US News

• Biden is willing to increase the military budget beyond $813 billion. [Link]
• Biden called on Congress to divide funding bills for Ukraine and Covid relief. [Link]
• The US extradites the third man for alleged involvement in the assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Joseph Joel John was formerly a Haitian senator. [Link]

Russia

• The Pentagon reviews hundreds of proposals from arms makers about what can be supplied to Ukraine. [Link]
• Democrats want to increase the Ukraine aid bill to $40 billion. [Link]
• Biden tells his top aids that leaks about intelligence support for Kiev have been damaging. [Link]
• Lockheed Martin will double its ability to produce Javelin missiles to 4,000 per year. [Link]
• The Pentagon will take $1.4 billion from a fund set up by Congress to support Ukraine. The Department of Defense will use the money to replace weapons sent to Ukraine. [Link]
• Biden approves a new $150 million weapons package for Ukraine. [Link]
• The US is working as fast as possible to reopen its embassy in Kiev. [Link]
• The US and its allies announced new sanctions targeting Russian banks and media. They also agreed to phase out Russian oil imports. [Link]

China

• The US wants Taiwan to buy more American weapons for defense against China. [Link]
• The mayor of Okinawa, Japan, calls for a reduction in military bases. [Link]

Afghanistan

• The US threatens to step up pressure on the Taliban if it does not reverse some policies that discriminate against women. [Link]

Middle East

• EU diplomats are traveling to Iran in an effort to restart talks between Washington and Tehran over the nuclear deal. [Link]
• Venezuela begins importing Iranian heavy crude oil. [Link]
• Violence continues in Israel. Three Israelis were killed by two Palestinians. The Israeli military killed a Palestinian for attempting to bypass a checkpoint. [Link] An Israeli citizen killed a 17-year-old Palestinian, claiming the teen entered a settlement with a knife. [Link]
• The US and France will sell advanced weapons to Iraq. [Link]
• The US sanctions five financial networks, Turkey and Indonesia claiming they funneled money to the Islamic State. [Link]