Venezuela

• Fernando Blasi, the new envoy for Venezuela’s US-backed opposition, is calling on the Biden administration to ease crippling sanctions on Venezuela, saying not doing so could turn the country into another Cuba, which has been under a US trade embargo since 1962. AWC

Russia

• Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has said that Russia will beef up its military presence in its northwestern territory in response to Finland joining NATO. AWC
• The Washington Post reported on Monday that some Western officials are not eager to find out who was behind the bombings of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines that connect Russia to Germany. AWC
• Russian authorities on Monday blamed Ukrainian intelligence for the cafe bombing that killed Russian military blogger and war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky in St. Petersburg. AWC
• The head of Russia’s Wagner Group said Sunday that his forces raised a Russian flag over the city hall in Bakhmut, but the battle is still raging as Ukrainian forces still control some western districts in the Donbas city. AWC
• The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a new massive $2.6 billion weapons package for Ukraine that includes HIMARS ammunition, missiles for air defense systems, artillery rounds, and other equipment. AWC
• House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) traveled to Ukraine on Monday and claimed there remains “overwhelming” Congressional support for providing Kiev with military aid. His remarks appear to contradict the White House assessment that Congress is not prepared to pass another massive aid package. The Institute 
• A Polish official said Monday that Warsaw had delivered its first batch of Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. AWC
• Finland formally became the 31st member of NATO on Tuesday, officially ending the country’s post-World War II policy of neutrality and raising tensions between Helsinki and Moscow. AWC

China

• The Philippines on Monday announced the locations of four military bases that the US will now have access to under a deal Washington and Manila signed in February. AWC
• House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will host Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, a meeting that risks provoking major Chinese military exercises around Taiwan. AWC

Korea

• Washington has kicked off anti-submarine drills off the coast of Korea with Seoul and Tokyo. The naval maneuvers have provoked Pyongyang to issue a warning that it could use nuclear weapons. The Institute 

Middle East

• On Tuesday, Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak acknowledged that Israel has nuclear weapons in a now-deleted tweet about concerns over the current Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plans. AWC
• The Biden administration has spoken with European allies and Israel about a potential interim deal with Iran that would give the Islamic Republic some sanctions relief in exchange for a freeze of some aspects of its civilian nuclear program. AWC
• The deputy foreign ministers of Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Russia wrapped up two days of talks in Moscow on Tuesday that were aimed at working toward a normalization deal between Ankara and Damascus. AWC
• Israel continued its relentless bombing campaign in Syria early Tuesday morning, launching airstrikes targeting the southern suburbs of Damascus and killing two civilians. AWC
• US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said its forces launched a “unilateral strike” in Syria on Monday and claimed it killed a senior ISIS leader. AWC