Russia

• Raytheon has called in retired engineers to help produce Stinger anti-aircraft missiles that the US has been providing Ukraine, Defense One reported on Thursday. AWC
• The US is close to approving the provision of longer-range missiles for Ukraine that the White House has been reluctant to send due to concerns of escalation, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. AWC
• Ukraine is negotiating with Warsaw to obtain the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system which would give Kiev the ability to hit targets on land or at sea from distances of more than 124 miles. This possible deal comes as the US and its allies are working to boost the longer-range capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces. The Institute 
• Washington expects Kiev will receive a stronger commitment from the North Atlantic alliance at an upcoming summit, an American official told reporters on Thursday. However, Ukraine will not be given a timeline on when it will receive membership in the alliance. AWC
• British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said Thursday that NATO should consider skipping a Membership Action Plan (MAP) as a requirement for Ukraine to join the Western military alliance. AWC
• The US is moving closer to sending widely-banned cluster bombs to Ukraine as the Biden administration is pushing Congress to put aside concerns about the harm the munitions cause to civilians, The Washington Post reported Saturday. AWC
• Human Rights Watch found that Ukrainian troops have been using scatter mines. The anti-personnel weapons are internationally banned, including by Kiev, because of their devastating impact on civilians. The Institute 
• Even though the US and its NATO allies have provided a massive amount of arms to Ukraine, the country’s commander-in-chief has said more is needed for Ukrainian forces to advance more rapidly in their counteroffensive. AWC

China

• The Pentagon said Thursday that the Chinese balloon that wound up over the US in February did not collect data while it flew over US territory. AWC
• Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with a visiting US congressional delegation in Taipei on Wednesday and thanked the lawmakers for the steps the US is taking to increase support for Taiwan. AWC
• The Biden administration last week approved two potential arms deals for Taiwan worth $440 million amid heightened tensions between the US and China. AWC

Korea

• US nuclear-capable B-52 bombers flew to the Korean Peninsula on Friday in the latest US provocation against North Korea. AWC

Middle East

• The Israeli Defense Ministry said Sunday that Israel will acquire a third fleet of Lockheed Martin-made F-35 fighter jets using US military aid funds. AWC
• Twenty-one organizations have sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calling for the Pentagon to conduct a transparent investigation into a May 3 drone strike that killed a civilian in northwest Syria’s Idlib province. AWC
• Israeli airstrikes targeted the Syrian city of Homs early Sunday morning, Syria’s SANA news agency reported. AWC