Daily brief
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Romania and Bulgaria, affirming Romania's role as a key eastern flank ally and pledging NATO's defense of the country amid regional tensions. In Sofia, Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov assured Rutte of Bulgaria's continued commitment to NATO's collective defense.
Romania's parliament is deadlocked over the approval of the 2026 state budget.
Over 35,000 Bulgarians have applied to vote from abroad as the registration deadline approaches, ahead of the country's eighth early parliamentary election since 2021.
A former US counterterrorism chief stated that Israel pushed the United States toward a war with Iran.
Russia has responded to Ukraine's announced plans to establish control over the northwestern Black Sea.