new sanctions against Russia - Thursday brief

Ukraine receives over 20 Patria armored vehicles from Latvia

Ukraine has received 21 Patria 6x6 armored personnel carriers from Latvia. The handover took place at the Adazi military base near Riga.

In addition, Latvia transferred another 12 CVR(T) reconnaissance vehicles to Ukraine as part of a previously announced military aid package.

Energy, electronics, and more: Zelenskyy signs new sanctions package against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a new package of sanctions against Russia.

The latest economic restrictions target key sectors such as energy and electronics, among others.

Rutte says NATO has overtaken Russia in ammunition production

Until recently, Russia was outpacing NATO allies in ammunition production, but the situation has now drastically shifted — the Alliance has ramped up output and taken the lead, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

He emphasized that the threat posed by Russia will not disappear even after the war ends, as the country will remain a destabilizing force in Europe and globally.

EU to grant Ukraine access to €8 billion defense fund

The European Union has reached a preliminary agreement to include Ukraine in the European Defence Fund, which has a budget of around €8 billion.

The fund finances joint defense research and development projects among European countries.

Witkoff sees progress toward ending the war in Ukraine, but says Gaza comes first

The United States considers the war between Ukraine and Russia one of the top priorities to resolve, and Washington believes it will succeed, said US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff.

"We have a lot of work to do with regard to security protocols for Ukraine," he noted.