What happened
Ukraine's military has captured two Chinese men fighting alongside Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday, and there's evidence "significantly more Chinese citizens" have joined Moscow's war.
Who said what
The discovery "puts into question China's declared stance for peace," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X. China and Russia did not immediately respond to Ukraine's "first official allegation" that Beijing is "supplying Russia with manpower," the BBC said. But both have "boasted of their 'no limits' partnership" and military cooperation" since Moscow's 2022 invasion, said Al Jazeera.
The North Korean troops that have been fighting with Russia in recent months are gaining "unmatched battlefield experience" they can take home and "spread throughout the country's massive army," The Wall Street Journal said, unnerving "North Korea's own foes in Seoul and Tokyo." Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani Tuesday expressed interest in joining NATO's Ukraine support mission in Germany, offering a "major boost in ties" with the Atlantic alliance, The Associated Press said. "Both Japan and NATO face many challenges and our security environment has become increasingly more severe," Nakatani told NATO leaders.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Moscow has "effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt" in fighting, the AP said, and "both sides are believed to be readying a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield."
-
What’s the best way to use your year-end bonus?the explainer Pay down debt, add it to an emergency fund or put it toward retirement
-
10 concert tours to see this winterThe Week Recommends Keep cozy this winter with a series of concerts from big-name artists
-
What are portable mortgages and how do they work?the explainer Homeowners can transfer their old rates to a new property in the UK and Canada. The Trump administration is considering making it possible in the US.
-
Trump’s Ukraine peace talks advance amid leaked callSpeed Read Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Russia next week
-
US, Kyiv report progress on shifting Ukraine peace planSpeed Read The deal ‘must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty,’ the countries said
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
-
Defeating Russia’s shadow fleetThe Explainer A growing number of uninsured and falsely registered vessels are entering international waters, dodging EU sanctions on Moscow’s oil and gas
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
-
Trump defends Saudi prince, shrugs off Khashoggi murderSpeed Read The president rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking Mohammed bin Salman about the death of a Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Consulate in 2018
-
Congress passes bill to force release of Epstein filesSpeed Read The Justice Department will release all files from its Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation
