ANTONY BLINKEN

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is aiming to lead the international bloc opposed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine into a broader coalition to counter what it sees as a more serious, long-term threat to global order from China.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to outline the Biden administration's policy toward China.

Russia is pressing the West to lift sanctions over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis.

US Kazakhstan Blinken Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi at the State Department in Washington, Friday, May 20, 2022. The officials spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity to preview Blinken's speech to be delivered at George Washington University. The speech follows President Joe Biden's just-concluded visits to South Korea and Japan, where China loomed large in discussions. Blinken will say that the administration intends to leverage its success in rallying support for Ukraine against Russia to align U.S. allies and partners to counter China, according to the officials. The Biden administration has largely kept in place confrontational policies toward China adopted by its predecessor in response to Chinese actions in its western Xinjiang region, Hong Kong, Tibet and the South China Sea.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration is aiming to lead the international bloc opposed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine into a broader coalition to counter what it sees as a more serious, long-term threat to global order from China.

Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle, wants President Joe Biden to secure her partner’s release, doing whate,ver is necessary to get the WNBA star home from Russia where she has been detained for more than three months.

President Joe Biden has warned fellow leaders of the informal Indo-Pacific security coalition known as the Quad that they are “navigating through a dark hour in our shared history.”.

United Nations-Pakistan-Interview Pakistani Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari speaks during his meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at United Nations headquarters, Wednesday, May 18, 2022. Bhutto Zardari called the meeting with Blinken "very encouraging and very positive and productive." President Joe Biden has strengthened ties with Pakistan’s arch-rival India, but Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan is not “jealous” of their relationship. In the interview with the AP, Bhutto Zardari recalled the legacy of his mother and grandfather. “These are the ideals that we hold dear and we work towards every day,” Bhutto Zardari said.

United Nations-Pakistan-Interview Pakistani Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari speaks during his meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at United Nations headquarters, Wednesday, May 18, 2022. Bhutto Zardari called the meeting with Blinken "very encouraging and very positive and productive." U.S. President Joe Biden has strengthened ties with Pakistan’s arch-rival India, but Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan is not “jealous” of their relationship. Bhutto Zardari said he didn’t think the growing relationship with the United States would hurt its ties to Beijing. “These are the ideals that we hold dear and we work towards every day,” Bhutto Zardari said.

Pakistan's new foreign minister says his country has resumed engagement with the United States after years of strained relations under former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

U_S_ Secretary of State Antony Blinken is accusing Russia of weaponizing food and holding grain for millions of people around the world hostage in order to help accomplish what its invasion of Ukraine has not -- “to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people.”

NICOSIA, Cyprus — (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II has offered to station firefighting aircraft in Cyprus through the summer fire season, the Cypriot foreign minister said Monday. Cyprus, Greece and Israel have often assisted each other in recent years by sending firefighting teams, gear and aircraft to help combat massive wildfires. The Cypriot proposal would streamline and speed up the dispatching of such assistance. Greece struggled to fight massive wildfires last year. Cyprus, Jordan and Greece have a trilateral cooperation arrangement that aims to strengthen their defense and security ties.

Biden's vice president, spokeswoman and daughter are not close contacts when it comes to covid, raising the question: Who does meet at length with the president?

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday he's in “intense contacts” with Russia and other countries to stop escalating global hunger exacerbated by the war in Ukraine by allowing the export of grain stored in Ukrainian ports and ensuring Russian food and fertilizers have unrestricted access to world markets.

Another member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet has tested positive for COVID-19.

US Turkey U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the United Nations Wednesday, May 18, 2022. In a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the United Nations, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu offered mixed signals. “Turkey has been supporting the open-door policy of NATO even before this war," he said. Without acknowledging Erdogan's complaints about Finland and Sweden, Blinken stressed that Washington would work to ensure the NATO expansion process is successful. So against that background it would be a very dramatic step if Turkey in fact vetoes the application of Finland and Sweden."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the reopening of the U.S. embassy a "momentous step."

With U.S. record shortages and high prices, world leaders try to get essential commodities out of war-torn Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pakistan’s new Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have met for the first time and both say they want to strengthen ties between the two countries

UNITED NATIONS — (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pakistan’s new Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met for the first time Wednesday and both said they want to strengthen ties between the two countries. Bhutto Zardari flew to New York to attend a ministerial meeting at U.N. headquarters called by the United States later Wednesday that will be chaired by Blinken on growing food insecurity around the world, which has been exacerbated by Russia’s war on Ukraine. Bhutto Zardari, the son of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto who was killed in 2007, is co-chair of one of the two largest opposition parties that ousted former prime minister Imran Khan on April 11. Pakistan’s parliament elected opposition lawmaker Shahbaz Sharif as the country’s new prime minister and he appointed Bhutto Zardari as foreign minister on April 27. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The United States is struggling to get clarity from Turkey over the severity of its opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

Some 260 Ukrainian fighters have left the Azovstal steel plant, but it’s unclear how many more remain.

The United States is poised to remove five extremist groups, all believed to be defunct, from its list of foreign terrorist organizations, including several that once posed significant threats.

A high-powered American delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris is flying to the United Arab Emirates  to pay respects to the federation’s late ruler and meet with the newly ascended president

Vice President Kamala Harris has led a high-powered American delegation to the United Arab Emirates to pay respects to the federation’s late ruler and meet with the newly ascended president.

Israel and the Palestinians are wrangling over the investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

The United States is poised to remove five extremist groups, all believed to be defunct, from its list of foreign terrorist organizations.

Nearly three months have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Israeli police have decided to investigate the conduct of officers who attacked the funeral of a slain Al Jazeera journalist, causing mourners to briefly drop the casket during the ceremony in Jerusalem.

"We are following developments concerning Sweden and Finland, but we are not of a favorable opinion," Erdogan told reporters.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country is “not favorable” toward Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

President Biden has a full day of events in Washington, focused on both foreign and domestic affairs. In the afternoon, he'll host local leaders and law endorcment officials to talk about public safety funding.

Dutton said Friday, May 13, 2022, that a Chinese warship with spying capabilities had been hugging the western coastline in what amounted to an "aggressive act." “Its intention, of course, is to collect intelligence right along the coastline," Dutton said. “I think it is an aggressive act, and I think particularly because it has come so far south,” Dutton said. Tensions between China and Australia have been heightened recently after China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands. Australia's Defence Force identified the ship as a Dongdiao Class Auxiliary Intelligence ship named Haiwangxing.

Top diplomats from the Group of Seven wealthy nations have gathered in northern Germany for a three-day meeting centered on Russia’s war against Ukraine and the wider impact it is having around the world.

Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group are meeting in Morocco to discuss the campaign

Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group are meeting in Morocco to discuss the campaign.

The Biden administration’s nominee for U_S_ ambassador to Ukraine is promising senators she'll work to make Russia’s war there a “strategic failure."

Brazilian environmental and Indigenous organizations are urging the United States to fund forest protection initiatives that directly involve forest peoples.

U.S. Treasury says the actors are pivotal to helping extremists travel to Syria and other regions where IS operates. The sanctions, imposed by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, block any property or other assets the individuals have in the U.S. and those who engage in business with the sanctioned people could receive secondary sanctions. The announcement comes just two days ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers from the global anti-IS coalition that is happening in Morocco on Wednesday. The U.S. government refers to the group as ISIS, which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The U.S. announced Monday it is imposing financial penalties on five people accused of fundraising for the Islamic State group and using the funds to help traffic children to serve as fighters for the organization.

The United Nations chief says he is “appalled” at the reported attack on a school in the town of Bilohorivka where many people were apparently seeking shelter from ongoing fighting.

Dozens of Ukrainians are feared dead after a Russian bomb destroyed a school sheltering about 90 people in eastern Ukraine.

The U.S. has sanctioned North Korean digital currency mixing firm Blender.

For 21 years, the Kuwaiti ambassador's wife captivated Washington's A-list and became a powerbroker herself.

Israeli security forces are carrying out a massive manhunt for two Palestinians suspected in a mass stabbing near Tel Aviv that left three Israelis dead.

Jill Biden has thanked U.S. troops deployed to Romania, where they are serving as a check against Russian aggression.

The State Department said Blinken tested positive Wednesday afternoon and is experiencing mild symptoms.

The secretary of state tested positive Wednesday afternoon and “is experiencing only mild symptoms,” the State Department said.

Blinken FILE - Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing, April 26, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Spokesman Ned Price said Blinken tested positive in a OPCR test on Wednesday afternoon. Price said Blinken is fully vaccinated and is experiencing only mild symptoms. Blinken tested negative Tuesday and again earlier Wednesday morning. He is the latest Biden administration figure to test positive.

The State Department says Secretary of State Antony Blinken has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner and related events over the weekend.

Blinken has not seen President Biden in person for several days, according to the State Department.

The deal is potentially significant because the Mexican government has more latitude to carry out deportation flights to Cuba and Nicaragua, nations whose frosty relations with Washington severely limit the United States’ ability to return their citizens.

The United Nations says more than 300 civilians from the besieged southeastern city of Mariupol and four other towns have been evacuated to Ukrainian-held Zaporizhzhia in a second successful operation to get civilians out of areas subject to Russian shelling and attacks.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a news conference that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will chair a ministerial meeting on food insecurity across the globe on May 18 to review current and future humanitarian needs. It will include foreign ministers from many regionally diverse donor nations and countries most affected by the increasing difficulty to provide adequate food to their people, she said. Russia and Ukraine together produce 30% of the world’s wheat supply, 20% of its corn, and export about three-quarters of the world’s sunflower seed oil. The U.N. food chief said in mid-April that some 30 million metric tons of grain bound for export are unable to be shipped because of the war. Beasley said WFP was feeding 125 million people around the world before the Russian invasion and has had to start cutting rations because of rising food, fuel and shipping costs.

The United States says it will put a spotlight on the impact of the war in Ukraine and other conflicts on the diminishing availability of food and rising prices at two U.N. events later this month

___KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials say the Russian military has struck railroad infrastructure across the country. The Ukrainian military also reported strikes on railways in the Kirovohrad region, saying there were unspecified casualties. ___LVIV, Ukraine — Russian strikes have apparently targeted the western Ukraine city of Lviv. The call came three days after Macron last spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Johnson said Ukraine had “exploded the myth of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s invincibility,” and expressed confidence Ukraine would win the war.

House Blinken Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, questions Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday April 28, 2022, to review the U.S. Department of State's foreign policy priorities and fiscal year 2023 budget request. The select committee sent letters to Reps. Andy Biggs, Mo Brooks and Ronny Jackson — three members of the ultra-right House Freedom Caucus that have in recent years aligned themselves with Trump. “The Select Committee has learned that several of our colleagues have information relevant to our investigation into the facts, circumstances, and causes of January 6th," committee chairman Bennie Thompson and vice-chair Liz Cheney said in a statement. "We urge our colleagues to join the hundreds of individuals who have shared information with the Select Committee to get to the bottom of what happened on January 6th.“Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking U.S. leader to visit Ukraine since Russia's invasion.

Russia Ukraine War Oleksiy Onoschenko, 42, rescues books from his house destroyed during the Russian occupation in Irpin, in the outskirt of Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) (Emilio Morenatti)LVIV, Ukraine — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says American diplomats are making plans to return to Ukraine as soon as possible. An overnight statement Sunday said Blinken told Kuleba that America “plans to return to Kyiv as soon as possible.”He said diplomats had been making “initial visits” to Lviv to prepare. The U.S. evacuated its embassy in Kyiv in February just before Russia launched its war on the country. ___KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s national grid operator says it has has restored “reliable” power supply in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, around the site of the 1986 nuclear reactor disaster.

The deputy commander of the Azov Regiment says he's glad evacuations had begun at a steel mill where civilians and fighters have holed up in the last section of Mariupol not controlled by the Russians.

The United States has long made clear it supports an open door policy for NATO membership. But it has been more careful about spelling out what comes next.

Ukraine has called the mysterious fires and explosions in Russia "karma," without claiming responsibility.

Some wagered this was about Paul justifying Russia's invasion. But context is important.

In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, a series of explosions boomed near the television tower late Wednesday and at least temporarily knocked Russian channels off the air.

World leaders and the U.S. political and foreign policy elite joyously remembered America's first female secretary of state as mourners paid their respects to the late Madeleine Albright.

The U.S. is pressing its allies to move “heaven and earth” to keep Kyiv well-supplied with the weapons it needs to repel Russian forces, as Moscow rains fire on eastern and southern Ukraine.

The longer Ukraine’s army fends off the invading Russians, the more it absorbs the advantages of Western weaponry and training.

A roundup of key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine can win the war against Russia "if they have the right equipment", Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin says as he returns from a trip to Kyiv with US State Secretary Antony Blinken. "The first step in winning is believing that you can win. And so they believe that we can win," Austin told a group of journalists after he and Blinken had both met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "We believe that we can win, they can win if they have the right equipment, the right support." ++ COMPLETES VIDI328W8PK_EN ++

President Joe Biden named Bridget Brink as his nominee for ambassador to Ukraine on Monday.

Her nomination requires Senate approval.

Her nomination requires Senate approval.

(Anonymous socurce via AP) (Uncredited)KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine has said the United Nations should step in to oversee an evacuation route for civilians from the besieged steel mill in Mariupol which is Ukrainian troops’ last stronghold in the port city. He also noted that they should focus on exposing “open provocations” against the Russian military allegedly involving international media and social platforms. The oil depot is owned by Transneft-Druzhba, a subsidiary of the Russian state-controlled company Transneft that operates the western-bound Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline carrying crude oil to Europe. ___KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials say the Russian military has unleashed a series of strikes on the country’s railways. ___LVIV, Ukraine — A fire has erupted at a Russian oil depot near the border with Ukraine.

WASHINGTON —President Biden announced Monday that he plans to nominate Bridget Brink for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine. Ambassador since 2019, when then-President Trump removed Marie Yovanovitch, The Washington Post reported. She was nominated to her current post in 2019 by Trump and confirmed by a voice vote, according to The Hill. Brink holds Master’s degrees in International Relations and Political Theory from the London School of Economics and Political Science. According to her profile page on the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia website, Brink speaks Russian and Serbian, as well as basic Georgian and French.

The U.S. will provide more than $300 million in foreign military financing and has approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.

(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) (Uncredited)KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Russia unleashed a string of attacks against Ukrainian rail and fuel facilities Monday, striking crucial infrastructure far from the frontline of its eastern offensive, which Britain said has yet to achieve a significant breakthrough. Meanwhile, two fires were reported at oil facilities in western Russia. “When it comes to Russia’s war aims, Russia is failing. Russia also destroyed an oil refinery in Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, along with fuel depots there, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday. Zelenskyy criticized Guterres for visiting Russia before Ukraine.

“The first step in winning is believing that you can win," Austin said. Russia has sought as its principal aim to totally subjugate Ukraine, to take away its sovereignty, to take away its independence. That has failed.”As expected, President Joe Biden announced on Monday his nomination of Bridget Brink to serve as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Biden has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of genocide for the destruction and death wrought on Ukraine. Just on Thursday, Biden said he would provide a new package of $800 million in military aid to Ukraine that included heavy artillery and drones.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, after visiting Kyiv, said Russia should not be able to "do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine."

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) (Alex Brandon)MOSCOW — Russian authorities say a fire has engulfed an oil storage facility in western Russia. The oil depot is owned by Transneft-Druzhba, a subsidiary of the Russian state-controlled company Transneft that operates the western-bound Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline carrying crude oil to Europe. Russian news reported that another oil storage facility in Bryansk also caught fire early Monday, and that the cause wasn’t immediately known. ___LVIV, Ukraine — A fire has erupted at a Russian oil depot near the border with Ukraine. The Russian report said oil storage tanks at the facility caught fire around 2 a.m. local time.

Russia Ukraine War Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speak with reporters Monday, April 25, 2022, in Poland, near the Ukraine border, after returning from their trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) (Alex Brandon)KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials say the Russian military has unleashed a series of strikes on the country’s railways. Oleksandr Kamyshin, the head of the state-run Ukrainian Railways, said a total of five rail facilities in central and western Ukraine have been hit by the Russian strikes. Austin said that “the world has been inspired” by Ukraine in the war and that America would continue its support. Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said he planned to meet with the U.S. officials in Kyiv on Sunday, but the Biden administration refused to confirm that or discuss any details of a possible visit.

Japan's famed cherry blossom season blankets the country in the delicate white flowers of the prized "somei-yoshino" tree. The popular somei-yoshino strain accounts for more than 90 percent of the cherry trees planted in Japan but some want change as the strain is prone to disease and tends to grow too large to be well managed in urban settings.

Because the nature of the fight has evolved, so have Ukraine's military needs, and Zelenskyy is now focused on more tanks, artillery and other munitions. “We had an opportunity to demonstrate directly our strong ongoing support for the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people," Blinken said. Russia has sought as its principal aim to totally subjugate Ukraine, to take away its sovereignty, to take away its independence. Austin and Blinken announced a total of $713 million in foreign military financing for Ukraine and 15 allied and partner countries; some $322 million is earmarked for Kyiv. Just on Thursday, Biden said he would provide a new package of $800 million in military aid to Ukraine that included heavy artillery and drones.

The ministry also says Russian defense officials have proposed that compensation payments to the families of service personnel should be overseen by military rather that civilian authorities. Austin said that “the world has been inspired” by Ukraine in the war and that America would continue its support. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed Ukraine’s president of a more than $300 million package of foreign military financing and a $165 million sale of ammunition. ___LVIV, Ukraine — A fire has erupted at a Russian oil depot near the border with Ukraine. Moscow previously has blamed Ukraine for attacks on the Russian region of Bryansk, which borders Ukraine.

The Metropolitan Opera and the Polish National Opera are organizing a Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra.

Russia has unleashed a string of attacks against rail and fuel facilities deep inside Ukraine in an apparent attempt to thwart Ukrainian efforts to marshal supplies.

After a secrecy-shrouded visit to Ukraine's capital, U_S_ Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russia is failing in its war aims and “Ukraine is succeeding.”.

The sun came out as Ukrainians marked Orthodox Easter in Kyiv with prayers for those fighting on the front lines and others trapped beyond them.

The United States is giving new military assistance to Ukraine and renewing a diplomatic push in the war-ravaged nation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with the U.S. secretaries of state and defense in the highest-level visit to Kyiv by an American delegation since the start of the Russian invasion.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is calling on the Biden administration to establish field hospitals near Ukraine’s border and ramp up medical support for what’s expected to be a monthslong war of attrition waged by Russia.

The United States and Cuba have held their highest-level diplomatic talks in four years after a severe disruption in ties during the Trump administration.

More immigrants from Cuba are coming to the U.S. by making their way to Mexico and crossing the border illegally.

The Biden administration has given the green light for Nigeria to buy advanced attack helicopters worth nearly $1 billion despite concerns about the country's human rights record.

Three dozen House Democrats say Saudi Arabia is being a bad strategic partner.

Australia and the United States are stepping up diplomatic outreach to the Solomon Islands after China signed a security deal with the South Pacific island nation that could lead to Beijing establishing a military presence there.

President Joe Biden has asked India’s Narendra Modi not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the U.S. and other nations try to cut off Moscow’s energy income following the invasion of Ukraine.

A security alliance between China and the Solomon Islands has sent shudders throughout the South Pacific, with many worried it could set off a large-scale military buildup or that Western animosity to the deal could play into China’s hands.

Democrats in Congress are sounding the alarm over what they claim is mounting evidence that Mexico’s chief prosecutor is assailing the nation’s independent judiciary and selectively targeting for prosecution opponents of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the military alliance would quickly welcome Finland and Sweden into the fold if they decided to apply.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International charge in a new report that widespread abuses against civilians in the western part of Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.