executive branch
Russia Tries to Tighten Hold Over Occupied Areas of Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine—Russia is moving to tighten its hold over occupied parts of Ukraine as its military campaign to take more territory in the eastern Donbas region stalls in the face of fierce resistance, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warning that fighting is set to intensify. In Mariupol, the largest Ukrainian city taken over by Russian …
NATO Bids From Finland and Sweden Now Depend on Turkey’s President
ISTANBUL—NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, potentially among the most dramatic shifts in European security policy in decades, now depends largely on the decision of one man: Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr. Erdogan’s decision to block a speedy entrance for the two countries into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has opened the door to …
Ukraine’s Military Regains Ground in Northeast, Targets Another Russian River Crossing
KYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian forces in the northeastern region of Kharkiv have regained territory at the Russian border, the regional governor said, while Russian forces continued to shell cities in Donbas and carried out a rare missile strike in western Ukraine. Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Sinegubov said Monday that even as Ukraine wins back territory seized by …
Ukrainians Count Dead, Assess Damage After Russian Pullback Near Kyiv
By Isabel Coles Updated Apr. 2, 2022 11:05 am ET Share Text LVIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian forces were clearing mines and counting the dead around Kyiv following Russian troop withdrawals in recent days, as Moscow shifted military operations to the country’s east. Russian forces have partially pulled back from a swath of territory northwest of Ukraine’s capital, …
Vladimir Putin’s 20-Year March to War in Ukraine—and How the West Mishandled It
In early November, months before the war began, CIA Director William Burns visited Moscow to deliver a warning: The U.S. believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing to invade Ukraine. If he went ahead, he would face crippling sanctions from a united West. The American spy chief was connected on a secure Kremlin phone with …
Ukraine Proposes Neutral Status With Guarantees, and Zelensky Seeks More Western Help
Ukraine and Russia said they made progress in talks to end the war, with Kyiv presenting its proposal for a neutral status and international security guarantees as Moscow continued deadly strikes across Ukraine despite promises to focus its campaign on the eastern Donbas region. Though the latest round of negotiations, opened by Turkish President Recep …
U.S. to Sanction Companies Providing Technology for Russian Military, Intelligence Services
WASHINGTON—The Biden administration is preparing sanctions targeting Russian companies it says provides goods and services for the military and intelligence services, including dual-use components used in weapons proliferation, U.S. officials said. The Treasury Department sanctions, which could be announced as early as next week, come as the U.S. and allies continue to target a range …
National Enquirer Parent, Ex-CEO Fined for Breaking Election Law in 2016 Campaign
The May 17 agreement between A360 Media LLC and the FEC characterized the $150,000 payment to model Karen McDougal as an illegal corporate campaign contribution. Federal law prohibits companies from making contributions to candidate committees. A spokesman for A360 Media and David Pecker, the former chief executive of American Media Inc., didn’t have an immediate …
Biden Shifts Focus Back to U.S. Alliances in Japan, South Korea
SEOUL—To see the Biden administration’s balancing act with the U.S.’s two most important Asian allies, just look at suit lapels. During the first leg of a multicity trip, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sported blue pins while in Tokyo—a show of solidarity with Japanese abducted by North Korea. But on …
U.S. to Impose Sweeping Rule Aimed at China Technology Threats
WASHINGTON—The Biden administration plans to allow a sweeping Trump-era rule aimed at combating Chinese technology threats to take effect next month, over objections from U.S. businesses, according to people familiar with the matter. The rule, initially proposed in November, enables the Commerce Department to ban technology-related business transactions that it determines pose a national security …
