Putin Illegally Proclaims Annexation of Four Ukrainian Regions at Moscow Ceremony

By Ellen Francis, Louisa Loveluck, Adela Suliman & Erin Cunningham | The Washington Post

Russian President Vladimir Putin is moving to annex four regions of Ukraine, after staging referendums that were widely denounced as illegal under international law. In a grand ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday, he said Russia would gain four new regions—Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia—and said people living there would “be our citizens forever.”

More from WPR: Putin Is Willing to Take Russia Down With Him

Lula vs. Bolsonaro: What to Know About Brazil’s Election

By Ana Ionova | The New York Times

Brazilians are heading to the polls Sunday in a polarizing national vote poised to usher in a new president, who will be forced to grapple with an economic crisis, surging Amazon deforestation and lingering questions over the health of Latin America’s largest democracy.

More from WPR: Bolsonaro Won’t Accept Defeat in Brazil’s Upcoming Presidential Election

Countering China, the U.S. Signs a Broad Deal to Aid Pacific Nations

By Damien Cave | The New York Times

The United States and 14 Pacific Island nations signed a broad partnership agreement on Thursday at a summit in Washington, putting climate change, economic growth and stronger security ties at the center of an American push to counter Chinese influence in the region.

More from WPR: The U.S.-China Competition Comes to the Pacific Islands

Pentagon Plans to Set Up a New Command to Arm Ukraine, Officials Say

By Eric Schmitt | The New York Times

The Pentagon is preparing to overhaul how the United States and its allies train and equip the Ukrainian military, reflecting what officials say is the Biden administration’s long-term commitment to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.

More from WPR: What’s at Stake for the U.S. in Ukraine

U.S. Penalizes Chinese Companies for Aiding Iran’s Oil Exports

By Michael Crowley | The New York Times

The Biden administration announced Thursday that it would impose sanctions on two Chinese companies that transport and store Iranian oil, a shift to a tougher stance on Tehran amid signs that efforts to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal have failed.