Zelenskyy, in London, Wins Pledge to Train Pilots on NATO Jets

By Pavel Polityuk & Muvija M | Reuters

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visited Britain on Wednesday to drum up aid, winning a pledge to train Ukrainian pilots on advanced NATO fighter jets, a big symbolic step up in Western military support.

Philippines’ Marcos Visits Japan Seeking Closer Security Ties

By Yukiko Toyoda, Nobuhiro Kubo & Neil Jerome Morales | Reuters

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr arrives in Japan on Wednesday for a visit that is expected to pave the way for closer security ties with Tokyo, as Manila increasingly sides with the United States in its regional tussle with China.

Aid to Quake-Hit Syria Slowed by Sanctions, War’s Divisions

By Abby Sewell & Kareem Chehayeb | Associated Press (free)

Even before Monday’s devastating earthquake, getting aid to all parts of war-battered Syria was fraught with daunting political and logistical challenges.

More from WPR: The Middle East Is Bringing Syria’s Assad Back in From the Cold

Chinese Balloon Part of Vast Aerial Surveillance Program, U.S. Says

By Ellen Nakashima, Shane Harris, John Hudson & Dan Lamothe | The Washington Post

The U.S. intelligence community has linked the Chinese spy balloon shot down on Saturday to a vast surveillance program run by the People’s Liberation Army, and U.S. officials have begun to brief allies and partners who have been similarly targeted.

More from WPR: Rising or Falling, China Is a Serious but Manageable Competitor

Poland Weighs More U.S. Weapons Ahead of Biden Visit

By Doug Cameron & Sabrina Siddiqui | The Wall Street Journal

Poland is seeking advanced rocket launchers and other weaponry from the U.S. in a $10 billion deal announced Tuesday ahead of an expected visit later this month by President Biden around the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.