Ukraine

NBC News reports: Russia claimed Thursday that the United States was behind an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin that it said was a Ukrainian attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. The accusation, made without citing evidence, comes less than 24 hours after Moscow said that it had foiled an overnight drone strike on the building that acts as the …

NBC News reports: Russia claimed Wednesday that Ukraine tried to assassinate President Vladimir Putin in an overnight drone attack on the Kremlin. The accusation, made without providing evidence and without immediate reaction from Kyiv, was the latest in a string of reported incidents inside Russia and far from the war’s front lines. In a statement on the Kremlin’s website, Putin’s …

The Associated Press reports: The White House said Monday it now estimates that just since December Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties, including more than 20,000 killed, as Ukraine has rebuffed a heavy assault by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. estimate is based on newly declassified American intelligence. He did …

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor is calling for a cease-fire in Russia’s war with Ukraine. In comments made to Nikkei Asia, Ron DeSantis called for a cessation of hostilities, lest a situation happen such as the entrenched bloodshed in World War I. “You don’t want to end up in, like, a Verdun situation, where you just have mass casualties and …

The BBC reports: An explosion in a St Petersburg cafe has killed prominent Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, Russia’s Interior Ministry has confirmed. At least 16 people were injured in the Street Bar Cafe bomb blast, police say. Vladlen Tatarsky’s following on Telegram numbers more than 500,000. He and other military bloggers have criticised aspects of the Russian campaign in …

Reuters reports: Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, marking the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based such arms outside the country. Putin made the announcement at a time of growing tensions with the West over the Ukraine war and as some Russian commentators speculate about possible nuclear …

The Washington Post reports: The visit was a symbolic display of bravado by Putin, just a day after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes and right before a state visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which begins Monday. But even as Putin personally staked his claim to occupied Ukrainian territory, …

Florida Politics reports: Former Vice President Mike Pence is the latest Republican heavyweight to divorce himself from Ron DeSantis‘ foreign policy vision. During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Saturday, Pence rejected DeSantis’ framing of the Russian war on Ukraine as a mere “territorial dispute,” opting to frame it as a “Russian invasion.” “Let me be clear. What’s going on …

NBC News reports: The International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin was “justified,” President Joe Biden said today. “He’s clearly committed war crimes,” Biden told reporters at the White House. He added that he thought the warrant was “justified,” although he pointed out the U.S., like Russia, does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction. …

Reuters reports: The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on Friday against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities during its one-year invasion of its neighbour. In its first warrant for Ukraine, the ICC called for Putin’s arrest on …

Axios reports: Russian forces in Ukraine have committed an array of violations that amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, a United Nations commission said in a report released Thursday. Russia’s violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law — many of which constitute war crimes — include willful killings, torture, rape, forced transfers and the deportation …

“While the U.S. has many vital national interests – securing our borders, addressing the crisis of readiness within our military, achieving energy security and independence, and checking the economic, cultural, and military power of the Chinese Communist Party – becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them. “The Biden administration’s virtual ‘blank …

The Hill reports: Russian officials railed against Ukraine’s talk of changing Russia’s official name to Muscovy, after a Ukrainian petition regarding a potential name change garnered 25,000 signatures. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly instructed Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal to “carefully” consider renaming Russia to Muscovy, accounting for consequences under international law and whether it was possible in historical and …

CNN reports: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is inviting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to visit Ukraine to see the situation on the ground first hand – an invitation that comes as the Republican Party faces a divide over whether the United States should continue to provide aid to the country under attack from Russia. “Mr. McCarthy, he has to come here …

The Associated Press reports: Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday the U.S. should step up support for Ukraine, marking the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion with calls for more and faster military aid that put him out of step with some of his likely 2024 presidential rivals. Pence, who is is widely expected to launch a bid for …

Fox News reports: Friday marks the one-year anniversary since Russia invaded Ukraine and half of American voters say the U.S. should back the embattled nation for as long as it takes, according to a new Fox News survey. The survey, released Thursday, asks what the timeframe should be for U.S. support in Ukraine: 50% think it should continue until Ukraine …

CNN reports: Ukraine is capable of putting an end to the Russian invasion this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address to a commemorative event in Berlin on the first anniversary of the war. Reflecting on the year that’s passed, Zelensky spoke boldly of the year ahead. Ukraine has the power to win “in unity, resolutely and …

Reuters reports: After a series of strident speeches in the runup to the anniversary of his invasion, Putin announced plans on Thursday to deploy new Sarmat multi-warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles this year. Earlier this week he suspended Russia’s participation in the START nuclear arms control treaty. “As before, we will pay increased attention to strengthening the nuclear triad,” said Putin, …

The New York Times reports: President Biden made a surprise trip to the besieged capital of Ukraine on Monday, traveling under a cloak of secrecy into a war zone to demonstrate what he called America’s “unwavering support” of the effort to beat back Russian forces nearly a year after they invaded the country. Mr. Biden arrived unannounced early Monday morning …

The Washington Post reports: As Russian troops stormed into Ukraine last February, sending millions of Ukrainians fleeing for their lives, thousands of other Russians raced to pack their bags and leave home, fearing the Kremlin would shut the borders and impose martial law. Some had long opposed rising authoritarianism, and the invasion was a last straw. Others were driven by …