Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) on Tuesday sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to prioritize arming Taiwan over Ukraine. Hawley is a China hawk and wants the US to start giving Taiwan billions in military aid each year. He has...
China Says US Report on Its Nuclear Stockpile Is ‘Groundless Speculation’
China on Tuesday dismissed a recent Pentagon report that said China could have 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 as "groundless speculation" and said the US was "hyping up" the threat of Beijing's military. Current estimates put China's nuclear arsenal at about 350...
Turkey Says Finland Must Lift Arms Embargo to Join NATO
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday that Finland must declare an end to the arms embargo it imposed on Turkey in order for the Nordic nation to join NATO. Both Finland and Sweden placed export controls on Turkey in 2019 in response to a Turkish...
Drone Attack Hits Another Air Base Inside Russian Territory
An airfield in the Russian city of Kursk was targeted by a drone strike on Tuesday, a day after two air bases deep inside Russian territory were hit by Ukrainian drones. Tuesday's attack targeted an airfield that is about 80 miles from the Ukrainian border, causing a...
Papua New Guinea Says It Can’t Get Caught In US and Australia’s Standoff With China
Papua New Guinea cannot afford to be caught in a standoff between the US, Australia, and China, the country's prime minister told The Guardian. Prime Minister James Marape was invited to Washington in September for a summit with other Pacific nations as the US is...
Russian Oil Price Cap, EU Sanctions Come Into Effect
An EU embargo on Russian oil and a Western-imposed price cap on Russian oil came into effect on Monday as Moscow said it is preparing a response to the policies. The US led the push to impose a price cap on Russian oil, and the EU agreed to set it at $60 per barrel,...
US Army Plans ‘Dramatic’ Increase in Ammunition Production as Ukraine Aid Drains Stockpiles
The US Army is planning a "dramatic" increase in the production of 155mm artillery rounds as the US has sent a staggering amount of ammunition to Ukraine over the past eight months. According to a Pentagon fact sheet released at the end of November, the US has sent...
Iran Says It Won’t Resume Nuclear Deal Talks ‘Under Pressure’
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Monday that Tehran would not resume negotiations on the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, "under pressure" from the US. "American officials know that the Islamic Republic of Iran, under pressures and threats, is not willing...
Turkey Expects More Extraditions From Sweden for NATO Membership
Sweden last week extradited a suspected member of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) to Turkey, a move Turkish officials have welcomed, but Ankara wants to see more extraditions before approving Stockholm's NATO membership. "This is a good start from Sweden that shows...
Explosions Hit Air Bases Deep Inside Russia, Killing Three Russian Soldiers
Explosions hit two Russian air bases deep inside Russian territory early Monday morning, killing three Russian soldiers and damaging two aircraft, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Blasts were reported at the Dyagilevo airfield in the Ryazan Oblast and Engels...