(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams greeted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with a sarcastic tweet Monday morning ahead of the GOP star’s visit to the borough of Staten Island.
Adams, a Democrat, has feuded with the Florida governor repeatedly over DeSantis sending migrants to the Northeast and the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. Adams singled out several GOP talking points in his tweet as he “welcomed” the governor — a possible presidential candidate in 2024.
“Welcome to NYC, @GovRonDeSantis, a place where we don’t ban books, discriminate against our LGBTQ+ neighbors, use asylum seekers as props, or let the government stand between a woman and health care,” Adams wrote.
“We’re happy to teach you something about values while you’re here,” he added.
Welcome to NYC, @GovRonDeSantis, a place where we don’t ban books, discriminate against our LGBTQ+ neighbors, use asylum seekers as props, or let the government stand between a woman and health care.
DeSantis was set to meet with local law enforcement in Staten Island on Monday morning. He will be joined by Lee Zeldin, the former New York congressman who lost a heated battle for governor to Democrat Kathy Hochul.
Last April, Adams and DeSantis got into a war of words over the Parents Rights in Education bill, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill for its ban on teaching young students about LGBT+ issues. Adams said he planned to put up billboards in Florida to encourage people to move to the city if they were offended by the then-bill, which DeSantis has since signed into law.
DeSantis said Adams was wasting taxpayer dollars, though Adams clarified the billboards would be donated by private individuals.
“I like rivalries with other states,” Adams said last April. “Florida can bring it on. … New York is the place to be, specifically with the ‘Don’t Say Gay.'”
Adams also made pointed criticism of DeSantis last September when he labeled the busing of migrants to the Northeast as “a political stunt.”
“I thought what really personified that political stunt is the governor of Florida,” Adams said at an unrelated press conference when asked about the issue. “He had nothing to do with it. I mean, what was his purpose of sending a planeload to Martha’s Vineyard. He just felt as though he wanted to get into this horrendous action.”
Staten Island is the one borough in New York City that regularly leans right on the political spectrum. The island, off the coast of New Jersey, is represented by Nicole Malliotakis, a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Malliotakis also ran for mayor in the race that immediately preceded Adams’ election to head up the biggest city in the country. She lost handily to incumbent Bill de Blasio.
While he has yet to announce a run, DeSantis is generally assumed to be Trump’s top rival for the GOP nomination in 2024.
(NEW YORK) — A massive winter storm is on its way to wreak havoc on a large swath of the country while the South prepares for a record February heat wave.
Eighteen states from California to Michigan are on alert for heavy snow, strong winds and blizzard conditions.
As the storm moves across the West over the next two days, some areas could see more than 5 feet of snow.
By mid-week, the storm will move into the Heartland, bringing heavy snow to the north and strong thunderstorms to the South. Damaging winds and even a tornado threat are possible on Wednesday.
By Thursday, part of that storm will reach the East Coast, dropping ice and snow in upstate New York and New England.
Heavy ice could accumulate from Chicago to Detroit to upstate New York.
Meanwhile, a record February heat wave is expected from Texas to Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, temperatures could reach a sweltering 85 degrees in Dallas and 86 degrees in Orlando, Florida.
In New Orleans, this will be one of the warmest Mardi Gras in recorded history. The temperature on Tuesday is forecast to reach 80 degrees. The warmest Mardi Gras ever clocked in at 83.
On Thursday, temperatures are forecast to jump to 84 degrees in New Orleans, 81 in Atlanta and 86 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
D.C. could reach 80 degrees on Thursday. That’s only happened three times in the winter in recorded history.
In Orlando, it could reach 91 degrees on Thursday, which would be the city’s all-time warmest February temperature.
(NEW YORK) — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has called out the rail operator at the center of a hazardous train derailment in Ohio.
In a sharply worded, three-page letter sent Sunday to Norfolk Southern Railway president and CEO Alan Shaw, Buttigieg accused the Atlanta-based company of repeatedly prioritizing profit over safety — a problematic ethos within the larger transportation industry that the secretary said has contributed to a number of derailments over the years.
“The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials near East Palestine, Ohio, has upended the lives of numerous residents, many of whom continue to worry about their immediate health and safety as well as the long-term effects of the dangerous materials released near their homes,” Buttigieg said. “They fear for their future, as do thousands of American communities and neighborhoods that sit along railway lines.”
“The future must not resemble the past when it comes to your company’s and your industry’s follow-through on support for stringent safety policies,” he added. “Major derailments in the past have been followed by calls for reform — and by vigorous resistance by your industry to increased safety measures. This must change.”
Buttigieg listed several previous examples of hazardous train derailments involving Norfolk Southern and other rail operators.
“Similar patterns appear across your entire industry,” he said. “In this context, Norfolk Southern and your industry must demonstrate that you will not seek to supercharge profits by resisting higher standards that could benefit the safety of workers and the safety of American communities, like East Palestine.”
The secretary said he will be laying out new steps for companies to improve safety and plans to urge Congress to raise the cap on fines for those that violate regulations. He also rebuked Norfolk Southern and the industry writ large for their opposition to more stringent safety rules.
“Rather than support these efforts to improve rail safety, Norfolk Southern and other rail companies spent millions of dollars in the courts and lobbying members of Congress to oppose common-sense safety regulations, stopping some entirely and reducing the scope of others,” Buttigieg said, specifically noting the Trump administration’s repeal of a 2015 rule that mandated the use of electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes on train cars.
“While we do not yet know what the NTSB investigation will conclude regarding what caused the derailment in East Palestine,” he added, “we do know that these steps that Norfolk Southern and its peers lobbied against were intended to improve rail safety and to help keep Americans safe.”
Buttigieg’s scathing missive to Norfolk Southern came as he weathers harsh criticism, especially from Republicans, for the federal government’s response to the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine. Former President Donald Trump is expected to visit the northeastern Ohio village later this week.
“The people of East Palestine cannot be forgotten, nor can their pain be simply considered the cost of doing business,” Buttigieg said in the letter. “Norfolk Southern must live up to its commitment to make residents whole – and must also live up to its obligation to do whatever it takes to stop putting communities such as East Palestine at risk.”
“The arithmetic suggests Norfolk Southern can remain extremely profitable while also complying with a higher standard of safety regulation and offering better consideration to its workers,” he added.
A spokesperson for Norfolk Southern confirmed to ABC News that they “have received a copy of the letter from the Secretary and are reviewing,” but did not offer further comment.
Shaw, the president and CEO of Norfolk Southern, visited East Palestine on Saturday for a second time since the derailment occurred, amid the criticism from residents and political leaders about the company’s response. In a statement released after his visit, Shaw said he spoke with affected residents and held a “series of meetings” with East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway as well as “several community leaders,” U.S. Rep Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, and East Palestine Fire Chief Drabick “along with several of his first responders.”
“They are frustrated by the amount of misinformation circulating about their community and are eager to show that the air and water are safe,” Shaw said in the statement.
Shaw added that he is “deeply sorry” for what the community is experiencing and promises to “do the right things” to help them recover. He said his company is “working closely with Ohio environmental and health agencies on the long-term plan to protect the environment and the community.”
Norfolk Southern last week announced a commitment of $1 million to a community support fund as a “down payment” on its contribution in rebuilding East Palestine. The company said it has already helped 1,000 families as well as a number of businesses there since the derailment and has distributed $1.2 million to families to cover costs related to the evacuation. The company also noted its cleanup of the derailment site and work to facilitate testing on the water, air and soil in the area.
On the night of Feb. 3, about 50 cars of a freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed in a fiery crash on the outskirts of East Palestine, which is nestled near the state line with Pennsylvania. Eleven of the derailed cars were transporting hazardous materials, five of which contained vinyl chloride, a highly volatile colorless gas produced for commercial uses. There were no injuries reported from the accident, officials said.
Efforts to contain a fire at the derailment site stalled the following night, as firefighters withdrew from the blaze due to concerns about air quality and explosions. About half of East Palestine’s roughly 4,700 residents were warned to leave before officials decided on Feb. 6 to conduct a controlled release and burn of the toxic vinyl chloride from the five tanker cars, which were in danger of exploding. A large ball of fire and a plume of black smoke filled with contaminants could be seen billowing high into the sky from the smoldering derailment site as the controlled burn took place that afternoon, prompting concerns from residents about the potential effects.
A mandatory evacuation order for homes and businesses within a 1-mile radius of the derailment site was lifted on Feb. 8, after air and water samples taken the day before were deemed safe, officials said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency deployed a team to East Palestine on Saturday to help support the ongoing operations there.
The Ohio Department of Health — in partnership with the Columbiana County General Health District and with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — will open a health assessment clinic on Tuesday afternoon for any residents in the East Palestine area who have medical questions or concerns related to the derailment.
Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board shared an update on its ongoing probe into the Feb. 3 incident, saying “investigators have identified and examined the rail car that initiated the derailment.”
“Surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the NTSB said in an investigative update on Feb. 14. “The wheelset from the suspected railcar has been collected as evidence for metallurgical examination. The suspected overheated wheel bearing has been collected and will be examined by engineers from the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — in partnership with an independent contractor — continues to monitor the air in and around East Palestine. As of last Friday, the EPA has sampled air in 500 homes and throughout the community. So far, no contaminants have been detected outside or inside those homes. The large chemical plume seen over the Ohio River has also completely dissipated, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
DeWine announced last week that the latest tests conducted by the state’s EPA show five wells feeding into East Palestine’s municipal water system are free from contaminants and that the agency is confident the water is safe to drink. However, residents with private wells continue to be encouraged to drink from bottled water until their well water has been tested and cleared for consumption.
A part of Sulphur Run, a creek that flows through downtown East Palestine and is near the derailment site, “remains severely contaminated,” DeWine said last Friday. Crews are working to pump in clean water to the section, which was dammed following the crash to contain any contamination, according to DeWine.
Last week, Ohio Department of Natural Resources director Mary Mertz told reporters that some 3,500 fish had died due to contaminants detected in four tributaries over a space of 7.5 miles along the Ohio River. But those waterways are contained and not affecting water supplies, according to Mertz. Tiffani Kavalec, chief of the Ohio EPA’s surface water division, told reporters that no vinyl chloride or pre-product has been detected in the water and that the contamination mostly consists of fire contaminant combustion materials.
(NEW YORK) — Alika Jones was one of hundreds of Southeastern Louisiana University students who signed up for the Be The Match bone marrow registry during a homecoming drive in 2013.
Four years later, Jones got a call. She was someone’s match.
“There was a 14-year-old boy who was recently diagnosed with leukemia, and he needed a donor,” Jones told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “I just wanted to help someone, if I could, not have to worry about their child.”
Jones’ healthy cells soon became a lifeline for Josiah Knight, who underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in 2017.
Keesha Wilson, Knight’s mother, said she is beyond grateful for Jones’ life-saving donation and that her son, who lives with Down syndrome, is living his life to the fullest.
“It was a perfect match. His body was healed,” Wilson told GMA. “And he may not have to say his own words, but if you see his smile, you know, he’s very thankful and grateful.”
Jones said that choosing to donate to Be The Match was “one of the greatest” decisions of her life.
“Next to being a mother, I feel like it’s one of the greatest things that I’ve ever done in my life, to be able to help someone,” said Jones.
The Be The Match drive at Southeastern Louisiana University that led to Josiah’s transplant was done in honor of a familiar alum: GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts, who underwent a successful bone marrow transplant herself in 2012, after being diagnosed with bone marrow myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder that affects bone marrow.
While Roberts’ sister Sally-Ann was luckily her perfect match, about 70% of patients on bone marrow registry lists do not have a family match and rely on anonymous donors for a cure, according to the Be The Match registry, a nonprofit organization operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, which manages the world’s largest bone marrow donor registry.
Even then, a patient’s chance of having a matched, available donor on the Be The Match registry ranges from 29% to 79%, depending on the patient’s ethnic background.
When Roberts returned to her GMA family on Feb. 20, 2013, she was empowered to make her message. Over the past decade, Roberts and GMA have continued to report extensively about blood stem cell transplants, which can cure or treat more than 75 different diseases, such as leukemias and lymphomas, and spread awareness of the importance of the Be The Match registry.
Now more than ever the need is urgent.
Be The Match reports regional and national recruitment efforts decreased 36% during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and that only 50% of people on the registry will go on to make a donation when they’re a match for a patient in need.
Be The Match has put a call out in particular for younger donors under the age of 40, as research has shown younger donors help improve overall outcomes for patients, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Southeastern Louisiana University continues to support the Be The Match campaign and, just this month, hosted an on-campus drive where over 230 students signed up for the bone marrow registry in just a few hours.
One decade after the first registry drive at the university, Knight is thriving and 20 years old, thanks to Jones’ donation.
Knight’s family recently traveled from California to Louisiana to meet Jones for the first time face-to-face. Wilson said she wanted to meet Jones because, “Without her, my son wouldn’t be here.”
“Thank you so much … you’re such a blessing,” Wilson told Jones when they finally met. “I really appreciate you. I really do.”
(SALT LAKE CITY) — Team Giannis bested Team LeBron 184-175 to win Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum led Team Giannis with 55 points, setting the record for the most points scored in an All-Star Game. The previous record holder was power forward Anthony Davis, who scored 52 points in 2017.
Tatum, 24, was crowned the MVP of the night for his record-breaking performance.
Watch the biggest moments from the 2023 NBA All-Star Game below:
(PHILADELPHIA) — An 18-year-old man was arrested Sunday for the fatal shooting of a Temple University police officer in north Philadelphia, authorities said.
Miles Pfeffer, 18, of Buckingham Township, Pennsylvania, is facing charges including murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking and related offenses in the shooting on Saturday night that killed Officer Christopher Fitzgerald, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Fitzgerald encountered Pfeffer during the course of an “incident investigation” near Temple’s campus, the DA’s office said. Pfeffer allegedly shot Fitzgerald in the head, killing him. Pfeffer also allegedly attempted to rob Fitzgerald of his gun and is said to have gone through his pockets while the officer was laying on the ground and fatally wounded.
Pfeffer is alleged to have committed a carjacking a short time after, near the location of the officer’s murder, authorities said.
The suspect was taken into custody Sunday morning in Bucks County by the U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement and transferred to Philadelphia shortly after the arrest.
“We join law enforcement and people across the region in expressing our heartbreak and outrage over this horrific crime,” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement. “Officer Fitzgerald’s life was ripped from him and his loved ones violently and senselessly. As the DA’s Homicide Unit begins the work of holding Miles Pfeffer accountable for his alleged crimes, our Victims Services team will also be extending loving support to Officer Fitzgerald’s family and loved ones.”
Temple President Jason Wingard said he was “heartbroken,” in a statement.
“There are simply no words that can make sense of this tragedy,” he said.
The death of the officer was the first for a Temple University officer in the line of duty, Jennifer Griffin, the university’s vice president for public safety, said at a news conference Saturday night.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro offered his condolences on the death of the officer.
“Lori and I are devastated for the family of the Temple University police officer who was killed in the line of duty tonight, bravely serving his community. We’re sending prayers to his loved ones, Temple Police, and the entire @TempleUniv community. May his memory be a blessing,” Shapiro tweeted Saturday.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said he was “heartbroken and outraged” by the death and pledged that “The City will continue to work with Temple Police to support them during this difficult time.”
Temple University alerted shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday that a shooting was reported on the 1700 block of Montgomery Avenue.
“Use caution. Avoid the area. Police are responding,” the school tweeted.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Team Giannis 184, Team LeBron 175
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Minnesota 4, Nashville 3
Ottawa 7, St. Louis 2
Colorado 6, Edmonton 5 (OT)
Chicago 5, Toronto 3
New Jersey 4, Winnipeg 2
Arizona 3, Columbus 2 (OT)
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(2)Houston 72, Memphis 64
(3)Purdue 82, Ohio St. 55
(23)NC State 77, North Carolina 69
(NEW YORK) — Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a new paid subscription for its platforms on Sunday, which, among other features, would allow users to pay for a verified account.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the service, dubbed “Meta Verified,” in a Sunday morning Facebook post and said the move is about “increasing authenticity and security across our services.”
Zuckerberg added that the service would cost users who subscribe via an internet browser $11.99, or $14.99 if purchased through a Meta iOS app.
The news comes as social media companies seek to cut costs and increase revenue, with several others, such as Telegram, Snapchat and Twitter, launching their own services with varying features.
Meta released its third consecutive quarter of revenue declines this month and laid off 11,000 employees — 13% of its workforce — in November to become “a leaner and more efficient company,” Zuckerberg said.
In addition to a blue verification badge on profiles, Meta said the service would also offer “extra impersonation protection” for subscribers, direct access to a live support agent for account issues and increased reach and visibility on the platform.
Subscribers must also submit a government ID that matches their profile name and photo, be at least 18 years old and have a prior posting history.
Meta’s announcement follows a plan by Twitter CEO Elon Musk to offer a similar service called Twitter Blue, which allows users to pay for a verification check and will eventually prioritize tweets from verified users in comments and searches. Musk also promised to phase out Twitter’s previous verification system, which required users to be notable.
However, Twitter Blue’s rollout became overwhelmed by a wave of imposter accounts that forced the company to temporarily pull the verification feature down.
It was relaunched a few weeks later, with Twitter ultimately preventing users from changing aspects of their profile or face losing their verification checks to stamp out impersonators. Twitter Blue does not require users to submit a government ID to become verified.
New subscribers to Meta Verified will also be unable to change any profile details, like the picture, name and username, “without going through the Meta Verified subscription and verifications application process again.”
Meta said there will be “no changes to accounts on Instagram and Facebook that are already verified based on prior requirements, including authenticity and notability.”
The new service begins launching this week with a gradual test to “learn what’s most valuable” before a global launch.
“We’ll be rolling out in Australia and New Zealand this week,” Zuckerberg said, “and more countries soon.”
(NEW ORLEANS) — Five people were shot, one fatally, at the Krewe of Bacchus Parade in New Orleans on Sunday night, police said.
All five victims — three males and two females — were transported to local hospitals. One of them is a juvenile, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
A male victim died from his injuries at the hospital. The other four victims, including the juvenile, were listed in stable condition, police said.
New Orleans resident Camryn Lafleur, 19, said she was watching the parade when “gunshots were fired across the street,” triggering panic and a stampede. She said she sought cover before retreating into a relative’s nearby house.
“I couldn’t see, but I was hearing them,” Lafleur told ABC News of the gunshots. “It was a continuous loud noise that kept going off. And when I saw people coming from the other side, running across the street, like, in front of the float to us and I saw their faces with pure horror, that’s when I realized something’s not right. This must be a shooting.”
“It didn’t used to be like this,” she added. “It didn’t used to be this dangerous in the city at all.”
Longtime resident Kristie Bowerman, 49, said the incident on Sunday night marked the third time she has witnessed a shooting at a Mardi Gras parade. She described the scene as “mass chaos.”
“The shots just rang out and then, instantly, people were just stampeding in all different directions,” Bowerman told ABC News. “People were being, you know, knocked out of their chairs onto the ground.”
Bowerman said she and her husband were watching the parade from a balcony and ducked for cover as the shots rang out, knowing that they needed to “get down and get as flat as possible and then get out of the way.” She said they tried to convince another couple, who believed the shots were just fireworks, to also take shelter, yelling at them: “No, those aren’t fireworks — those are gunshots! You need to get down!”
Bowerman recalled looking down at the aftermath to see “people sobbing everywhere.”
“Some people were injured,” she told ABC News. “I think a lot of people were in shock and I think a lot of people were scared.”
An unidentified suspect was arrested “just moments after shots were fired,” police said. Two weapons were also recovered from the scene, according to police.
Investigators are still working to determine whether others had fired shots or were involved in the incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact the New Orleans Police Department’s Sixth District at 504-658-6060, or anonymously call CrimeStoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111.
(NEW YORK) — Almost a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Putin’s forces pulled out of key positions in November, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the southern port city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as winter sets in.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 20, 5:39 AM EST
Biden in Kyiv says Putin was ‘dead wrong’
U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “dead wrong” when he started the war in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
“When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided,” Biden said in a statement. “He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.”
The White House released the statement from Biden as he made an unannounced visit to the war-torn country, arriving in Kyiv on Monday morning.
“As the world prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Biden said.
“Today, in Kyiv, I am meeting with President Zelenskyy and his team for an extended discussion on our support for Ukraine. I will announce another delivery of critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments,” he continued. “And I will share that later this week, we will announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine. Over the last year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic, and humanitarian support — and that support will endure.”
Biden added: “I also look forward to traveling on to Poland to meet President Duda and the leaders of our Eastern Flank Allies, as well as deliver remarks on how the United States will continue to rally the world to support the people of Ukraine and the core values of human rights and dignity in the UN Charter that unite us worldwide.”
Feb 20, 5:21 AM EST
Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday, arriving in Kyiv as Washington signals its ongoing support ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
Biden’s visit came ahead of a planned meeting with NATO allies in Poland. He is expected to give a speech at the Royal Castle Arcades in Warsaw on Tuesday evening to offer an appraisal of international support during the first year of the war and to address “how we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement earlier this month.
Biden also plans to meet in Poland with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of eastern NATO allies formed in 2015 in response to Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a dramatic visit to the United States in December, his first known international trip since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Zelenskyy met with Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C., before addressing members of U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill.
Feb 19, 1:03 PM EST
Russia planning nuclear exercises to disrupt Biden’s Europe visit, Ukrainian military says
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has accused Russia of planning to stage “large-scale nuclear exercises” to coincide with President Joe Biden’s visit to Europe next week.
The GUR said Russia is preparing for test launches of nuclear capable missiles from land and sea, the agency said in a statement Sunday on its official Telegram channel.
The GUR said a nuclear armed submarine has been placed on the “highest level” of combat readiness and that strategic bombers have been moved to a base in Tambov, Russia.
The agency claimed the exercises are intended disrupt President Joe Biden’s European trip.
“Such actions of the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation, in particular, are an attempt to hinder Joe Biden’s visit to Europe, which is scheduled for February 20-22, through direct nuclear blackmail and to weaken international support for Ukraine,” the GUR statement said.
– ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 18, 11:41 AM EST
Harris meets with British, Finnish, Swedish PMs
Vice President Kamala Harris met with the British, Finnish and Swedish prime ministers before departing Munich on Saturday.
Amid concerns in Europe that Republican lawmakers could dampen U.S. aid to Ukraine, the Finnish prime minister, Sanna Marin, thanked Harris for saying U.S. support for Ukraine would persevere domestic political differences.
Both Marin and Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, spoke with hope about joining NATO. But in recent days, there have been signals from NATO, the Finnish and the Swedish that perhaps they will not join at the same time as they had hoped due to continued Turkish objections over Swedish membership.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Feb 17, 3:41 PM EST
White House previews Biden trip to Poland
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby provided a preview Friday of President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to Poland, saying the president’s main message will be continued support from the United States in the face of Russian aggression.
“On Tuesday evening, local time, President Biden will deliver remarks in Warsaw on how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy. President Biden will make it clear that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine, as you’ve heard him say many times, for as long as it takes,” Kirby said of Biden’s major planned address.
“As we approach the one-year mark since this invasion, we can proudly say that our support for Ukraine remains unwavering and our alliances and our international coalition in support of Ukraine remain stronger than ever,” he added.
Biden is scheduled to arrive in Poland on Tuesday morning and meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda. On Wednesday, he’ll meet with leaders from the so-called Bucharest Nine –Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia — which are nine NATO countries in Eastern Europe.
Kirby was asked about Biden meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, or traveling anywhere besides Warsaw, like the border town of Rzeszow, but he shot down both ideas.
“There is no meeting with President Zelenskyy scheduled for the trip right now,” he said. “Right now, the trip is going to be in Warsaw.”
Feb 17, 2:11 PM EST
Harris meets allies amid pressure over Ukraine aid
Vice President Kamala Harris met with the leaders of France and Germany Friday as part of a U.S. diplomatic push in Munich to show strong, continued support for Ukraine.
Questions lingering over the leaders in Munich include how long the West can maintain its support for Ukraine –- amid declining public and political support at home –- and how Ukraine will withstand the expected Russian offensive.
A White House official said that at the meetings, the vice president planned to “recognize the courage and resilience shown by the people of Ukraine; reaffirm the support of American people for Ukraine; commend the international community on the historic actions taken since February 2022; celebrate Transatlantic unity and clarity of purpose; reaffirm our security commitments to our European allies; and condemn Russia’s continued illegal and brutal actions while calling for accountability and justice.”
She also planned to discuss “relations with China and actions to address the climate crisis,” the official said.
Feb 17, 1:20 PM EST
Belarus ready to make Russian attack planes, president says at meeting with Putin
Belarus is ready to make Russian attack planes, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
“Belarus has been making up to a thousand components for MC-21 and Superjet 100 planes. There used to be repair plants, but now they also make component parts,” Lukashenko said.
“We are even ready to make it in Belarus with a little support from Russia,” Lukashenko said.
Feb 16, 5:28 PM EST
Ukrainian vice prime minister tells remaining civilians in Bakhmut to evacuate
Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk called on the roughly 6,000 civilians still in Bakhmut to evacuate “immediately.”
Officials said they don’t want the people still in the city to put themselves and their children at risk and don’t want them to interfere with the Ukrainian army. Five civilians were killed and nine others were injured on Thursday, according to the vice prime minister.
“Frankly speaking, I am very surprised that 6,000 civilians are still working there,” Vereshchuk said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 16, 3:25 PM EST
Belarus will fight alongside Russia if it is attacked, president warns
Belarus would only join the war in Ukraine, fighting alongside Russia, if it is attacked, President Alexander Lukashenko told state-run Belta news agency.
“We don’t want a war. And in no case are we going to send our troops into the territory of Ukraine. Unless you commit aggression against the territory of Belarus from there. Here is my answer. It was given a long time ago,” Lukashenko said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Lukashenko’s threat in an interview with the BBC.
“I hope [Belarus] won’t join [the war],” he said. “If it does, we will fight and we will survive.”
Allowing Russia to use Belarus as a staging post for an attack again would be a “huge mistake,” he added.
Russian forces launched part of their full-scale invasion from Belarus 12 months ago. They drove south toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, but were fought back and made to retreat within weeks, after suffering heavy casualties.
Lukashenko is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Tanya Stukalova
Feb 16, 3:11 PM EST
Zelenskyy rules out territorial deal with Putin in BBC interview
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out giving up any of his country’s territory in a potential peace deal with Russia.
In a BBC interview to mark a year since Russia’s full-scale invasion, he warned conceding land would mean Russia could “keep coming back,” while Western weapons would bring peace closer.
However, he does believe Ukrainian forces can keep resisting Russia’s advance until they are able to launch a counteroffensive — although he repeated his calls for more military aid from the West.
“Of course, modern weapons speed up peace. Weapons are the only language Russia understands,” Zelensky told the BBC.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 16, 12:13 AM EST
Russian strikes hit infrastructure in Lviv, Ukrainians shoot down eight Russian missiles: Officials
An infrastructure object was hit in Lviv in the early morning hours of Thursday, the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, said on Telegram.
There were no casualties, and the fire from the impact has since been put out, Kozytskyi said.
Six Kalibr missiles were also shot down over the Mykolaiv region, and two Kalibr missiles were shot down over the Kherson region overnight, Odesa Military Administration spokesman Serhii Bratchuk posted on Telegram.
All eight of the missiles were fired from a Russian ship in the Black Sea, Bratchuk said in the post.
Feb 15, 2:48 PM EST
6 ‘reconnaissance’ balloons shot down over Kyiv
Authorities in Kyiv are investigating who owns six balloons that were in Ukraine’s airspace and what the balloons were doing over Kyiv. The balloons were shot down by Ukrainian air defense.
After a preliminary assessment, authorities think the balloons had intelligence gathering equipment.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 14, 11:43 AM EST
If Bakhmut falls, won’t have ‘strategic impact’ on Ukraine war: White House
White House spokesman John Kirby said during a briefing Tuesday that the U.S. could not “predict one way or the other” whether Bakhmut will fall to the Russians and if it does fall, “on what timeline.”
“We’re watching this every day, and it is certainly true that the Russians are continuing to make incremental progress there,” Kirby said. “Again, I can’t predict one way or the other whether it falls or it doesn’t fall or on what timeline. They have made incremental progress again in just the last 24, 48 hours.”
He added that the U.S. did not think Russia obtaining control of Bakhmut would have any “strategic impact” on either the overall war or even fighting in that part of the country.
The U.S. thinks Russia — and specifically the Wagner Group and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, which is doing much of the fighting for Bakhmut — wants to take over and benefit financially from gypsum and salt mines located in the area, Kirby said.
“Even if Bakhmut were to fall, it would not have a strategic impact on the overall war,” Kirby said. “I would go so far as to say it won’t even have, necessarily, a strategic impact on the fighting in that part of the country. We think one of the reasons why Prigozhin is so interested in Bakhmut is because there’s a gypsum mine there, and up in Soledar, there’s a salt mine. And it’s entirely possible that Mr. Prigozhin sees some economic benefit to him and his company to take Bakhmut and to take and hold Soledar.”
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Feb 11, 9:43 AM EST
US surveillance data ‘crucial’: Ukrainian commander
Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Serhiy Nayev told ABC News in an interview that the U.S. provides “surveillance data,” allowing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to more accurately pinpoint Russian targets within Ukraine’s borders.
“This help is crucial for us,” he said.
Nayev said he was in “constant contact” with American generals stationed in other parts of Europe. An exchange of data between the Ukrainians and Americans helped the Ukrainian military to pinpoint targets using US-supplied HIMARS rocket systems.
“This work goes perfectly in real time,” he said.
-ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge, Dragana Jovanovic and Ale Pavone
Feb 10, 3:09 PM EST
Biden to visit Poland on eve of first anniversary of invasion of Ukraine
President Joe Biden will visit Poland on Feb. 20, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Biden will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda as well as the leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of our eastern flank NATO allies, and he’ll deliver remarks to mark the one-year anniversary, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday.
“President Biden will deliver remarks ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, addressing how the United States has rallied the world, to support the people of Ukraine, as they defend their freedom and democracy, and how we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Jean-Pierre said.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Feb 10, 12:25 PM EST
Russian missile comes within 22 miles of Romanian border with Ukraine
Romania, a member of NATO, said Friday a Russian missile had come within 22 miles of its border but that it did not cross into the country’s territory, countering a claim made by the Ukrainian military.
“The Romanian Air Forces’ air surveillance system detected on Friday, February 10th, an aerial target launched by a Russian Federation’s ship, navigating in the Black Sea, nearby the Crimean Peninsula. The target is most likely a cruise missile, which flew over the air space of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and reentered the Ukrainian air space without ever infringing Romania’s air space,” Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr said in a statement Friday.
Ukrainian officials had said earlier Friday that two Russian missiles crossed into the airspace of Moldova and Romania before entering Ukraine and being directed at targets in the country.
“Several Russian missiles passed through the airspace of Moldova and Romania. These missiles are a challenge to NATO and collective security. This is terror that can and must be stopped,” Zelenskyy said Friday.
