WORLD BRIEFING: February 21, 2024

The White House will announce a new "major sanctions" package on Friday "to hold Russia accountable" in response to Alexei Navalny's death, said National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby. “Whatever story the Russian government decides to tell the world, it's clear that President [Vladimir] Putin and his government are responsible for Mr. Navalny's death," Kirby said Tuesday morning. Russia is already heavily sanctioned. Kirby did not go into detail about what the new package would include - ABC News

The White House has said it is seeking information after Russia announced it had arrested a dual US-Russian citizen on treason charges, accusing her of collecting funds for Ukrainian organisations and openly opposing the Russian war in Ukraine. A Russian legal NGO said the woman, named by Russian media as Ksenia Khavana, may stand accused of transferring $51 (£40) to a Ukrainian charity in February 2022, on the day Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of the country. She faces up to 20 years in prison. Russia’s FSB reported on Tuesday that it had detained a 33-year-old woman from Los Angeles who holds dual citizenship. Reports said she had attended the Ural Federal University in Ekaterinburg and later married an American citizen and moved to the US. Photographs from social media showed Khavana smiling, flanked by two American flags, as she holds her US naturalisation documents - Guardian

As President Joe Biden pushes House Republicans to pass needed aid, he wants voters to understand that nearly two-thirds — or nearly $40 billion — of the money for Ukraine would actually go to U.S. factories spread out across the country including plants in Lima, Ohio and Scranton, Pennsylvania as well as Mesquite. The supplemental spending measure contains a total of $95 billion in foreign aid, including money for Ukraine, Israel and other countries. Of the $60.7 billion for Ukraine, $38.8 billion would go to U.S. factories that make missiles, munitions and other gear, according to figures provided to The Associated Press by the Biden administration. “While this bill sends military equipment to Ukraine,” Biden said Tuesday, “it spends the money right here in the United States of America in places like Arizona, where the Patriot missiles are built; and Alabama, where the Javelin missiles are built; and Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas, where artillery shells are made.” - AP

China has sharply criticised the US for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. There has been widespread condemnation of the US decision to block Algeria's resolution as fighting continued in Gaza. It was backed by 13 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council - with the UK abstaining. In response to the veto, China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun said the claim the motion would interfere with ongoing diplomatic negotiations was "totally untenable..Given the situation on the ground, the continued passive avoidance on an immediate ceasefire is nothing different from giving a green light to the continued slaughter," he said. -BBC

The UK Home Office has fired the chief inspector of borders and immigration after he "lost the confidence" of the home secretary. The department said it had "terminated the appointment" of David Neal on the grounds he had "breached" the terms of his appointment. Mr Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, became embroiled in a row with the Home Office after he provided data to the Daily Mail on Monday which purported to show UK Border Force failed to check passengers on hundreds of private jets arriving at City Airport. Mr Neal said the alleged lack of checks meant criminals, illegal immigrants, trafficking victims and extremists may have entered the UK without undergoing scrutiny by the authorities - Sky News

Taiwan called on Beijing to “be rational” on Tuesday following a deadly incident involving a Chinese boat and the Taiwanese coast guard, with the island’s premier insisting it would protect its waters. Last week two Chinese crew members died after a boat capsized near Kinmen, an island administered by Taipei but located just five kilometres from the mainland city of Xiamen. It was being pursued by Taiwan’s coast guard for being within prohibited waters. Taiwan’s Premier Chen Chien-jen said Tuesday that both sides had been aware of “restricted and off-limits sea areas” since 1992. “We will continue to protect these sea areas to ensure safety in our territorial waters and the rights of our fishermen,” he told reporters outside Taiwan’s parliament - HKFP.

This review is reprinted with the author’s permission from his World Briefing blog.

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