Wednesday Briefing: Russia agreed to halt some strikes
Good morning. We’re covering Putin’s agreement to pause attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy sites and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Plus, Ohtani’s star power in Japan.
Russia agreed to pause strikes on energy in UkrainePresident Vladimir Putin of Russia agreed yesterday on a call with President Trump to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for 30 days, as long as Ukraine does the same, the Kremlin said. Putin declined for now to agree to a broader cease-fire that the U.S. and Ukraine had proposed. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he was open to the truce on attacks on energy infrastructure. My colleague Paul Sonne, who covers Russia, told me that Putin told Trump “that the ‘key condition’ to resolving the conflict was an end to military and intelligence aid to Ukraine by the West.” Paul added that this path “would essentially make Ukraine perpetually vulnerable to Russia.” The White House called the pause a first step toward peace, but the outcome seemed to fall well short of what Trump had suggested was possible before the two leaders spoke. A partial cease-fire would benefit both nations. Ukraine has struggled with Russia’s repeated attacks on its energy grid. The pause would also give Russia a break from Ukraine’s strikes on its oil and gas facilities, jeopardizing a crucial revenue stream. Related:
Israel bombed Gaza as the cease-fire broke downIsraeli forces launched intense aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip yesterday, ending a temporary cease-fire with Hamas that began in January and raising the prospect of a return to all-out war. More than 400 people, including children, were killed, according to Gazan officials. It was one of the war’s deadliest single-day tolls. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said he had ordered the military operation after the “repeated refusal” by Hamas to release the remaining hostages. “This is just the beginning,” Netanyahu said. Hamas accused Israel of overturning the cease-fire and “exposing the prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate.” Context: Talks on extending the cease-fire stalled because Hamas refused to release significant numbers of hostages until Israel promised to end the war permanently — a commitment Israel would not make unless Hamas agreed to give up power in Gaza. Now, Israel appears to have returned to war in an attempt to crush Hamas’s hopes of retaining control of the territory.
Top Supreme Court judge rebuked TrumpSupreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts yesterday admonished President Trump for threatening to impeach the federal judge who ordered a halt to the deportation of hundreds of migrants to El Salvador. The chief justice rarely issues public statements. “For more than two centuries,” Roberts said, “it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.” Context: The deportation case has emerged as a flashpoint in a larger debate over presidential power and the role of courts to review how that power is applied. |
