President Biden sought to clarify his suggestion that a "minor incursion" by Russia into Ukraine may not draw the same response as a large invasion, telling reporters Thursday that "Russia will pay a heavy price" if any troops cross the border.
Why it matters: Some officials in Kyiv saw Biden's comments as inviting Russian aggression.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken put the stakes of a Russian invasion of Ukraine in stark terms on Thursday, saying Vladimir Putin's threat is a direct challenge to Ukraine's "right to exist" as an independent country and a democracy.
What he's saying: “There’s been a lot of speculation about President Putin’s true intentions, but we don’t actually have to guess. He’s told us, repeatedly. He’s laying the groundwork for an invasion because he doesn’t believe Ukraine is a sovereign nation," Blinken said during a speech in Berlin.
The Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned four Ukrainian nationals for engaging in "Russian government-directed influence activities" in Ukraine, including spreading false narratives "to create instability in advance of a potential Russian invasion."
Why it matters: The sanctions are distinct from the severe consequences that the U.S. and its European allies have pledged if Russia invades Ukraine, but underscore the "hybrid tactics" that the Kremlin has employed against its neighbor since 2014.
A report released Thursday faulted retired Pope Benedict XVI for the mishandling of four sex abuse cases when he was archbishop of Germany’s Munich diocese, according to AP.
Why it matters: The report, commissioned by the archdiocese, also criticized the diocese's current archbishop Reinhard Marx's handling of at least two cases.
Rising rates on the German bund reflect how central banks are now backing off on the help — essentially super-low interest rates — they used to cushion their economies during the pandemic.
Counterterrorism police in the United Kingdom said Thursday they arrested two men in Manchester and Birmingham as part of an investigation into the synagogue standoff in Colleyville, Texas, over the weekend.
Why it matters: So far,at least four people have been arrested and detained for questioning in the U.K. over the standoff, the suspected gunman of which was identified as Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen.
A preliminary CIA report concluded that a global campaign by a foreign power was likely not the cause of a mysterious illness known as Havana syndrome that's afflicted American and Canadian diplomats around the world, an agency official said.
Why it matters: A CIA official told Axios that most of the 1,000 cases reported to the government could be "explained by medical conditions or environmental and technical factors, including things like previously undiagnosed illnesses and the fact that many of the reports were made out of an abundance of caution."
President Biden addressed the brewing conflict between Russia and Ukraine during a press briefing Wednesday, saying of Russian President Vladimir Putin, "my guess is he will move in."
Why it matters: U.S. officials have issued a series of warnings about Russia's threatening military buildup on the border with Ukraine, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying in Kyiv earlier Wednesday that Russia could invade "on very short notice."
The personal data of more than 515,000 "highly vulnerable people" were compromised in a cyberattack on a contractor used by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the organization said Wednesday.
Why it matters: The attack compromised data from at least 60 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies worldwide. As of yet, there is no indication that the information has been leaked, according to the ICRC.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told U.S. senators visiting Kyiv this week that waiting to impose sanctions on Russia until after an invasion is of no use to Ukraine, according to four sources familiar with the discussions.
Why it matters: The Senate is currently working on a major sanctions package to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine. Democrats and Republicans are united in their support for Ukraine, but divided over whether it would be more effective to sanction Russia now to signal resolve, or hold up the threat of future sanctions to demonstrate the high costs of an invasion.
U.S. envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking traveled to the Gulf on Wednesday in the aftermath of an attack by Houthi rebels that killed three people in Abu Dhabi.
Why it matters: Lenderking's trip was previously planned but became much more urgent after the attack threatened new escalation in the fighting in Yemen and more broadly in the region. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also spoke Wednesday with Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian Authority hopes to put the stifling fiscal crisis it faced in 2021 behind it, but that will depend in large part on a pledge from the European Union.
Why it matters: The U.S., EU, Israel and the PA itself all fear that failing to pay public sector salaries could trigger the Palestinian government's collapse.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's opposition leader and former prime minister, is negotiating a possible plea deal over the corruption charges against him, but Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit appears to be toughening his terms.
Why it matters: Mandelblit leaves office on Jan. 31. Negotiations could continue beyond that point, but the next attorney general may be less interested in quickly reaching a deal.
To get a deal, Iran will have to either accelerate its pace at the negotiating table or slow down the pace of its nuclear program to buy more time for diplomacy, a senior U.S. official involved in the Vienna nuclear talks tells Axios.
Why it matters: Biden administration officials have set the end of January or beginning of February as an unofficial deadline for the talks, in large part because they believe Iran's nuclear advances will soon render the 2015 deal ineffective.
The family of Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in North Korea for 17 months and died in 2017 shortly after being returned to the U.S. in a coma, was awarded more than $240,000 in seized assets from Pyongyang, a New York federal court ruled.
Why it matters: The payment is part of a $500 million wrongful death lawsuit, in which Warmbier's family alleged that North Korea took him hostage, tortured him and was responsible for his death.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson could be ousted from power within the week, after a longtime ally compared him to Neville Chamberlain in a stunning rebuke in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Driving the news: Johnson is under immense pressure from the public and his own Conservative Party over allegations that he lied about lockdown-breaking parties in his Downing Street home.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett proposed a Russia-Ukraine summit in Jerusalem to Russian President Vladimir Putin in their meeting last October, Ukrainian and Israeli officials tell me.
Why it matters: Israel is one of the few countries that has good relations with both Kyiv and Moscow and is able to pass messages between them. The Ukrainian side first broached the idea of a summit in Israel with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last spring when Russia was massing troops on the border, but it never gained much traction.
NASA scientists estimate that the power of Tonga's volcanic eruption over the weekend was equivalent to 5-6 megatons of TNT.
Threat level: Saturday's eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano and subsequent tsunami killed at least three people. Scientists warn an "ash-seawater cocktail" poses a potentially toxic health threat, and drinking water could be contaminated.
