The White House is weighing an executive order that would force banks to collect citizenship information from customers, the Financial Times has reported. The new order would represent a significant new push in US President Donald Trump’s drive to curb undocumented migration, the outlet wrote on Tuesday, citing sources. The …
Read More »Russia considers downgrading diplomatic relations with the West
Moscow could be forced to downgrade diplomatic ties with Western countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has warned, citing hostile policies of the US and its allies. “We have not initiated such a step yet, despite all of the things related to the most tumultuous phase in our relations …
Read More »Trump considers pressuring NATO states to spend more on defense – media
Donald Trump is eyeing plans to push the NATO members to ramp up defense spending from 2% to 3% of GDP if he is re-elected in November, The Telegraph reported on Friday, citing sources close to the former US President. Trump has reportedly been considering an increase for some time …
Read More »Kiev considers renaming Russia
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has instructed his government to consider renaming Russia as ‘Moscovia’, an unofficial designation used centuries ago. The move comes after a petition insisted that by using the word ‘Russia’, Ukraine is endorsing a “dangerous claim” that its neighbor is a direct descendant of Kievan Rus. In …
Read More »West considers arming Ukraine with more potent weapons – FT
The US and its allies are in talks over whether to send Ukraine more advanced weapons in the future, including fighter aircraft, a US defense official has said, according to the Financial Times. Some of Kiev’s Western allies were emboldened by last week’s successful offensive against Russia in Kharkov Region, …
Read More »Boris Johnson considers leaving politics – media
After being forced from office by a party revolt, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson may now leave the political stage altogether, the Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday, citing sources. According to the outlet, Johnson is now thinking about whether to remain in the House of Commons, like his predecessor Theresa …
Read More »US considers doubling rocket launcher deliveries for Ukraine – Politico
The Pentagon is considering whether to send four additional M142 HIMARS rocket launcher systems to Ukraine, Politico reported on Saturday. The US has already pledged four such systems to Kiev’s military, but Ukrainian officials want far more. The US announced at the beginning of June that it would send four …
Read More »US considers offer to Belarus – media
The US is considering granting Belarus a six-month waiver from sanctions imposed on its potash industry last year, in exchange for opening up the railroads to start shipping grain from Ukraine to Lithuania, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing unnamed US officials. The sanctions were slapped on Minsk over opposition protests …
Read More »‘Largest’ US museum considers returning looted artworks
The Smithsonian Museum has officially admitted many of its celebrated collections were obtained unethically – essentially looted – in a statement published on Tuesday. Observing that “many artifacts and works of art have been in the Smithsonian’s holdings for decades or, in some cases, more than 150 years,” the museum …
Read More »West considers three options for Russian oil – media
Officials from the US and EU are reportedly discussing measures Brussels can take to effectively curb oil imports from Russia and slash the revenues Moscow receives. The options include a ban, a price cap, and a payment mechanism that would allow revenue generated from crude oil to be withheld from …
Read More »