The Georgian government submitted its application for European Union membership last week — two years ahead of schedule, as domestic support for Ukraine galvanized calls to look West.
Why it matters: Leaders in the Republic of Georgia hope that the shockwaves caused by Russia's invasion will spur reluctant EU members to admit longtime aspirants like Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.
More than 80% of people in the U.S. say inflation, global uncertainty and the war in Ukraine are significant sources of stress, a survey by the American Psychological Association out Thursday finds.
Why it matters: More people rated inflation and the war asstressors than any other issue asked about since the poll was first conducted in 2007, per the APA, which described the findings as "alarming."
The White House claims there is "no dialogue" about oil or sanctions underway with Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela, even as U.S. officials made a rare trip to Caracas on Saturday at a time when the administration is scrambling to increase global oil production.
Driving the news: Maduro released two American hostages this week following the meeting, potentially heralding a thaw in relations. But the reengagement with Maduro has sparked backlash from some lawmakers in Washington, who fear President Biden is about to relax sanctions to get more Venezuelan oil onto the market.
The Walt Disney Company on Thursday said it would pause all business in Russia, due to the "unrelenting assault on Ukraine and the escalating humanitarian crisis."
Why it matters: Disney was the first major Western movie studio to pull its theatrical releases from Russia last week, which prompted many other studios to follow suit.
Ukrainian athletes and officials on Thursday called for peace during a protest at the athletes village of the Winter Paralympic Games in China.
Driving the news: Severalinternational sports organizations, including the International Paralympic Committee have boycotted Russia over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
CIA Director Bill Burns testified Thursday that he believes Vladimir Putin is "losing the information war" in Ukraine, undermining the Russian leader's ability to rally support at home and abroad for his war of aggression.
Why it matters: Putin has spent two decades building a "propaganda bubble" and laundering disinformation through state media, Burns said. That's why the U.S. has adopted the novel approach of attempting to preemptively debunk Russia's narratives about Ukraine, blunting the impact of "false flag" operations that succeeded in the past.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, on Thursday will call for her organization to divest from Russia-related assets, Axios has learned. This would include assets owned or controlled by Russian oligarchs.
Why it matters: AFT is the country's second-largest public teacher union, with 1.6 million members, and manages around $1 trillion in pension assets.
Financial services company Western Union said Thursday it will cease its operations in Russia and Belarus starting over the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Why it matters: The decision by Denver-based Western Union, one of the world's largest money transfer firms, adds to a growing number of financial, tech and retail companies leaving Russia in response to the war.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian military's bombing of a children's hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol on Wednesday was a "war crime" and "proof that the genocide of Ukrainians is taking place."
The latest: Mariupol's City Council said in a Telegram post on Thursday that a young girl was among three people confirmed killed in the attack, which wounded at least 17 others.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba discussed the possibility of a meeting between their two presidents during talks on Thursday, but otherwise failed to come to an agreement on a ceasefire.
Why it matters: The talks in Turkey marked the highest-level negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian government since the invasion began, but ended in disappointment. Russia again falsely accused Ukraine of being the aggressor and said the attack will continue until Kyiv agrees to its list of demands.
Why it matters: The sanctions mean the planned sale of Abramovich's English soccer team is now effectively on hold as Chelsea is among the assets the billionaire businessman has had seized, per a statement from the U.K. government.
Large law firms are cutting ties with Russian clients and even shuttering their Moscow offices as U.S. and European sanctions hit blue-chip clients, and Russia's cut off from segments of the global financial system.
Why it matters: Big Law is just one of a host of sectors fleeing Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine. But its exit could deprive oligarchs and Russian multinationals of vital services connecting them to business and financial systems.
