Axios

Top federal prosecutors from five different nations on Thursday issued a joint statement of support for Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who is investigating and prosecuting Russian soldiers for alleged war crimes, the Department of Justice announced.

Why it matters: Venediktova has accused Russia of carrying out an estimated 12,595 war crimes since the beginning of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, according to data cited by her office.

The Senate voted 86-11 to pass a nearly $40 billion military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine on Thursday and the bill now goes to President Biden to be signed into law.

Why it matters: The package, which is billions more than the $33 billion initially requested by the White House, includes military aid, economic support and humanitarian assistance for food security stemming from Russia's unprovoked invasion.

A White House visit by the leaders of Finland and Sweden threatened to be overshadowed Thursday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's renewed threat to reject the Nordic countries' applications to join NATO.

Why it matters: President Biden celebrated the "historic" applications — spurred by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine — as "a victory for democracy in action." But all 30 NATO allies must agree to the enlargement of the alliance, giving Erdoğan significant leverage to extract concessions before lifting his objection.

McDonald's on Wednesday said that it will sell its Russian business to a local licensee, who will continue to operate the restaurants under a different brand.

Why it matters: The fast-food giant has operated in Russia for three decades, and its original entry was viewed as a landmark thawing of Cold War tensions. It now becomes one of the largest foreign brands to exit Russia due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Israel’s fragile coalition took another major hit on Thursday when a lawmaker announced she is leaving only six weeks after the last defection.

Why it matters: The dramatic development leaves Prime Minister Naftali Bennett with a minority coalition of only 59 members of Knesset, giving the opposition a potential majority to call an election.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it has registered hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war who surrendered to Russian forces at a besieged steel plant in Mariupol.

Driving the news: The agency said it started registering combatants from the Azovstal plant on Tuesday "at the request of the parties," adding that the operation was ongoing.

Ukrainian Cpl. Andrii Shadrin’s unit sets off daily from its makeshift base to points along the front lines in Luhansk Oblast in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where the war with Russia rages on. “Some of the regions we have to reach, the only road available is under absolute fire control of the enemy,” he says.

The big picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described soldiers in the Donbas like Shadrin as some of the best Ukraine has. Their battle to defend this region will decide the fate of the war.

Sweden and Finland's membership in NATO would integrate two of Europe's most highly capable and modern militaries right on Russia's doorstep, according to rankings and data from the Global Firepower Index.

Why it matters: Sweden and Finland are seeking to join to obtain security guarantees from the world's most powerful military alliance. But experts say they wouldn't be Article 5 freeloaders.

A Russian gymnast who wore a pro-war symbol on his uniform supporting the invasion of Ukraine has received a one-year ban, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced on Tuesday.

The big picture: Ivan Kuliak won the bronze medal in the parallel bars at a World Cup competition while Ukraine's Illia Kovtun won gold. Kuliak wore a 'Z' symbol taped to his leotard on the podium next to Kovtun.

The U.S. embassy in Kyiv will resume operations three months after officials relocated operations to western Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

The big picture: The embassy left Kyiv "due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces," Blinken said at the time. Russia invaded Ukraine days later.

A 21-year-old Russian soldier on trial in Kyiv for committing war crimes during Moscow's invasion of Ukraine pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian in the Sumy region, according to CNN.

Why it matters: Vadim Shishimarin's war crimes trial is believed to be the first since the start of Russia's invasion in February.

Finland and Sweden handed over their NATO applications on Wednesday to Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who hailed the "historic moment" and urged all 30 allies to move quickly to ratify the Nordic countries' membership.

Why it matters: NATO's ninth enlargement since its founding in 1949 will fundamentally transform European security, adding 830 miles of border with Russia along the Finnish frontier and reversing 200 years of Swedish military non-alignment.

Turkey's threat to oppose Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO has massively raised the stakes of it long-simmering tensions with the West, and given Ankara new leverage to extract concessions from its own purported allies.

Why it matters: Critics have accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of employing a "hostage-taking" tactic also practiced by Hungary, which for weeks has been singlehandedly blocking the European Union from imposing an embargo on Russian oil.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alluded to Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" and Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" in a virtual address at the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony on Tuesday, as he urged cinema "not to be silent" amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The big picture: In speeches before various governments and bodies, Zelensky has made a point of tailoring his words to the particular audience.