U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has expressed his disappointment in the refusal of Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu to meet with him. Austin had requested a meeting with Li during an upcoming defense summit in Singapore, but the request was declined. The U.S. is pushing China to talk, urging Beijing to open communication channels to avoid any dangerous incidents. The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue is set to start on Friday, and it is expected that the U.S. and China will continue to discuss the importance of open communication.
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The Pentagon has blocked a U.S. Air Force base in Nevada from hosting a drag show in celebration of Pride Month, citing current Department of Defense policy. The decision has been met with criticism from LGBTQ activists and allies, who argue that the military should be more inclusive of its LGBTQ members. The Human Rights Campaign has released a statement saying the decision “sends a dangerous message that the military is not a welcoming place for LGBTQ service members and their families.”
The U.S. has been attempting to restore high-level communications with China, and extended an invitation for Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. However, China has declined the invitation, signaling limits to their willingness to ease tensions. It remains to be seen if the two sides can come to an agreement and move forward with their relationship.
Moscow was hit by an unprecedented drone attack Tuesday morning, with the Russian defense ministry saying that all of the enemy drones were downed. This attack comes weeks after an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin itself and following days of deadly Russian bombardment against civilians in Kyiv. The attack is a dramatic display of the Kremlin's war increasingly coming home and is a reminder of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met in Moscow to discuss their countries' close military cooperation, which includes the exchange of useful information and joint exercises. This marks Li's first overseas trip since taking on the role of Defense Minister last month, and follows the US' 2018 sanctions against him for transactions with Russia's state-controlled arms exporter. The meeting is seen as a sign of the strong relationship between Russia and China, which has been further strengthened since Russia sent troops into Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow on Sunday, praising the “very productive” visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping last month and noting that relations between Russia and China are developing well in all areas. Li Shangfu said that the relations between Moscow and Beijing “have very strong relations, that far surpass the military-political alliances of the Cold War.” The meeting is the latest sign of the deepening ties between Russia and China, which have increased their military cooperation in recent years.
This article reports on a trove of classified US intelligence documents that have been leaked online, which suggest infighting between Russian officials and the Wagner Group's interest in Haiti. The documents appear to include highly classified material and the US government is likely to investigate the source of the leak and take steps to ensure similar leaks do not occur in the future. CNN has not independently verified the documents.
North Korea has conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile launch in a month, prompting Japan to issue an evacuation order for a northern island. The launch has raised tensions in the region and prompted the United Nations Security Council to impose new sanctions on North Korea. The United States and South Korea have also been conducting joint military exercises in the region in a show of force against North Korea.