As many as 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia invaded on February 24, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as the two sides continue to offer radically different casualty estimates.
The United States is aiming to bring the Palestinian Authority (PA) into the Abraham Accords, several diplomats told the Times of Israel. The White House is pushing out the plan as Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is losing his grip on power.
A senior US official has accused Russia of driving food shortages in Yemen and around the world, suggesting Moscow is to blame for rapidly rising prices. The Kremlin rejected the charge, instead citing American sanctions as a leading cause of starvation.
The White House is set to approve another $750 million weapons shipment to Ukraine, with officials telling multiple outlets the lethal aid will include heavy artillery, sea drones and attack helicopters.
The US has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group near the Korean Peninsula. The ships are expected to enter the East Sea later this week as a show of force in response to recent North Korean missile tests.
Ukraine is seeking tens of billions of dollars in financial aid from the International Monetary Fund’s Covid relief program. Kiev says it is in dire economic straits due to the Russian invasion, while the World Bank estimates the country’s GDP will drop by a staggering 45% in 2022.
US officials say Finland and Sweden are poised to apply for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO is prepared to grant the two Nordic states rapid entrance into the alliance, a move Russia views as “geared towards confrontation.”
Imran Khan was removed as Pakistan’s prime minister after a successful no-confidence vote, ousted just days after accusing the US of attempting “regime change.” Shehbaz Sharif was selected by parliament to be the next premier.
