The watchdog for US spending on Afghanistan told Responsible Statecraft in an interview that he expects "pilferage" of US aid to Ukraine. John Sopko, who has served as the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) since 2012, said that he...
Chinese Foreign Minister Says Beijing Will ‘Never Back Down’ on Taiwan
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. Qin made the comments toward the end of a speech on China's...
EU’s Borrell Tells European Governments to Send Ships to Taiwan Strait
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. "Europe must in fact be very present on this issue [of Taiwan], which concerns us economically,...
Brazil’s Lula Reaffirms Ukraine Position After US Criticism
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. During a recent visit to China, Lula said the US should...
Russia’s Lavrov Says US Denied Visas for Russian Journalists for UN Trip
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. "A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, free and fair country has chickened out...
US B-1 Bombers Drill in India for First Time
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. The 2023 iteration of the US-India Cope Exercises...
GOP Lawmakers Tell Biden They Won’t Support ‘Unrestrained’ Ukraine Aid
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. "A proxy war with Russia in Ukraine is not in the strategic interest of the United States and risks...
Iran Claims it Forced a US Submarine to Surface in Persian Gulf
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. "The US submarine was approaching while submerged, but the Iranian...
US Positioning Troops for Potential Sudan Embassy Evacuation
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. Fighting in Sudan entered its sixth day on Thursday after several failed attempts at...
In Kyiv, NATO Chief Says Ukraine’s ‘Rightful Place’ Is in the Alliance
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. "Ukraine’s rightful place is in the...