ING | A NATO official who sparked a backlash from Kyiv for suggesting Ukraine could cede territory to Russia in exchange for NATO membership appeared to walk back his comments on Wednesday. 💬 “My statement about this was part of a larger discussion about possible future scenarios in Ukraine, and I shouldn’t have said it that way. It was a mistake,” Stian Jenssen, chief of staff for NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, told the Norwegian newspaper VG. “It is completely Ukraine’s independent right to decide.”

■ Medvedev: If Ukraine Wants to Join NATO, they must cede Kiev to Russia and move their capital to Lviv (08/16/23)

Anatoly Antonov stressed that Moscow is in favor of the speedy repatriation of all Russian citizens held in American prisons | Russia is demanding that the US stop "hunting down" Russian nationals in third countries and is prioritizing the repatriation of all compatriots imprisoned in the US, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said. 💬 "Russia has always opposed Washington’s 'hunt' for Russians in third countries. It demands that this practice stop. However, the [US] Administration continues to live in a world of its own, built on their own rules while ignoring the interests of other countries. We will never agree with such an approach," the diplomat said on the Russian embassy's Telegram channel. "It is an absolute priority for us. This is why we consider speculation on this issue unacceptable. […] We fight for these people to get [them] back to their homeland, [back to] their families as soon as possible," he noted.

Mike Whitney | The Biden Administration is implementing a plan to draw Taiwan into a direct military confrontation with the People’s Republic of China. | The plan bears many similarities to the strategy that was used in Ukraine where Russia was goaded into invading the country in response to emerging threats to its national security. In this case, Beijing is expected to react to mounting challenges to its territorial integrity by US proxies and their political allies operating in Taiwan. These incitements will inevitably lead to greater material support from the United States which has stealthily worked behind the scenes (and in the media) to create a crisis. The ultimate objective of these machinations, is to arm, train and provide logistical support for Taiwanese separatists who will spearhead Washington’s proxy war on China. According to a number of independent reports, there is already growing operational collaboration between the Taiwanese Army and US Armed Forces. That collaboration will undoubtedly deepen after hostilities break out and the island is plunged into war.