French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the global credibility of the United States and its NATO allies is on the line in Ukraine, as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts to end the Russian invasion once and for all.

Rather than exploiting Russia’s weaknesses, a drone-centric NATO could be playing to Russia’s strengths, some experts warn.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday NATO membership for Ukraine was not under discussion but that there was a discussion on "Article 5" type security guarantees for the country that Russia invaded in February 2022.

The U.S. has pivoted policy to focus more northward. In 2018, it resuscitated the U.S. Navy's Second Fleet to counter Russia, including in the Arctic, closely linked with the establishment of NATO's newest command, the Virginia -headquartered Joint Force Command Norfolk.

For Putin, the war in Ukraine is not only about Kyiv's independence, it's about preserving Russia's power over former Soviet states.

A high-stakes summit in Alaska has left Ukraine balancing on uncertain ground, offered Article 5-like guarantees without full NATO membership, a compromise designed to appease Moscow while placating the West.

Turkey's development of naval drones highlight how it is independently producing and innovating a layered defense system.

Special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff says Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to allow the U.S. and Europe to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense mandate.