Ukraine War & Sanctions Pressure: Zelensky said Russia’s strikes on Sumy and Zaporizhzhia show the need for partners to pressure Moscow via energy, oil fleet and the financial system, stressing Europe has “tools” to act alongside the US, G7 and G20. NATO Burden-Sharing: Senior NATO commanders said European allies have largely backfilled US cuts to NATO force planning ahead of the Ankara summit, while leaders seek to smooth over Washington’s reduced support. Defense Spending Politics: Germany’s Friedrich Merz defended a plan to double defense spending and reach 3.5% of GDP by 2029, responding to Trump’s criticism of NATO members. EU-Ukraine Accession Blockages: Hungary partially eased its stance by allowing the procedure to open Ukraine’s sixth negotiation cluster, but continues blocking other clusters. Heatwave Death Toll: France, Belgium and the Netherlands reported about 3,700 excess deaths from June’s extreme heat, with climate change flagged as a major driver. EU Passport System Disruption: Ryanair warned the Entry/Exit System (EES) is not ready for peak summer travel and urged governments to pause rollout to avoid long queues. EU-Gaza Humanitarian Politics: Von der Leyen reiterated the EU does “more” for Palestinians than any other actor, while protests in Ireland’s Mayo targeted EU ministers over Gaza and militarisation concerns. EU-Armenia Trade Boost: The EU proposed tariff-free access for about 80% of Armenian exports plus €52m support to help diversify trade and build resilience. Surveillance & Pegasus Fallout: Reports and complaints continue around Pegasus spyware targeting European politicians and concerns raised with Russia, the EU and US missions.