As Ukraine requests extra weaponry amid its counteroffensive towards Russia, the Biden administration is weighing whether or not to produce Kyiv with controversial cluster bombs. Senior U.S. administration and protection officers have contacted lawmakers to evaluate their consolation with sending the munitions, individuals acquainted with the matter advised The Washington Put up. The Biden administration has issues concerning the optics of the transfer and the potential for long-term hurt to civilians, because the munitions can go away behind unexploded bomblets that stay lethal for many years.
CIA Director William J. Burns made a secret go to to Ukraine earlier this month, the place officers revealed an bold endgame for the struggle, The Put up has reported. The technique goals to retake Russian-occupied territory and open cease-fire negotiations with Moscow by the tip of the yr, officers acquainted with the go to mentioned.
Right here’s the most recent on the struggle and its influence throughout the globe.
After mutiny, Kremlin appears to be like to unwind holdings tied to Wagner mercenary boss: With Moscow nonetheless rattled by the Wagner mercenary group’s failed revolt, the Kremlin has begun dismantling and taking management of Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s sprawling empire, which included not solely the army-for-hire but in addition a propaganda media wing and web troll factories notorious for interfering in U.S. elections.
However dealing with his operations poses a problem for the Russian authorities, Mary Ilyushina, Rachel Chason, Robyn Dixon and John Hudson report. The Russian army, as an illustration, depends on Prigozhin’s companies to feed troopers combating in Ukraine and can’t afford disruptions.
“Prigozhin isn’t solely the Wagner Group, he represents a construction that’s making an attempt to work on the ideological entrance, on the political entrance,” mentioned Denis Korotkov, a Russian investigative journalist who first uncovered the Wagner Group. “All this works in a decent ecosystem with different sides of his enterprise.”