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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
The United States will boost Ukraine’s air defense munitions by pausing planned exports to its allies and partners, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday. “We have, of course, informed all the affected countries that we are taking this extraordinary step,” Kirby said, adding, “The response we got was broadly supportive … because they know how serious the need is in Ukraine.” Alex Horton and John Hudson report for the Washington Post; Nancy A. Youssef and Gordon Lubold report for the Wall Street Journal.
The United States signaled that it has expanded its policy to allow Ukraine to counterstrike into Russia. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told PBS News on Monday that the agreement with Ukraine to fire into Russia extends wherever Russian forces are engaging in cross-border attacks into Ukraine, not just in the Kharkiv region as was previously determined. Haley Britzky and Natasha Bertrand report for CNN.
Putin yesterday warned South Korea against sending weapons to Ukraine. Speaking at a press conference in Vietnam, Putin said, “If South Korea supplies weapons to Ukraine, it will not like the answer … it would be a big mistake.” His remarks come after Seoul announced it would consider arming Ukraine in response to the newly-signed Moscow-Pyongyang defense pact. Seb Starcevic reports for POLITICO.
The Romanian government yesterday pledged to send a full Patriot air defense system to Ukraine to strengthen its defenses, on the condition that allies — and especially the United States — agree to provide an alternative “temporary solution.” Joshua Posaner reports for POLITICO.
NORTH KOREA-SOUTH KOREA TENSIONS
Russia and North Korea’s signing of a bilateral defense pact this week, the most significant agreement signed by the two allies in decades, has rattled the region. Today, South Korea summoned Russia’s ambassador in a rare diplomatic move, urging Moscow to “immediately halt military cooperation” with Pyongyang and abide by U.N. Security Council resolutions. Earlier today, Kim Jong Un’s sister issued a vague threat of retaliation after South Korean activists flew balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda. CNN reports; Kim Tong-Hyung reports for AP News.
North Korea is constructing sections of what appears to be a wall in several places near its border with South Korea, new satellite images analyzed by BBC Verify show. Images also show that land inside the Demilitarised Zone has been cleared, which experts say may be a violation of the long-standing truce with South Korea. Jake Horton, Yi Ma, and Daniele Palumbo report for BBC News.
South Korea’s military fired warning shots after several North Korean soldiers crossed the border yesterday, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that Pyongyang’s soldiers retreated after the warning shots were fired. Reuters reports.
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
Two federal judges in South Florida privately urged U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to decline former President Trump’s classified documents case when it was assigned to her last year, according to two sources. Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, ignored the advice and instead chose to keep the case, the sources said. The extraordinary effort by her colleagues adds a new dimension to criticism of her handling of the case. Charlie Savage and Alan Feuer report for the New York Times.
Trump’s legal team yesterday requested the recusal of New York Judge Arthur Engoron in his civil fraud case, accusing Engoron of “engaging in prohibited communications” with a real estate attorney ahead of final judgment in the case. A state judicial conduct investigation is underway. Engoron denies that the conversation influenced him in deciding Trump’s case. April Rubin reports for Axios.
Trump’s lawyers today hit back at special counsel Jack Smith in the classified documents case by opposing his gag order request. In a filing, defense attorneys argued that Smith “seeks to restrict President Trump’s campaign speech” ahead of the first debate with President Biden this month. A gag order hearing is scheduled for June 24. Megan Lebowitz and Daniel Barnes report for NBC News.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A federal appeals court yesterday denied 2-1 a last-minute bid by Steve Bannon, Trump’s longtime adviser, to stave off a four-month jail sentence for defying a subpoena from the Jan. 6 select committee three years ago. The divided three-judge panel ruled Bannon’s argument was unlikely to gain traction at the Supreme Court. Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein report for POLITICO.
The White House yesterday announced it will ban Kaspersky Lab from distributing its anti-virus software and cybersecurity products in the United States, citing “long raised national security concerns” related to the Russian company. Kelsey Ables reports for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH TENSIONS
U.S. officials are concerned that Lebanon’s Hezbollah could overwhelm Israel’s air defenses, including the Iron Dome, in the event of an all out war. Israel has also communicated these concerns to Washington, the officials said, adding that Israel has said it is planning to shift resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against the group. Natasha Bertrand, Alex Marquardt, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler report for CNN.
Israel’s energy minister yesterday threatened a “power outage for months” in Lebanon if the Israeli electricity grid was disabled for even a few hours by Hezbollah. The chief executive of the government company responsible for managing the electric grid had earlier said that Hezbollah “could easily bring down the electricity grid in Israel.” The New York Times reports.
Lebanese officials yesterday worked to maintain friendly diplomatic relations with Cyprus, a day after Hezbollah threatened to attack the island if it allowed Israel to use its territories to attack Lebanon. Bassem Mroue and Menelaos Hadjicostis report for AP News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli forces stepped up bombardment across the Gaza Strip and engaged in close-quarter combat with Hamas fighters, local residents and the Israeli military said. Residents reported that the Israel military appeared to be attempting to complete its capture of Rafah, while the IDF said today its forces were conducting “precise, intelligence-based” actions in the region. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.
More than 37,431 Palestinians have been killed and 85,653 injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Hamas-run health ministry said in a statement yesterday. The Guardian reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The White House and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday sparred over his complaints about U.S. support. John Kirby said there was “no other country that’s done more, or will continue to do more, than the United States to help Israel defend itself,” adding that Netanyahu’s comments were “deeply disappointing and certainly vexing to us.” Daniel Victor and Erica L. Green report for the New York Times.
A group of 69 Democrats sent a letter yesterday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken asking that he considers opening pathways for Palestinian refugees fleeing Gaza. Miranda Nazzaro reports for The Hill.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Outgoing Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte will succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the next NATO Secretary-General. Following endorsements from Hungary and Slovakia on Tuesday, Romania confirmed its support for Rutte yesterday, with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrawing his candidacy for the job. Stuart Lau reports for POLITICO.
A former Qaeda battlefield commander who admitted that his insurgents killed 17 U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan in the early 2000s will spend eight more years in prison under a plea agreement disclosed yesterday. Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, 63, has been in U.S. custody since 2006. A U.S. military jury this week decided on a 30-year prison term, but under a plea deal announced just moments after the jury’s decision, his sentence will end in 2032. Carol Rosenberg reports for the New York Times.
The United States and China resumed semi-official nuclear arms talks in March for the first time in five years, with Beijing’s representatives telling U.S. counterparts that they would not use atomic threats over Taiwan, according to two U.S. attendees. Greg Torode, Gerry Doyle, and Laurie Chen report for Reuters.
China today threatened to impose the death penalty for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists. The comments add to regional tensions, although Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the democratically governed island. Reuters reports.
Russian authorities have fired a deputy defense minister jailed on bribery charges, Russian media reported yesterday. A court also ordered that his pretrial detention be extended for three more months. AP News reports.
The Biden administration will give nearly $110 million in security and police assistance to Haiti, a U.S. State Department official told Reuters, in a move that bypasses a months-long delay on the funds by Republican lawmakers.
Turks and Caicos is revising part of its firearms law after the arrests of five Americans for carrying ammunition into the British Overseas Territory, House of Assembly member Edwin Astwood said today. Michael Rios and Michelle Watson report for CNN.