Zelenskyy talks with Biden about 'specific defensive support' as Russia targets Ukraine cities
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that he spoke over the phone with President Biden for around an hour and shared his "assessment of the situation on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.
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China says it is seeking closer ties with Russia
China is seeking closer ties with Russia, even as the U.S. and other NATO nations have called on China to apply more pressure to Moscow amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
China and Russia are "more determined" to tighten their relationship, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
"Both sides are more determined to develop bilateral ties, and are more confident in promoting cooperation in various fields," Wang said.
"China is willing to work with Russia to take China-Russian ties to a higher level in a new era under the guidance of the consensus reached by the heads of state," he added.
Both sides have also condemned what they called illegal counter- productive sanctions against Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
US intel officials say Putin is being misled by advisers on Ukraine war
Retired Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis warns of 'general uprising' against Putin
Retired Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis predicted a "general uprising" against Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday on "Your World with Neil Cavuto."
LT. COL. MAGINNIS: He's been obsessing, Neil, for the last six years about doing precisely what he's doing now. … He said, "Look, I want" - and he's made this very public - "I want to reconfigure, to bring back into the fold" what he called "New Russia." Now that dates back to Catherine II in the 18th century, which included all that land from Moldova all the way to Russia … all belonged to the Russian Empire. And so he has been saying this for years. And he also has been saying anybody [who] disagrees with him is a fascist and a Nazi. And so … this is not something new for him. He's very unpredictable. He's going to press his generals. He's going to arrest people in his own household [who] don't collaborate and cooperate with him. And he's really focused on redoing the things that he's been announcing for years and years.
Growing instability in Russian Federation: Lt. Col. Maginnis
Putin misinformed by Kremlin inner circle, US officials claim
Biden sanctions 'must stay' until Ukraine, Crimea territory restored
Human Rights Foundation chairman and former Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov predicted the "end of Putin" on "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" Wednesday, arguing the United States and its allies must uphold sanctions against Russia until Ukraine and Crimea territories have been recovered.
"I think America has to declare that its sanctions will not be removed, will not be eased, until Ukrainian territorial integrity has been restored," Kasparov told FOX Business’ Neil Cavuto.
"These sanctions must not go until the Ukrainian flag is raised in Crimea," he continued. "That’s key."
Read more on Fox Business: Biden sanctions 'must stay' until Ukraine, Crimea territory restored: Russian chess grandmaster Kasparov
Putin has 'failed miserably' to achieve milestone objectives: Gen. Boykin
Ukraine's sovereignty and national territory 'needs to be protected': John Kirby
US ambassador to Poland reacts to the US declining aircraft proposal for Ukraine
Polish ambassador to the U.S., Marek Magierowski, gave his take on helping Ukraine during its conflict with Russia on "The Story."
AMBASSADOR MAREK MAGIEROWSKI: Well, approximately two weeks ago, my government proposed to the American administration to transfer those aircrafts, the Soviet-made fighter jets to an airbase in Germany and to put them at the disposal of NATO because a hypothetical transfer of these airplanes to Ukraine should be a unilateral decision – and, I'm sorry, a unanimous decision – of all of NATO member states. So, it was ... pretty important for Poland not to make the decision unilaterally and of course, that decision and that proposal was turned down by the American administration. We have to move on right now and try to deliver as many weapons as possible to Ukraine in order to help the Ukrainians defend themselves and repel that barbaric aggression on the part of the Russian Federation.
Funeral held for Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski killed in Ukraine
Ukraine war: Russia, China look to develop closer ties in face of 'illegal' Western sanctions
China will seek to strengthen ties with Russia as the U.S. and NATO allies call on Beijing to instead apply greater pressure and apply sanctions to Moscow amid the invasion of Ukraine.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. Both ministers condemned the "illegal" and "counter-productive" Western sanctions imposed in reaction to the invasion.
"Both sides are more determined to develop bilateral ties, and are more confident in promoting cooperation in various fields," Wang said. "China is willing to work with Russia to take China-Russian ties to a higher level in a new era under the guidance of the consensus reached by the heads of state."
Read more: Ukraine war: Russia, China look to develop closer ties in face of 'illegal' Western sanctions
Biden promises Zelenskyy another $500M in funding in hour-long call
President Biden promised Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy an additional $500 million in aid during their nearly one-hour phone conversation Wednesday, the White House confirmed.
The call between the leaders of the U.S. and Ukraine lasted from approximately 11:08 a.m. to 12:03 p.m. EST, and afterward both parties revealed what was discussed.
Biden informed Zelenskyy "that the United States intends to provide the Ukrainian government with $500 million in direct budgetary aid," according to the White House.
Gen. Jack Keane: This is why the US isn't all in on helping Zelenskyy win
Ukraine insists Russia must withdraw completely before signing peace agreement
Ukraine’s chief negotiator in the ongoing peace talks with Russia said Wednesday that Kyiv will only sign an agreement once all Russian forces have completely withdrawn.
"When we reach the conditional signing of the agreement, or at least the point when it can be seriously discussed, they will have to withdraw completely. And only then will we sit down to sign, endorse or initial it," David Arakhamia, head of Ukraine’s delegation and negotiating team, said during an interview with a Ukrainian news outlet.
"At the negotiations, we talk[ed] about the return of their troops to their positions as of Feb. 23 this year. As long as they remain in the territories they've occupied after Feb. 23, there can be no agreements of any kind," he added.
Russia seeking settlement they can 'best exploit' – not peace: Fred Fleitz
Pentagon says US and allies have worked hard in the last eight years to train Ukrainian forces
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby credited U.S. and NATO training of Ukrainian forces during the last eight years in helping the country defend itself from the Russian invasion.
Asked during Wednesday's press briefing what intelligence agencies got wrong in believing that the Russian military would quickly overwhelm Ukraine, Kirby praised the Ukrainian military's "inspiring" effort to defend their country above what many had expected.
But Kirby also noted that the performance of the Ukrainian military isn't a surprise to the U.S., who along with allies has helped train Ukrainian forces over the eight years since Russia annexed Crimea.
Pentagon says it agrees with finding that Putin is not being fully informed on Ukraine
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the Defense Department "concurs with the basic finding" that Russian President Vladimir Putin isn't being fully informed on the battlefield situation in Ukraine by Russian leader.s
"We would concur with the conclusion that Mr. Putin has not been fully informed," Kirby said during a press briefing Wednesday.
Kirby declined to get into more detail, citing sensitive intelligence.
The comments come after Fox News reported earlier Wednesday that senior U.S. officials believe Putin has been misinformed on the state of the situation on Ukraine, with many leaders being "afraid to tell him the truth" about the situation on the ground.
Pentagon says some Russian troops around Kyiv have moved to Belarus
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that a small percentage of Russian troops that were operating around Kyiv have been repositioning in the last 24 hours, some of which have been on the move to Belarus.
"We have seen over the last 24 hours a repositioning of a small percentage of troops... some of those troops we asses are repositioning into Belarus," Kirby said during Wednesday's press briefing.
But Kirby stressed that the U.S. doesn't believe those troops have been sent home, raising questions about how serious Russian President Vladimir Putin is about deescalating the situation in Ukraine.
"We have seen none of them reposition to their home garrison," Kirby said. "If they are serious about deescalating, they should send them home."
Kirby said the U.S. believes the forces are attempting to refit and resupply before potentially sending them back out to another part of Ukraine.
Kirby stressed that Kyiv is still being hit by bombardment and air strikes, noting that the majority of forces Russia put around Kyiv are still there.
Ukrainian parliament member warns 'everything is at stake right now'
US commander admits Biden's deterrence strategy failed in Ukraine
U.S. Gen. Tod Wolters admitted that President Joe Biden's strategy to deter Russia from invading Ukraine failed during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.
Wolters made the admission in response to questions from Republican Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher. While Gallagher did not reference Biden by name, he questioned Wolters about the effectiveness of the U.S. effort to deter Russia's invasion by non-military means in the months leading up to the invasion.
"You as a combatant commander felt that you were part of an inter-agency effort intended to deter Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine?" Gallagher asked.
"That's correct," Wolters responded. "Deter and dissuade."
"Would it be fair to say that deterrence failed in Ukraine?" Gallagher pressed.
"Number one I would say that NATO's solidarity remained," Wolters began, before being cut off by Gallagher pressing for a direct answer to the question.
"I can't argue with your conclusion," Wolters finished.
For more on this story: US commander admits Biden's deterrence strategy failed in Ukraine