Ukraine has taken possession of most of the 49 tanks given by Australia, and the rest will be delivered in coming months, said Defence Minister Richard Marles. “The M1A1 Abrams tanks will make a significant contribution to Ukraine’s ongoing fight against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion," Marles said in a statement.

The European Union approved a new series of sanctions against Russia on Friday in response to its ongoing war in Ukraine. The measures include a lower oil price cap, a ban on transactions involving the Nord Stream gas pipelines,

The European Union and Britain on Friday sought to ramp up economic pressure on Russia to halt the war in Ukraine by slashing a price cap meant to choke off revenues from key oil exports.

US President Donald Trump’s 50-day pause ahead of possible secondary sanctions on Russia gifts the Kremlin a window to exploit the incremental gains of recent weeks in Ukraine’s east.

President Donald Trump’s ultimatum to Russia to accept a peace deal in Ukraine within 50 days or face bruising sanctions has given the Kremlin extra time to pursue its summer offensive.

The Kremlin said on Friday that it did not believe that a tougher stance U.S. President Donald Trump has adopted towards Russia over its war in Ukraine means the end of U.S-Russia talks aimed at reviving their battered ties.