Taking a cue from demonstrations that paralyzed Canada's capital city, Ottawa, for weeks, U.S. truckers plan to embark on a 2,500-mile cross-country drive toward Washington, D.C., to protest COVID-19 restrictions reut.rs/3seoD0e 1/5
Organizers of the 'People's Convoy' say they want to 'jumpstart the economy' and reopen the country. Their 11-day trek will approach the Beltway around the U.S. capital on March 5 'but will not be going into D.C. proper,' according to a statement 2/5
The Pentagon said it had approved 400 National Guard troops from the District of Columbia, who would not carry weapons, to help at traffic posts from Saturday through March 7 3/5
About 50 large tactical vehicles were also approved to be placed at traffic posts. In addition, up to 300 National Guard troops from outside of Washington were approved to come to the city to assist at traffic posts if needed 4/5
Brian Brase, a truck driver who is one of the organizers, said that regardless of where the trucks stop, 'we're not going anywhere' until the group's demands are met. Those demands include an end to COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements reut.rs/3seoD0e 5/5
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Biden has maintained that he will not send U.S. troops to Ukraine. @idreesali114 explains the president's rationale 2/7
How the U.S. acts on Ukraine will affect its relations with Asia-Pacific countries, namely China, Secretary of State Blinken has hinted. @humeyra_pamuk explains his thinking and why the crisis matters thousands of miles away 3/7
Police detained more than 1,600 Russians protesting against Russia's multi-pronged military operation in Ukraine, while authorities threatened to block media reports that contain what Moscow described as 'false information' reut.rs/3pcUxZe 1/5
In acts of cautious, but unusual dissent, Russian pop stars, journalists, a television comedian and a footballer opposed the war online after President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday 2/5
Hundreds of people rallied in cities including Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, chanting slogans like 'No to war!' and holding up makeshift signs. One person waved a Ukrainian flag 3/5
Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized troops to carry out a special military operation in the Donbass region of Ukraine, Russian news agencies said reut.rs/3IgLYEh
UPDATE: Russian President Vladimir Putin authorizes a military operation in eastern Ukraine reut.rs/3sdJ8dq
More explosions heard in Ukraine's Kyiv, according to a Reuters witness
The United States and its allies sought to step up sanctions pressure on Russia over the deployment of troops in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, in one of the worst security crises in Europe in decades reut.rs/3p6aUXy
The United States and its European allies are set to announce fresh sanctions against Russia after President Vladimir Putin recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, deepening Western fears of a new war in Europe reut.rs/3IhL4aE
The deployment of what Russia called a peacekeeping operation in eastern Ukraine is 'nonsense' and Moscow's recognition of breakaway regions as independent is part of its pretext for war, the United States told the U.N. Security Council reut.rs/3HbNsy9
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of wrecking peace efforts and ruled out making any territorial concessions in an address to the nation in the early hours of Tuesday reut.rs/3Ha0aNN
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his security council it was necessary to consider an appeal from the leaders of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine for Russia to recognize them as independent reut.rs/3p05op1
Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of France and Germany that he planned to sign a decree recognizing the two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent entities shortly, the Kremlin said reut.rs/35eaO90
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to recognize two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine as independent entities in a signing ceremony shown on state television, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war reut.rs/3p45dtc