‘Bad Joke’: Russia Assumes Presidency of UN Security Council on April Fool’s Day

At a time when its relations with the West are undergoing significant strains, Russia assumes the presidency of the U.N. Security Council on April 1, a development that Ukraine’s foreign minister called a “bad joke.”  Read

DeSantis Calls Trump Indictment ‘Un-American’; Says Florida Won’t Assist in an Extradition Request

Florida will not cooperate in any extradition request for former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Thursday evening, calling his indictment on criminal charges “un-American.”  Read

Senate Votes to Repeal Iraq AUMF, Ending ‘Blank Check’ for Presidents to Bypass Congressional War Declarations

The U.S. Senate voted 66-30 Wednesday to repeal two Iraq-related war authorizations, with Republicans divided on the question amid stepped-up attacks on U.S. troops by Iranian proxies in the region. Read

Unlike Russia and China, US is Not Developing New Nuclear Weapons, Top Strategic Officers Confirm

A Republican lawmaker raised concerns on Capitol Hill this week about the fact Russia and China are developing sophisticated new nuclear weapons, and asked military officers overseeing the U.S. nuclear deterrent whether the U.S. was doing the same. The answer he received was no.  Read

IOC Still Grappling With Thorny Issue of Russian, Belarusian Participation in 2024 Paris Olympics

Less than 500 days before the Summer Olympics opens in Paris, the question of whether Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials will be allowed to take part remains unresolved, and the host nation says its leaving the decision to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  Read

In New ‘Violation’ of Arms Control Treaty, Russia Won’t Provide Nuclear Warhead Numbers

A month after Russia informed the U.S. that it is suspending participation in the last remaining nuclear pact between the two countries, a senior Pentagon official said on Tuesday that Moscow is now refusing to hand over data on its nuclear warheads, due at the end of this week. Read

Biden Urged to Take Firmer Line in Opposing Normalized Relations With Syria's Assad

A group of former senior U.S. officials and Mideast specialists is urging the Biden administration to take a firmer stance against the normalization of relations with the Assad regime, arguing that it needs to do more than just verbally voice its opposition.  Read

‘Is China Running the UN?’: Taiwanese Barred From UN HQ Because Their Country Is Not a Member-State

Only holders of IDs issued by member-states of the United Nations may enter the U.N. headquarters in New York City, a spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday when asked why Taiwanese citizens were unable to do so.  Read

China and Brazil Back Russian Request for International Probe Into Pipeline Sabotage, But Effort Fails

 A Russia-led request for a U.N.-mandated international investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last September fell flat on Monday, when its resolution on the issue won just three votes in the U.N. Security Council.  Read

Kerry on Climate Cooperation: We Have Issues With China ‘But We Can’t Get Bogged Down by That’

China and Russia pose significant challenges to the United States, but the U.S. cannot focus on those issues to the exclusion of cooperating with them on climate change, according to U.S. presidential envoy for climate John Kerry.  Read

Ukraine Seeks Urgent UNSC Meeting Over Putin’s Plans to Deploy Tactical Nuclear Weapons Next Door

Ukraine has called for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s weekend announcement of plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a close Russian ally that borders both Ukraine and NATO territory.  Read

Kirby: Biden Has Responded ‘Boldly’ to Attack by Iranian Proxies; McCaul: 'Our Deterrence Against Iran Is Broken'

President Biden is “absolutely” committed to keeping the 900 U.S. troops in Syria, and the U.S. “will always act decisively to protect our people,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday.  Read

US-Funded UN Agency Condemned by Terror Groups After Suspending Palestinian Teacher for Incitement

A cash-strapped U.N. agency that suspended a Palestinian teacher in Lebanon for inciting terrorism on social media is now facing significant unrest, as Palestinian terrorist organizations condemn the decision. Read

McCaul Wields Subpoena; Americans Deserve to See Documents After ‘That Dreadful August’ in Kabul

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Thursday gave Secretary of State Antony Blinken until Monday to produce key documents on the Afghanistan withdrawal in the summer of 2021, saying the American people had the right to see them “after what happened in that dreadful August.”  Read

Putin: Russia Favors Using Chinese Yuan in Its Trade With Asia, Africa, and Latin America

During their talks at the Kremlin this week, President Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart that Russia supports using China’s yuan as a settlement currency for transactions between Russia and third countries, the latest move in a decade-long campaign by Moscow and Beijing to reduce their shared dependence on the U.S. dollar. Read

Senate Rejects Rand Paul’s Amendment to Repeal 2001 ‘War on Terror’ Authorization

As Congress considers repealing a pair of Iraq war authorizations, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted down an attempt by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to abolish another authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) – the one put in place to respond to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.  Read

Putin Misleadingly Claims UK Is Sending ‘Weapons With a Nuclear Component’ to Ukraine

Britain’s ministry of defense accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of deliberately spreading disinformation on Tuesday after he insinuated that the U.K. was planning to provide Ukraine with “weapons with a nuclear component.” Read

Putin Welcomes Xi’s Ukraine Peace Plan; Says Russia and China’s Views ‘Are Identical Or Very Close’

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that a Chinese “peace plan” for Ukraine aligns in many respects with Russia’s views, and could form the basis for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, “when the West and Kyiv are ready for it.”  Read

Kirby: No Need For China to Overreact to Visit by Taiwan’s President; Meeting With McCarthy Planned

There is no need for China to overreact – or indeed to react at all – to a planned stopover in the United States of Taiwan’s president, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Wednesday, characterizing the visit as an unofficial and private affair. Read

Kirby: ‘We’d All Like to See The Fighting Stop'; But Russia Must Withdraw From Ukraine

The Biden administration is doubling down on warnings that any China-instigated push for a ceasefire in Ukraine that freezes in place the Russian occupation of its territory would be unacceptable. Read

Russia, China Again Work Together to Block Condemnation of N. Korea Missile Provocations

While Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were meeting in Moscow on Monday, their representatives at the U.N. were working together to stymie a U.S.-led effort to have the Security Council condemn yet another North Korean missile test – a violation of a series of council resolutions.  Read

Putin Hosts Xi: Russia-China Strategic Partnership ‘On the Brink of a New Era’

Declaring that Russia-China strategic cooperation is “standing on the brink of a new era,” Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to host Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.  Read

Defiant Putin Makes Surprise Visit to Ukrainian Territory ‘As Befits a Thief’ (and Indicted War Criminal)

A day after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of war crimes, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled at the weekend to one of Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine where the cited offenses – specifically, the deportation of Ukrainian children – allegedly took place. Read

Video Footage Appears to Contradict Russian Claims That Jet Did Not Collide With US Drone

Declassified video footage released by U.S. European Command shows an incident over the Black Sea on Tuesday, when a U.S. Air Force drone was downed after being intercepted by two Russian fighter jets, one of which evidently collided with it, damaging its propeller.  Read

Senate Gears Up for Debate and Vote on Repealing Iraq War Authorizations

With Republicans divided on the issue, the Senate voted on Thursday to advance legislation to repeal Iraq war authorizations put in place in 1991 and 2002, in what would be the first action of its kind by Congress in more than half a century. Read

WHO Scientist: We Must Probe Lab-Leak and Natural COVID Origin Hypotheses ‘Until We Have an Answer’

 The World Health Organization must and will pursue investigations into the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak “until we have an answer,” a leading WHO scientist on Wednesday, adding that the agency continues to seek “better collaboration” from China. Read

Downed U.S. Drone Deep Below Surface of Black Sea, But Russia Will Try to Retrieve It

 The U.S. military drone downed after a collision with a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea probably broke into pieces and is likely about 4,000-5,000 feet below the surface, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said on Wednesday.  Read

Russian Ambassador Slams ‘Notorious Lawmaker’ Lindsey Graham Over Shootdown Warning

Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov late Wednesday condemned Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for saying that the U.S. should warn Russia it would shoot down its warplanes if they approach U.S. assets in international airspace.  Read

US Drone Downed After Collision With 'Unprofessional' Russian Fighter Over Black Sea; Moscow Disputes US Account

Russia is disputing the Pentagon’s account of how a large U.S. military drone was downed over the Black Sea on Tuesday, denying the U.S. assertion that a Russian fighter jet being flown in a “reckless and unprofessional” manner clipped the unmanned aerial vehicle.  Read

Putin: Nord Stream Sabotage Was Committed by State Actor; ‘Theoretically,’ US Had Much to Gain

 Claims that a “pro-Ukrainian group” was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines last fall were “utter nonsense,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, adding that only a state actor would be capable of carrying out such an attack.  Read

US-UK-Australia Submarine Plans Move Ahead; China Says it Reveals ‘Cold War Mentality’

The U.S., Britain, and Australia have unveiled a multi-decade plan designed to boost Western security in the Asia Pacific at a time of growing Chinese power, by enabling Australia to buy nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S., and eventually build its own. Read

UN’s First ‘International Day to Combat Islamophobia’ Largely Ignores Plight of Uyghur Muslims

The United Nations on Wednesday marks the first International Day to Combat Islamophobia, but at an event at the U.N. General Assembly in the lead-up to the commemoration, arguably the worst manifestation of anti-Muslim persecution in the world today received scant attention. Read

House Intel Committee Chair Calls Iran-Saudi Deal, Brokered by China, ‘Very Troubling’

The Biden administration has cautiously welcomed a China-mediated agreement to restore ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, but House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said Sunday it was a “very troubling” development that does not reflect well on the administration’s approach to the region.  Read

China’s New Defense Minister Is Under US Sanctions for Buying Weapons From Russia

China has appointed as its next defense minister a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 for his role in buying weapons from Russia.  Read

Mexican President Says He’ll Campaign Against GOP if it Presses For Military Action Against Cartels

Taking aim at GOP lawmakers pushing for military action against Mexican drug cartels, President Andres Manuel López Obrador said Thursday that if the drive continues he will call on Mexican and Hispanic voters in the U.S. not to support the Republican Party. Read

Foreign Ops Budget Request: More Money For UN, Including Funds to Pave Way For a Return to UNESCO

The Biden administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2024 includes a request of $3.64 billion for the pair of accounts that fund the United Nations, other international organizations, and U.N. peacekeeping missions – a 29.2 percent increase from the level enacted in fiscal year 2023.  Read

WH on Brazil Hosting US-Sanctioned Iranian Warships: ‘Brazil is a Sovereign Country’

 The White House on Wednesday upheld Brazil’s sovereign right to host two U.S.-sanctioned Iranian warships, even as it repeated earlier assertions that the vessels “have no business docking anywhere.”  Read

Ex-CDC Head: Push to Sideline Lab-Leak Theory Was ‘Antithetical to Science’

A House panel on Wednesday heard testimony about a deliberate effort in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak to discount the possibility that the coronavirus may have leaked from a lab in Wuhan – an effort that participating experts said flew in the face of scientific inquiry.  Read

GOP-Led House Committee Puts Disastrous Afghanistan Withdrawal Under the Microscope

 Eighteen months after the tumultuous ending of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan, the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal will be examined on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.  Read

Murders of Americans in Mexico Fuel Calls for US to Treat Cartels as Terrorist Targets

The murders of two kidnapped American citizens in Mexico are fueling calls in Congress for the U.S. government to designate cartels as terrorist organizations, paving the way for potential U.S. military action against them.  Read

Venezuela Decries ‘Offensive Words Against Sovereign States’ After NGO Links Iran to Gaza Terror

 At the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday, the Iranian regime, backed by Venezuela, tried to shut down a civil society representative when he drew attention to Iran’s support for Palestinian terrorists whose errant rockets killed Palestinian civilians, including children.  Read

Senators to DNI: China Has Hindered COVID Origin Probe; Americans Expect Better From Our Own Gov’t

 Eight Republican senators are pressing Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to make available detailed information on the individual intelligence agencies’ assessments on the origins of COVID-19, contending that the intelligence community has not been transparent on an issue of enormous public importance.  Read

Syria Visit by Joint Chiefs Chairman Slammed by Regime – and by GOP Lawmaker Who Wants US Troops Out

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley paid a surprise visit to U.S. troops in Syria at the weekend, drawing criticism from both the Assad regime and a libertarian lawmaker at home who wants the administration to end their presence there. Read

In Iran, IAEA Head Says Attacks on Nuclear Facilities Are Outlawed; ‘Which Law?’ Asks Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday chided the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog after he said – while visiting Iran – that military attacks on nuclear facilities anywhere are “outlawed.”  Read

Russia Accuses Blinken of ‘PR and Self-Promotion’ After He Holds Rare, Brief Meeting With Lavrov

 Secretary of State Antony Blinken met briefly with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in India on Thursday, and said afterwards he had urged Moscow to end its “war of aggression” in Ukraine and reverse its decision to suspend participation in the New START arms control treaty.  Read

Russia Accuses US of Abusing New START Treaty by Helping Ukraine Target Russian Nuclear Facilities

 A senior Russian official said on Thursday that Moscow was compelled to halt participation in New START because the U.S. was abusing its inspection rights under the arms control treaty by passing on information to help Ukraine attack strategic facilities inside Russia.  Read

Iran Dismisses Sample of Near-Weapons-Grade Uranium: ‘Cannot Be Even Seen With a Microscope’

 The head of the Iranian regime’s nuclear agency on Wednesday dismissed as insignificant the amount of uranium that the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said it had found at an Iranian site, enriched to near weapons-grade level. Read

Biden Rips Republican on Drug Deaths: ‘That Fentanyl They Took Came During the Last Administration’

President Biden on Wednesday evening hit back at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) for blaming his administration for two fentanyl deaths that occurred before he took office.  Read

House Committee Seeks to End Decades of Bipartisan ‘Wishful Thinking’ on Engaging With China

The inaugural hearing of the new House committee on U.S.-China competition heard repeatedly the message that American politicians on both sides of the divide, as well as the business community and others, have for too long believed that opening up to Beijing would lead to reforms and democratization.  Read

FBI Assessment: ‘The Origins of the Pandemic Are Most Likely a Potential Lab Incident in Wuhan’

The FBI has for the first time stated publicly its assessment that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a leak from a laboratory in Wuhan, a charge that Beijing vehemently denies and which was ridiculed by many mainstream media outlets as a right-wing conspiracy theory.  Read

Chairman of New China Select Committee to Protestor: ‘Your Sign is Upside Down’

The first hearing of a new congressional select committee focused on China was briefly interrupted by two protestors on Tuesday night, as witnesses testified on the broad range of challenges posed to the U.S. by the Chinese Communist Party.  Read

Beijing Slams US Ambassador’s Call for China to ‘Be More Honest’ About Wuhan

The Chinese government on Tuesday slammed U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns for calling on Beijing to “be more honest” about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and reprised insinuations that the outbreak was linked to a leading U.S. bio lab. Read