Salam Barrak stressed the need for the US to pressure Israel to stop hostilities, withdraw from southern points, and release prisoners. The Lebanese Cabinet prioritized extending state authority and restricting weapons to the state, with the army tasked to prepare a comprehensive plan including field and security measures to gradually control the situation.

Salam Barrak stressed the need for the US to pressure Israel to stop hostilities, withdraw from southern points, and release prisoners. The Lebanese Cabinet prioritized extending state authority and restricting weapons to the state, with the army tasked to prepare a comprehensive plan including field and security measures to gradually control the situation.

The French newspaper Le Figaro sees that Russian President Vladimir Putin is advancing methodically against the confused and wavering US President Donald Trump, having achieved his goals in the recent summit, including pushing Trump to abandon the ceasefire demand and raising the issue of Ukrainian territories.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump and Putin agreed to hold a meeting between Putin and Zelensky within two weeks, followed by a trilateral meeting including Trump.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that Ukraine's membership is not currently under discussion, and that the official position after the 2024 summit indicates an irreversible path for Ukraine's accession, but current focus is on Article 5 and security guarantees.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for tougher sanctions on Russia if peace talks fail, emphasizing the need to increase pressure on Moscow.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin "is not trustworthy," questioning his courage to join a trilateral meeting with Zelensky and Trump.

US President Donald Trump pointed to a photo from a previous assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania rally, stating that if he were not alive, things would be completely different.

Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that security guarantees for Kyiv will be officially determined on paper within a week to 10 days after meetings with the US president and European leaders.

The Middle East dilemma involves transforming armed groups and militias into semi-official institutions within or parallel to the state, eroding state sovereignty and shifting legitimacy from law to arms, as seen with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and armed factions in Iraq and Syria.