Russia

• The debate in Washington about ending the war in Ukraine has become “amorphous and paradoxical,” according to the New York Times. AWC
• British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed on Thursday that London is providing Ukraine with longer-range missiles, marking another escalation of NATO support for Kyiv. AWC
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the Ukrainian military needs more time before launching its long-awaited counteroffensive, warning that doing it too early would result in a lot of casualties. AWC
• The US ambassador to South Africa has accused the nation of secretly supplying Russia with weapons, a claim that drew a rebuke from Pretoria. AWC
• Former President Donald Trump, who is running to win his seat back from current President Joe Biden, told a friendly audience of Republican voters last night that Russian president Vladimir Putin “made a tremendous mistake” by invading Ukraine last year. RS
• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will meet with President Biden in Washington on Friday and plans to urge the American leader to listen to China, Brazil, and other non-NATO countries on Ukraine, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a Spanish diplomatic source. AWC
• Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are privately debating what Kiev’s status should be within the alliance. All countries agree on upgrading Ukraine’s standing in the bloc, but some members are hesitant to give Kiev a concerted path to joining the alliance, the Washington Post reports. The Institute 
• A total of 575 tanks have been delivered to Ukraine. Kyiv Independent 
• Only 44 percent of Republican respondents said they had confidence in Ukrainian President Zelensky. RS
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to Paris on Sunday to meet with French President Emanuel Macron. The Hill

China

• The Defense Cooperation Agreement the US and Papua New Guinea are set to sign later this month could give the US military access to some of the Pacific Island nation’s ports and airports, Nikkei Asia reported Sunday. AWC
• Renewed meetings between senior American and Chinese officials may suggest the fragile relations between the world’s two largest economies could begin to thaw with increased communication and diplomacy, the Washington Post reported on Friday. AWC
• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday that she has not yet had any contact with her new Chinese counterpart He Lifeng. The Hill

Middle East

• National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby announced a plan to expand America’s military posture in the Middle East. The move comes as Washington hijacked an Iranian fuel tanker, provoking Iran to seize two ships in the Persian Gulf. AWC
• A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House have introduced a bill aimed to combat Syria’s normalization with regional countries that would expand sanctions and prohibit the US from establishing diplomatic ties with the government of Bashar al-Assad. AWC
• Saudi Arabia’s envoy to Yemen said Thursday that all sides engaged in talks to end the war in Yemen are “serious,” but the next steps are unclear. AWC