Ukraine

The New York Times reports: Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday told Republicans that the House would vote Saturday evening on his foreign aid package for Israel and Ukraine, pushing through resistance in his own party to advance a long-stalled national security spending package for U.S. allies. His announcement came amid a crush of opposition from Republicans who are vehemently against …

The New Republic reports: Representative Mike Gallagher’s last day in Congress was supposed to be Friday, but some wavering votes on upcoming legislation might delay his exit. The Wisconsin Republican confirmed Wednesday that he would be sticking around for an “extra day or so” to help push through Speaker Mike Johnson’s foreign aid package for Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine, according …

The Daily Beast reports: The tragicomic tale of a down-on-his-luck Texan who reinvented himself as a renegade war hero in a fake Russian republic took an unexpected turn this week when he was allegedly abducted by Russian troops—after apparently being accused of being a CIA spy. Russell Bentley, also known as “Texas,” is perhaps the last person one would expect …

Bloomberg News reports: Speaker Mike Johnson plans separate House votes this week on new aid to Israel and Ukraine following Iran’s missile and drone attack over the weekend, a lawmaker said. The maneuver taps urgency among many US lawmakers to show solidarity with Israel in the wake of the attack while testing the determination of ultraconservatives to block Ukraine aid. …

The Christian Post reports: The World Russian People’s Council, led by Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, has labeled President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a “holy” endeavor, seemingly aiming to bring the region under Russian dominion. The declaration frames the war as a key moment in Russia’s battle against the “criminal Kiev regime” and Western “Satanism,” calling it a …

Politico reports: The U.S. and other Western countries are considering transferring to NATO a U.S.-led multinational group that coordinates the shipment of weapons to Ukraine, one of several new proposals that could help maintain the flow of arms to Kyiv under a second Donald Trump presidency. During the NATO foreign ministerial meeting in Brussels Wednesday and Thursday, officials are expected …

Axios reports: Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) on Thursday dealt one final blow to House Republican leadership one day before leaving Congress by signing Democrats’ foreign aid discharge petition. Buck is the first Republican to sign onto that discharge petition – or any Democratic discharge petition this Congress – amid GOP concerns about surrendering the House floor to Democrats. Driving the …

The Insider reports: On Tuesday, the House overwhelmingly passed a resolution to condemn Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children in the two years since the war began. Nine Republicans voted against the resolution. Sponsored by Democratic Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, the resolution holds the Russian government “responsible for the wrongful and illegal kidnapping of children from Ukraine” and states that …

Politico Europe reports: France wants Russia to observe a cease-fire in Ukraine during this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with Ukrainian television on Saturday. “This is a message of peace,” Macron said, before a voiceover interpreter quoted the French president as saying that France is doing so in line with the spirit …

Reuters reports: President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine, it would be considered a significant escalation of the conflict. Putin, speaking just days before a March 15-17 election which is certain to give him another six years in power, said the nuclear war …

The BBC reports: Donald Trump will not fund Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion if he is elected US president again, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has said. “He will not give a penny in the Ukraine-Russia war. That is why the war will end,” the conservative premier said. “It is obvious that Ukraine cannot stand on its own feet,” Mr Orban …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis said in an interview that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should have the courage to negotiate an end to the war with Russia and not be ashamed to sit at the same table to carry out peace talks. “I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about …

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church writes: On February 8, 2024, Holy Patriarch of Kyiv and All Russia-Ukraine Filaret awarded medals for “sacrifice and love to Ukraine” all personnel of the medical point of the 1st mechanized battalion of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade named after the Black Zaporozhzhciv Armed Forces of Ukraine in the corresponding submission. It is well known that …

Politico Europe reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned NATO against sending its troops to help Ukraine, in an explicit nuclear threat. “There has been talk of sending NATO contingents to Ukraine. But we remember the fate of those who sent contingents [in the past]. Now the consequences for the interventionists will be much more tragic,” Putin said in …

Reuters reports: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion two years ago, giving the first official figure for more than a year. Zelenskiy told a news conference in Kyiv that he could not disclose the number of wounded because it would help Russian military planning. “31,000 Ukrainian troops have been …

Politico reports: President Joe Biden called the behavior of House Republicans “shocking” on Monday for “walking away from the threat of Russia” for not passing aid for Ukraine. “The way they’re walking away from the threat of Russia, the way they’re walking away from NATO, the way they’re walking away from meeting our obligations. It’s just shocking. I’ve never seen …

The Hill reports: Russia has suffered more than 300,000 casualties in the war in Ukraine, according to the latest U.S. estimate, and has also lost 20 medium-to-large ships in the Black Sea. Laura Cooper, the Pentagon’s deputy secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, said 315,000 Russian soldiers have died or been wounded in the fighting so far. In …

The New York Times reports: The Senate passed a long-awaited foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel early Tuesday morning, delivering a bipartisan endorsement of the legislation after months of negotiations, dire battlefield warnings and political mudslinging. But the measure faced a buzz saw of opposition in the House, where Republican resistance threatened to kill it. The 70-to-29 vote reflected …

The Guardian reports: Rand Paul has launched a talking filibuster in protest of the $95bn foreign aid package making its way through the Senate, $60bn of which would be sent to Ukraine and $14bn of which would be directed to Israel. In a rambling speech, Paul addressed disparate topics like Covid-19 vaccinations and immigration. On the topic of foreign aid, …

NBC News reports: The Senate voted Thursday afternoon to proceed to a stripped-down bill that would provide aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, one day after Republicans in the chamber rejected a bipartisan border security and foreign aid bill. The vote of 67-32 means the Senate can begin consideration of the $95 billion package, although the next steps are uncertain …