The Trump administration on Sunday lambasted Russia's involvement in a deadly ongoing military operation in Eastern Ghouta, Syria, saying the country has dropped bombs — at "least 20 daily" between February 24 and 28 — on innocent civilians.
After repeatedly delaying the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2401, which demanded a 30-day cessation of hostilities across Syria, Russia has gone on to ignore its terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counterterrorism operations. This is the same combination of lies and indiscriminate force that Russia and the Syrian regime used to isolate and destroy Aleppo in 2016, where thousands of civilians were killed.
— White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
Axios has reviewed a Grand Jury subpoena that Robert Mueller's team sent to a witness last month.
What Mueller is asking for: Mueller is subpoenaing all communications — meaning emails, texts, handwritten notes, etc. — that this witness sent and received regarding the following people:
Despite sanctions, North Korean coal has made its way to the international market, including in South Korea and Japan, through a deceptive process that involves falsified documents and the cooperation of officials and businesses in at least three countries, The Washington Post reports, citing records produced by investigators and U.N. experts.
At a glance: In August and September of last year, at least four ships dumped North Korean coal at a harbor in Russia before six other vessels arrived to transport both Russian and North Korean coal to foreign markets, the Post reports.
Israel demands that as part of "fixing" the nuclear deal with Iran, new sanctions and limitations be placed on all Iranian missiles with a range of more than 180 miles (or 300 kilometers) – including the precision missiles Iran is providing Hezbollah with. Israeli officials say Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to raise this issue during his meeting tomorrow with President Trump at the White House.
Between the lines: Netanyahu and his advisers are concerned with what they see as a growing gap between the harsh rhetoric by the Trump administration against Iran and the limited actions taken – both on the nuclear deal and on Iranian military entrenchment in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, interviewed by Megyn Kelly for NBC's "Meet the Press", said the 13 Russians who have been indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of the Russia probe "do not represent the Russian state, the Russian authorities." He added that he'll "never, never" extradite those Russian nationals to the United States.
"What they did specifically, I have no idea. I do not know what they were guided by ... Let them just not talk to the press. Let them provide some materials, specifics and data. We'll be prepared to look at them and talk about it.”
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's interviews with George Nader — adviser to the UAE, and White House visitor in Bannon days — show the probe may include "how money from multiple countries has flowed through and influenced Washington during the Trump era," per N.Y. Times lead story.
"The investigators ... asked about Mr. Nader’s role in White House policymaking, ... suggesting that the special counsel investigation has broadened beyond Russian election meddling to include Emirati influence on the Trump administration."
"Yousef al-Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador to the United States, declined to comment. Axios first reported Mr. Mueller’s questioning of Mr. Nader."
Above is a fisheye-lens view of the opening ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,
Legislators are poised to approve changes that will let President Xi Jinping rule indefinitely, undoing decades of efforts to prevent a return to crushing dictatorship, AP reports.
Denis McDonough, Barack Obama's former chief of staff, told Chuck Todd in a "Meet the Press" interview that Mitch McConnell blocked a more robust response to Russian meddling in the lead up to the 2016 election:
"It took over three weeks to get that statement worked out. It was dramatically watered down," he said, adding that he knew it had been watered down at the request of McConnell.
The backdrop: The exchange was prompted by a claim from Joe Biden that McConnell was focused on "the political play" and "wanted no part of having a bipartisan commitment that we would say essentially, 'Russia's doing this, stop.'"
North Korea said on Saturday that it would "counter the U.S." if military exercises were conducted, and the U.S. will "own all responsibilities for the ensuing consequences," Reuters reports.
“If the U.S. finally holds joint military exercises while keeping sanctions on the DPRK, the DPRK will counter the U.S. by its own mode of counteraction and the U.S. will be made to own all responsibilities for the ensuing consequences."
— North Korea's news agency KCNA
Why it matters: Per Reuters, the U.S. and South Korea plan to start joint exercises in April. North Korea said through KCNA that drills "would harm reconciliation efforts," and that the regime will not "beg for dialogue" with the U.S.
During an annual state address this week, President Vladimir Putin unveiled Russia’s pursuit of new nuclear weapons systems, couched as a response to the increasingly adversarial “American machine.” During the speech, Putin presented animated videos demonstrating how such weapons could successfully target parts of the United States.
Among the capabilities in development are a liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile that is more difficult to intercept and a nuclear-powered cruise missile with the ability to penetrate “all existing and prospective missile defense and counter-air defense systems.”
Why it matters: Putin maintains that the decision to enhance the Russian nuclear arsenal is a natural reaction to the evolving threat posed by the U.S. — particularly Washington’s continued development of anti-ballistic missiles that could neutralize Russia’s existing nuclear forces.
On Feb. 13, Israeli police recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two corruption cases. The 68-year-old prime minister has found himself embroiled in two other corruption inquiries as well, including one that landed him a sit-down interview with Israeli investigators Friday, according to Reuters.
Why it matters: Netanyahu, no stranger to corruption scandals during his four terms, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and accused Israeli media of peddling fake news. But with evidence continuing to stack up against him, it remains to be seen whether Netanyahu can once again wriggle free and salvage his political career.
Since the United Nations Security Council voted almost a week ago on an immediate 30-day cease-fire in Eastern Ghouta, 103 more people have been killed, Al Jazeera reports.
Why it matters: U.S.Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said at the vote last week that eyes would "be on the Syrian regime, Iran and Russia," and that Assad must "for once, allow humanitarian access to all of those who need it" in Ghouta. But residents say no aid has been allowed in, and no cease-fire has been implemented.
