A New Era of Climate Geopolitics is Playing Out at COP29

The annual United Nations climate change summits are always a little crazy: tens of thousands of delegates from every corner of the globe descending on a far-flung city for two weeks of heated discussions on the future of global climate policy. 

This time around the conference—known this year as COP29—is nothing short of surreal. In the area where countries set up pavilions, you can take a five-minute walk from the luxurious Russian pavilion where delegates sip tea on sofas amid human-size Russian dolls to the Ukrainian pavilion decorated with a solar panel destroyed by Russian armaments. At most COPs, attendees keep their eyes peeled for notable heads of state or even celebrities; in Baku, delegates are on the lookout for members of the Taliban. Midway through the first week of the conference, the Argentinian delegation returned home at the direction of the country’s right-wing president; the French environment minister decided to skip the whole thing because of a dispute with the host country. And the entire event began with a description of fossil fuels as “a gift from God” from Azerbaijan’s president. 

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But nothing has made the conference more surreal than its timing. Opening just days after the U.S. election, the topic of President-elect Donald Trump serves as context for every conversation. The U.S. has for decades played a pivotal role in shaping the talks, brokering key agreements and, most recently, helping convince everyone that the world’s largest economy is decarbonizing. In the opening hours of the conference, John Podesta, President Joe Biden’s climate envoy, offered a blunt assessment that felt almost like an apology. “It’s clear that the next administration will try to take a U-turn and erase much of this progress,” he said. “Of course, I’m keenly aware of the disappointment that the United States has at times caused.” (He went on to make the case that the U.S. would continue climate efforts at the city and state level).

As the talks, which this year are focused on how to finance the climate transition, continue in their second week, it’s impossible to know where they will land. The organizers could eke out a brokered agreement, as often happens, or they could collapse under the strain of geopolitical pressure. Longtime COP attendees have said that these talks have at times felt closer to a breakdown than any in recent memory. 

In a way, this climate moment is very dangerous. We already feel the effects of climate-linked extreme weather today, which is costing lives in communities across the globe. Clearly, a stagnation in multilateral efforts to address that issue doesn’t help. But there are also reasons for reassurance here in Baku. Decarbonization has moved from a theoretical question, delineated in bold but toothless commitments, to a phenomenon occurring in the economy—from the small enterprises adapting to sustainability requirements to multi-billion investments from some of the world’s most influential firms.

Indeed, the questions here in Baku are less about whether the international climate push will go on but about how.  

One of the first things that struck me upon stepping out of the airport in Baku is how much the vehicles on the street have changed since I was last here seven years ago. At the time, white Soviet-era Ladas seemed to dominate the roads. This time around, the old-school cars were few and far between. Instead, I noticed the prevalence of Chinese electric vehicles. Nearly every time I called a car, an EV showed up.  

Baku’s EVs offered a small reminder, from the outset, that the energy transition is already rapidly changing the world—and not just in major economies. In 2016, when Trump was first elected, delegates gathered at that year’s U.N. climate conference wondered if the Paris Agreement—and the decarbonization push it was meant to catalyze—could survive. That’s not a question in 2024.

To some degree, the confidence comes in part from evidence from Trump’s first term. Many businesses actually accelerated their commitment to climate action in spite of Trump. And cities and states said they would step up their decarbonization policymaking. In Baku, some of those same groups have offered similar commitments. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, citing state actions, put it to me bluntly: “Donald Trump is going to be a speed bump on the march to a clean energy economy.”

But perhaps more important is the massive investment that has begun over the course of the last eight years. Baku’s EVs are just one example. Across the globe, many of the world’s largest companies have spent billions to facilitate the buildout of clean technology infrastructure. Those investments are simply too costly to undo and the momentum too strong to stop. “No one country can stop progress,” says Catherine McKenna, a former Canadian environment minister. “I said that last time [Trump was elected], but it’s even more true because now it’s in the real economy.”

But the bigger question for delegates is how the ongoing transition—not to mention the effects of extreme weather—will play out around the world. Which countries will win and lose? How will the most vulnerable fare? And will the transition happen fast enough—especially in developing countries—to avoid some of the worst effects of climate change? 

Indeed, these issues have led to brawls at COP29 over everything from how climate rules play out in trade relationships to how much different countries should pay to help their counterparts to the role of oil and gas in the transition. With tensions high, in the middle of the first week of this year some of the most prominent voices in the international climate world—including former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres and climate scientist Johan Rockström—dropped an open letter calling for a wholesale reform of the process. Host countries should face tougher selection criteria to ensure that they’re committed to phasing out fossil fuels, and the process should be streamlined to allow faster decision making.

The post-election timing was unstated in the letter, but it wasn’t coincidental. Regardless of whether Trump follows through on his promise for the U.S. to leave the Paris Agreement for a second time, the climate world will be left with a giant vacuum. Many negotiators are quick to say that the U.S. international climate posture never amounted to real climate leadership. Even under supportive presidents like Biden and former President Barack Obama, the U.S. shaped agreements with American politics in mind, even if it weakened the deals, and struggled to deliver the climate aid that others demanded. Even so, for many, the U.S. will be missed when it’s gone.

source https://time.com/7177517/new-era-climate-geopolitics-cop29/

Hakeem Jeffries Wins Reelection as House Democratic Leader Despite Party’s Losses

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Leader Hakeem Jeffries won reelection Tuesday as the Democratic leader, receiving support from his colleagues despite the party’s inability to win back majority control of the chamber in the November election.

Jeffries of New York was chosen during an internal party vote of the House Democrats underway at the Capitol. Most of the Democratic leadership team is expected to be reelected for the new Congress.

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In line to become the House speaker, Jeffries remains the highest ranking Black elected official in Congress, and the first to hold the job of party leader.

Read More: See a Map of the 2024 House of Representatives Race Results

He fell short of being in place to win the gavel after Republicans swept to power alongside President-elect Donald Trump, winning control of the White House, the Senate and the House.

While the Democratic leader will be the party’s nominee for House speaker, the gavel is expected to go to Speaker Mike Johnson as Republicans continue to hold the majority in the new year.

Jeffries and the House Democratic leadership works as a team — a trio of younger generation leaders that took over when Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi stepped aside from leadership two years ago. Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California were all expected to win their reelections on Tuesday.

House Democrats picked up a few seats in hard-fought regions, including Jeffries’ home state of New York and in California. But they also lost seats elsewhere and failed to topple some GOP incumbents, and overall there was little change in the House.

Republicans under Johnson are left holding the majority by a so-slim margin — their numbers diminishing in the new year as Trump has tapped three GOP lawmakers, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz, to serve in his administration. Some need to be confirmed by the Senate.

source https://time.com/7177472/hakeem-jeffries-wins-democratic-leader-house/

Being a Jew in Public

A Jewish man wearing a yarmulke was shot multiple times on his way to synagogue in Chicago. A rabbi in Maryland was attacked by a man wielding a wooden stake. In Manhattan, a man wearing a yarmulke was called “dirty Jew” before being punched in the face. Each of these assaults occurred within a two-week span last month.

One year ago, such scenes would have been unimaginable; few American Jews thought twice about publicly identifying as Jewish. Wearing a yarmulke, displaying a Star of David, or affixing a mezuzah to our doorways were solemn acts of faith and tradition—not risks to personal safety.

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But since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, public expressions of Jewish identity are increasingly met with suspicion and hostility, leaving many in our community feeling vulnerable and unsafe. A recent Anti-Defamation League report underscores this shift, showing antisemitic incidents across the U.S. have surged over 200%—an unsettling reflection of how the Israel-Hamas war has impacted American streets.

Read More: Why I’ll Never Stop Sharing My Holocaust Story

In my hometown of Houston, our diverse, welcoming community has long respected and embraced all faiths, and peaceful expressions of Jewish identity have blended seamlessly into the city’s rich tapestry. Aside from the occasional incident, such as the man who was flagged by the FBI after posting his support of killing Jews, antisemitism has not been a major issue here. 

Yet the rising fear around visible Jewish identity is hard to ignore. I’ve worn a yarmulke all 24 years I’ve been a rabbi here, but recently found myself removing it in certain public settings. It’s not that I felt an immediate threat to my safety as I entered a local café or as I walked around town, but I felt enough wariness about how it would be received that I tucked it in my pocket until I knew I was in a safe location. For the first time in my life, I even felt the need for a security escort on my walk home from Yom Kippur services this year.

By no means am I an outlier. Last year, a family in my community elected to tone down their Hanukkah decorations, trading festive displays for a quieter observance. Similarly, several members of my synagogue have told me that they are considering taking down their mezuzahs, the piece of parchment with Torah verses that Jewish people hang on their doorposts, for fear that these recognizable symbols will make them targets.

Read More: My Parents Are Being Held as Bargaining Chips in Gaza. Where Is the Outrage?

Beyond Houston, Jews are being identified and targeted simply for who they are. In May, two Orthodox Jewish children were assaulted in Brooklyn. In September, a man in Michigan told police he was beaten after his assailant asked him if he was Jewish. One month prior, Jewish students wearing yarmulkes at the University of Pittsburgh were attacked only a few miles from the Tree of Life synagogue, the site where 11 worshippers were murdered in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

While fear grows within our community, there are actions we must take collectively to help combat this alarming rise in violent anti-Jewish hate. The White House’s National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism is an essential first step, but requires careful coordination. I strongly urge the Biden Administration to appoint—and the future Trump Administration to retain—a dedicated coordinator to help lead the interagency process that is working to implement the strategy and guarantee that its benchmarks are being met.

Further, every state should follow the examples set by Virginia and Massachusetts, which have created comprehensive strategies to counteract antisemitism. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott’s Administration is providing resources and implementing programs that foster education and resilience against hate. Initiatives like these ensure that all parts of government, as well as schools, businesses, community organizations, and law enforcement, do their part to address growing antisemitism.

This work cannot be done in isolation. The fight against antisemitism is not just a Jewish cause; it’s an American cause. Left unchecked, antisemitism is a disease that undermines the moral fabric of our communities and compromises the safety and well-being of all Americans. This is why preventive measures and policies are essential, not just to protect Jewish lives but to safeguard the inclusive values we hold dear as a nation.

We are at a critical juncture. The White House, state governments, and local communities have the power to ensure that Jews—and all Americans—can express their heritage without fear. Taking off a yarmulke, or removing a piece of jewelry that identifies you as Jewish, may seem like a small action. But it is indicative of a growing anxiety in a Jewish community that has seen an explosive growth in antisemitism. Through education, strategic law enforcement, and unified responses that protect every community member, we can reclaim the safety we once knew and build a future where no one feels compelled to prioritize well-being over their identity.

source https://time.com/7176312/jewish-identity-symbols-antisemitism/

There’s an E. Coli Outbreak in Organic Carrots

NEW YORK — An outbreak of E. coli has infected dozens of people who ate bagged organic carrots, and one person died from the infection.

Altogether, 39 people were infected and 15 were hospitalized in 18 states after eating organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday.

Grimmway Farms, based in Bakersfiled, California, has recalled the carrots, which included whole and baby organic carrots sold in bags under multiple brand names including 365, Cal-Organic, Nature’s Promise, O-Organics, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans, among others.

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The carrots are no longer in stores, but the CDC is warning consumers to not eat recalled bag carrots and to check their refrigerators or freezers and throw away any carrots that fit the description. Most of the infected people live in New York, Minnesota and Washington, followed by California and Oregon, although infections have been reported in states throughout the country, according to the CDC.

Read More: Are GMOs Safe? Breaking Down the Science of Science-ified Foods

There have been several E. coli outbreaks in recent months. In October, more than 100 McDonald’s customers were sickened by an E. coli outbreak in the U.S. linked to slivered onions. In the U.K., one person died in an E. coli outbreak in June linked to lettuce that sickened at least 275 people. Organic walnuts sickened consumers in 19 states with E. coli infections in April.

Despite the number of recent outbreaks, experts say the food supply is generally safe, although there hasn’t been much progress in curbing infections caused by E. coli.

The recalled organic baby carrots have best-by dates ranging from Sept. 11 through Nov. 12, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Symptoms of E. coli infection usually start three to four days after eating the bacteria and include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, which is often bloody, and vomiting. People with severe symptoms of an E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell the provider what they ate, the CDC said.

The bacteria E. coli can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA.

source https://time.com/7177177/e-coli-outbreak-carrots/

Everything You Need to Know About the Bene Gesserit in Dune: Prophecy

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Dune: Prophecy.

Set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides and his rise as the prophesied messiah known as Lisan-al-Gaib, HBO’s new Dune: Prophecy series chronicles the early evolution of the Bene Gesserit order from a fledgling school for gifted young women to the superpowered mystical sisterhood that’s pulling the strings of the imperial government at the start of Dune.

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Dune: Prophecy is based on 2012’s Sisterhood of Dune, the first book in the Great Schools of Dune prequel trilogy written by Brian Herbert, the son of Dune author Frank Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson following Frank’s death. Showrunner Alison Schapker’s series centers on Harkonnen sisters Valya and Tula (played as adults by Emily Watson and Olivia Williams and in flashbacks by Jessica Barden and Emma Canning). Born approximately 60 years after the end of the great machine wars known in the Dune universe as the Butlerian Jihad—a crusade by the last free humans in the universe that wiped out all machine-based technology—the sisters are distant ancestors of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, his nephews, Feyd-Rautha and Beast Rabban, and, as was revealed in the Dune Part II movie, Paul’s mother Jessica and Paul himself.

As the Imperium’s history books tell it, House Atreides forerunner Vorian Atreides led the humans to victory over the machines during the final days of the wars while Valya and Tula’s great-grandfather, Abulard Harkonnen, deserted the fight and was branded a coward. This resulted in House Harkonnen being disgraced and exiled to the desolate planet of Lankiveil. However, Valya contends that the history the Atreides wrote was built on lies and resolves at a young age to upend the status quo by gaining power through the Bene Gesserit.

A rift within the sisterhood

When we’re introduced to Valya and Tula as young siblings in Prophecy‘s premiere, Valya is being primed as the successor to the Bene Gesserit’s first-ever Mother Superior, Raquella Berto-Anirul (Cathy Tyson), in place of Raquella’s own granddaughter, Reverend Mother Dorotea (Camilla Beeput). Raquella, who was a hero during the wars, originally founded the order to train its members to work as Truthsayers, those who could wield the power of truthsense and be assigned to the Great Houses to help them sift truth from lies.

However, as an older Valya explains in a voiceover, at that time, there was contention in the Bene Gesserit ranks over Raquella’s desire to create a secret breeding program that the sisterhood could use to foster the right royal unions and cultivate rulers the Bene Gesserit could control. While Valya was of the same mind as Raquella, Dorotea, whom Valya refers to as a “zealot,” viewed the breeding program as heresy and believed the order was meant to guide the Imperium, not rule it. (This is the same breeding program the Bene Gesserit are using 10,000 years later to try to achieve their goal of producing the chosen one known as the Kwisatz Haderach, an unparalleled Bene Gesserit male capable of accessing all of his ancestral memories and seeing all possible futures.)

After summoning Valya to her side on her deathbed, Raquella relays a prophecy that makes Valya even more firm in her beliefs. “Red dust. It’s coming. Titan-Arafel,” she says, using a phrase that refers to a reckoning in the form of a holy judgment brought on by a tyrant. “You will be the one to see the burning truth and know.”

When Dorotea then attempts to destroy the breeding index despite her grandmother’s final words, Valya uses a new ability she’s been cultivating called the Voice—a skill that allows the user to speak in such a way that another person must obey anything they say—to force Dorotea to kill herself with her own blade.

Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen

As the inventor of the Voice and Mother Superior Raquella’s protégée, Valya is the natural heir to the Bene Gesserit’s top position once Dorotea is out of the way. And 30 years later, it’s clear she’s progressed the order’s hold on the Imperium quite extensively.

Having schemed for Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), the daughter of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) and heir to the Imperial throne, to come study to become a sister following her arranged marriage to the child heir of House Richese, 9-year-old Pruwet Richese (Charlie Hodson-Prior), Valya is close to achieving her goal of setting up one of the Bene Gesserit’s own to rule as the first-ever empress of the Imperium. That is, until the death of Pruwet—as well as House Corrino’s truthsayer, Reverend Mother Kasha (Jihae)—at the hands of Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel). Desmond, a previously-presumed-dead soldier in Emperor Corrino’s army who returns from serving on the desert planet Arrakis claiming he has been gifted a “great power,” signals to Valya that “the burning truth” Raquella spoke of is finally being revealed.

“[Desmond is] tied to the prophecy that sort of sparks the series,” Schapker told IGN. “He really is a mystery of the show. And who has empowered him or what has empowered him is a central mystery that our sisters have to find out.”

The remaining five episodes of Dune: Prophecy will air weekly on HBO at 9 p.m. ET on Sundays, the same time they become available to stream on Max.

source https://time.com/7176681/dune-prophecy-bene-gesserit/

Trump’s Defense Secretary Pick Pete Hegseth Paid to Settle a Sexual Assault Accusation

WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit, according to Hegseth’s lawyer.

Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women’s event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the city. No charges were filed.

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His lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, told the Associated Press on Sunday that the sexual encounter was consensual and that the woman who made the accusation to police several days later was the “aggressor.” That assertion has not been confirmed in the statement released by the city.

Parlatore said a payment was made to the woman as part of a confidential settlement a few years after the police investigation because Hegseth was concerned that she was prepared to file a lawsuit that he feared could have resulted in him being fired from Fox News, where he was a popular host. Parlatore would not reveal the amount of the payment.

“He was falsely accused and my position is that he was the victim of blackmail,” Parlatore said, calling it a case of “successful extortion.”

Read More: Pete Hegseth’s Role in Trump’s Controversial Pardons of Men Accused of War Crimes

The Washington Post earlier reported details of the payment. The newspaper also reported it obtained a copy of a memo sent to Trump’s transition team this past week by a woman who said she is a friend of the accuser that details the sexual assault allegations.

Trump’s transition team had no immediate comment Sunday on the memo.

The person who reported the assault—whose name, age and sex were not released—had bruises on the right thigh, according to the city’s statement. No weapons were involved in the encounter, the person told police.

The incident occurred sometime between 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 7 a.m. the following morning, according to the city’s statement.

Hegseth was in Monterey at the time to address the California Federation of Republican Women during a banquet dinner held at the group’s biennial convention, according to social media posts and promotional materials from the time.

Monterey officials said they were withholding further details included in the police report because it included analysis and conclusions by law enforcement officials that are exempt from release under state public records law.

At the time of the 2017 accusations, Hegseth, now 44, was going through a divorce with his second wife, with whom he has three children. She filed for divorce after he had a child with a Fox News producer who is now his wife, according to court records and social media posts by Hegseth. His first marriage ended in 2009, also after infidelity by Hegseth, according to court records.

After the accusations first surfaced last week, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump transition who has been named White House communications director, issued a statement saying the President-elect is “nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration.”

“Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed. We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can get started on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again,” Cheung said.

—Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.

source https://time.com/7177104/pete-hegseth-sexual-assault-accusation-settlement-trump-defense-secretary/

Biden Authorizes Ukraine to Use U.S.-Supplied Long-Range Missiles Against Russia

MANAUS, Brazil — President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, easing limitations on the weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter.

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The decision allowing Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, for attacks farther inside Russia comes as President Vladimir Putin positions North Korean troops along Ukraine’s northern border to try to reclaim hundreds of miles of territory seized by Ukrainian forces.

Biden’s move also follows the presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who has said he would bring about a swift end to the war and raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the United States’ vital military support for Ukraine.

Read More: What Trump’s Win Means for the World

The official and the others knowledgeable about the matter were not authorized to discuss the U.S. decision publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s reaction Sunday was notably restrained.

“Strikes are not made with words,” he said during his nightly video address. “Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves.”

Zelensky and many of his Western supporters have been pressing Biden for months to allow Ukraine to strike military targets deeper inside Russia with Western-supplied missiles, saying the U.S. ban had made it impossible for Ukraine to try to stop Russian attacks on its cities and electrical grids.

Zelensky’s statement came shortly after he posted a message of condolence on Telegram following a Russian attack on a nine-story building that killed at least eight people in the northern city of Sumy, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the border with Russia.

Russia also launched a massive drone and missile attack, described by officials as the largest in recent months, targeting energy infrastructure and killing civilians. The attack came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity before the winter.

“And this is the answer to everyone who tried to achieve something with Putin through talks, phone calls, hugs and appeasement,” Zelensky said.

The comment appeared to be a dig at German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke Friday with Putin in the first such call with a sitting head of a major Western power in nearly two years.

Some supporters have argued that the limitation and other U.S. constraints could cost Ukraine the war. The debate has become a source of disagreement among Ukraine’s NATO allies.

Biden had remained opposed, determined to hold the line against any escalation that he felt could draw the U.S. and other NATO members into direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

Putin has warned that Moscow could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets if NATO allies allow Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.

News of Biden’s decision followed meetings over the last two days with the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China. The addition of North Korean troops was central to the talks, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru.

Read More: How Asia Is Bracing for Trump’s Second Term

Biden did not mention the decision during a speech at a stop in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil on his way to the Group of 20 summit.

Asked about the decision, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that the U.N. position is “to avoid a permanent deterioration of the war in Ukraine.”

“We want peace, we want fair peace,” Guterres said Sunday before the summit in Rio de Janeiro. He didn’t elaborate.

The longer-range missiles are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to support Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, according to one of the people familiar with the development.

The overall supply of ATACMS missiles is short, so U.S. officials in the past have questioned whether they could give Ukraine enough to make a difference. Some supporters of Ukraine say that even a few long-range strikes deeper inside Russia would force its military to change deployments and expend more of its resources.

North Korea has provided thousands of troops to Russia to help Moscow try to claw back land in the Kursk border region that Ukraine seized this year. The introduction of North Korean troops to the conflict comes as Moscow has seen a favorable shift in momentum. Trump has signaled that he could push Ukraine to agree to give up some land seized by Russia to find an end to the conflict.

As many as 12,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, according to U.S., South Korean and Ukrainian assessments. U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials say North Korea also has provided Russia with significant amounts of munitions to replenish its dwindling weapons stockpiles.

Trump, who takes office in January, spoke for months as a candidate about wanting Russia’s war in Ukraine to be over, but he mostly ducked questions about whether he wanted U.S. ally Ukraine to win.

He also repeatedly slammed the Biden administration for giving Kyiv tens of billions of dollars in aid. His victory has Ukraine’s international backers worrying that any rushed settlement would mostly benefit Putin.

America is Ukraine’s most valuable ally in the war, providing more than $56.2 billion in security assistance since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.

Worried about Russia’s response, however, the Biden administration repeatedly has delayed providing some specific advanced weapons sought by Ukraine, agreeing only under pressure from Kyiv, its supporters and in consultation with allies.

That includes initially refusing Zelensky’s pleas for advanced tanks, Patriot air defense systems and F-16 fighter jets, among other systems.

The White House agreed in May to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weaponry for limited strikes just across the border with Russia.

—Long, Miller, Knickmeyer and Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Will Weissert in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv contributed to this report.

source https://time.com/7177100/biden-ukraine-long-range-missiles-russia/