How Finland went from neutral to NATO
Western nations founded NATO in 1949 as a means of collective security against the Soviet Union and its allies. But for more than 70 years, two European countries — Finland and Sweden — declined to join the alliance, instead pursuing careful Cold War policies of neutrality and nonalignment.
After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, both Finland and Sweden abandoned those policies and formally requested to join NATO. Finland is set to join NATO as its 31st member today. It’s a move that will transform Europe’s security landscape and expand Russia’s border with NATO. Finland will also gain protection under the alliance’s Article 5 collective defense mechanism.
For now, Sweden’s membership process is stalled as the country has not secured the support of NATO members Hungary and Turkey.
Read more about how we got here, and what Finland’s admittance to NATO means for the alliance here.
Western nations founded NATO in 1949 as a means of collective security against the Soviet Union and its allies. But for more than 70 years, two European countries — Finland and Sweden — declined to join the alliance, instead pursuing careful Cold War policies of neutrality and nonalignment.
After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, both Finland and Sweden abandoned those policies and formally requested to join NATO. Finland is set to join NATO as its 31st member today. It’s a move that will transform Europe’s security landscape and expand Russia’s border with NATO. Finland will also gain protection under the alliance’s Article 5 collective defense mechanism.
For now, Sweden’s membership process is stalled as the country has not secured the support of NATO members Hungary and Turkey.
Read more about how we got here, and what Finland’s admittance to NATO means for the alliance here.
Finland joins NATO, doubling alliance’s land border with Russia
BRUSSELS — Finland formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday, a historic shift for a country that once insisted it was safer outside the military alliance and a sign of how President Vladimir Putin’s gamble in Ukraine is upending the post-Cold War order.
Finnish membership will double NATO’s land border with Russia, adding more than 800 miles. It will also bolster the alliance’s presence around the Baltic Sea and enhance its position in the Arctic.
To justify his unprovoked attack on Ukraine, Putin cited the possibility of NATO expansion. Now, his war has brought a bigger, stronger NATO to his door.
Read the full story here.
BRUSSELS — Finland formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday, a historic shift for a country that once insisted it was safer outside the military alliance and a sign of how President Vladimir Putin’s gamble in Ukraine is upending the post-Cold War order.
Finnish membership will double NATO’s land border with Russia, adding more than 800 miles. It will also bolster the alliance’s presence around the Baltic Sea and enhance its position in the Arctic.
To justify his unprovoked attack on Ukraine, Putin cited the possibility of NATO expansion. Now, his war has brought a bigger, stronger NATO to his door.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Finland became a member of NATO, ending its long-standing military nonalignment in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- The Pentagon is set to send another $2.6 billion in weapons to Ukraine, U.S. defense officials said Tuesday.
- In a Moscow court appearance Tuesday, Russian authorities charged a 26-year-old antiwar activist with carrying out a terrorist attack and illegally carrying explosives.
- Russia’s military equipped Belarusian aircraft with nuclear weapon capabilities, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.
- Moscow is probably seeking to develop private military alternatives to the Wagner Group for combat in Ukraine, Britain’s Defense Ministry said.
- Russia has built dozens of trenches in Crimea, the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014, along with deep ditches designed to trap tanks and heavy vehicles.
More live updates here.
- Finland became a member of NATO, ending its long-standing military nonalignment in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- The Pentagon is set to send another $2.6 billion in weapons to Ukraine, U.S. defense officials said Tuesday.
- In a Moscow court appearance Tuesday, Russian authorities charged a 26-year-old antiwar activist with carrying out a terrorist attack and illegally carrying explosives.
- Russia’s military equipped Belarusian aircraft with nuclear weapon capabilities, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.
- Moscow is probably seeking to develop private military alternatives to the Wagner Group for combat in Ukraine, Britain’s Defense Ministry said.
- Russia has built dozens of trenches in Crimea, the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014, along with deep ditches designed to trap tanks and heavy vehicles.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- President Zelensky is set to visit Poland on Wednesday in what will be his third trip outside Ukraine since the war began. Polish President Andrzej Duda said Zelensky will also meet with Ukrainians living in Poland.
- French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were set to arrive Wednesday in Beijing, where Macron is expected to warn China against providing Russia with weapons.
- The Pentagon is planning to send $2.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine. The package includes artillery and mortar rounds, 120mm and 105mm tank ammunition, grenade launchers and munitions for the Patriot air defense missile system.
- Lawyers were able to visit Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich nearly a week after he was detained in Russia on espionage charges.
- The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit Kaliningrad on Wednesday to discuss the security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
More live updates here.
- President Zelensky is set to visit Poland on Wednesday in what will be his third trip outside Ukraine since the war began. Polish President Andrzej Duda said Zelensky will also meet with Ukrainians living in Poland.
- French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were set to arrive Wednesday in Beijing, where Macron is expected to warn China against providing Russia with weapons.
- The Pentagon is planning to send $2.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine. The package includes artillery and mortar rounds, 120mm and 105mm tank ammunition, grenade launchers and munitions for the Patriot air defense missile system.
- Lawyers were able to visit Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich nearly a week after he was detained in Russia on espionage charges.
- The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit Kaliningrad on Wednesday to discuss the security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
More live updates here.
U.S. to boost Ukraine’s air defenses with new weapons package
The Biden administration pledged on Tuesday to commit another $2.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine, saying it will provide additional air defense systems that include gun trucks and laser-guided weapons to counter Russia’s relentless use of drones.
The package includes about $500 million in equipment from U.S. military stocks for immediate or near-term transfer plus an additional $2.1 billion in arms that the administration will order using a congressionally approved fund known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, U.S. officials said. Delivery of those items is likely months away.
In all, the administration has now pledged more than $35 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded nearly 14 months ago. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the commitment of air defenses “will allow Ukraine to continue to bravely defend itself against Russia.”
Read the full story here.
The Biden administration pledged on Tuesday to commit another $2.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine, saying it will provide additional air defense systems that include gun trucks and laser-guided weapons to counter Russia’s relentless use of drones.
The package includes about $500 million in equipment from U.S. military stocks for immediate or near-term transfer plus an additional $2.1 billion in arms that the administration will order using a congressionally approved fund known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, U.S. officials said. Delivery of those items is likely months away.
In all, the administration has now pledged more than $35 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded nearly 14 months ago. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the commitment of air defenses “will allow Ukraine to continue to bravely defend itself against Russia.”
Read the full story here.
After fleeing war, Ukrainians rush to help Mississippi tornado victims
The seven Ukrainians set out just before midnight to make the long drive to their destination. They were on an aid mission to a grimly familiar scene of devastated communities and leveled homes.
But the refugees were thousands of miles from their homeland and the war that changed their lives. Their journey wound down Interstate 55, starting in Minnesota, where they had resettled just months earlier, and ended in a disaster zone wracked not by bombs, but by the wind: several towns in Mississippi recovering from a devastating tornado that killed at least 25 in late March.
Read the full story here.
The seven Ukrainians set out just before midnight to make the long drive to their destination. They were on an aid mission to a grimly familiar scene of devastated communities and leveled homes.
But the refugees were thousands of miles from their homeland and the war that changed their lives. Their journey wound down Interstate 55, starting in Minnesota, where they had resettled just months earlier, and ended in a disaster zone wracked not by bombs, but by the wind: several towns in Mississippi recovering from a devastating tornado that killed at least 25 in late March.
Read the full story here.
Russia says notifications of ballistic missile launches will continue
The Russian Foreign Ministry clarified Thursday that Moscow will continue to notify Washington of any ballistic missile launches, despite a statement Wednesday that “all forms of notifications” were terminated as a result of President Vladimir Putin suspending the New START nuclear arms reduction agreement.
In February, during a speech marking the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Putin announced that he was “suspending” participation in New START, which is the last remaining arms control agreement between the United States and Russia.
But since then, the Russian Foreign Ministry has issued several seemingly contradictory statements.
On the same day as Putin’s speech, the ministry issued a statement saying that Russia would voluntarily adhere to some core components of New START, including its limits on the total number of certain types of nuclear weapons.
Read the full story here.
The Russian Foreign Ministry clarified Thursday that Moscow will continue to notify Washington of any ballistic missile launches, despite a statement Wednesday that “all forms of notifications” were terminated as a result of President Vladimir Putin suspending the New START nuclear arms reduction agreement.
In February, during a speech marking the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Putin announced that he was “suspending” participation in New START, which is the last remaining arms control agreement between the United States and Russia.
But since then, the Russian Foreign Ministry has issued several seemingly contradictory statements.
On the same day as Putin’s speech, the ministry issued a statement saying that Russia would voluntarily adhere to some core components of New START, including its limits on the total number of certain types of nuclear weapons.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- A Wall Street Journal reporter whom Russia has accused of spying for the United States is “wrongfully detained,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, giving an informal assessment as the State Department continues to evaluate the circumstances of the journalist’s detention.
- French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit, with Russia’s war in Ukraine on the agenda.
- On his own diplomatic trip, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in neighboring Poland on Wednesday, making his first wartime visit to a close ally that has helped rally political and military support for Kyiv.
- Relations between Russia and the United States “are experiencing a deep crisis,” Putin told new ambassadors, including those from the United States and the European Union, at a credentialing ceremony at the Kremlin on Wednesday.
- Putin also held talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
More live updates here.
- A Wall Street Journal reporter whom Russia has accused of spying for the United States is “wrongfully detained,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, giving an informal assessment as the State Department continues to evaluate the circumstances of the journalist’s detention.
- French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit, with Russia’s war in Ukraine on the agenda.
- On his own diplomatic trip, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in neighboring Poland on Wednesday, making his first wartime visit to a close ally that has helped rally political and military support for Kyiv.
- Relations between Russia and the United States “are experiencing a deep crisis,” Putin told new ambassadors, including those from the United States and the European Union, at a credentialing ceremony at the Kremlin on Wednesday.
- Putin also held talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday as Europe seeks to shore up ties with China, one of its biggest trade partners, and enlist Xi’s support against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- Putin will meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a firm Russian ally, in Moscow on Thursday.
- A webcast of a U.N. Security Council meeting in which Russia defended the removal of Ukrainian children was blocked by Ukraine’s allies, including Britain and the U.S.
- Any provision of military aid by China to Russia would be a “historic mistake,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday. He also criticized China for echoing Russian propaganda, saying trade with China had helped prop up the Russian economy.
- The Czech Republic will send military equipment that it does not need or use — aid worth $30 million — to Ukraine, according to its defense minister on Wednesday.
More live updates here.
- French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday as Europe seeks to shore up ties with China, one of its biggest trade partners, and enlist Xi’s support against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- Putin will meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a firm Russian ally, in Moscow on Thursday.
- A webcast of a U.N. Security Council meeting in which Russia defended the removal of Ukrainian children was blocked by Ukraine’s allies, including Britain and the U.S.
- Any provision of military aid by China to Russia would be a “historic mistake,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday. He also criticized China for echoing Russian propaganda, saying trade with China had helped prop up the Russian economy.
- The Czech Republic will send military equipment that it does not need or use — aid worth $30 million — to Ukraine, according to its defense minister on Wednesday.
More live updates here.
A web of trenches shows Russia fears losing Crimea
With Ukrainian leaders vowing to retake all of their territory occupied by Russia, Moscow has readied elaborate defenses, especially in Crimea, the peninsula it annexed illegally in 2014, which is now one of the most fortified in the war zone.
After weeks of digging, the area around the small town of Medvedivka, near a crossing to mainland Ukraine, is webbed with an elaborate trench system stretching several miles. The passages are cut into the earth at angles to give soldiers a broader range of fire. Nearby are other fortifications, including deep ditches designed to trap tanks and heavy vehicles.
Satellite images provided to The Washington Post by Maxar, a commercial space technology company, show that Russia has built dozens of similar defenses.
Read the full story here.
With Ukrainian leaders vowing to retake all of their territory occupied by Russia, Moscow has readied elaborate defenses, especially in Crimea, the peninsula it annexed illegally in 2014, which is now one of the most fortified in the war zone.
After weeks of digging, the area around the small town of Medvedivka, near a crossing to mainland Ukraine, is webbed with an elaborate trench system stretching several miles. The passages are cut into the earth at angles to give soldiers a broader range of fire. Nearby are other fortifications, including deep ditches designed to trap tanks and heavy vehicles.
Satellite images provided to The Washington Post by Maxar, a commercial space technology company, show that Russia has built dozens of similar defenses.
Read the full story here.
Russia’s U.N. session amplifies disinformation on Ukraine child abductions
Britain and the United States charged Wednesday that Russia is using its position as current president of the U.N. Security Council to spread disinformation and propaganda, and blocked the U.N. webcast of a Security Council meeting Moscow called to defend its removal of children from Ukraine.
The International Criminal Court last month issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow’s commissioner for children’s rights, for the “war crime” of “unlawful deportation and ... transfer” of children to Russia from regions in Ukraine occupied by its troops.
Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador said Wednesday on Twitter that “Russian authorities have interrogated, detained, and forcibly deported over 19,500 Ukrainian children from their homes within Ukraine to Russia.”
Read the full story here.
Britain and the United States charged Wednesday that Russia is using its position as current president of the U.N. Security Council to spread disinformation and propaganda, and blocked the U.N. webcast of a Security Council meeting Moscow called to defend its removal of children from Ukraine.
The International Criminal Court last month issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow’s commissioner for children’s rights, for the “war crime” of “unlawful deportation and ... transfer” of children to Russia from regions in Ukraine occupied by its troops.
Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador said Wednesday on Twitter that “Russian authorities have interrogated, detained, and forcibly deported over 19,500 Ukrainian children from their homes within Ukraine to Russia.”
Read the full story here.
France’s Macron says he can count on China’s Xi to reason with Russia
The world is counting on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to “bring Russia to reason” over Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in Beijing on Thursday, amid an elaborate show of hospitality designed to prevent Europe from siding with the United States in diplomatic hostilities.
Macron’s comments, some of the most positive from a Western leader in response to China’s proposals over the Ukraine war, stand in stark contrast to American political rhetoric and are a win for Xi, who has tried to present himself as a neutral party and honest broker, despite a burgeoning partnership with Russia.
“The Russian aggression in Ukraine has dealt a blow to [international] stability,” Macron said before meeting with Xi in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square. “I know I can count on you to bring back Russia to reason and everyone back to the negotiating table.”
Read the full story here.
The world is counting on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to “bring Russia to reason” over Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in Beijing on Thursday, amid an elaborate show of hospitality designed to prevent Europe from siding with the United States in diplomatic hostilities.
Macron’s comments, some of the most positive from a Western leader in response to China’s proposals over the Ukraine war, stand in stark contrast to American political rhetoric and are a win for Xi, who has tried to present himself as a neutral party and honest broker, despite a burgeoning partnership with Russia.
“The Russian aggression in Ukraine has dealt a blow to [international] stability,” Macron said before meeting with Xi in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square. “I know I can count on you to bring back Russia to reason and everyone back to the negotiating table.”
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Microsoft will pay a $2,980,265.86 settlement relating to a violation of sanctions levied by the United States against Russia.
- China has a “major role to play in building peace,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday ahead of talks in Beijing, where he was joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China, together with France, called for “restraint from all international partners” to avoid an escalation of the crisis in Ukraine.
- Sitting across from Xi, Macron said Russia’s war in Ukraine has ended decades of peace in Europe.
- “We count on China not to provide” military equipment to Russia, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said Thursday, according to Reuters.
- “Intense battles” continue for control of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka in eastern Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook on Thursday.
More live updates here.
- Microsoft will pay a $2,980,265.86 settlement relating to a violation of sanctions levied by the United States against Russia.
- China has a “major role to play in building peace,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday ahead of talks in Beijing, where he was joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China, together with France, called for “restraint from all international partners” to avoid an escalation of the crisis in Ukraine.
- Sitting across from Xi, Macron said Russia’s war in Ukraine has ended decades of peace in Europe.
- “We count on China not to provide” military equipment to Russia, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said Thursday, according to Reuters.
- “Intense battles” continue for control of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka in eastern Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook on Thursday.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- U.S. efforts to gain consular access to Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russian authorities last week, remain unsuccessful, the White House said.
- In Beijing, French President Emmanuel Macron said the world was looking to Chinese leader Xi Jinping to “bring Russia back to reason” and to the negotiating table with Ukraine.
- The Biden administration says classified documents detailing U.S. and NATO plans to support an upcoming Ukrainian offensive appeared on Twitter and Telegram, the New York Times reports. The documents are five weeks old, focus on what materiel Ukraine may require for the offensive, and do not outline any battle plans.
- Russia’s main offensive efforts continue to be directed at Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivk and Marinka, Ukraine’s military said early Friday.
- The Moscow City Court is set to hear an appeal from Gershkovich’s defense on April 18, a court press service told Russian news agencies.
More live updates here.
- U.S. efforts to gain consular access to Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russian authorities last week, remain unsuccessful, the White House said.
- In Beijing, French President Emmanuel Macron said the world was looking to Chinese leader Xi Jinping to “bring Russia back to reason” and to the negotiating table with Ukraine.
- The Biden administration says classified documents detailing U.S. and NATO plans to support an upcoming Ukrainian offensive appeared on Twitter and Telegram, the New York Times reports. The documents are five weeks old, focus on what materiel Ukraine may require for the offensive, and do not outline any battle plans.
- Russia’s main offensive efforts continue to be directed at Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivk and Marinka, Ukraine’s military said early Friday.
- The Moscow City Court is set to hear an appeal from Gershkovich’s defense on April 18, a court press service told Russian news agencies.
More live updates here.
Wall Street Journal reporter ‘wrongfully detained’ by Russia, Blinken says
BRUSSELS — A Wall Street Journal reporter whom Russia has accused of spying for the U.S. is “wrongfully detained,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, as the Kremlin’s incarceration of another American further strains the two countries’ ties.
Blinken said the State Department was working “very deliberately but expeditiously” to conclude a formal assessment of whether Evan Gershkovich, a reporter assigned to the paper’s Moscow bureau, meets agency criteria to set in motion a broad government effort to secure his release.
“I’ll let that process play out,” Blinken told reporters following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. Nevertheless, he added, “In my own mind, there’s no doubt that he’s been wrongfully detained.”
Gershkovich, who was arrested in late March during a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg, could face 20 years in prison if convicted on espionage charges.
Read the full story here.
BRUSSELS — A Wall Street Journal reporter whom Russia has accused of spying for the U.S. is “wrongfully detained,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, as the Kremlin’s incarceration of another American further strains the two countries’ ties.
Blinken said the State Department was working “very deliberately but expeditiously” to conclude a formal assessment of whether Evan Gershkovich, a reporter assigned to the paper’s Moscow bureau, meets agency criteria to set in motion a broad government effort to secure his release.
“I’ll let that process play out,” Blinken told reporters following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. Nevertheless, he added, “In my own mind, there’s no doubt that he’s been wrongfully detained.”
Gershkovich, who was arrested in late March during a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg, could face 20 years in prison if convicted on espionage charges.
Read the full story here.
Here is the lastest from Ukraine:
- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday demanded the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russian authorities last week and accused of espionage.
- The Biden administration says classified documents detailing U.S. and NATO plans to support an upcoming Ukrainian offensive appeared on Twitter and Telegram, the messaging app popular in Russia, the New York Times reports.
- A man sentenced in absentia to serve two years because of a picture his daughter drew has been detained, according to Russian state media. Alexei Moskalyov’s sixth-grade daughter made an antiwar drawing in class, sparking an investigation, The Post has reported.
- Russia’s main offensive efforts continue to be directed at Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka, Ukraine’s military said early Friday.
More live updates here.
- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday demanded the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russian authorities last week and accused of espionage.
- The Biden administration says classified documents detailing U.S. and NATO plans to support an upcoming Ukrainian offensive appeared on Twitter and Telegram, the messaging app popular in Russia, the New York Times reports.
- A man sentenced in absentia to serve two years because of a picture his daughter drew has been detained, according to Russian state media. Alexei Moskalyov’s sixth-grade daughter made an antiwar drawing in class, sparking an investigation, The Post has reported.
- Russia’s main offensive efforts continue to be directed at Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka, Ukraine’s military said early Friday.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest on Ukraine:
- The Washington Post on Friday obtained dozens of what appeared to be photographs showing classified documents, dating to late February and early March, that range from global intelligence briefings to updates and assessments of Kyiv’s defensive abilities.
- Ukrainian officials suggested that the leaked documents appeared to show “fictitious information.”
- Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday demanded the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russia last week on charges of espionage that the Kremlin has not substantiated.
- Russian forces are trying to take full control of the city of Bakhmut, Ukraine’s military said early Saturday, but fierce fighting continues inside the city.
- Russian lawmakers proposed raising the penalty for acts of terrorism, sabotage and high treason, Kremlin-aligned media reported.
More live updates here.
- The Washington Post on Friday obtained dozens of what appeared to be photographs showing classified documents, dating to late February and early March, that range from global intelligence briefings to updates and assessments of Kyiv’s defensive abilities.
- Ukrainian officials suggested that the leaked documents appeared to show “fictitious information.”
- Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday demanded the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russia last week on charges of espionage that the Kremlin has not substantiated.
- Russian forces are trying to take full control of the city of Bakhmut, Ukraine’s military said early Saturday, but fierce fighting continues inside the city.
- Russian lawmakers proposed raising the penalty for acts of terrorism, sabotage and high treason, Kremlin-aligned media reported.
More live updates here.
Over 200 Russian journalists, activists demand release of WSJ reporter
Some 200 Russian journalists and activists have signed an open letter demanding the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Moscow last week. Russia has, without evidence, accused Gershkovich of spying for the U.S. government.
In the letter, dated Tuesday, the signatories voiced deep skepticism about the charges against Gershkovich, an American working for the Journal’s Moscow bureau, who had been on a reporting trip near the Ural Mountains when he was arrested. A court has ordered his detention until late May. Gershkovich filed an appeal.
The U.S. government and the Journal have forcefully rejected allegations by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) — the successor to the KGB — that Gershkovich was collecting intelligence on a defense enterprise.
Read the full story here.
Some 200 Russian journalists and activists have signed an open letter demanding the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Moscow last week. Russia has, without evidence, accused Gershkovich of spying for the U.S. government.
In the letter, dated Tuesday, the signatories voiced deep skepticism about the charges against Gershkovich, an American working for the Journal’s Moscow bureau, who had been on a reporting trip near the Ural Mountains when he was arrested. A court has ordered his detention until late May. Gershkovich filed an appeal.
The U.S. government and the Journal have forcefully rejected allegations by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) — the successor to the KGB — that Gershkovich was collecting intelligence on a defense enterprise.
Read the full story here.
In old, feel-good story, Putin bought teacher an apartment. He didn’t.
Heartwarming stories about Russian President Vladimir Putin are not exactly abundant, but one from early in his tenure seemed to qualify.
During a state visit to Israel in 2005, Putin encountered an elderly Jewish widow from Russia who had been one of his teachers in high school. After a brief reunion, the Russian leader showered her with gifts and, she said, arranged to buy her a $208,000 apartment.
“When I got the apartment, I cried,” the former teacher, Mina Yuditskaya-Berliner, recalled nearly a decade later when she recounted the story to an Israeli newspaper. Putin does not appear ever to have addressed the purchase.
“Putin is a very grateful and decent person,” Yuditskaya-Berliner said.
Except that the money for the apartment purchase did not come from Putin.
Read the full story here.
Heartwarming stories about Russian President Vladimir Putin are not exactly abundant, but one from early in his tenure seemed to qualify.
During a state visit to Israel in 2005, Putin encountered an elderly Jewish widow from Russia who had been one of his teachers in high school. After a brief reunion, the Russian leader showered her with gifts and, she said, arranged to buy her a $208,000 apartment.
“When I got the apartment, I cried,” the former teacher, Mina Yuditskaya-Berliner, recalled nearly a decade later when she recounted the story to an Israeli newspaper. Putin does not appear ever to have addressed the purchase.
“Putin is a very grateful and decent person,” Yuditskaya-Berliner said.
Except that the money for the apartment purchase did not come from Putin.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest on Ukraine:
- The Post obtained dozens of what appeared to be photographs showing classified documents dating to late February and early March.
- The head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, told The Post after the meeting Friday with Zelensky: “Where, when and how our actions will begin — only our country knows this, and the number of people who know in our country is extremely limited. Maximum of five people. Everything else does not correspond to reality and words at all.”
- Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak asserted that the leaked documents contained largely “fictitious information” and had “nothing to do with Ukraine’s real plans.”
- The chair of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center think-tank in Kyiv doesn’t believe the leak will have an effect on Ukraine’s planned counter offensive.
More live updates here.
- The Post obtained dozens of what appeared to be photographs showing classified documents dating to late February and early March.
- The head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, told The Post after the meeting Friday with Zelensky: “Where, when and how our actions will begin — only our country knows this, and the number of people who know in our country is extremely limited. Maximum of five people. Everything else does not correspond to reality and words at all.”
- Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak asserted that the leaked documents contained largely “fictitious information” and had “nothing to do with Ukraine’s real plans.”
- The chair of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center think-tank in Kyiv doesn’t believe the leak will have an effect on Ukraine’s planned counter offensive.
More live updates here.