EU Accession Talks: Hungary signaled it may soon lift its veto over minority-language issues, bringing Ukraine closer to starting formal EU accession negotiations—though Poland’s dispute could still derail momentum. Russia’s War Economy: Bloomberg reports Russian officials warned Putin that Ukraine’s pressure is making war spending unaffordable, as deficits widen and growth forecasts slide. Patriot Procurement Pressure: Zelensky gave officials a one-week deadline to finalize Patriot contracts, warning of “personnel consequences” if delays continue. Defense Industry Push: Ukraine’s Fire Point tested a maneuvering interceptor missile platform for the FREYJA anti-ballistic system, while ARX Robotics plans to scale European UGV production, including in Ukraine. Long-Range Strikes & Business Impact: Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg’s oil terminal and Kronstadt ahead of Putin’s SPIEF “Russian Davos,” disrupting flights and mobile internet—while NATO chief Rutte said there’s no issue with Ukraine striking there. Corruption & Energy: Ukraine’s SBU exposed a UAH 104m embezzlement scheme tied to protective structures for an energy substation, and Energoatom faces fresh alleged embezzlement claims. Regional Trade & Logistics: Ukraine discussed transferring Lithuanian reserve locomotives to Ukrzaliznytsia via the Ukraine Transport Support Fund. AI for Business: The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry invited companies to a practical workshop on ethical AI impact assessments.