Russia
- Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has again come out in favor of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine in an article for The Spectator titled “How to Avoid Another World War.” AWC
- One civilian was killed, another eight people were wounded, and a poultry farm was damaged in Ukrainian shelling in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, the region’s governor said on Sunday. AWC
- The Russian Defense Ministry on Monday said that four US-made AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles were intercepted over Belgorod, an oblast in western Russia that borders Ukraine. AWC
- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday visited Minsk for the first time since 2019 to meet with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and the two leaders agreed to strengthen military and economic cooperation. AWC
China
- The State Department on Friday announced a new office to coordinate China policy, known as “China House,” in the Biden administration’s latest effort to focus on Beijing. AWC
- Republicans are forming a committee on China for when the GOP takes control of the House this January that will pressure the Biden administration to be more hawkish on China, Nikkei Asia reported on Monday. AWC
- Japan released a new military strategy on Friday that labeled China as an unprecedented “challenge” and outlined a major overhaul of Japan’s military that marks the biggest shift away from Tokyo’s post-World War II policy of pacifism. AWC
Middle East
- CIA Director William Burns said in an interview that aired on PBS that Russia and Iran are working toward a “full-fledged defense partnership” and that such an arrangement threatens the US and its allies in the Middle East. AWC
- Israeli airstrikes hit targets near the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday night, wounding two Syrian soldiers, Syrian news agency SANA reported. AWC
Somalia
- US Africa Command on Sunday said it launched two airstrikes in Somalia this month that targeted al-Shabaab fighters in support of the US-backed Mogadishu-based government. AWC
