[Baltimore Sun] The World Daily Brief for Feb. 21: Russia sanctions, Ukrainian retreat, UN Security Council resolution on Gaza
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Russia
The White House said it’s preparing “major sanctions” to punish Russia and Russian officials for the death of opposition leader Alexey Navalny in prison on their watch. Details on the new penalties will be announced tomorrow.
It seems Russian agents also had a more direct hand in knocking off another critic of the Kremlin: Maksim Kuzminov – the Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine last summer – was shot dead in the Spanish beach town where he was living (against the advice of Ukrainian intelligence officials, who warned him that Russia would hunt him down if he left Ukraine).
Meanwhile, Russia arrested a dual Russian-U.S. citizen on treason charges for donating $50 to a pro-Ukrainian NGO back home in Los Angeles. She could face up to 20 years in prison.
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Ukraine
Between 850 and 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers went missing during the chaotic retreat from Avdiivka, and Ukrainian officials fear that Russian forces captured them along with the city. That would be a big setback for morale, which is already wavering as the war grinds on.
Gaza
As expected, the U.S. vetoed Algeria’s UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, citing concerns that the resolution would complicate ongoing hostage negotiations.
Amidst criticism for its veto, the U.S. is drafting an alternate diluted resolution calling for only a temporary ceasefire to take effect “as soon as practicable” rather than immediately.
Afghanistan
The UN’s two-day conference on Afghanistan failed to achieve either of its two objectives: forming a plan for international engagement with the Taliban or appointing a UN Special Representative for Afghanistan. The Taliban boycotted the summit, which deprived it of the Afghan buy-in needed to reach concensus.
Yemen
Early indications suggest Houthi rebels did indeed shoot down the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone that crashed in Hodeidah Monday morning. That’s their second successful strike on a U.S. Reaper drone: the first was in November.
The World Daily Brief is composed daily by former CIA and Intelligence officers.
Armstrong Williams (www.armstrongwilliams.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun. This column is part of a weekly series written from “The Owner’s Box.”
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