Axios

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that five Russians were killed in last week's strike from U.S. and Syrian Democratic Forces, NBC reports.

Why it matters: This is the first public acknowledgement from Moscow about Russian casualties in Syria at the hands of U.S. forces. The five killed are paramilitary contractors, not Russian military personnel. Per the Financial Times, this furthers the idea that "the Kremlin is using hired guns to mask its official involvement."

Hours after the U.K. publicly attributed the NotPetya malware to the Russian military, the White House confirmed that Russia was behind the attack.

Why it matters: The White House has been loath to speak ill of Russia under any circumstance. NotPetya was a global disaster. The shipping giant Maersk alone lost $300 million in the incident, with ports closed worldwide. Government computers in several countries were hit, as well as American firms like the food giant Mondelez. But the malware did 80% of its damage in Ukraine, according to the cybersecurity firm ESET.

The British National Cyber Security Centre said Thursday that "the Russian military was almost certainly responsible" for the disastrous NotPetya malware attack.

Why it matters: NotPetya created massive global damage last June, with $300 million to shipping giant Maersk alone. But, cybersecurity firm ESET calculated that 80% of its damages were centered in Ukraine. That was by design. The malware was affixed in an update to accounting software M.E.Doc, which is widely and almost exclusively used in Ukraine.

Secretary of State Tillerson is arriving in Turkey today, and it’s all but certain his meetings there will include discussions of the simmering tensions in Syria, including the Turkish offensive against U.S.-backed Kurds in Afrin.

Why it matters: The Afrin assault is just one of several violent clashes in recent weeks to expose the overlapping and contradictory interests coming to a head in Syria. The powers operating in the region appear to be deepening their involvements, even as ISIS has largely been beaten back.

Moments after an exclusive interview with Vice President Mike Pence, Axios Executive Editor Mike Allen and CEO Jim VandeHei dissect Pence's comments on explosive issues, including turmoil in the White House stemming from Rob Porter, how the White House views Russian election interference, and the careful ways in which the administration discusses North Korea.

South Korea is picking up the tab for costs North Korea racks up during the 2018 Olympics, according to the Wall Street Journal, approving a $2.7 million fund to cover the expenses.

Why it matters: North Korea is a poor country that doesn't pay its debts around the world — on hotel bills, parking tickets, or anything else for that matter. In talks ahead of the games, "there was little question that the South would pay."

According to a "Top secret" cable sent to Israeli ambassadors earlier this week, Israel fears that the Assad regime will use the chemical weapons it still has left in a way which might spill over to Israeli territory. The contents of the cable were shared with me by senior Israeli officials.

Why it matters: Senior Israeli officials told me ambassadors around the world were asked to convey harsh messages about events in Syria, and Iran's role in them, due to the feeling that the international community doesn’t comprehend how concerned Israel was by Iran's actions, and how ready Israel is to take military action if no diplomatic solution is found.

Valentine's Day and the billions in consumer spending it generates are a staple of Western culture, but elsewhere in the world, Feb. 14 has become a day synonymous with government intimidation, vigilante violence and — in a hopeful twist — rebellion in the name of love.

In Pakistan, where Valentine's celebrations have been banned since 2017, police have taken to searching cars for balloons, chocolates and other "contraband," per the NYTimes. Some florists, risking criminality in the eyes of the Islamabad High Court, hide their red roses in the back of the shop, reserved only for their most daring customers.

"Irrespective of efforts that were made in 2016 by foreign powers, it is the universal conclusion of our intelligence communities that none of those efforts had any impact on the outcome of the 2016 election."

Fact check: U.S. Intelligence chiefs say they have made no such judgment.

Vice President Mike Pence said that foreign interference didn't impact the results of the 2016 presidential election — and that Americans "can be confident" in the election results at an Axios event Wednesday afternoon. He did, however, admit that "there were efforts by Russia" to impact the election  and highlighted forthcoming efforts for a "hardening" of election infrastructure.

Vice President Mike Pence told Axios' Mike Allen on Wednesday President Trump "always believes in talking [with North Korea], but talking is not negotiating."

Why it matters: He said nothing will change with North Korea until they give up their pursuit of nuclear weapons. He said they must "completely, verifiably, and completely abandon" its missile programs, and "only then can we consider any change in posture by the United States or the international community."