The formal decision to open the cluster is expected to be adopted on the sidelines of the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 14 July.

"Cluster 6 is particularly important in today's global security environment. Joint security and defence policy, trade, humanitarian assistance and development cooperation, bringing Ukraine closer to the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy," Kachka wrote on X.

On 3 July, Hungary agreed to the opening of the sixth cluster of Ukraine's and Moldova's European Union accession negotiations.

Hungary had unilaterally blocked the approval of the screening results for clusters two to six for Ukraine and Moldova within the Council of the EU's working group on enlargement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he hopes Poland and Hungary will not block Ukraine's European integration in the near future.

Bloomberg sources say that after months of negotiations, the EU is close to reaching an agreement with the UK government that will allow British companies to take part in the programme.

The announcement is likely to come as early as next week, at a meeting in Paris bringing together the Coalition of the Willing countries.

According to the sources, the UK government would make a financial contribution as Ukraine decides to use the loan to purchase military equipment from British companies.

The size of the contribution will be determined by the value of each contract and the cost of interest payments.

The deal is being viewed as a conciliatory gesture from the EU, after the two sides previously failed to reach agreement on the UK joining the EU's €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund, with talks stalling over EU demands for the UK to pay for access.

The UK and some EU member states were disappointed by this outcome, which British officials say was blocked by France.

They said that negotiations on the loan for Ukraine progressed far more smoothly: member states, including the Netherlands, were particularly insistent on reaching a swift agreement, and there was broad recognition that it will benefit Ukraine by making it easier to purchase British weapons as the two countries' defence industries become better integrated.

Back in May, it emerged that the UK plans to begin negotiations on joining the EU's £78 billion (around €90 billion) loan programme for Ukraine.

At the time, European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari said the UK must meet three conditions to join a project to provide Ukraine with the loan in 2026-2027.

Ukrainian service personnel will march alongside troops from member states of the Coalition of the Willing, an initiative launched by French President Emmanuel Macron, in the presence of the coalition's leaders.

On 13 July, Paris will host a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing at which representatives of more than 30 participating countries will return to the question of security guarantees for Ukraine and efforts to achieve peace.

European Pravda's source in the Élysée Palace said the presence of France's Ukrainian partners will demonstrate France's solidarity with Ukraine and its determination to support the country in defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom.

The parade on 14 July will open with around 500 troops representing the Coalition of the Willing countries.

According to the Élysée Palace, this makes the parade a historic event, as it will be a powerful symbol of a Europe that is awakening, recognising the dangers facing the world, and understanding that it must take its destiny into its own hands, as some of Europe's partners on the other side of the Atlantic have encouraged it to do.

The total number of troops taking part will be the largest in the Bastille Day parade's history.

In addition to the marching contingent, the programme will feature military vehicles and an aircraft display.

Tanks are set to parade through central Paris while helicopters fly overhead to recreate the atmosphere of a modern battlefield.

French Mirage fighter jets, piloted by mixed French and Ukrainian crews, will fly over the city.

Military aircraft from Germany, the UK, Croatia, Poland, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Spain and Italy will also take part.

The official concluded that the parade should also be seen as a strategic signal from France, sending a message that it possesses powerful armed forces capable of being the first to enter a conflict and conduct combat operations.

France is convening the latest meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris on 13-14 July.

This year's Bastille Day parade will be Macron's last as president and will provide an opportunity to underscore France's political support for Ukraine.

Following the coalition's meeting on 24 February, more than 30 participating countries reaffirmed their role in providing multi-layered security guarantees for Ukraine with US backing.

On 6 January, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Macron and Zelenskyy signed a declaration of intent on the deployment of troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.

The sanctions package could be approved in a "watered-down" form, including without Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council could approve the 21st package of sanctions against Russia on 13 July in a compromise version that omits Patriarch Kirill and contains softened wording on the proposed entry ban for Russian combatants.

"Just a week ago, it seemed that the differences between member states over the key elements of the 21st package were too deep and that its adoption would have to be postponed until the autumn. But discussions of the revised version at the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) on 12 July gave hope that a compromise could be reached," one of European Pravda's sources said.

According to the sources, the EU is likely to make the following compromises to secure approval of the package:

1. Remove Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and Lukoil founder Vagit Alekperov from the proposed sanctions list at the request of Bulgaria and Italy.
2. Soften the wording on the proposed EU entry ban for Russian combatants who took part in the war against Ukraine, including the possible exclusion of former servicemen from the measure, at the request of Italy, France, Greece, Cyprus and other member states.
3. Ease the wording on the proposed ban on imports of Russian fish into the EU, including dropping the proposed full ban on cod imports from Russia and Belarus, which is seen as a backdoor for Russian fish entering the EU, in the interests of Germany, France, the Netherlands and Poland.
4. Drop several proposed restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas and related tankers due to pressure from Greece, Cyprus and Malta.

The next discussion of the sanctions package at Coreper is scheduled for Friday 10 July. According to European Pravda's sources, the Irish Presidency hopes to secure technical approval that day, with final adoption by the Foreign Affairs Council on 13 July.

If consensus is not reached on 10 July, another Coreper meeting could be held on Sunday 12 July, although no decision has yet been made.

European Pravda's sources do not rule out the possibility that the final political decision on the 21st sanctions package will be taken directly by EU foreign ministers on 13 July.

Another possible scenario remains that only the extension of the Russian oil price cap at US$44.1 per barrel for another six months will be approved on 13 July, while adoption of the 21st sanctions package would be postponed until the autumn or approved later through Coreper's written procedure.

Under the European Commission's plan, the EU's 21st sanctions package must be adopted by 15 July, the deadline for updating the Russian oil price cap.

In early June, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the EU's 21st sanctions package.

Since then, EU member states have failed to reach a common position on sanctions targeting the Russian fishing industry (as member states are seeking to significantly weaken the quotas proposed by the European Commission), the proposed EU entry ban for Russian combatants, and individual sanctions against Russian nationals, including Patriarch Kirill.

According to the Financial Times, NATO leaders were not surprised by Trump's renewed complaints about European allies. What did catch them off guard, however, were his unexpectedly warm remarks about Ukraine and his pledge to grant licences for the production of Patriot missiles. The comments reportedly fuelled cautious optimism that Trump may now adopt a more supportive stance towards Kyiv.

Unnamed officials told the Financial Times they hoped the remarks reflected a lasting shift in Washington's approach to supporting Ukraine and could lead to increased pressure on Russia.

"It's relatively simple. Trump likes winners. And Ukraine, recently, has started winning," said one NATO diplomat.

Another official, whose country was not identified, said Trump had signalled during the leaders' meeting that he was inclined to provide greater support for Ukraine and was considering additional steps to help Kyiv turn the course of the war in its favour.

A second anonymous official said the US president had sounded serious and statesmanlike during the discussions.

During his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump said that Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries are an escalation that could help bring the war to an end.

He also announced that the United States would purchase drones from Ukraine.

As reported by Euronews, under the proposal currently under discussion, the ban would apply only to short-stay visas and only to individuals who directly participated in combat operations in Ukraine.

The measure would form part of the EU's 21st package of sanctions imposed in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In recent weeks, France and Italy have opposed a full entry ban for participants in Russia's war against Ukraine, arguing that the issue should be addressed through visa policy rather than sanctions. They also warned that such a measure could create practical difficulties for countries processing large numbers of Russian visa applications.

To address those concerns, Ireland, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, has proposed limiting the measure to short-stay visas. The revised proposal would apply only to individuals who serve or have served in the Russian armed forces or in irregular armed groups controlled by or acting on behalf of Moscow, and only if they directly participated in combat operations in Ukraine after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The original proposal was significantly broader, covering anyone who had served in the Russian armed forces, including in administrative or logistical roles. The revised draft also removes the presumption that visa applicants participated in the war unless they could prove otherwise.

The list of exemptions has also been expanded.

Under the original proposal, the only exemption would have allowed visas to be issued to applicants who could prove they have deserted the Russian armed forces or opposed Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

The latest version also allows entry or transit on humanitarian grounds, for national interest reasons, or to fulfil international obligations.

In such exceptional cases, the visa would be valid only for the territory of the EU member state that issued it, meaning the holder would not be able to travel to another member state without that country's consent.

According to the European Commission's timetable, the 21st EU sanctions package against Russia must be approved by 15 July, ahead of the deadline for renewing the price cap on Russian oil.

At the beginning of June, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia.

Shortly afterwards, Bulgaria said it would block the package because it included Patriarch Kirill in the proposed sanctions list. Italy later joined Bulgaria in raising similar objections.

The secretary general of Italy's Foreign Ministry informed the Russian ambassador in Rome that the two attachés, Ivan Gorbachev and Mikhail Astakhov, must leave Italy within three days.

The government decided to expel the two Russian embassy military attachés who were responsible for espionage activities uncovered during an investigation by the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office.

"Moscow continues to use its hybrid weapons to attack the West and Italy. This constitutes a serious and unacceptable interference in Italian institutions and national security," Tajani wrote on X.

The decision to expel the attachés came after two former Italian intelligence officers were arrested in Rome on suspicion of spying for Russia. They are believed to have passed classified information to a suspected Russian intelligence operative who enjoys diplomatic immunity in Italy.

Last week, two people – Chinese and Malaysian nationals – were detained in Sweden on suspicion of espionage.

As reported by Euractiv, the move is reportedly causing controversy following the recent discovery of a Ukrainian naval drone carrying 100 kg of explosives near the Greek island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea.

According to diplomatic sources in Athens, intelligence gathered by Kyiv suggests the drone's target was a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean Sea.

The issue resurfaced earlier this week after Russian government-aligned pranksters Vovan and Lexus – Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov – carried out a prank call with Thanos Dokos, the national security adviser to the Greek prime minister.

The drone incident prompted a strong reaction from Athens, which demanded an apology from Kyiv and guarantees that such an incident will not be repeated, in order to prevent the Mediterranean from becoming a theatre of war.

Greece has issued three diplomatic démarches to Kyiv over the incident.

Ukraine formally apologised for the incident, stressing that it was the result of circumstances caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Unofficially, however, Kyiv has made clear it has no intention of holding back from attacks on Russian vessels in the Mediterranean.

During several in-person meetings held since the 7 May incident, Ukrainian diplomats said Kyiv will continue striking Russian tankers on the open sea under its right to self-defence in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, diplomatic sources in Athens said.

The Ukrainian side referred to the 1996 Treaty of Friendship between the two countries, under which they are obliged to hold consultations should such a situation arise.

"Should a situation arise that could pose a threat to, or jeopardise, international peace and order, the Parties shall enter into immediate consultations in order to assess the situation," the agreement states.

Ukraine said Athens has failed to comply with this provision, and pointed out that the issue was excessively politicised in the Greek media before any preliminary consultations were held with Kyiv.

In early June, a naval drone (a Kozak Mamai model, according to Greek media) was discovered by fishermen near the island of Lefkada after it apparently suffered a remote-control malfunction.

It was reportedly carrying 100 kg of explosives.

Athens has warned it will not allow the Mediterranean to become a theatre of war. In May, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said "Ukraine owes us a very big apology".

As reported by Polsat News, Nawrocki said that Poles' emotions regarding the Volyn tragedy are not open to discussion and added that the lack of agreement on the issue is "a specific problem". [The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy was a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943 during World War II. It was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west. Poland considers the Volyn tragedy a genocide of Poles – ed.]

"For me, issues concerning the UPA are not open to discussion. We were unable to resolve the historical issues. But we did not expect to resolve every issue," the Polish president stressed. [The UPA, or Ukrainian Insurgent Army, was a nationalist paramilitary organisation that fought for Ukrainian independence during and after World War II, primarily against Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union – ed.]

He added that despite historical disagreements, Poland and Ukraine must "take responsibility for what is happening in connection with the Russian invasion".

"It is good that we met. The president of Ukraine and I discussed what Polish-Ukrainian cooperation should look like," Nawrocki said.

He also added that it is Russia that is a long-term threat to Poland as well as to NATO.

Zelenskyy said that he and Nawrocki had had an "important and necessary conversation" that lasted more than an hour.

The meeting came after a serious deterioration in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw, particularly at the presidential level, following a controversy over the renaming of one of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces units in honour of UPA heroes and Nawrocki's subsequent decision to revoke the Order of the White Eagle previously given to Zelenskyy.

During a meeting in Warsaw with his Polish counterpart Radosław Sikorski on 3 July, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha proposed a package of confidence-building measures aimed at easing tensions in relations between Ukraine and Poland.

As reported by European Pravda's correspondent in Brussels, the new sanctions, previously unveiled by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, are expected to be adopted at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 13 July.

The proposals were submitted last Friday following yet another large-scale Russian attack on Kyiv on the night of 1-2 July. According to the sources, the measures have received broad support among EU member states.

On Wednesday 8 July, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) discussed the new package and decided to refer it to the Working Party of Foreign Relations Counsellors (Relex) for final preparation ahead of its expected approval on Monday.

Last week, following Russia's large-scale attack on Ukraine, Kallas said she would propose sanctions against a broader range of companies supporting Russia's military industry.

According to media reports, the new sanctions are expected to target five legal entities and one individual involved in developing and manufacturing components that enhance the capabilities of Russia's Shahed and Geran drones.