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☆ North Korean soldiers learning Russian commands and may be sent to Ukraine front lines, South Korean lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korean soldiers may be being readied for a move to the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine after being taught basic Russian commands, South Korean lawmakers told news agency Yonhap on Tuesday, citing the country’s intelligence officials. Russia is teaching North Korean soldiers about 100 basic military words like “fire” and “in position,” the lawmakers told Yonhap. However, they added, it’s clear that North Korean soldiers are struggling to communicate – and it’s not clear whether they’ll be able to bridge the language gap. This could mark the first time North Korea makes a significant intervention in an international conflict. She likely traveled to discuss potentially dispatching more North Korean troops – and what Pyongyang would receive in return, the lawmakers told Yonhap.

Persons: Yonhap, ”, Lee Seong, they’ll, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Choe Son Hui, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin Organizations: South Korea CNN — North, Ukraine, Pentagon, White House, Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Korean, Sun, North, CNN, North Korean Foreign Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Russia, Korea, North Korea, Ukraine, Russian, Pyongyang, Washington

☆ Georgia’s president calls for rally to save ‘European future’ as thousands protest disputed election
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Central Election Commission (CEC) said it had secured nearly 54% of the vote. Asked why she is refusing to recognize the results of the election, Zourabichvili said Georgian Dream had used “all the instruments” at its disposal to rig the election and called for an international investigation. Giorgi Arjevanidze/AFP/Getty ImagesThe election commission told CNN it received 445 district-level complaints of irregularities on election day. European leaders criticized the bill and have since frozen Georgia’s accession process, just months after it was offered EU candidate status. The UNM was founded by former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been jailed since 2021 for abuse of power while in office.

Persons: CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Zourabichvili, –, ’, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Giorgi Arjevanidze, ”, authoritarians, Matthew Miller, ” Zourabichvili, Vladimir Putin, Zurab, Nicoloz Samkharadze, “, Ivanishvili –, Soviet Union –, Mikheil Saakashvili Organizations: CNN, Election Commission, Getty, Georgian, European Union, EU, United National Movement, UNM Locations: Soviet, Europe, Tbilisi, Russia, AFP, United States, Soviet Union, Georgia

☆ Georgia’s opposition disputes result of crucial vote which could decide the country’s role in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Initial figures suggest turnout is the highest since the ruling Georgian Dream party was first elected in 2012. Georgia’s Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream won 52.99% with the majority of votes counted. Georgian Dream stood against four main opposition groups, which indicated they did not accept the results. The biggest opposition party, United National Movement, said its headquarters came under attack on polling day. Many Georgians fear Georgian Dream is dragging the country toward authoritarianism and killing off hopes it could join the EU.

Persons: Ivanishvili, Tina Bokuchava, “, ”, Russia —, Salome Zourabichvili, ” Qristine, Nika Gvaramia, ” Ivanishvili, Party ”, Giorgi Gakharia Organizations: European Union, Georgia’s, Commission, Georgian, EU, United National Movement, CEC, Associated, NATO, Coalition, AP, Party, Unity National Movement Locations: Georgian, Russia, Brussels, South Caucasus, Zugdidi, Marneuli, Tbilisi, Georgia, Soviet Union, EU, U.S, Ukraine, Strong Georgia

☆ Alleging ‘Russian special operation,’ Georgian president calls for protests over disputed election
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Jill Dougherty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Ivanishvili had vowed to ban the opposition if his party won the election, and his opponents are taking him at his word. On Saturday, as Georgians cast their ballots, thousands of Georgian and international election observers fanned out to voting precincts across the country, from urban centers to poor, remote villages in the Caucasus mountains, trying to evaluate whether the vote was free and fair. Throughout election day, video of violations, some of them egregious, like a man boldly jamming ballots into a ballot box, spread quickly. “She is on the right side of history,” said opposition politician Nika Gvaramia. The illiberal leader has found common cause with Georgia’s ruling party and was the first international leader to congratulate them after the election – even before the votes were officially tallied.

Persons: Georgia CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, “, Georgia …, ”, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, Ivanishvili, ISFED, John Shimkus, Margareta Cederfelt, Zourabichvili, Nika Gvaramia, Elene Khoshtaria, isn’t, Viktor Orban Organizations: Georgia CNN, Georgian, International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, International Society for Fair Elections, Democracy, “ Coalition Locations: Tbilisi, Georgia, Georgian, Russian, “, Gvaramia, Russia, ” Moscow, Hungarian

☆ Putin's 'hybrid warfare' pressures neighbors at a crossroads to turn away from the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( David Hodari | David Hodari Is A London-Based Editor. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The American presidential election isn’t the only vote that the Kremlin has its eyes on — and, arguably, is seeking to get its hands in. Two of Russia’s neighbors find themselves at a crossroads, with Moscow hoping to steer them toward its orbit rather than greater engagement with Europe. The key votes in Georgia and Moldova this week are therefore being closely watched across the West. In Georgia, the very possibility of future free and fair elections may be on the ballot. For Moscow’s part, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told NBC News on Friday that “we are in no way attempting and hardly have an opportunity to influence the situation and electoral processes in these countries.”

Persons: doesn't, ” Salome Samadashvili, Dmitry Peskov, ” Organizations: NBC News, European Union, NBC Locations: Moscow, Europe, Georgia, Moldova, In Georgia, Russia

☆ Georgia faces an uncertain future as all sides claim election victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Georgian Dream-supporting Imedi TV channel showed the ruling party winning 56%. Georgian Dream did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Members of an election commission count ballots at a polling station after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Oct. 26, 2024. Georgian Dream has drawn the ire of its Western allies for what they cast as its increasingly authoritarian bent. Sandro Dvalishvili, a 23-year-old Georgian Dream activist, told Reuters last week that Georgia would face “danger” if his party of choice was defeated at the polls.

Persons: Georgia Reuters —, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Ivanishvili, Tina Bokuchava, Mikheil Saakashvili, Ivanishvili’s, Bokuchava, “, Irakli Gedenidze, Salome Zourabichvili –, ”, Andronikashvili, George W, Bush, Kostya, Viktor Orban, Sandro Dvalishvili Organizations: Georgia Reuters, United National Movement, Reuters, ”, Party, EU, Georgian Locations: TBILISI, Georgia, South Caucasus, Georgian, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Tbilisi, Soviet, Tbilisi’s, Tbilisi , Georgia, Moscow

☆ NASA astronaut hospitalized after return from space station
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A NASA astronaut was flown to a hospital with an unspecified medical issue on Friday shortly after returning to Earth from a nearly eight-month mission on the International Space Station, the space agency said. The astronaut, who NASA did not name for privacy reasons, had splashed down off Florida’s coast at 3:29 a.m. ET on Friday aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule with three other crew members — two NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut. Their 235 days in space made it longer than the usual six-month ISS mission duration and marked the longest stay in orbit for SpaceX’s reusable Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Elon Musk-owned company remains the only U.S. option for NASA astronaut trips to and from the ISS.

Persons: SpaceX’s, Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Alexander Grebenkin, “, Roscosmos, Elon, Starliner, Richard Jones, Jones, William Gerstenmaier Organizations: NASA, Station, SpaceX, ISS Locations: Russian, Pensacola , Florida, Houston, Ascension, Pensacola, U.S, Gulf of Mexico

“If the North Koreans are actually sending troops to fight with the Russians, then clearly the level of Russian willingness to support North Korea, to help defend North Korea, is going to be equivalent,” he told NBC News in an interview Thursday. “And that really, in many ways, supplants China as North Korea’s most important protector.”Ukraine says 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia, could join fight starting SundayThe U.S. and its ally South Korea say 3,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, with the total expected to reach 12,000. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday in a post on X that the first North Korean soldiers were expected to be deployed in combat zones as early as Sunday. The entry of North Korean troops into the Ukraine war could also lead to even further escalation of the conflict. “I think that the North Korea move is a big part of that, frankly,” Bremmer said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, ”, Ian Bremmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kim, Putin didn’t, We’ll, “, Kim Yong, Lloyd Austin, Bremmer, Xi Jinping, ” Bremmer, Lin Jian, Wang Yi, Xi, Putin Organizations: U.S, North, Getty, Eurasia Group, NBC News, Korean, Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s, Directorate of Intelligence, Ukrainian, Centre, Strategic Communication, Security, Putin, United Nations, South Korean Defense, U.S ., South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, South Korean National Intelligence Service, AFP, Foreign Ministry, Foreign, Kremlin Locations: HONG KONG — North, Ukraine, Washington, Korea, Russia, China, Pyongyang, Beijing, New York, Koreans, North Korea, North, ” Ukraine, South Korea, Vietnam, Russian, Kursk, Russia’s Far, Kazan, U.S, Korean, Washington . South, Moscow, North Korean, Japan

☆ SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts taken to medical facility ‘out of an abundance of caution,’ NASA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The four-person crew, which spent nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station before landing in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday at 3:29 a.m. However, the astronauts “were taken to a local medical facility for additional evaluation,” NASA news chief Cheryl Warner said in a statement from the space agency shared at 8 a.m. “Out of an abundance of caution, all crew members were flown to the facility together.”Warner confirmed at 9 a.m. ET that the crew was still at the medical facility, but did not provide details about the nature of the medical checks. Additional weather delays also pushed the Crew-8 astronauts’ return into late October.

Persons: Cheryl Warner, ” Warner, Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Alexander Grebenkin, Roscosmos —, ”, Richard Jones, NASA’s, “ They’ll, ” Jones, ’ Organizations: CNN, NASA, SpaceX, Space, International Space, Boeing Locations: Florida, Houston , Texas, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf, Houston

☆ As Georgia votes, fears of a return to Moscow’s orbit loom large
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Ulf Mauder/picture alliance/Getty ImagesMany observers fear the ruling Georgian Dream party will resort to anything to stay in power. This year, Georgian Dream pushed through a Kremlin-style “foreign agent” law, which critics say aims to shut down watchdogs who call the government to account. She described some of the statements made by Georgian Dream officials as a “copy-paste” of those from Stalin’s show trials. ‘Soviet mentality’A question puzzling many is why the formerly center-left Georgian Dream has made a sudden authoritarian pivot. Joining the EU would require cleaning up the country’s judiciary and giving up power if Georgian Dream is voted out on Saturday.

Persons: Joseph Stalin, Stalin “, ”, Stalin, Stalin’s, Ulf Mauder, Ivanishvili –, –, Vladimir Putin’s, “, everybody’s, ” Natalie Sabanadze, Sabanadze, Vano Shlamov, Ivanishvili, Mikheil Saakashvili, ” Younger, Uriel Sinai, Moscow’s, Davit, Georgia’s, Salome Zourabichvili –, Ivanishvili’s, Bera, ” Ivanishvili, Hillary Clinton, Viktor Orban, Irakli Kobakhidze, Orban, Mirian, Levan Khabeishvili –, Khabeishvili, “ Ivanishvili, He’s, Giorgi Arjevanidze, Sergei Naryshkin Organizations: CNN, Joseph, Joseph Stalin Museum, European Union, Party, Chatham House, Georgian, Getty, Kremlin, Stalin, –, Governance, NATO, EU, Hungary’s, Conservative Political, Georgia’s, Police, Western United National Movement, UNM, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Locations: Gori, Soviet, Caucasus, Georgian, Soviet Union, Georgia, Russia, Everybody’s, London, Chatham, Tbilisi, AFP, Moscow, Georgia’s South Ossetia, Gori ., Abkhazia, Gori , Georgia, Ukraine, Europe, Budapest, Anadolu, Nuremberg, Brussels, Moldova, Belarus

Kyiv CNN —Russian soldiers have been heard raising concerns about how North Korean soldiers will be commanded and provided with ammunition and military kit, leaked intercepts obtained by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine and released on Friday show. The intercepts also reveal plans to have one interpreter and three senior officers for every 30 North Korean men, which the Russian soldiers are heard in the audio condemning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that he received a report on the deployment of North Korean military personnel from Ukraine’s commander-in-chief. “According to intelligence, on October 27-28, Russia will deploy its first North Korean troops in combat zones. The Kremlin had initially dismissed allegations of North Korean troop deployments, but on Thursday at the BRICS summit, Putin did not deny that Pyongyang had sent soldiers to the country.

Persons: ”, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Zelensky, CNN’s Daria Tarasova, Markina, Niamh Kennedy Organizations: CNN —, Defense Intelligence, “, Battalion, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Korean, Ukraine’s, UN Locations: Ukraine, Russia’s Kursk, Russia’s, Russian, Russia, Korean, Kazan, Pyongyang, North Korea, Moscow

The total number is expected to reach 12,000, he said, with 3,000 deployed already. “They’re fair game” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Wednesday, saying that the U.S. believes at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have already arrived in eastern Russia by sea. The soldiers moved earlier this month and are receiving training at multiple Russian military bases, Kirby said. “They're fair targets and the Ukrainian military will defend themselves against North Korean soldiers the same way they’re defending themselves against Russian soldiers,” he said. “There could be dead and wounded North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine.”

Persons: Kim Yong, John Kirby, Kirby, “, ” Organizations: NBC News, United, South Korean Defense, National Security, North Korean, Ukraine Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Russia, United States, South, Seoul, Kyiv, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Ukrainian

☆ Why a second Trump presidency would hurt the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For Chinese imports, Trump has proposed an even steeper 60% tariff. Many economists have warned that tariffs planned by Trump will hurt global economic growth and drive up inflation in the US, as well as abroad if other countries introduce higher levies on US imports in response. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also sees a hit to global gross domestic product from increased tariffs around the world, according to its latest World Economic Outlook. Mario Tama/Getty ImagesA rise in protectionism around the world means open trade is already under threat and the ability of its champion, the World Trade Organization, to settle international trade disputes is severely constrained. “What we’d see in Trump 2 is far more radical than what we saw in Trump 1.”

Persons: Smoot, Donald Trump, Federal Reserve — Trump, Trump, ”, Evan Vucci, he’s, Maurice Obstfeld, Kristalina Georgieva, “, Mario Tama, ” Obstfeld, ” Petros Mavroidis, Scott Olson, Joe Biden, André Sapir, Bruegel, Jerome Powell, Powell, ” Trump, ” Edward Alden, ” Alden Organizations: London CNN, Federal Reserve, Bloomberg, Economic, of Chicago, Trump, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Republican, UBS, Monetary Fund, ABN AMRO, Peterson Institute, IMF, White, Port, World Trade Organization, CNN, Columbia Law School, US, European Union, EU, greenback, Foreign Relations, “ Locations: United States, Hawley, Washington, DC, China, Ukraine, Chicago, Japan, France, South Korea, Port of Los Angeles, Indiana, Portage , Indiana, Brussels, Trump

☆ SpaceX’s Crew-8 capsule is coming home. Here’s why Boeing Starliner’s astronauts aren’t on it
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

SpaceX's Crew-8 from right to left: NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps, Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. Williams and Wilmore, for the record, have now been on the space station more than 18 weeks. The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is pictured beyond the Candarm2 robotic arm moments after undocking from the Harmony module of the space station with four Crew-8 members. And NASA previously confirmed the Starliner astronauts are prepared to make such a shift. Extended stays in spaceIt’s not uncommon for astronauts to unexpectedly extend their stay aboard the space station — for days, weeks or even months.

Persons: Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore —, Williams, Wilmore, Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Alexander Grebenkin, Roscosmos, SpaceX Williams, That’s, Wilmore —, Cardman, Stephanie Wilson —, Boeing’s Starliner, they’re, ”, Dana Weigel, “ Butch, Suni, ” Weigel, “, Nick Hague, Russia’s Aleksandr Gorbunov, ” Williams, Frank Rubio, yearlong, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, International Space Station, NASA, SpaceX, ISS, SpaceX's, Cape Canaveral Space Force, SpaceX’s, Spaceflight, Boeing, Expedition, Space Station Locations: Florida, Russian

☆ As North Korea, Iran and China support Russia’s war, is a ‘new axis’ emerging?
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The remains of an unidentified missile, which Ukrainian authorities claimed to be made in North Korea, is seen at a site of a Russian strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine on January 2. China, Russia and Iran have also held four joint naval drills since 2019, and China is by far Iran’s largest energy buyer. Beijing also carefully manages its relationship with North Korea – which is almost wholly economically and diplomatically dependent on China. “Russia, North Korea, Iran is the type of grouping that China least wants to openly associate itself with,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. An Iranian military boat patrols ahead of the start of a joint naval drill of Iran, Russia and China in the Indian Ocean in May.

Persons: They’ve, Lloyd Austin, George W, Bush’s, ”, Kim Jong, Kim, there’s, what’s, Bashar al, Assad, Israel –, Xi Jinping, Putin, Alex Gabuev, Sofiia Gatilova, Xi, Loup, “, Tong Zhao, Zhao, Sydney Seiler Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Korean, Moscow’s, US, North, West, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, China’s, National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Iranian Army, AP, UN, National Defense Strategy, NATO, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Tehran, China, Iran, North Korea, Washington, Europe, Pacific, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan, Iraq, South Korea, Pyongyang, Syria, Beijing, Moscow, Berlin, Kharkiv, Kazan, Israel, Jean, South, Taiwan, “ Russia, ”, Iranian, Asia, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North Asia, Sydney

☆ North Korean troops spotted in Russian border region with Ukraine, says Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | Darya Tarasova-Markina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A group of North Korean soldiers have been spotted in Russia’s Kursk region, an area of ongoing military operations, Ukraine’s military intelligence service announced Thursday. On Wednesday, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers arrived in eastern Russia this month. “We have never doubted that the North Korean leadership takes our agreements seriously,” Putin told the press conference in Kazan, Russia. Putin’s Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov has been tasked with overseeing the troop’s training, the Ukrainian intelligence service said. CNN had previously reported when North Korean recruits were filmed receiving equipment and uniforms at a training ground in Russia’s Far East.

Persons: John Kirby, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov Organizations: CNN, Defense Intelligence, US National Security, North, North Korean Locations: Russia’s Kursk, Russia’s, Russia, Ukraine, Kursk, China, North Korea, Russian, Kazan, Ukrainian, Russia’s Far

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has sent troops to Russia, the U.S. said Wednesday, its first public confirmation of a move that has rattled Western allies and could mark a major escalation of Moscow’s war in Ukraine. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting Korean People's Army soldiers at an undisclosed location on Oct. 17. South Korean lawmakers said Wednesday that North Korea had sent 3,000 troops to Russia out of a promised 10,000 to be deployed by December. That is twice the 1,500 the South Korean intelligence agency had reported being sent last week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that two units of North Korean troops, with as many as 6,000 people each, were being trained for deployment.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Kim Jong, KCNA, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ”, Kyrylo Budanov, Vedant Patel, “, ” Austin, Zelenskyy Organizations: ”, Democratic People’s, Korean People's Army, Getty, Kremlin, South, South Korean, Directorate of Intelligence, North Korean, State Department Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, Russia, U.S, Ukraine, Rome, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Korea, AFP, Pyongyang, Moscow, Russia’s Kursk, Russian, Kyiv

☆ US and G7 allies moving forward with $50 billion loan package to Ukraine, including $20 billion from the US backed by frozen Russian assets
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US and Western allies are moving forward with a $50 billion loan package to Ukraine backed by the profits of frozen Russian assets, which includes a US contribution of $20 billion, the White House announced Wednesday. “Ukraine will receive the assistance it needs now, without burdening our taxpayers,” said White House deputy national security advisor for international economics Daleep Singh. The US will disperse at least half of its $20 billion loan by this December, according to Singh. European lawmakers on Tuesday approved a loan of up roughly $37.7 billion (35 billion euros) for Ukraine backed by the frozen Russian assets. Should a peace agreement be reached in the conflict, either the Russian assets will stay frozen and generate interest to repay the loans until they’re repaid, or Russia will pay for the damage it has caused.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, ” Biden, ”, Daleep Singh, Donald Trump, Singh, “ We’re, ” Singh, Japan —, Vladimir Putin, CNN’s Kayla Tausche, Arlette Saenz, Nikki Carvajal Organizations: CNN, White House, “, White, European Union, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, United States, Kyiv, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Puglia, Europe, Russia

The United States, Ukraine and South Korea say that North Korean troops were dispatched to Russia for training with the aim of being deployed to Ukraine. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin after signing a comprehensive strategic partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea on June 19, 2024. “We are developing scenarios to understand the potential impacts North Korea and Russia’s actions could have on us,” the government official said. The arrangement could also help North Korea gain real-world intelligence on the functioning of its weaponry. Soldiers march in a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 9, 2018.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Inna Varenytsia, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, ”, François Walschaerts, Foreign Affairs Kim Hong, Kim Tae, Defense Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, John Kirby, “, Carl Schuster, Ng Han Guan, Kim, Chun, ” Chun Organizations: South Korea CNN, Ukraine, NATO, Korean, CNN, National Intelligence Service, North, Maxar Technologies, Maxar, UN, Foreign Ministry, Getty, Korean First, Foreign Affairs, National Security Office, South, Moscow, Defense, National Security, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Ukraine, Europe, United States, Russia, North Korea, Moscow, Pyongyang, Kyiv, Washington, Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Koreans, South, Russia’s Far, China, Sergeevka, Russian, Brussels, AFP, South Korean, ” South Korea

“We assess that between early- to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. “We assess that these soldiers traveled by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia. “We are seeing evidence that that there are North Korean troops that have gone to Russia,” Austin told reporters traveling with him in Rome on Wednesday. A senior administration official said earlier Wednesday that the training of North Korean soldiers and possible preparation to send them to find to Ukraine is a sign of serious desperation on Russia’s part. Meanwhile, South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said Friday that North Korea has shipped 1,500 soldiers, including special forces fighters, to Russia for training.

Persons: “, John Kirby, …, Defense Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Austin, Kirby, Putin, ” Kirby, Volodymyr Zelensky, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, ” National Security, Defense, US, Korean, Kremlin, UN, United, NATO, National Intelligence Service Locations: Russia, North Korea, Wonsan, Vladivostok, Ukrainian, Korea, Ukraine, Rome, Europe, Pacific, Moscow, Pyongyang, United States, Kyiv, Washington, Koreans, South

☆ US intel assesses Russian operatives behind fake video trying to smear Tim Walz
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian operatives created and amplified false online content attempting to smear Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, US intelligence agencies said on Tuesday. The statement was based on newly available intelligence and analysts worked over the weekend to analyze the media content, the official said. Some posts circulating the fake content on X garnered hundreds of thousands of views and were amplified by right-wing personalities. The Harris-Walz campaign has expressed concern that media coverage could amplify the false Russian claims. US intelligence officials will also be closely watching Iranian operatives after Election Day.

Persons: Tim Walz, ”, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, Harris, Walz, “ Vladimir Putin, ” Harris, Morgan Finkelstein, “, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, Russian, Democratic, National Intelligence, Trump, Justice Department Locations: Russia, Iran

☆ Pentagon chief visits Ukraine in show of support ahead of U.S. election
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Ukraine on Monday, in a show of solidarity with Kyiv just two weeks ahead of a U.S. presidential election that is casting uncertainty over the future of Western support. “We’re going to continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend its sovereign territory,” Austin told reporters travelling with him to Ukraine. Trump has signaled he would be more reluctant than Biden to continue to support Ukraine, which could deprive Kyiv of its biggest military and financial backer. “I’ve seen bipartisan support for Ukraine over the last 2-1/2 years, and I fully expect that we’ll continue to see the bipartisan support from Congress,” he said. Even with billions of dollars worth of U.S. military support, including the provision of F-16 fighter jets, Abrams tanks and more, Ukraine faces a tough fight ahead.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden’s, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s, Austin, “ We’re, ” Austin, “ We’ve, Austin’s, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, Biden, “ I’ve, ”, Ukraine’s staunchest, Vladimir Putin, “, Zelenskyy, Putin, Abrams Organizations: Joe Biden’s Pentagon, Republican, Democratic, NATO, U.S Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine’s, Poland, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Donetsk, Brussels, Russia’s Kursk, Pokrovsk

☆ Moldova leader decries vote meddling after slim majority backs joining the E.U.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Stoianoglo has said that, if elected, he would build a “balanced” foreign policy involving ties with the EU, the United States, Russia and China. In the run-up to Sunday’s referendum, polls had shown clear majority support for joining the EU. A “yes” result means a clause will be added to the constitution defining EU accession as a goal. The EU leapt to Sandu’s defence, saying Moldova had faced “really unprecedented intimidation and foreign interference by Russia and its proxies ahead of this vote”. The tight referendum result could put Sandu in a weaker position going into the second round since she has championed EU integration.

Persons: Maia Sandu, Sandu, Alexandr Stoianoglo, Stoianoglo, Daniel Mihailescu, ”, “, Ilan Shor, Sandu’s, Shor, Valeriu Pasha, — Organizations: EU, Getty, Kremlin, Sandu, Moldovan, ”, Facebook Locations: Soviet, Russia, United States, China, Moldovan, Chisinau, AFP, Ukraine, Transdniestria, Moldova, Moscow, Sunday’s

☆ BRICS: The West wants Putin isolated. A major summit he’s hosting shows he’s far from alone
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was expected to join but canceled his trip after suffering an injury at home. “This BRICS summit is really a gift (for Putin),” said Alex Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, then-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose as they arrive for the BRICS summit in Brasilia in November 2019. While BRICS is primarily geared toward economic collaboration, its meeting last year took place in the shadow of the war in Ukraine. The gathering in Kazan also gives Putin ample opportunity for one-on-one facetime with his fellow BRICS leaders and other friendly dignitaries in attendance.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, –, Xi, India’s Narendra Modi, Iran’s Masoud, Cyril Ramaphosa, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Putin –, Xi –, Putin, BRICS, Donald Trump, ”, Alex Gabuev, …, BRICS “, ” Gabuev, Xi Jinping, Jair Bolsonaro, Narendra Modi, Adriano Machado, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel –, Jonathan Fulton, Volodymyr Zelensky, Yevhen Titov, they’ll, Manoj Kewalramani Organizations: CNN, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Indian, Reuters, International, Israel, Atlantic Council, United Nations General Assembly, US, New Development Bank, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, BRICS, Kremlin, Takshashila Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Kazan, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iran, Beijing, Tehran, United States, Berlin, Brasilia, Johannesburg, Israel, Gaza, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Abu Dhabi, “, Gabuev, BRICS, Kharkiv, Indian, Bangalore

☆ Defense Secretary Austin arrives in Ukraine amid Russian gains and imminent US election
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv early Monday morning, as the future of US aid to Ukraine hangs in the balance of the imminent US presidential election and as Russia continues to make small but steady gains on the battlefield. “It’s been absolutely remarkable that Ukraine has been able to do what it’s done,” Austin told reporters. Ukraine has prevented Russian President Vladimir Putin from achieving “one single strategic objective” during the war, Austin said Sunday. China also continues to be a “critical enabler” of Russia’s war effort, the NATO official said. Ukraine has more sophisticated weaponry thanks to the West, which could give the country a strategic edge, the defense official said.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Rustem Umerov, Biden, Austin, “ It’s, ” Austin, we’ve, Donald Trump, ”, Trump, Zelensky, “, ” Zelensky, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Defense, CNN, Ukraine Defense, European Union, Pentagon, Capitol, Ukraine, NATO, Russia Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Austin, ”, Europe, Russian, Iran, North Korea, China, Moscow

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