Russia

• Congress unveiled on Tuesday a massive $1.7 trillion omnibus funding bill that includes $45 billion in new Ukraine aid, which will bring total US spending on the war to about $112 billion. AWC
• Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned on Monday that Washington’s policies have brought the US and Russia to the brink of a “direct clash.” AWC
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is planning to meet with President Biden at the White House on Wednesday on his first foreign trip since Russia invaded Ukraine, CNN reported on Monday. AWC
• Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday said the decision by Sweden’s Supreme Court to block the extradition of an exiled Turkish journalist is a “very negative” development. AWC
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday met with President Biden and addressed Congress during his trip to Washington DC, which marked his first foreign visit since Russia invaded on February 24. AWC
• Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu on Wednesday unveiled a plan to increase the size of Russia’s military to 1.5 million troops, an initiative backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. AWC
• After months of investigations into the sabotage of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines that connect Russia to Germany, no evidence has been found linking Russia to the attack, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing interviews with 23 diplomats and intelligence officials from nine different countries. AWC
• The US on Wednesday announced a new massive $1.85 billion weapons package for Ukraine that includes a Patriot air defense system for the first time, marking an escalation of US military aid for Kyiv. AWC

Iran

• President Biden said the Iran nuclear deal was “dead” in a video that was taken in early November and surfaced online this week. AWC
• Dozens of merchant ships carrying grain and sugar are stuck outside Iranian ports due to payment issues as a result of Western sanctions, Reuters reported on Wednesday. AWC

Syria

• US Central Command on Tuesday said that US forces launched raids in eastern Syria and captured six ISIS “operatives,” marking the second time this month that CENTCOM conducted operations against ISIS. AWC