Russia

• A neo-Nazi-aligned militant leading cross-border raids into Russia using American military equipment told the Washington Post that his forces were escalating tensions with Moscow. The Institute 
• NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that NATO will not offer a formal invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance at the upcoming summit in Vilnius that will be held from July 11-12. AWC
• The New York Times reported Monday that the US and its Western allies have shipped weapons to Ukraine that were broken and needed repair or were only useful for spare parts. AWC
• A group of Belarusian exiles is receiving training in Poland to prepare for a day when they return to Belarus to take on the government of President Alexander Lukashenko, The Times reported on Sunday. AWC
•  Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told allies to “dig deep” in support for Ukraine calling the proxy war a marathon, not a sprint. TVP World

China

• Taiwanese military experts will join US and Japanese analysts in conducting war game simulations for a potential conflict with China in the Taiwan Strait, The South China Morning Post reported Monday. AWC

North Korea

• The arrival of a large US nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea was a “dress rehearsal” for the docking of a nuclear-armed submarine, Nikkei Asia reported Monday. AWC