Iran Warns of Harsh Response to Possible U.S. Strike Amid Deadly Nationwide Protests 
Reform UK Gains Momentum as Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell Defects Ahead of 2029 Election 
Guatemala Declares State of Siege After Deadly Gang Violence and Prison Hostage Crisis 
Pedro Sánchez Warns U.S. Greenland Move Could Undermine NATO and Benefit Russia 
South Korea Seeks Favorable U.S. Tariff Terms on Memory Chip Imports 
EU Ambassadors Hold Emergency Talks as Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Greenland Dispute 
Pentagon Prepares Troops for Possible Minnesota Deployment Amid Deportation Protests 
Trump Says Greenland Is Key to Global Security After Call With NATO Chief 
Minnesota U.S. Citizen Detained by ICE in Armed Raid Sparks Outrage and Civil Rights Concerns 
Supreme Court Tests Federal Reserve Independence Amid Trump’s Bid to Fire Lisa Cook 
Trump Criticizes NYSE Texas Expansion, Calls Dallas Exchange a Blow to New York 
EU Prepares Retaliation as Trump Tariff Threats Over Greenland Escalate Transatlantic Tensions 
U.S. Military Kills Al Qaeda-Linked Leader Connected to Deadly ISIS Attack in Syria 
Starmer Criticizes Tariffs on NATO Allies in Call With Trump 
Trump Administration Held Secret Talks With Venezuela’s Diosdado Cabello Ahead of Maduro Ouster 
JD Vance to Lead U.S. Presidential Delegation at Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony 
Vietnam Communist Party Congress to Shape Leadership and Economic Strategy 
Ukraine has urged the West to ramp up sanctions on Russia as punishment for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February. An official in Kyiv has called for an oil embargo as part of the European Union’s sanctions against Moscow.
Reuters reports that Ukraine’s Presidential Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak said Sunday that Russia’s latest missile strikes on Ukraine should indicate that international sanctions must be more aggressive, including an embargo by the bloc on Russian gas.
“The G7 Summit should respond to Russian strikes on Kyiv,” said Yermak on the Telegram messaging platform. “The sanctions should be more aggressive. An embargo on oil exports is good, but a gas embargo is needed in the new EU sanctions package.”
Speaking with German broadcaster ZDF Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the discussions on whether to impose a ban on Russian gold are still underway.
This comes as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada proposed to ban imports of newly mined or refined Russian gold.
Meanwhile, a source told Reuters that Washington is likely going to announce the purchase of an advanced medium to long-range surface-to-air missile defense system for Ukraine. The source also said the US is also expected to announce other security assistance for Kyiv, including additional artillery ammunition as well as counter-battery radars to address the needs of the Ukrainian military.
This would be the latest military assistance that the US has provided Ukraine as the war continues in its fourth month. This month, President Joe Biden also announced an additional $700 million in military assistance, which included advanced rocket systems that can strike long-range targets with precision.
Officials also said additional anti-tank javelin missiles, anti-armor weapons, as well as counter fire radars, and surveillance radars would also be provided. Earlier this month, the sale of four large drones to Ukraine was put on hold out of concerns that the drones might fall into Russian hands and would become a security risk for Washington.
Leaders of NATO countries are also hoping to agree on providing Ukraine with more aid during the upcoming summit in Madrid that will take place on Tuesday.
