429: Russian President on Ukraine Ceasefire - "We are in favor- but there are nuances" + Interim Syrian President Signs Temporary Constitution + Royal Netherlands Navy Fires Tomahawk Missile from Frigate + More

For review:

1. Interim Syrian President Signs Temporary Constitution. The temporary constitution leaves the country under Islamist rule while promising to protect the rights of all Syrians for five years during a transitional phase.

2. A group of around 100 senior figures from among Syria’s Druze are expected to visit the Israeli Golan Heights on Friday, and meet Sheikh Muafak Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel.

3.  Russian President Putin on Ukraine Ceasefire - "We are in favor- but there are nuances. A ceasefire should lead to "an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis", the Russian President said.

4. Russian forces have recaptured Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine once occupied in the Kursk Region. Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov claimed Wednesday that Russian forces had recaptured more than 86% of the Kursk area taken by Ukraine.

5.  Defense Ministers from Estonia and Latvia are concerned that even if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to a ceasefire deal, the reprieve may only allow Moscow to further consolidate its military and industrial might, and use it again elsewhere.

6. Royal Netherlands Navy Fires Tomahawk Missile from Frigate. The Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence announced that the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS De Ruyter (F804) launched a Tomahawk cruise missile off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia on Tuesday, marking the first time a Dutch warship fired the missile.

7. US Foreign Military Sale to Australia: The US State Department has approved a potential $91.2-million sale of precision-guided munitions to Australia. Canberra will receive 54 x Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems-Alternate Warhead (GMLRS-AW) rounds, along with telemetry kits, engineering services, and related support. Lockheed Martin and Lockheed Martin Australia are the principal contractors.