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The Azov Regiment on May 10 published photos of badly wounded Ukrainian soldiers who are still holding out at the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, even in the face of daily attacks by Russian forces. “The while civilized world must see the conditions in which our wounded and maimed defenders of Mariupol are, and act,” a message accompanying the photos reads. The wounded are being treated in poor sanitary conditions, lacking sterile bandages, medical supplies, and even food, the Azov soldiers said. They urged the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross to act on their core values...

The unprecedented U.S.-led Western sanctions against Russia have been likened to economic weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) that would ultimately destroy the Russian economy. In reality, the sanctions are like a double-edged sword — they inflict pain on Russia but also impose costs on their imposers. The West, in fact, is caught in a trap: The sanctions and the deepening conflict, by helping to raise global commodity and energy prices, translate into higher revenues for Moscow in spite of a significant decrease in its exports. And the higher international prices, by fueling inflation, mean political trouble at home for those...

A new film is highlighting the story of a controversial Japanese soldier who refused to surrender after the Second World War ended and spent 29 years hiding in the jungle. Hiroo Onoda, who died in 2014 at the age of 91, was stationed on the island in the Philippines in 1944 but remained until 1974 because he did not believe the war was over. He survived by eating dried banana skins, coconuts and stolen rice, believing he was in a guerilla war for 30 years. Onoda became the last Japanese soldier to surrender – but only after his former commander,...

Russia has demanded Ukrainian forces still fighting to defend the besieged city of Mariupol lay down their weapons. The apparent ultimatum comes as Russia continues its relentless and devastating attack on the southeastern city. Russian state media Ria reported that "without exception" all "Ukrainian armed units and foreign mercenaries" must exit from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Moscow time (same as local time) "without any weapons and ammunition," citing the Russian Defense Ministry. An estimated 100,000 people remain in Mariupol and its immediate surroundings, which are reported to be largely under Russian control, with Ukrainian troops confined to pockets of...

Aircraft: The Taliban now ranks #26 in the world in total military aircraft, thanks to us leaving behind 208 planes and helicopters: 110 helicopters 60 transport/cargo planes 20 light attack planes 18 intelligence/surveillance planes — Felix Sater (@felixsater) April 12, 2022 Final numbers were released by GAO and the Taliban are the winners. Weapons: Get ready for this… 599,690 of our weapons are now in the hands of the Taliban: 358,530 rifles 126,295 pistols 64,363 machine guns 25,327 grenade launchers 12,692 shotguns 9,877 RPGs 2,606 howitzers — Felix Sater (@felixsater) April 12, 2022

Ukrainian forces in Mariupol have been forced to surrender to Russian soldiers as they are run out of ammunition and have been fighting without sufficient food and water for more than a month, according to an Independent report. A British man who volunteered to fight against Russian soldiers in Ukraine is also among these soldiers who have surrendered after defending Mariupol for weeks. PBS correspondant Simon Ostrovsky posted a picture of the British volunteer and confirmed that he had surrendered to Russian troops, according to a former squad member.

The foreign policy chief of the European Union announced on Friday that a pause was needed in the negotiations in Vienna over Iran’s nuclear program, with “external factors” being cited, the Associated Press reported. A final agreement for the United States to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) it had withdrawn from in 2018 had been said to be close to completion, with Tehran agreeing in principle to limit its expanding nuclear program. But no new timetable for resuming the talks has been announced. “A pause in [the Vienna talks] is needed, due to external factors,” EU foreign affairs representative...

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is no longer pressing for NATO membership for Ukraine, a delicate issue that was one of Russia’s stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbor. In another apparent nod aimed at placating Moscow, Zelensky said he is open to “compromise” on the status of two breakaway pro-Russian territories that President Vladimir Putin recognized as independent just before unleashing the invasion on February 24. “I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that … NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine,” Zelensky said in an interview aired Monday night on ABC...

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov say Russia will halt military action if Kiev meets four conditions. In an interview on Monday, Peskov said Moscow could “end war immediately” if Ukraine agreed to sign a neutrality agreement that would bar it from entering NATO, recognized Crimea as Russian, recognized the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent, and ceased all military action.

The thirteen Ukrainian soldiers who were defending Snake Island immediately catapulted themselves into the history books when they told the crew of a Russian warship to go eff themselves after being ordered to surrender. President Volodymyr Zelensky lifted them to hero status with a posthumous award for valor, but according to a recent report, he may have been a bit premature in doing so. (With extra emphasis on “may.”) The Ukrainian State Border Guard indicated that all of the soldiers may have survived the shelling of the island and been taken prisoner by the Russians who allegedly transferred them to...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to remain in the capital even as Russian troops fought to enter Kyiv, Zelensky said, "The enemy identifies me as the number one target." "They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state," Zelensky told Ukrainians in a video during early hours of Friday. His family was the No. 2 target, he said, but also remained in Ukraine. "My family is not traitors, but citizens of Ukraine. But I have no right to say where they are now." Zelensky said he was staying "with everyone who is needed for the work of...

President Biden will give remarks on Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon, the White House said.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain has told @bbc5live Nolan show that his country might contemplate withdrawing its objective of joining NATO

Joe Biden's dithering withdrawal from Afghanistan has been blamed for worsening the chaos on the ground and putting American lives at risk by a newly-declassified US intelligence report. Newly-released papers compiled in the aftermath of the August withdrawal found that deadly chaos was only made worse due to indecisiveness among officials with the Biden administration officials in Washington D.C. Their reluctance to close down the U.S. embassy in Kabul only added to the confusion and made the mission even more dangerous, according to the damning documents.

The U.S. military mission to evacuate American citizens and foreign allies from Afghanistan was hampered by continuous appeals for help from an array of advocates including White House officials, members of Congress, veterans of the war, media outlets and even the Vatican, according to the operation’s senior commander.

As many as 9,000 American citizens were left in Afghanistan when the U.S. military withdrew from the country Aug. 31, according to a report released Thursday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In public statements, Biden administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, claimed that only 100-150 Americans remained in Afghanistan and had contacted the U.S. government with a desire to leave. The State Department and Defense Department officials stuck to that number, even as the government publicly admitted that large numbers of American citizens were still leaving the country. The report, signed by Foreign Relations ranking member Jim...

Per a new report, the White House is preparing to surrender on COVID. What exactly the word “surrender” means in this context is up for some debate, but I’ve got some thoughts on the matter.To get us there, though, the Biden administration is laying the groundwork to make the case for living with the coronavirus. That’s in stark contrast to the lofty promises Joe Biden made during the 2020 election, namely, that he’d “shut down the virus.”In the face of rising case counts, the White House prepares to acknowledge that Covid restrictions were futile and we need to learn to...

This guy has the nuclear codes. Joe Biden this week said the deaths of our 13 servicemembers in Afghanistan were inevitable and falsely claimed no one advised him on how to withdraw the troops safely. “Everybody says, ‘you could’ve gotten out without anybody being hurt.’ No ones come up with a way to indicate to me how that happens,” Biden said. Joe Biden also falsely claimed he was against the war in Afghanistan from the beginning. FACT CHECK: “Biden did not oppose the US invasion of Afghanistan. As a US senator from Delaware, he joined his Senate colleagues in a...

The Biden administration is exploring options for a potential evacuation of US citizens from Ukraine if Russia were to invade the country and create a dire security situation, half a dozen sources tell CNN.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (WCCO) — This year, safety is of the essence when you’re driving around town, and in and out of the car while running errands. Carjackings are up nationwide. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says beginning in June 2020, the United States experienced a 13% increase in auto thefts. And in Minneapolis, there have been 540 this year — five times the amount in 2019. The busiest shopping season is underway, and at Mall of America, shoppers are heading into the season with joy, but also with caution. Maria Dockendorf and Tessia Gebherd have been friends since they...