Netanyahu agrees to send Israeli officials to Washington to discuss prospective Rafah operation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday agreed to send a team of Israeli officials to Washington to discuss with Biden administration officials a prospective Rafah operation as each side is looking to make “clear to the other its perspective,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. The agreement to hold talks about Rafah came as Biden and Netanyahuspoke Monday, their first interaction in more than a month, as the divide has grown between allies over the food crisis in Gaza and Israel’s conduct during the…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE China to boycott Ukraine peace talks without Russia – Politico China will boycott the talks to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict unless Moscow will have a seat at the table, Politico magazine reported on Monday, citing officials familiar with the matter. According to Politico, the message was “amplified” during Chinese Eurasia envoy Li Hui’s European tour earlier this month. During his March 7 trip to Kiev, Li met with Andrey Yermak, chief of staff of President Vladimir Zelensky. Ukraine will likely be discussed during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China next month. Chinese President Xi Jinping will then…

Netanyahu snaps back against growing US criticism after being accused of losing his way on Gaza Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu railed Sunday against growing criticism from top ally the United States against his leadership amid the devastating war with Hamas, describing calls for a new election as “wholly inappropriate.” In recent days, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the country and a strong Israel supporter, called on Israel to hold a new election, saying Netanyahu had “lost his way.” President Joe Biden expressed supportfor Schumer’s “good speech,” and earlier accused Netanyahu of hurting Israel…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE NATO has boots on the ground in Ukraine – Putin It is no secret that NATO soldiers are present on the ground in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, noting that those service members are facing extremely grim prospects. Speaking to his supporters and reporters on Sunday night after the end of the presidential election, which he won by a landslide, Putin stressed that Moscow was well aware of the US-led military bloc’s push to deploy troops in Ukraine. “We hear both French and English speech there. There is nothing good in this, first of all for…