US News

• Mike Morrell, the former acting CIA director, revealed to the House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan, that he played a key role in rallying former intelligence officials to sign a letter which sought to discredit reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop scandal during the 2020 presidential campaign. AWC

Russia

• America’s top military officer said the Pentagon will ship 31 Abrams Tanks to Europe next month. Once in Germany, Ukrainian soldiers will train on the weapons platform until the tanks and troops are deployed to the battlefield. AWC
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba slammed the EU on Thursday for taking too much time to work out its plan to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine for its war against Russia. AWC
• On Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made his first visit to Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion last year and declared that Kyiv’s “rightful place” is as a member of the Western military alliance. AWC
• Kiev’s military intelligence agency believed it could carry out attacks on Russian soldiers and Wagner Group forces in Syria, forcing Moscow to redeploy military assets from Ukraine. AWC
• A group of Republican members of Congress have told President Biden they won’t support more “unrestrained” aid for Ukraine, Responsible Statecraft reported on Thursday. AWC
• Kiev’s war goals have changed from survival to victory, according to a top Ukrainian defense official. Ukraine’s more ambitious goals come as its Western backers have continued to provide more advanced weapons and training for Ukrainian soldiers. The Institute 
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has approved two new laws intended to erase Ukraine’s Russian culture. The statutes will rename places in Ukraine which stem from the country’s Russian influence. Additionally, local authorities will be mandated to “free public space from the symbols of the Russian world.” The Institute 
• The top watchdog for US spending on Afghanistan told Responsible Statecraft in an interview that he expects “pilferage” of US aid to Ukraine. AWC
• Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has reaffirmed his stance that countries should push for peace talks to resolve the war in Ukraine after coming under harsh criticism from the US for his position. AWC
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday said the US denied visas to Russian journalists who wanted to cover his trip to New York for a UN Security Council meeting. AWC

China

• The US has deployed a pair of B-1B Lancer bombers to participate in exercises in India, marking the first time the aircraft is conducting drills in the country as military ties between Washington-New Delhi are growing. AWC
• Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) has said that a congressional war game that simulated a Chinese invasion of Taiwan shows that the US must arm Taiwan “to the teeth.” AWC
• The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has called on European countries to send warships through the Taiwan Strait, patrols that Beijing would view as provocations. AWC
• Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Friday that China would “never back down” on the issue of Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, in a warning aimed at the US and the government in Taipei. AWC

Iran

• Iran’s navy commander said Thursday that an Iranian submarine made a US submarine come to the surface as it entered Iranian waters in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim the US military later denied. AWC

Sudan

• The Pentagon is sending more troops to Djibouti to prepare for a potential embassy evacuation from Sudan as the forces of rival generals have been battling in the capital of Khartoum. AWC