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☆ U.S. Warns Allies Russia Could Put a Nuclear Weapon Into Orbit This Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

American intelligence agencies have told their closest European allies that if Russia is going to launch a nuclear weapon into orbit, it will probably do so this year — but that it might instead launch a harmless “dummy” warhead into orbit to leave the West guessing about its capabilities. The assessment came as American intelligence officials conducted a series of rushed, classified briefings for their NATO and Asian allies, as details of the American assessment of Russia’s intentions began to leak out. The American intelligence agencies are sharply divided in their opinion about what President Vladimir V. Putin is planning, and on Tuesday Mr. Putin rejected the accusation that he intended to place a nuclear weapon in orbit and his defense minister said the intelligence warning was manufactured in an effort to get Congress to authorize more aid for Ukraine. During a meeting with the defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, Mr. Putin said Russia had always been “categorically against” placing nuclear weapons in space, and had respected the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits weaponizing space, including the placement of nuclear weapons in orbit.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, Sergei K, Shoigu Organizations: NATO Locations: Russia, American, Ukraine

☆ Feds charge Japanese Yakuza leader with nuclear materials trafficking
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The DOJ alleges that a high-ranking member of the Yakuza, Takeshi Ebisawa, was the central figure in a plot to funnel American weapons to ethnic militias in Myanmar in exchange for heroin and meth. Federal prosecutors in New York on Wednesday said they charged a Japanese Yakuza leader with conspiring to traffic nuclear materials from Burma to other countries in the belief that they would be used by Iran to make a nuclear weapon. "A U.S. nuclear forensic laboratory later analyzed the samples and confirmed that the samples contain uranium and weapons-grade plutonium," the statement said. Williams said Ebisawa "brazenly trafficked" the nuclear material while believing it would be used to develop a nuclear weapons program." The top prosecutor also said that even as he tried to sell the nuclear materials, the Yakuza leader "also negotiated for the purchase of deadly weapons, including surface-to-air missiles," M60 machine guns, AK-47s and armor-piercing ammunition.

Persons: Takeshi Ebisawa, Ebisawa, Damian Williams, Williams Organizations: DOJ, U.S . Drug, Administration, Attorney's, U.S, AK Locations: Myanmar, New York, Japanese, Burma, Iran, Thailand, Iranian, Manhattan, U.S

☆ Putin gifts car to Kim Jong Un in sign of ‘special personal relations,’ North Korean state media reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Russian-made car for Kim’s personal use was delivered Sunday by a Russian delegation, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS the car was an Aurus, the luxury automaker founded in 2018 to produce Russia’s official state cars. In January, high-ranking North Korean and Russian diplomats met in Moscow in advance of what North Korean state media says is a forthcoming visit to Pyongyang by Putin — his first in more than 20 years. The North Korean leader is often seen being chauffeured in what’s believed to be a Mercedes-Maybach Pullman Guard armored limousine, worth upwards of $1 million. During Kim’s visit to Russia last September, Putin showed his Aurus limousine to the North Korean leader.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Dmitry Peskov, –, Kim Yo Jong, Putin, Putin —, Kim, “, ”, what’s, Royce, Donald Trump Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Korean, Korean Central News Agency, TASS, Pyongyang, CNN, Putin, North, Maybach Pullman Guard, Maybach S600 Guard, Washington -, Advanced Defense Locations: Seoul, South Korea, United States, Russian, North Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Netherlands, Washington, Singapore

☆ Reports of Russia building nuclear space weapons have alarmed officials, but security experts aren't panicked — yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Cryptic intelligence reports this week of Russia building an unspecified nuclear space weapon stoked fear among Americans who worried escalating nuclear threats could mean global catastrophe is near. Experts on space security and the risks posed by nuclear weapons told Business Insider that rumors of Russia creating such a weapon are likely true but that it's not time to panic just yet. NPR reported the White House confirmed that Russia is working on a weapon that could threaten satellites in space but that nothing has been deployed. However, Russia has been developing anti-satellite weapons for years, John Erath, senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, told BI. But that's where this gets a little bit complicated because a nuclear weapon isn't really that."

Persons: US —, John Erath, They've, they've, Erath, Victoria Samson, Samson Organizations: Service, Business, CNN, NPR, White House, Soviet Union, US, Center for Arms Control, Prime, Station, Hubble, SpaceX, GPS, Starfish, Secure, Foundation Locations: Russia, Soviet, United States, Iraq

But if it is what the White House suggests, we may now find ourselves facing this generation’s Sputnik moment. Now that we know what Russia is planning, the United States cannot afford to be slow to act. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, to which Russia is a party, prohibits the placement of “nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction” in orbit around Earth. While the United States has made advances in space defenses, it would struggle to defend its satellites against a nuclear attack in space. We use satellites to collect intelligence and to detect missile launches, and for navigation, communications and controlling precision weapons.

Persons: John Kirby, White, Eisenhower Organizations: Capitol, Soviet Union, Soviets Locations: Russian, Russia, United States

☆ The Ukraine war grinds on — 4 ways the conflict with Russia could end
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian president has also indirectly suggested a cease-fire, something that the US has refused to consider unless Ukraine is involved in discussions, Reuters reported. Nuclear warPutin has made several threats of using nuclear weapons since the invasion began, but the West is divided on how seriously to take his comments. Jones said the risks of breaking the ultimate nuclear weapons taboo would likely outweigh any benefits. I think the US has already communicated pretty forcefully that all bets are off if Russia were to use nuclear weapons," he added.

Persons: It's, —, Max Bergmann, Bergmann, Caesar Kunikov, Eliot A, Cohen, Arleigh, Burke, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, Putin, Adrienne Watson, Seth Jones, Jones, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Service, Bakhmut, Eurasia Program, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Representatives, Russia's, CSIS, Nazi, Reuters, Ukrainian, Bloomberg, Kremlin, National Security Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Europe, Russian, YORUK, Nazi Germany, Red, Moscow, United States

☆ Kim Jong Un has broken with decades of North Korean policy – does it mean he’s planning for war?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The two sides have been cut off from each other since 1953, when an armistice ended the Korean War, and remain technically at war. Yoon and Biden have sharpened their countries’ deterrence plans and coordination in the face of North Korea’s threats and weapons development. If anything, some analysts believe, North Korea’s public statements signal that North Korea is abandoning its reunification policy in pursuit of peace on the peninsula. Vladimir Smirnov/AFP/Getty ImagesAn ‘emboldened’ KimThe North Korean leader may also feel more confident about his arsenal and his options as he watches a shifting global landscape. “Kim Jong Un is wary of a full-scale provocation by the South Korean military disguised as a military exercise and has vowed to occupy South Korean territory without hesitation,” said Lim in Changwon.

Persons: Kim Jong, South Korea –, ” Kim, ”, Kim, ’, Robert Carlin, Siegfred Heckler, Chul Lim, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Edward Howell, Yoon Suk Yeol, Ayse, ” He’s, Yoon, Biden, Seoul . Kim, Trump, Lim, “ That’s, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, ’ Kim, “ Kim Jong, …, Rachel Minyoung Lee, Howell, “ Kim Jong Un, Lee, Japan – Organizations: CNN, South, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, North Korea Research Center, University’s Institute, Far Eastern, University of Oxford, Japan, Ewha Womans University, US, North, Russia's Vostochny, Getty, Stimson, –, White, United Nations Security Council, West, South Korean Defense Ministry, ”, Trump, North Korean Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, North Korea, South Korea, Korea, Republic of Korea, Kim, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, United States, Korea’s, Changwon, Pyongyang, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, Guam, Gon, Seoul ., Russian, Russia's, China, Iran, denuclearization, Western, North, Moscow, Beijing, Oxford, Jeju, South, “

☆ Exclusive: Russia attempting to develop nuclear space weapon to destroy satellites with massive energy wave, sources familiar with intel say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Jim Sciutto | Kristin Fisher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The weapon is still under development and is not yet in orbit, Biden administration officials have emphasized publicly. But Russia has recently made progress in its efforts to develop a nuclear EMP — a related but far more alarming technology. This would almost certainly be “a last-ditch weapon” for Russia, the US official and other sources said — because it would do the same damage to whatever Russian satellites were also in the area. According to those sources, the intelligence community is now scrambling to figure out how to preserve its access. Russia has withdrawn from several arms control treaties in recent years, leaving the post-Cold War arms control architecture all but gutted.

Persons: Mike Turner of, Joe Biden, Turner, Biden, ”, John Kirby, “, ” Kirby Organizations: CNN, Republican, House Intelligence, The Defense Department, National Security, National Intelligence, Defense Department, National Security Council, Pentagon, Capitol, Biden Locations: Russia, –, Mike Turner of Ohio, Washington, Russian, Earth, America, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Richard Branson and Oppenheimer's grandson among those warning about future AI risks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Richard Branson and other public figures have signed an open letter warning of AI risks. The letter, issued by The Elders and the Future of Life Institute, urges world leaders to take action. The letter highlights risks, including the climate crisis, pandemics, nuclear weapons, and AI. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRichard Branson and the grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer are among the signatories of an open letter warning of the risks of uncontrolled AI.

Persons: Richard Branson, —, J, Robert Oppenheimer Organizations: The Elders, Life Institute, Service, Business

☆ Navalny's wife urges the world to unite against Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Alexey Navalny's wife spoke just hours after Russia announced he was dead. Yulia Navalnaya called on world leaders to band together against Vladimir Putin's regime. And she warned Putin that he will be punished for her husband's death. AdvertisementHours after Russia announced the death of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, his wife appeared at an international conference and urged the world to stand against Vladimir Putin. Yulia Navalnaya was in Germany for the Munich Security Conference when Russia announced that Navalny — a chief critic of Vladimir Putin — died in an Arctic prison.

Persons: Alexey Navalny's, Yulia Navalnaya, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, —, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny —, Vladimir Putin —, Navalnaya, Navalny, Alexei Organizations: Russia, Service, Munich Security Conference Locations: Germany, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Analysis-Russia Seen as Highly Unlikely to Put a Nuclear Warhead in Space
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesAnalysts tracking Russia's space programs say the space threat is probably not a nuclear warhead but rather a high-powered device requiring nuclear energy to carry out an array of attacks against satellites. The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed a warning by the United States about Moscow's new nuclear capabilities in space, calling it a "malicious fabrication". Exploding a nuclear weapon in space would be another matter entirely. "If they do (detonate a nuclear device in space), they’d lose everything. James Acton, a nuclear expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, said for Russia to put a nuclear weapon in orbit would be a "blatant violation of the Outer Space Treaty."

Persons: Joey Roulette, Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON, Mike Turner, Antony Blinken, Daryl Kimball, Brian Weeden, Weeden, James Acton, Acton, Arshad Mohammed, Don Durfee, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S . House, Reuters, Washington, U.S, Arms Control Association, U.S . Defense Intelligence Agency, Secure, Foundation, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace Locations: Russia, Russian, United States, U.S, China, India, Ukraine, Washington, Saint Paul , Minnesota

☆ Russia could 'blind' the US by taking out satellites using a nuclear space weapon, says ex-CIA chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Panetta told CNN the weapon could disable US satellites. AdvertisementFormer CIA Director Leon Panetta said that Russia could "blind" the US by using a nuclear-capable weapon to disable satellites in space. Multiple media reports, citing US officials, said the threat was Russia developing a nuclear weapon to be deployed against satellites. AdvertisementOther reports described it differently: PBS News reported its sources saying the satellite would be powered by a nuclear reactor but was not itself a nuclear weapon. Security experts have long believed that if the US and Russia were to go to war, attacks to disable satellites could be among the first moves.

Persons: Leon Panetta, Panetta, —, Barack Obama, Michael Turner of, Biden Organizations: CIA, CNN, Service, CNN Wednesday, Pentagon, Republican, House Intelligence Committee, ABC News, The New York Times, PBS News, Times, Soviet Union, Republicans Locations: Russian, Russia, Michael Turner of Ohio, Ukraine

☆ North Korea Leader's Sister Says Japan PM's Comments Positive - KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said there is no impediment to closer ties with Japan and there may come a day Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits Pyongyang, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday. Kishida, whose nation has no formal diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, has said he was exploring possibilities to meet North Korea's leader to resolve the matter of Japanese civilians abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Kim Yo Jong, a deputy department director in the ruling Workers' Party, said Kishida's comments could be considered positive if meant to advance relations. Japan has been critical of North Korea's pursuit of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, often drawing harsh rebukes from Pyongyang, especially as Tokyo stepped up its security alliance with South Korea and the United States. Kim is widely considered the closest confidant and adviser to her brother on external policy matters.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Fumio Kishida, KCNA, Kishida, Kim Yo Jong, Kim, Jack Kim, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: North, Workers ' Party Locations: SEOUL, Japan, Pyongyang, Tokyo, South Korea, United States

It does not participate in NATO’s nuclear planning group. Talk of a European nuclear umbrella has come from, among others, German members of the European Parliament. But Chancellor OIaf Scholz and other top security policy officials believe there is no alternative to NATO’s nuclear umbrella. NATO’s nuclear deterrence relies in part on U.S. warheads deployed in Europe using local infrastructure. NATO conducts a major nuclear exercise every year to ensure its readiness and to act as a deterrent to any would-be aggressor, primarily Russia.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jens Stoltenberg, that’s, ”, United Kingdom –, ” Stoltenberg, “, Emmanuel Macron, OIaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, shouldn’t, who’s, Trump, Joe Biden, Stoltenberg, ” Pistorius, Robert Habeck, ___ Moulson, Sylvie Corbet Organizations: NATO, German, Republican, Welt, Washington, Associated Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, Europe, Ukraine, U.S, Brussels, North America, France, United Kingdom, Russia, European, Berlin

☆ Richard Branson and Oppenheimer's grandson urge action to stop AI and climate 'catastrophe'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Richard Branson believes the environmental costs of space travel will "come down even further." Dozens of high-profile figures in business and politics are calling on world leaders to address the existential risks of artificial intelligence and the climate crisis. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, along with former United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, and Charles Oppenheimer — the grandson of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer — signed an open letter urging action against the escalating dangers of the climate crisis, pandemics, nuclear weapons, and ungoverned AI. Signatories called for urgent multilateral action, including through financing the transition away from fossil fuels, signing an equitable pandemic treaty, restarting nuclear arms talks, and building global governance needed to make AI a force for good. The letter was released on Thursday by The Elders, a nongovernmental organization that was launched by former South African President Nelson Mandela and Branson to address global human rights issues and advocate for world peace.

Persons: Richard Branson, Ban, Charles Oppenheimer —, J, Robert Oppenheimer —, Nelson Mandela, Branson, MIT cosmologist Max Tegmark, Jaan Tallinn Organizations: Virgin Group, United Nations, Elders, South, Life Institute, MIT, Skype

These are among the reasons why there was alarm this week over reports that Russia may be pursuing nuclear weapons in space. So much of the country's infrastructure is now dependent on U.S. satellite communications — and those satellites have become increasingly vulnerable. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesTHE PAST: STARFISH PRIME AND PROJECT KBoth Russia and the U.S. have detonated nuclear warheads in space. The U.S. and the Soviet Union signed a nuclear test ban treaty a year later, in 1963, which prohibited further testing of nuclear weapons in space. The creation of the Space Force elevated spending on satellite systems and defenses.

Persons: Stephen Schwartz, Ariel, Hans Kristensen, ” Kristensen, John Kirby, John Ferrari, DeAnna Burt, Pat Ryder, Ferrari, ” Ferrari Organizations: WASHINGTON, Aviation, Russia, U.S, of Atomic Scientists, Starfish Prime, of Defense, Radio, Federation of American Scientists, Soviet Union, House, American Enterprise Institute, U.S . Space Force, NRO, National Reconnaissance Office, Pentagon, Space Force, Defense Department Locations: Russia, China, U.S, Hawaii, British, Ukraine

☆ AI could disrupt the 2024 US presidential election. What’s Congress doing about it?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But with just nine months until Americans head to the ballot box, there are few signs Congress is ready to pass any meaningful legislation on AI. Alex Wong/Getty ImagesSchumer has previously said that with the election nearing, he may seek to fast-track a bill that focuses specifically on AI and election security. Nothing looks likely to move.”Initial momentum on AI regulationFor months, Congress has focused on getting up to speed on the basics of AI. Still other ideas would require “high-risk” AI models to register for a government license, or create a dedicated new federal agency to oversee AI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testifies before a Senate Judiciary Privacy, Technology & the Law Subcommittee hearing titled 'Oversight of A.I.

Persons: Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, “, Schumer, Sen, Todd Young, Martin Heinrich, Michael Rounds, Alex Wong, New Mexico Democratic Sen, South Dakota Republican Sen, Mike Rounds, Indiana Republican Sen, didn’t, Paul Gallant, Cowen, ”, Gallant, we’re, Sam Altman, Altman, Heinrich, Rounds, Young, Julia Nikhinson, Sundar Pichai, Jensen Huang, Mike Johnson, Marcus Molinaro, Johnson, Drake, Tom Hanks, Tennessee Republican Sen, Marsha Blackburn, Hakeem Jeffries, Don Beyer, it’ll, Alan Davidson, Biden, Elizabeth Frantz, ” Davidson, —, Sarah Myers West Organizations: Washington CNN, mayoral, U.S, Senate, Capitol, Artificial Intelligence, “, CNN, New, New Mexico Democratic, South Dakota Republican, Indiana Republican, Cowen Inc, United, International Atomic Energy Agency, Intelligence, Reuters, Google, Nvidia, New York Republican, The Washington Post, Commerce, Tennessee Republican, ITI, Virginia Democratic Rep, State of, Republican, House Energy, European Union, EU, Congress, Commerce Department, White House, Privacy, Technology, Democrats, Federal Trade Commission Locations: Washington ,, New Mexico, South, Washington , U.S, Washington

☆ Explainer-What Are the Security Deals Ukraine Is Discussing With Allies?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

We need NATO membership," said Ihor Zhovkva, the Ukrainian president's foreign affairs adviser. In these supplements, we define the concrete scope, concrete things, concrete spheres. France and Germany look on course to agree security commitments with Ukraine soon. President Emmanuel Macron was expected to finalise a bilateral security commitment deal in Ukraine this month, but he postponed the trip for security reasons. Zhovkva said there was no need for Ukraine to rush to agree deals.

Persons: Tom Balmforth, Ihor Zhovkva, Zhovkva, Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine's Zhovkva, Olena Harmash, John Irish, Ros Russell Organizations: Tom Balmforth KYIV, NATO, Seven, Kyiv, WHO, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Ukrainian, London, Britain, Russian, Russia, Netherlands, Romania, Poland, Denmark, France, Germany, Paris, Budapest, United States, Kyiv

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said Wednesday that presumed North Korean hackers breached the personal emails of one of his staff members ahead of Yoon's trip to Europe in November. Yoon’s office said the cyberattack only affected the personal account of the unidentified employee, who violated security protocols by partially using commercial email services to handle official duties. “We detected the case in advance of (Yoon’s) visit and took necessary measures,” Yoon’s office said in a statement to reporters. North Korea-backed hackers have also been accused of stealing information from outside governments, businesses and think tanks. While the country has denied involvement, North Korea has been linked to major cyberattacks in past years, including a 2013 campaign that paralyzed the servers of South Korean financial institutions, the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures, and the WannaCry malware attack of 2017.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon’s, “, ” Yoon, King Charles III, Rishi Sunak Organizations: The Associated Press, Sony Pictures Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Europe, North Korea, Britain, France, U.S, Korean

☆ US raises concerns about cozying relations between Russia and North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In January, high-ranking North Korean and Russian diplomats met in Moscow in advance of what North Korean state media says is a forthcoming visit to Pyongyang by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself — his first in more than 20 years. Trade with Russia could also further weaken the sanctions regime the US has placed on North Korea, also accelerating its economy and potentially bolstering its arms development program. As always with North Korea, deciphering how the hermit kingdom may respond is like reading chicken bones. For weeks, a blog post on an influential North Korea watchers website written by two former analysts circulated within the US government. If anything, some analysts believe, North Korea’s public statements signal that North Korea is abandoning its reunification policy in pursuit of peace on the peninsula.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, —, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Kim, ”, “, ” Jeffrey Lewis, Lewis, ” Lewis, Sydney Seiler, Seiler, ” Kim doesn’t, “ That’s, “ Kim, it’s, We’re, ” Seiler, we’ll Organizations: CNN, North, Russia, Intelligence, White House, DPRK, Democratic People’s, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, North Korean, National Intelligence Council, US Locations: North Korea, Washington, South Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, Russian, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic, Soviet Union, United States, North, China, Beijing, Japan, Korean

☆ Congress acted to protect NATO. But it might not be enough to stop Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Zachary Wolf | Analysis Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Bettmann Archive/Getty ImagesPulling American generals out of NATO might force other NATO countries to seek their own nuclear deterrents. More members hit 2% benchmarkTrump frequently complains that NATO members other than the US don’t pay dues, which is a misstatement of facts. Multiple NATO countries do not hit that benchmark, although spending has risen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It’s just like any relationship,” said Bergmann of the likelihood of permanent damage if Trump were to materially alter the NATO alliance. I know exactly what he has done and will do with the NATO alliance,” Rubio said, although he added, “But there has to be an alliance.”

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Trump, “, Biden, Peter Bergen, Vladimir Putin, CNN’s Jim Sciutto, ” Sciutto, What’s, Kurt Volker, Chip Somodevilla, Volker, ” Volker, “ It’s, ”, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Max Bergmann, Bergmann, It’s, ” Marco Rubio, Sen, Marco Rubio, ” Rubio, he’s Organizations: CNN — Lawmakers, Trump, NATO, Republicans, Ukraine, CNN, Biden, Senate, House Intelligence, Allied, Eurasia Program, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Palais, Bettmann, World Trade Center, Pentagon Locations: Russia, “, Russian, Soviet Union, NATO, United States, Atlantic, Washington ,, Europe, American, Chaillot, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Afghanistan, France, Marco Rubio of Florida, “ State

☆ Opinion: What Iran wants — and fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Opinion Hussein Ibish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iran has backed Hezbollah’s efforts to avoid an all-out war with Israel despite consistent Israeli escalation and threats. Hezbollah doesn’t want a war with Israel and Iran agrees. The potential for such US or Israeli airstrikes is among the most significant reasons Iran wants to avoid a broader conflict. Tehran has already restrained its Iraqi proxies, is working to help Hezbollah climb down and avoid a devastating Israeli attack. And Iran is probably urging the Houthis to take great care not to kill Americans or otherwise go too far.

Persons: Hussein Ibish, Read, Hussein Ibish It’s, Biden, Israel, Kataib, Saleh Al, Wissam, Amos Hochstein, Ebrahim Raisi, Shannon Stapleton, It’s Organizations: Gulf States Institute, Israel, CNN, Washington, Radwan Force, Iranian Locations: Washington, Iranian, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Saudi, That’s, Israel, Jordan, Hezbollah’s, Beirut, Tehran, Yemeni, Suez, Strait, Hormuz, Bab, Mandab

☆ The Doomsday Clock Keeps Ticking
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Dennis Overbye | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In Seattle, where I grew up in the 1950s and ’60s, it was common wisdom that in the event of nuclear war, we were No. 2 on the target list because Seattle was the home of Boeing, maker of B-52 bombers and Minuteman missiles. In school we had various drills for various catastrophes, and we had to remember which was which. “The 40-year-long East-West nuclear arms race has ended.”A year ago, after Russia invaded Ukraine and brandished the threat of using nuclear weapons, the clock was set to 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has yet come to The End. The threat of nuclear weapons in Ukraine has diminished since then, but the clock remains poised at 90 seconds before zero.

Persons: “, ” Organizations: Seattle, Boeing, Minuteman, Atomic Scientists Locations: Seattle, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Soviet Union, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Finland's New President Sees No Limit to NATO Ties, Ukraine Support
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

He said he agreed with his predecessor Sauli Niinisto "who said that we need a more European NATO". He would be "a Western president in many ways" and lean towards the United States, Britain and Nordic neighbours when it came to setting the tone of foreign policy, he told Reuters. "My starting point is, paraphrasing (European Central Bank President) Mario Draghi, whatever it takes," Stubb said. During his election campaign Stubb said Finland should be an active NATO member and seek to have some NATO troops stationed on its territory. Stubb is a keen amateur athlete and triathlon champion - though he has said he will cut down on sport once he becomes Finland's 13th president.

Persons: Anne Kauranen, Alexander Stubb, Sauli Niinisto, Mario Draghi, Stubb, Johanna Vuorelma, Vuorelma, Markku Jokisipila, Suzanne Innes, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, NATO, Reuters, European Investment Bank, European University Institute, Nordic, Ukraine, Central Bank, Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland's Centre, Parliamentary Studies, National Coalition Party Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Finland, Europe, Florence, United States, Britain, British

☆ Ukraine claims Russian forces using Starlink internet service
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Maria Kostenko | Simon Cullen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence claims it has confirmed the use of Starlink satellite communications by Russian forces in occupied areas. It says it has intercepted conversations which indicate the Starlink terminals are being used to provide internet access to Russia’s 83rd Air Assault Brigade operating in the Donetsk region. Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, which owns Starlink, says it does not do business of any kind with the Russian government or its military. Starlink, which uses a network of satellites to provide broadband, says its service will not work in Russia, although the statement didn’t address whether it would work in occupied Ukraine. As Ukrainian submarine drones strapped with explosives approached the Russian fleet, they “lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly,” Isaacson writes.

Persons: CNN —, Kyrylo Budanov, “, ”, Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson, Musk, ” Isaacson, Isaacson Organizations: CNN, CNN — Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, Russian, Air Assault Brigade, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, SpaceX, Main Ukrainian Intelligence Locations: Donetsk, Russia, Ukraine, Crimean, Ukrainian, Russian, Crimea

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