Armenia does not expect EU membership by 2028 or 2030, but its course toward rapprochement with the EU is its strategic choice, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced Ramazan Lukozhev to five years in prison for leaving his unit without permission during mobilization.

The whereabouts of Elena Khakhaleva, a former judge of the Krasnodar Regional Court who is on the international wanted list, have been established. According to her lawyer, Yaroslav Krasnoshchekov, she is in Tbilisi.

The Serbian government has granted citizenship to Yakub Zakriev, the nephew of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. According to Serbian publications Direktno and Nedeljnik, the decision was made by Prime Minister Djuro Matsut and was based on the country's "interests," although these "interests" were not specified.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to protest the recent meeting in Kyiv between Bundestag member Roderich Kiesewetter and Akhmed Zakayev, the head of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria abroad, which is designated a terrorist organization by the Russian Federation.

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili met with EU Ambassador Pavel Gerchinsky, who was summoned for an audience following his statement in Brussels. Unlike her counterpart, who left the meeting without comment, the minister shared the meeting's results with journalists.

President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan were awarded the Guernica Prize for Peace and Reconciliation for their efforts to achieve peace and develop dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The award was presented to the countries' ambassadors in Spain.

In Dagestan and Chechnya, nearly 263,000 people (234,000 in the former and over 29,000 in the latter) applied for social benefits following the recent floods. Documentation issues remain the main obstacle to receiving assistance. Some victims registered their land plots but did not complete the necessary paperwork to build their homes.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze spoke harshly about his country's position compared to countries that have already received candidate status for negotiations with the European Union. According to him, Georgia is ahead of Ukraine and Moldova in virtually every key area—at least "head and shoulders, even ten."

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded to the possible assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump during the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hill Hotel in Washington, D.C. He emphasized that "violence has no place in our democratic societies."