“Belarusians voting in today’s referendum are poised to abandon the country’s nonnuclear status, an outcome that could lead to Moscow deploying such weapons in Belarus just as Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the alert level for his country’s nuclear forces,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
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U.N. Calls Special Session of General Assembly
“The United Nations Security Council voted Sunday to convene a rare special session of the General Assembly to address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The move came as President Vladimir Putin declared that he had placed Russia’s nuclear defense system on high alert,” the New York Times reports.
“The General Assembly has held a special session only 10 times since 1950.”
Wall Street Journal: “Russia won’t have a veto in the General Assembly, which passes resolutions with a majority or two-thirds vote, but resolutions in the broader body aren’t binding.”
U.S. Tells Americans to Leave Russia ‘Immediately’
“The U.S. Embassy in Moscow on Sunday advised Americans to leave Russia ‘immediately,’ citing the potential for U.S. citizens to be stuck there as more airlines cancel flights into and out of the country,” the Washington Post reports.
Germany and Eight Other Nations Ban Russian Flights
“Germany has banned Russian aircrafts and flight operators from flying into and over its airspace starting at 3 p.m. local time Sunday, a government release said — adding to the list of countries to do so amid a coordinated European pushback against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the Washington Post reports.
“Officials in France, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands also indicated Sunday that they would move to close their airspace to Russian flights, joining nearly a dozen other nations who have already done so.”
Sweden to Send Arms to Ukraine
Sweden announced it will break its doctrine of not sending arms to countries in active conflict and send military equipment, including anti-tank launchers, to Ukraine, AFP reports.
Romney Calls Two GOP Lawmakers ‘Morons’
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) referred to Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) as “morons” during a CNN interview after the two lawmakers attended a white nationalist conference this weekend.
Said Romney: “I don’t know them, but I’m reminded of that old line from the ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ movie, where one character says: ‘Morons. I have got morons on my team.’”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Why do I care what’s going on in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia? And I’m serious, why do I care? And why shouldn’t I root for Russia, which I am.”
— Tucker Carlson, on Fox News.
Republicans Fear Michelle Obama In 2024
Former Trump aide Monica Crowley told CPAC that Michelle Obama would put Republicans “in a very difficult position” if she ran for president in 2024, because the former first lady is both popular and “immune to criticism,” The Guardian reports.
Ron DeSantis Builds a National Profile
Washington Post: “As DeSantis continues to raise his profile, some of his former staffers and other GOP activists have raised concerns about whether he has the personal charisma and retail campaigning skills needed to succeed in the national political spotlight.”
“DeSantis struggles to make small talk with donors and others, sometimes not even making eye contact at house parties, according to people who have met with him. One person who has worked closely with him in Florida described the Harvard-educated attorney as ‘incredibly aloof’ while a donor who met him recently called him ‘painfully awkward,’ speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe a private interaction.”
Quote of the Day
“We’re seeing a small, feral-eyed man who was trying to shape the world in the image where, once again, Russia would be an empire, and that’s not going to happen.”
— Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), quoted by The Hill, on Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Israel Offers to Mediate Between Moscow and Kyiv
“As fighting continues between Ukrainian and Russian troops, Israeli Prime Minister Nafatali Bennett offered to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv in a telephone call Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Zelensky Agrees to Talks with Russia
“President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine agreed on Sunday to talks with Russia ‘without preconditions,’ even as President Vladimir Putin further escalated tensions by placing his nuclear forces on alert,” the New York Times report.
Said Zelensky: “We agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River.”
“Details of exactly when the meeting would take place or who would participate were not immediately clear. Mr. Zelensky earlier on Sunday had rejected holding talks in Belarus — as Russia has been demanding — because Russia staged part of its invasion from Belarus after amassing troops in the country for months. But Mr. Zelensky’s stance shifted after he held a phone call with Mr. Lukashenko, who is Mr. Putin’s closest international ally.”
Capitol Fencing Going Back Up
“Fencing around the U.S. Capitol is being reinstalled in advance of Tuesday’s State of the Union address, authorities announced Sunday in a statement that also referred to potential protests in the city over the next two weeks,” the Washington Post reports.
Justices to Hear Case on Biden’s Climate Plans
“The scope of federal power to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions comes before the Supreme Court on Monday, as a coalition of Republican-led states seeks to limit measures the Environmental Protection Agency can impose on power plants,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump Is as Strong as Ever at CPAC
Politico: “Back in Washington, the GOP might be at odds about whether or not the party’s future should prominently feature the ex-president. And within Trump world, there’s been some angst about his current standing. There were fears he might not play as well with the CPAC crowd after being out of office, especially at a conference held in the backyard of another 2024 frontrunner: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
“But among the activists at CPAC, it turns out, diehard conservatives remain more excited about the prospect of a Trump reelection than anything else.”
Putin Orders Nuclear Deterrent Forces on Alert
Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Russian nuclear deterrent forces on alert, as he continues his unprovoked assault and invasion of Ukraine, Axios reports.
New Research Points to Wuhan Market as Virus Origin
“Scientists released a pair of extensive studies on Saturday that point to a market in Wuhan, China, as the origin of the coronavirus pandemic,” the New York Times reports,
“Analyzing data from a variety of sources, they concluded that the coronavirus was very likely present in live mammals sold in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in late 2019 and suggested that the virus twice spilled over into people working or shopping there. They said they found no support for an alternate theory that the coronavirus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.”
Biden Says Allies Are Completely Unified
President Joe Biden said his goal “from the very beginning” was to keep America’s allies on the same page, as Russian leader Vladimir Putin believed he could “split NATO” and proceed with his invasion of Ukraine without encountering much in the way of international resolve or resistance, Politico reports.
Instead, Putin is “producing the exact opposite effect that he intended.”
