President Donald Trump is anticipated to meet with NATO chief Mark Rutte, make a "major" announcement on Russia, and join an AI and energy summit during his 26th week in office.

NATO was forced to scramble war plans after Vladimir Putin launched a savage new attack on Ukraine. Russia pummelled crucial military targets and civilian areas in a five-hour missile and drone barrage. However Moscow also came under attack for the third night in a row, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy defied Trump’s order not to target the Russian capital.

External affairs ministry has cautioned against double standards following NATO chief Rutte's warning of potential secondary sanctions for countries, including India, maintaining trade ties with Russia.

The Kyiv Independent's Deputy Chief Editor Oleksiy Sorokin spoke with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa during her visit to Kyiv on July 15, following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of his deal with NATO to arm Ukraine and his threat to impose severe sanctions on Russia if it doesn't reach a peace deal with Ukraine within the next 50 days.

Trump's NATO success pushes allies to pledge 5% GDP on defense, marking the biggest jump since 1949, but requires faster U.S. arms production to counter Russia and China.

Putin’s refusal to compromise on Ukraine, say analysts, is a colossal error costing Russia regional influence, lucrative energy markets and its place in the world.

The need to adequately arm Ukraine’s military is pressing as Russia looks to drive its summer offensive forward after three years of war.