CNN — Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he believes Ukraine is “making progress,” in the Kherson region of the country as they continue to counter Russia’s invasion, adding there has been a “kind of change in the battlefield dynamics.” Austin attributed the change to the skill of Ukrainian soldiers and their strategic use of … Read more
CNN — Time is running out for Russian President Vladmir Putin, and he knows it. Meanwhile his bombast continues: announcing the annexation of Ukrainian territories on Friday, Putin declared Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson will become part of Russia “forever.” He is rushing to claim a victory and cement slender gains and sue for peace, … Read more
Kyiv, Ukraine CNN — Russian forces retreated from Lyman, a strategic city for its operations in the east, the Russian defense ministry said Saturday, just a day after Moscow’s annexation of the region that’s been declared illegal by the West. “In connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement, allied troops were withdrawn from … Read more
CNN — The House of Representatives voted on Friday to approve a stopgap bill to fund the government through December 16, averting a shutdown just hours ahead of a midnight deadline when funding was set to expire. President Joe Biden signed the bill Friday afternoon. The Senate passed the measure on a bipartisan basis on … Read more
CNN — President Joe Biden on Friday called the leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines a “deliberate act of sabotage” and accused Russia and President Vladimir Putin of “pumping out disinformation and lies,” though he did not directly accuse Moscow for the leaks. Biden’s strong words mark the first time he’s directly asserted that the … Read more
CNN — The US is imposing what it describes as “swift and severe costs” on Russia, including sanctions on a figure the Biden administration says is key to Russia’s economy, after President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of regions of Ukraine following what the West casts as “sham referenda.” Putin signed documents on Friday to … Read more
CNN — Russia is to annex nearly a fifth of Ukraine in blatant violation of international law, turning the millions of people living there into Russian citizens “forever,” President Vladimir Putin said Friday. Once the process is officially complete, Moscow will recognize four Ukrainian regions as Russian territory: Luhansk and Donetsk – home to two … Read more
London CNN Business — The German government announced plans to borrow €200 billion ($195 billion) to cap natural gas prices for households and businesses. That’s a bigger price tag than the £150 billion ($165 billion) the UK government is expected to borrow to finance its own price cap. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, is trying to … Read more
CNN — The Pentagon is working to form a new command to coordinate arming and training Ukraine, according to two US officials, in an effort to streamline what was a largely ad hoc process rapidly created in the wake of Russia’s invasion. The new command, which would be based at Wiesbaden in Germany, would fall … Read more
CNN — The Senate voted on Thursday to approve a short-term government funding extension that would prevent a shutdown at the end of the week. The bill was approved on a bipartisan basis with a vote of 72 to 25. Government funding is currently on track to expire Friday at midnight, but the stopgap bill … Read more