US News

• Congress on Tuesday night unveiled the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), worth $858 billion, $45 billion more than what President Biden requested for the military spending bill. AWC

Russia

• An airfield in the Russian city of Kursk was targeted by a drone strike on Tuesday, a day after two air bases deep inside Russian territory were hit by Ukrainian drones. AWC
• The State Department claims it is not encouraging Ukraine to strike inside of Russia. BI
• On Tuesday, Poland’s defense minister said that the country would accept a German offer to deploy a Patriot air defense missile system on Polish territory, changing course after Warsaw rejected the idea. AWC
• Hungary on Tuesday blocked a massive EU aid package for Ukraine worth 18 billion euros ($18.9 billion), angering other members of the bloc. AWC
• Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday that Finland must declare an end to the arms embargo it imposed on Turkey in order for the Nordic nation to join NATO. AWC
• The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday narrowly voted down a bill that would audit the tens of billions of dollars that Congress has approved to spend on the war in Ukraine. AWC
• Almost ten months after Russia invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Wednesday that Russia’s “special military operation” is a “long process” and signaled he has no plans to give up the Ukrainian territory Russia has captured. AWC
• NATO is considering using a $3.4 billion fund that was meant to support the now-defunct US-backed Afghan government to provide more aid for Ukraine, POLITICO reported on Wednesday. AWC
• The White House lifts barriers to selling Turkey F-35s. MEE

China

• Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) on Tuesday sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to prioritize arming Taiwan over Ukraine. AWC
• China on Tuesday dismissed a recent Pentagon report that said China could have 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 as “groundless speculation” and said the US was “hyping up” the threat of Beijing’s military. AWC
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that the US will increase its military presence in Australia in a buildup aimed at China. AWC
• Japan is planning a massive boost in military spending that will increase its defense budget by 56% over the next five years to $318 billion. AWC

Middle East

• Al Jazeera has asked the ICC to investigate and prosecute Israeli soldiers for the murder of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. MEE
• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told The Intercept on Monday that he could bring a Yemen War Powers Resolution to the floor of the Senate for a vote “hopefully next week.” AWC
• Turkey has set a deadline for the withdrawal of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from areas of northern Syria near the Turkish border, a Turkish source told Al Jazeera. AWC

Congo

• Nearly 300 people were killed in a massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The government claims the M23 group is responsible for the attack. VOA