Author: Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner

Israel and its Arab neighbors will face “tough decisions” about the governance of Gaza in order to establish a “just, lasting, and secure peace” after the defeat of Hamas, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “We’re also using our diplomacy to look at not only what’s happening today and how we’re handling that, but…

NATO powers renewed their “enduring commitment” to support Ukraine in the war with Russia and its prospective entry into the trans-Atlantic alliance. “Some are questioning whether the United States and other NATO Allies should continue to stand with Ukraine as we enter the second winter of Putin’s brutality,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in…

Israel will resume the war against Hamas following “this stage of the return of our hostages” taken during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack despite international pressure to convert a truce for the release of hostages into a full-scale ceasefire. “In the past week, we have had a very great achievement: the return of dozens of…

Russia has orchestrated an influx of immigrants into Finland, a “hybrid operation” that has forced NATO’s newest member to close its eastern border. “Russia is enabling the instrumentalization of people and guiding them to the Finnish border in harsh winter conditions,” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Tuesday. “Finland is determined to put an end…

Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov’s wife has been poisoned, according to Ukrainian officials. “Marianna Budanova was indeed poisoned by heavy metals,” Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov told a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty affiliate. “She is now undergoing a course of treatment, which is already coming to an end.” HUNTER BIDEN WILLING TO TESTIFY…

Ukraine has nothing to gain from negotiations with Russia at this juncture, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s team. “We see no indication that Russia is willing to entertain substantive, real peace negotiations,” Assistant Secretary James O’Brien, who leads the State Department’s Europe bureau, said Monday. “And it would be pointless to have a…

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a two-day extension of the “humanitarian truce,” according to Qatar, which announced the new agreement as the warring sides try to broker further hostage releases. “The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional…

North Korea has placed a satellite into orbit, according to South Korea’s military officials, an achievement that stokes Western suspicions that the rogue regime has a new patron in Russia. “After a comprehensive analysis of its flight track data and other signs, the satellite is assessed to have entered into orbit,” the South Korean Joint…

Israel’s military operation in Gaza has “gone beyond war,” according to Pope Francis, who condemned the conflict after meetings with separate delegations of Palestinian refugees and Israeli relatives of Hamas victims. “Here we have gone beyond wars,” Pope Francis said, referring to the suffering of both delegations. “This is not war, this is terrorism. Please,…

U.S. forces have begun joint naval patrols with the Philippines in an attempt to forestall China’s consolidation of control over the South China Sea. “This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces in conducting maritime and air patrols,” Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., announced on Tuesday.…