Russia Ukraine War

Russian-backed authorities in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine have reported that a huge majority of voters favor joining Russia as referendums concluded on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The United States is preparing a new $1.1 billion arms package for Ukraine's battle with Russia that will be announced soon, U.S. officials said on Tuesday as Washington awaits the outcome of what it calls "sham" referendums in Ukraine.

AFP News reported the US is 'ready to provide support' to Europe after the Nord Stream pipeline system leaks.

Congressional negotiators agreed to include nearly $12 billion in new spending on the war in Ukraine in a stopgap spending bill that will likely be voted on this week, Reuters reported on Monday.

On Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia wasn’t threatening anyone with nuclear weapons and said Moscow doesn’t want a direct conflict with the US and NATO.

Once again Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has served the role of issuing more severe 'read between the lines' warnings and threats fresh off President Vladimir Putin's Wednesday speech announcing partial mobilization of national forces and which confirmed referendums of occupied portions of Ukraine to join the Russian Federation. 

On Friday Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine kicked off voting in referendums on joining the Russian Federation, according to announcements by a series of separatist leaders, in the biggest political development on the ground thus far in the seven-month long invasion.

Russian state media are saying nuclear war appears to be “a given” and “everyone will be destroyed” if the West “pushes us into a corner”.

Within hours of President Vladimir Putin’s speech declaring a partial military mobilization on Wednesday, men all over Russia — including some who had tried for months to ignore the messy war in Ukraine — suddenly found their lives thrown into chaos as they were summoned to duty.

Liz Truss is committing to spend at least £2.3 billion next year on military aid to help Ukraine fend off Vladimir Putin’s invasion.