The U.S. now believes that Russia's claims that it is withdrawing troops from near Ukraine are "false," and that Moscow has in fact increased its presence on the border "by as many as 7,000 troops" in recent days, a senior administration official told reporters Wednesday.
Why it matters: The explosive claim suggests that Vladimir Putin publicly offered to reopen negotiations "while privately mobilizing for war," the official said.
The nuclear talks in Vienna appear to be in the final stretch, but the Iranian and Western negotiators both claim the ball is in the other's court.
What they're saying: Iran chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri wrote on Twitter Wednesday that "we are closer than ever to an agreement" but "our negotiating partners need to be realistic, avoid intransigence and heed lessons" of the past four years, adding: "Time for their serious decisions."
The Biden administration has asked the Israeli government to take steps to avoid further escalation and restore calm in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, Israeli and U.S. officials tell me.
Why it matters: Tensions over the potential expulsion of six Palestinian families from the neighborhood in favor of Jewish settlers helped spark the fighting in Gaza last May.
MANAMA, Bahrain —During his visit to Bahrain on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Bahraini officials discussed ways to build a regional alliance to counter Iran, a senior Israeli official tells Axios.
Why it matters: This was the first-ever official visit by an Israeli prime minister to the Gulf kingdom — which established relations with Israel 18 months ago and is located less than 100 miles from Iran — and it came as the nuclear talks in Vienna entered crunch time.
The U.S. intelligence community warned Wednesday that Russia-sponsored hackers have repeatedly attempted to infiltrate computer networks belonging to Department of Defense contractors to steal information on weapons technologies.
Why it matters: It said that state-sponsored cyber actors have made several intrusion attempts between January 2020 and February 2022 and have acquired emails, sensitive, unclassified information and "export-controlled technology" owned by the contractors.
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to the United Arab Emirates this week is aimed at laying the foundation for a strategic partnership between the two former rivals after several years of sharp divergence.
Why it matters: Erdoğan’s first visit to the UAE in nine years, which followed a visit from UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) to Ankara last November, is part of a broader effort to reset relations with countries in the region as Turkey tries to build its cash flow and end its diplomatic isolation in the region.
NATO has not seen signs of Russian troops pulling back near Ukraine, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday, after Moscow had announced it was returning some troops and weapons to their permanent bases.
Why it matters: Stoltenberg said that Russia is instead continuing its military buildup near Ukraine's border, echoing similar skepticism conveyed by President Biden on Tuesday.
A war in Ukraine — even a short one, even with no U.S. troops on the ground — would ripple throughout the global economy and challenge the international order the U.S. spent decades constructing and defending.
Why it matters: Every time Vladimir Putin provides the slightest hint of his intentions toward Ukraine, markets move and heads of state scramble. An invasion could have enormous implications for the U.S.
The top-seeded American hockey team is out of Beijing Winter Olympics medal contention after losing 3-2 to Slovakia in a shootout on Wednesday.
Details: The Americans came from behind in the second period to lead 2-1, but Slovakia's Marek Hrivik scored with 43.7 seconds left in regulation to force the game into overtime at Beijing's National Indoor Stadium.
The big picture: Day 12 saw Team USA's Olympic medal tally rise to 19, including eight golds as of Wednesday morning Eastern Time. The overall total was second only to Norway.
Alex Hall won an Olympic gold medal and Nick Goepper silver for Team USA in the free ski slopestyle on Day 12 of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
By the numbers: Hall scored 90.01 on his first run, while Goepper secured second, with 86.48. Sweden's Jesper Tjader won the bronze medal with a score of 85.35.
