Russia Destroys Last Bridge Into Besieged Eastern Ukrainian City |
Ukrainian forces said they are battling Russian troops (Reuters) trying to storm Severodonetsk after Russia destroyed a bridge linking the city to nearby Ukrainian-controlled territory. The city is now the site of the war’s biggest fight as Russia has shifted its focus there after it failed to capture the capital, Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said they are trying to evacuate more than five hundred civilians trapped inside a chemical plant in the city.
Kyiv has said it is losing between one hundred and two hundred soldiers each day in the war. A senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to Western allies (NYT) for increased weapons support ahead of a meeting of Western defense ministers scheduled for tomorrow in Brussels.
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“Even a limited Russian victory will send a dangerous signal to the world that the West is weak and aggression pays. We must send lots more aid to Ukraine now to avert the loss of [the eastern Ukrainian region of] Donbas and to enable a counteroffensive to retake ground already occupied, but not yet fortified, by the invaders,” CFR’s Max Boot writes for the Washington Post.
“Learning from its earlier missteps, Russia is treading more carefully [in the Donbas], relying on longer-range bombardments to soften Ukrainian defenses. It seems to be working,” the Associated Press writes.
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U.S., Chinese Officials Hold ‘Substantive, Productive’ Meeting |
During a 4.5-hour meeting in Luxembourg, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi discussed (SCMP) Taiwan, North Korea, and Ukraine. A White House statement called the meeting “candid, substantive, and productive.”
This timeline traces U.S.-China relations.
Taiwan: A foreign ministry spokesperson said the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway (SCMP), contradicting a Chinese official’s statement a day earlier that Beijing has sovereign and administrative rights to the strait. |
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U.S. Air Force: Crew Not at Fault for Afghan Deaths During Kabul Evacuation |
The findings concluded a review (AP) of the deaths of several Afghans who clung to U.S. planes leaving Kabul amid the Taliban takeover last year.
Sri Lanka: The crisis-hit country gave public employees an extra day off per week and encouraged them (AFP) to use the time to grow food in their backyards. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
European Union Exploring Two ‘Major’ Energy Projects With Israel |
One is a power cable (Bloomberg) connecting Israel to Cyprus and Greece, while the other is an eastern Mediterranean natural gas and hydrogen pipeline, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
This In Brief examines Russia’s energy role in Europe.
U.S./Israel/Saudi Arabia: A White House spokesperson confirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden is planning a trip (Bloomberg) to Israel and Saudi Arabia, but she pushed back against suggestions that the trip would be largely about oil. |
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UK to Fly First Plane of Asylum Seekers to Rwanda |
A legal attempt to block today’s flight failed in court (BBC). Seven people are due to be deported from the United Kingdom (UK), the charity Care4Calais said.
Ethiopia: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his government formed a committee (Reuters) to negotiate with forces from the country’s northern Tigray region. |
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Scotland’s Leader Launches Campaign for New Independence Vote |
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she plans to hold a fresh vote (BBC) on Scottish independence before the end of next year. |
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Cuba Sentences Nearly Three Hundred People for Participating in Anti-government Protests |
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January 6 Panel Details Trump’s Insistence on Defying Advisors on Election Night |
Former President Donald Trump insisted on declaring victory (NYT) before votes were fully counted on election night in 2020 over the objections of many advisors, according to testimony shown by the House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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