Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti there are no plans for President Vladimir Putin to deliver an address to the Federal Assembly in 2026, saying “No, there is no such plan.” The last address was in February 2024 — the 29th in modern Russian history and Putin’s 19th as head of state.

US allies are accelerating plans to reduce reliance on SpaceX’s Starlink after Elon Musk abruptly limited Ukrainian access, stoking concern that a built‑in “kill switch” gives Musk unilateral power to disable a critical communications network. Poland, which helped fund Ukrainian use, publicly rebuked Musk after reported Starlink disruptions. Ukraine will join a satellite communications network run by Finland’s Iceye and Nokia as part of a €300m aid package announced Thursday. Canada’s Telesat has pitched its Lightspeed LEO constellation as a more sovereign alternative. The EU has contracted Eutelsat and two partners to build IRIS², a 348‑satellite sovereign network costing about $17.5bn, with first launches slated for 2029.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu urged voters to back him, saying a vote for him is necessary to ensure Israel's survival and prevent its destruction.