May 24, Wednesday, 2023

1. A senior Ukrainian military officer says the country’s forces are not joining pro-Ukrainian volunteer soldiers fighting inside Russian territory. Roman Kostenko said two armed groups that claim to have intruded into Russia’s Belgorod region have their own goals. He acknowledged that the military is in partnership with them, but said Kyiv does not want Russian land. 2. The European Union’s foreign policy chief says Ukrainian pilots have started training to operate F-16 fighter jets in “several countries,” including Poland. Josep Borrell said that the training “will take time, but the sooner the better.” He added that Western allies have opened the door for providing the aircraft.
3. Major US media outlets reported on Tuesday that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will announce on Wednesday his bid to seek the Republican nomination for next year’s presidential election. He could be the biggest rival of former President Donald Trump in the Republican nomination race.