Tensions between China and the US continue to escalate as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned of a Ukraine-like crisis in Taiwan, accusing Beijing of pursuing “aggressive” foreign policies after trading threats over the disputed island with his Chinese counterpart.
One of the 37 men imprisoned at the Guantánamo Bay detention center has pleaded guilty to four out of five charges brought against him by US authorities, claiming he belonged to al-Qaeda and was responsible for war crimes in Afghanistan.
US energy security envoy Amos Hochstein has acknowledged that Russia might be making more revenue from fossil fuels than before its February invasion of Ukraine. Washington has responded with waves of sanctions aiming to crush the Russian economy. Hochstein made the comments during a hearing for the Senate Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation. In response to a question about whether Moscow was making more money now off its fossil fuel sales, Hochstein said, “I can’t deny that.” In May, the International Energy Agency said that Russia's oil revenue was up 50% this year....
Lawmakers with the bipartisan Abraham Accords Caucus have introduced a bill in the House and Senate that will require the Pentagon to coordinate missile defense upgrades for Israel and several newfound Arab allies, pointing to potential “attacks from Iran.”
President Joe Biden held a call with Juan Guaido and discussed possible sanctions relief for Venezuela. The White House recognizes Guaido as the country’s interim president, though he holds no power in Caracas. Biden phoned the opposition leader from Air Force One while en route to the Summit of the Americas conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, with a White House summary of the call stating that the president underscored “the United States’ recognition of and support for the 2015 democratically-elected National Assembly and Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela.” Guaido first...
The Treasury Department has issued a new decree prohibiting money managers from trading in Russian debt or stocks in US secondary markets. The latest round of sanctions comes as Washington attempts to further isolate Moscow in retaliation for its attack on Ukraine.
As the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine slowly progresses, Ankara is offering to host another round of talks between Kiev and Moscow. Turkey is among a few nations that have attempted to broker a diplomatic end to the conflict.
A significant majority of the US Senate has signed a letter welcoming Finland and Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the group of 82 senators urging for expedited membership for the two Nordic states.
