Eurasia

Officials of Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina have rejected claims made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that these countries are sending “mercenaries” to fight in Ukraine, where there are fears of a Russian invasion. Moscow-based news agency Russia Today quoted Lavrov on Friday as saying that they are …

In any case, Islam, though it has contributed to numerous civilizations, isn’t itself a civilization but a religion. It is the French who, in their universities and such places as the Louvre Museum, bring dozens of different civilizations, cultures and arts under the “Islamic” label. That, in turn, legitimizes those, …

[Elite capture] is a crucial tool of [China’s] success. The idea is simple enough: by tempting another country’s elite with money, access and favors, you move them to see their interests and China’s interests as intertwined or even the same. [Each] of the individuals we discuss would deny their role …

A flurry of diplomacy furthered hopes for a diplomatic push to avert the threat of large-scale war in Europe late on February 20, but Western warnings sounded more dire over spiraling tensions around Ukraine. The calls from Kyiv and the West for peace talks came as Ukraine reported continued shelling …

Biden also spoke with Macron earlier on Sunday, as France seeks to mediate between the sides in a last-minute effort to ease tension. US President Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to hold a summit on the Ukraine crisis, the office of French President Emmanuel Macron …

The report by ‘Foreign Policy’ that there was a list of Ukrainians to capture or kill was an “absolute lie,” the Kremlin said. The Kremlin denied US media reports that Russia has drawn up a list of Ukrainians to capture or kill in the event of an invasion, Reuters reported …

“In the absence of any aggressive action by Ukrainian defenders, the invaders themselves blow up infrastructure facilities in the occupied territories and carry out chaotic shelling of settlements.” Pro-Russian forces are destroying civilian infrastructure and claiming that the damage is caused by Ukrainian military artillery strikes, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry …

The UK has also got 1,000 personnel ready to support humanitarian responses, if required. The UK is set to send additional troops to Estonia, amid fears that the Russian military build-up near Ukraine’s border may trigger a wider conflict in Europe. The move comes as British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace …

The move comes after the Polish Government requested 250 M1A2SEPv3 Abrams main battle tanks. The US State Department has approved a potential $6bn foreign military sale (FMS) sale of 250 Abrams tanks, and associated equipment, to Poland. The US Congress was also notified by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) …

Why Moscow Would Use Overwhelming Force Against Ukraine Russia appears to be on the verge of launching a major military operation against Ukraine. It has amassed an unprecedented number of troops on the country’s border, and Russian-led forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine have sharply escalated their attacks along …