US News

• Sgt. Isaac Lambert was awarded nearly $1 million from Cook County after the Chicago police officer was punished for reporting a case where an off-duty officer shot an unarmed autistic child. NBC
• The White House is preparing to limit the number of Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans who can claim asylum in the US. Miami Herald

Russia

• The US is finalizing plans to send Raytheon-made Patriot air defense missile systems to Ukraine, and the decision could be made by the Biden administration this week, Reuters reported on Tuesday. AWC
• The British Royal Marines have carried out high-risk special operations on the ground in Ukraine, according to the former head of the elite unit, who said UK commandos have been deployed to the country on more than one occasion this year. The Institute 
• Slovakia’s foreign minister said Tuesday that the country is preparing to send its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, which would mark the first known transfer of warplanes to Kyiv from a NATO member. AWC
• Germany on Wednesday signed a contract with the US to purchase dozens of Lockheed Martin-made F-35 fighter jets, which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads that the US keeps in Germany. AWC
• The Pentagon is discussing the possibility of sending a small number of additional troops to Ukraine to step up the tracking of weapons being sent into the country, NBC News reported on Monday. AWC
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Tuesday that more funding for Ukraine would be included in an upcoming omnibus spending bill that Congress is looking to pass before the end of the year. AWC
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday slammed a plan to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics and called for the “complete isolation” of Russians from the games. AWC
• An American veteran was freed in a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine. Axios
• The UAE helped to facilitate the prisoner swap for Brittney Griner. Axios
• A group of about 70 countries on Tuesday pledged over $1 billion in new aid for Ukraine at a donor conference in Paris, including about $440 million to help repair the country’s energy infrastructure. AWC

China

• Taiwan’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday reported that 29 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, including 18 H-6 bombers. AWC
• China and India trade blame for border clash. MSN

Middle East

• The head of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday confirmed that Israel was behind an airstrike on the Syria-Iraq border in early November that targeted a truck convoy and reportedly killed at least 10 people. AWC
• A group of 37 organizations issued a letter asking for Congress to repeal the 2002 AUMF. MEE
• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Tuesday night withdrew his request to vote on the Yemen War Powers Resolution that would end US support for the Saudi-led war and blockade on Yemen, citing White House opposition to the bill. AWC

Sudan

• The US threatens to sanction any “spoilers” of a US-sponsored power-sharing agreement in Sudan. MEE