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Through a major step to strengthen its long-term defense, the Ukrainian government has finalized a letter of intent to purchase as many as 100 Rafale warplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles, air defense equipment and additional key gear from France. The agreement was signed by Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and France's leader Macron during a joint press briefing at the Elysée presidential palace. Zelenskyy referred to the pact as “an unprecedented agreement.”

Forcibly Deported Children: Relatives Lose Contact

A number of families of Ukrainian children who were forcibly deported to the Russian Federation have sounded the alarm about their well-being, stating that all contact has been cut off. At a rare press event in the French capital, a legal guardian, who cares for two minors removed after Russia's full-scale military action of the country in recent years, said that officials in Russia are ignoring all requests to help with the children's repatriation.

Drone Strike Hits Turkish-Flagged Tanker in Odesa

An unmanned aerial vehicle struck a Turkey-registered ship and caused a fire in southern the Odesa area, officials reported. The incident occurred just one day after the Ukrainian president signed a deal to bring in US liquefied natural gas through the area. The MT Orinda was struck while offloading liquefied petroleum gas at Izmail port, according to Turkish Directorate for Maritime Affairs. Every one of the 16 crew on board were safely removed and not a single person was hurt.

Romanian Officials Evacuate Villages Following Aerial Incident

Romania's officials announced they had relocated two villages close to the Ukrainian frontier after the drone attack on the tanker. After entering Ukraine in recent years, Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's ports in the Danube area, triggering alerts in adjacent the country.

US Leader Donald Trump Open to Sign Russian Penalties Bill

US president Donald Trump is willing to sign legislation to impose sanctions on the Russian Federation, provided that he retains final decision-making power over any such actions, a senior U.S. administration official said. Trump informed reporters late on Sunday that it was “OK with me” that GOP members were drafting a bill to apply sanctions on nations doing business with Moscow over its failure to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Describes Railway Blast an “Never-Before-Seen Case of Disruption”

Poland's leader, Donald Tusk, has labeled an blast along a section of railway line employed in deliveries to Ukraine as an “unprecedented instance of disruption” that could have led to disaster. This statement coincided with a statement from public prosecutors indicating that an investigation had opened “regarding acts of disruption of a terrorist nature […] carried out on orders of a external intelligence agency against the nation of Poland.”

China Leader Expresses Willingness to Deepen Partnership with Russian Federation

China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Russia in energy, agriculture and other investments, Premier Li stated during a discussion with Russian prime minister Mishustin in the Russian capital. The Chinese premier told his counterpart that China welcomes more farm and food products from the nation, according to a state-run news agency. The Chinese side also desires that Russia will facilitate for Chinese enterprises to put money and do business there, the source mentioned. Mishustin told Li that the partnership between the two sides has consistently proven its resilience to external challenges.