Assange 

• A cross-party group of Australian members of parliament met with the US ambassador to Australia on Tuesday and called for Washington to drop the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, an Australian citizen. AWC

Russia

• Britain appears to be moving closer to sending Ukraine longer-range missiles that the Biden administration has so far refused to provide. AWC
• Senior Ukrainian officials fear their coming counteroffensive will not live up to the expectations of Kyiv’s Western backers, The Washington Post reported on Saturday. AWC
• NATO has put its air units on high alert following a near miss between Russian and Polish aircraft, Reuters reported Monday. AWC
• Estonia plans on pushing the North Atlantic alliance to present Ukraine with a clear path to full membership in the bloc during an upcoming meeting of high-ranking officials. Bloomberg reports NATO will consider upgrading Kiev’s status with the alliance. The Institute 
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his British counterpart, James Cleverly, vowed on Tuesday that the US and Britain will continue supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia regardless of the result of Kyiv’s expected counteroffensive. AWC
• Warsaw claims it has bolstered Kiev’s air force by transferring ten MiG-29 warplanes. Poland was the first NATO member to make the pledge to send Ukraine fighter jets. The Institute 
• The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a new $1.2 billion weapons package for Ukraine that includes additional 155mm artillery ammunition and air defense systems. AWC

China

• Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns held talks on Monday as tensions are soaring between the two nations. AWC
• A group of House Republicans introduced a resolution last week that would urge European leaders to affirm support for Taiwan and follow the US on its policies related to the island. AWC
• The US and the Philippines should start joint patrols in the South China Sea later this year, Manila’s ambassador to the US said on Monday. AWC
• The White House announced Tuesday that President Biden will become the first sitting president to visit Papua New Guinea as the US is looking to boost cooperation with the Pacific nation as part of its strategy against China. AWC

Middle East

• US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, and reviewed “significant progress” toward peace in the war-torn country of Yemen. The Institute 
• The top Republican and Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee released a statement on Monday slamming Syria’s readmission into the Arab League and urging President Biden to use sanctions to prevent further normalization. AWC
• The Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers will hold their first meeting in more than a decade on Wednesday in Moscow as more and more countries are taking steps to normalize with Damascus. AWC