KYIV, Ukraine — It is a sign of the heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine that for a few hours this week, а meandering, half-century-old Ukrainian naval ship seemed like it could spark a worrisome military escalation. The ship, according to Ukrainian officials, was unarmed and involved in a simpleContinue Reading
PARIS — On the face of it, President Emmanuel Macron, a showman, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a study in reserve, would not be natural companions. But the world has changed, and for France and Germany the imperative of building what they call a “sovereign Europe” has become overwhelming. So Mr.Continue Reading
Germany’s new government is promising a tougher stance toward Russia and China, a change in mood music that will affect the rest of Europe, where Berlin has traditionally been the moderating voice and defined the center ground. For the moment these are just promises, soothing words for the members ofContinue Reading
The Ukrainian military exchanged fire with Russian-backed separatists using machine guns and grenade launchers on Tuesday, the day on which President Biden and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia discussed ways to ease mounting tensions in the region. While the skirmish was not unusual, it was a reminder that evenContinue Reading
WASHINGTON — President Biden warned President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Tuesday that an invasion of Ukraine would result in heavy economic penalties for him and lead NATO to reposition its troops in Europe, measures that he said would go well beyond the West’s response to Russia’s annexation ofContinue Reading
When a court in Myanmar on Monday sentenced Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to four years in custody, it closed a chapter on an era of weak and compromised democracy in a Southeast Asian nation long ruled by a military fist. But already, a new democratic movement has emerged —Continue Reading
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Built on the ashes of 10 years of war in Syria, an illegal drug industry run by powerful associates and relatives of President Bashar al-Assad has grown into a multi-billion-dollar operation, eclipsing Syria’s legal exports and turning the country into the world’s newest narcostate. Its flagship productContinue Reading
A military vehicle drove through a group of protesters in Myanmar on Sunday, resulting in fatalities and leaving at least eight people injured, according to local media, eyewitnesses and video footage from the scene. The incident occurred on Sunday morning in Yangon, Myanmar’s most populous city. Soldiers fired into theContinue Reading
BEIRUT, Lebanon — A Lebanese minister whose criticism of the Saudi-led war in Yemen prompted a diplomatic rift between Lebanon and powerful Persian Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia, resigned from his post on Friday, saying he hoped it would solve a crisis that has further damaged his country’s strugglingContinue Reading
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Thursday that President Biden would “likely” speak directly with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia “in the near future,” as part of a frantic diplomatic effort to head off what Western officials fear could be a Russian invasion of Ukraine.Continue Reading