Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a last-minute visit to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, after intelligence indicated Russia is moving closer to an invasion of Ukraine. Despite Russian reports of troop withdrawals, U.S. intelligence suggests Russia has done the opposite, sending an additional 7,000 troops to Ukraine’s borders. “The most immediate threat…

Tensions between the United States and Russia over Ukraine appeared to ease on both sides Friday, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin saying “conflict is not inevitable” and “there is still time and space for diplomacy.” Speaking at the Pentagon with Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, Austin also noted that the buildup of…

As expected, there wasn’t much in the way of progress made in the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia when Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva Friday. The meeting lasted roughly 90 minutes. “The discussion today with Minister Lavrov was frank and substantive,”…

The Treasury Department announced the sanctions of four Ukrainian officials accused of being part of an effort from Russia to set the pretext for an invasion of Ukraine Thursday. Two of the four officials are current members of Ukraine’s parliament. “The individuals designated today act at the direction of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB),…

Russian officials have denied U.S. allegations that Russia is preparing a “false flag” operation as pretext to invade Ukraine. In the most basic sense, false flag operations involve a country faking an attack on itself to make it appear as though said attack was carried out by an enemy. Amid a troop buildup on the…

Update (Jan. 18, 2022): The State Department announced Tuesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. That meeting “to reinforce the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” is set for Wednesday. “The Secretary will also meet with the employees and families of the U.S.…

Ukraine warned its citizens to “expect the worst” after the country was hit by a massive cyberattack Friday. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it’s too soon to tell who was behind the attack but added, “There is a long record of Russian cyber assaults against Ukraine in the past.” According to Ukraine’s Security Service, the…

For the third time in the last month, delegates from the United States and Russia met to discuss the security demands Russia announced last month. The first two meetings were between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Monday’s meeting was between Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. “The…

As Russian troops line the border with Ukraine, the United States reportedly plans to get involved. According to Ukraine’s border service, the U.S. will fund projects strengthening Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus. In light of the increasing tension, Russian officials met with American negotiators, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. However, Russia’s apparent desire…

Update (Dec. 29, 2021): National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne announced Wednesday that President Joe Biden will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday about, among other things, Russia’s demands for security guarantees in Eastern Europe. According to Horne, this is just part of “a range of topics that will be discussed.” “The Biden administration…