Russian law enforcement agents have detained a gunman who was planning to assassinate a high-ranking military officer in St. Petersburg at the behest of Ukrainian intelligence, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has said.

In a statement on Friday, the FSB said the suspect made contact with a Ukrainian recruiter through the Telegram messaging app and volunteered to carry out a “terrorist attack in support of the Kiev regime.” 

Acting on instructions from a handler, he was given a firearm, carried out reconnaissance of the officer’s home address, and made preparations for the assassination, the agency said. While the FSB did not provide any details on the would-be target, the suspect claimed he had the rank of lieutenant colonel.

During the arrest, officers seized a loaded Makarov pistol fitted with a device for silent shooting, the FSB said. The agency released a clip of several operatives pinning the suspect to the ground on a snow-covered street.

The FSB also warned Russian citizens that Ukrainian security services are actively searching online – including on Telegram and WhatsApp – for potential recruits to carry out attacks and acts of sabotage. It noted that anyone caught cooperating with Kiev could face a life sentence.

Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of organizing numerous sabotage and assassination attempts on the country’s territory after the escalation of the conflict in 2022, including attacks targeting military commanders and other high-profile figures.

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The BBC has apologized for failing to specify from the start that Nazi victims mentioned in its coverage of the UK’s Holocaust Memorial Day were Jewish.

Both the UK event and International Holocaust Remembrance Day are observed on January 27, the anniversary of the Red Army’s liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.

In a news bulletin introduction, BBC presenter Caroline Nicholls said: “Buildings across the UK will be illuminated this evening to mark Holocaust Memorial Day to commemorate the 6 million people murdered by the Nazi regime more than 80 years ago.”

Similar phrasing was used by the British state broadcaster elsewhere, drawing accusations of veiled anti-Semitism and obscuring Jewish suffering. The BBC said the introductions were “incorrectly worded” and should have referred to “6 million Jewish people.”

Jews were the primary target of Nazi extermination policies. Other victims included 3.3 million Soviet prisoners of war, 1.8 million ethnic Poles, hundreds of thousands of Roma, Serbs, and people with disabilities, and tens of thousands of German political prisoners, career criminals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gay men, and black people.

Portraying the Holocaust as exclusively a Jewish tragedy has long been used to justify the creation of the state of Israel. Figures supporting the Jewish state have previously accused the BBC of bias in covering Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, launched after Hamas’ October 2023 raid and hostage-taking. Critics say Israel used disproportionate force and likely sought to ethnically cleanse the blockaded Palestinian enclave.

Allegations of entrenched anti-Semitism in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn helped Prime Minister Keir Starmer win the party leadership in 2020.

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Leaders of a Canadian group seeking the secession of the oil-rich province of Alberta have met members of the administration of US President Donald Trump at least three times since last April, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

US officials said the meetings were routine civic engagements and involved no commitment to the separatist cause. However, pro-unity figures in Alberta suspect the campaign is being amplified by foreign actors.

The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) describes itself as an educational initiative advocating independence from Ottawa and opposing globalism and its supporters. The group is gathering signatures for a petition to hold an independence referendum. Provincial election authorities have given it until May to collect at least 177,732 eligible voter signatures to advance.

“The US is extremely enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta,” APP legal counsel Jeff Rath told the FT. The organization did not name the US officials it talked with, but called them senior-level.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously mentioned the potential referendum in an interview with right-wing podcaster Jack Posobiec, saying an independent Alberta would be “a natural partner for the US.”

Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, told the outlet there is “evidence of foreign interference” in signature-gathering. He cited pro-separatist online posts, stating, “It doesn’t feel organic, we are being targeted by the MAGA crowd.” Conversely, the APP claims there is an organized effort to derail its canvassing.

US-Canada tensions have risen as Trump suggested Canada would be better off as part of the US and accused Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government of being influenced by China. In a recent Davos speech, Carney said the Western ‘rules-based order’ was fracturing and urged smaller nations to stop upholding a system that he said was always partly based on convenient lies.

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Switzerland plans to raise value-added tax to fund a major military expansion and modernization, the government has announced, citing growing security threats. The money would be earmarked for upgrading the armed forces, missile defenses, cybersecurity, and border protection.

Long Europe’s only formally neutral state, Switzerland has traditionally avoided foreign wars, stayed out of military blocs, and relied on a militia-based army. In recent years, however, Bern has abandoned strict neutrality, expanding security cooperation with NATO, forging closer defense ties with the EU, backing Kiev in the Ukraine conflict, and taking part in the sanctions on Russia.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Swiss government said the “deteriorating geopolitical situation” in Europe requires “substantially strengthening Switzerland’s security and defense capabilities,” citing cyberattacks, disinformation, and insufficient military readiness.

Bern said it needs 31 billion Swiss francs ($40.4 billion) for the move. It plans to raise the money by hiking VAT by 0.8 percentage points from the current 8.1% for ten years starting in 2028, depositing the proceeds into an armaments fund. Upgrades will focus on short-range missile defense, anti-drone systems, IT, intelligence, early warning, and civilian security.

Switzerland currently spends around 0.7% of GDP on defense – less than half the European average – and had planned to reach 1% by 2032. Rising costs and high demand for weapons now make this insufficient, Bern said, estimating that the VAT hike would push spending to 1.5% of GDP.

Under Swiss law, the hike requires parliamentary approval and a national referendum. The government plans to draft the law by March, submit it to parliament in the autumn, and hold a vote in summer 2027. Analysts, however, warn that support could be limited. A recent IPSOS survey found that only 31% of Swiss people favor higher military spending – the lowest in Europe, compared with 60% in Germany and 53% in France.

Western leaders have increasingly invoked the perceived ‘Russian threat’ to justify major defense spending hikes in recent months, including pledges by European NATO members to reach 5% of GDP.

Russia has dismissed claims that it plans to attack Europe as baseless fearmongering, warning that “rabid militarization” risks a broader conflict on the continent. Commenting on Switzerland’s growing military alignment with the EU and its stance on the Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier accused it of “forfeiting” its neutrality, calling it “an openly hostile state.”

On February 5, the New START treaty between Russia and the US will officially expire, lifting the legally binding limits on global nuclear arsenals. Essentially, this means that the world could enter a potentially dangerous phase of unrestricted nuclear arsenal expansion. 

New START was signed in 2011 for a term of ten years, with an option to extend it for another five – a provision that Moscow and Washington utilized in 2021. However, the agreement does not allow for further extensions. Last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to Washington that both sides continue to adhere to the treaty’s quantitative limits on strategic nuclear forces for another year after its expiration. While US President Donald Trump called this a good idea, the US has yet to respond officially to Putin’s initiative.

The treaty limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads for both countries to 1,550, which includes 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers and 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers.

As of January 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia possesses a total of 4,309 warheads, while the US has 3,700. 

Generally, experts see little risk of a rapid increase in deployed nuclear arms, as the system of nuclear deterrence developed over the past decades has functioned quite effectively. Therefore, a sudden shift toward an arms race between the two nations seems unlikely, according to Pavel Sharikov, a researcher at the European integration studies department of the RAS Institute of Europe. 

“However, the United States may begin developing missile defense systems to bolster its nuclear deterrent – that’s almost certain. Trump has already announced plans for a Golden Dome missile defense system, and his ambitions to acquire Greenland fit into this trend,” Sharikov said. 

For the past several years, the US has been pursuing a policy aimed at revising or even dismantling arms control treaties.  For example, in 2002, the US withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

During Trump’s first term, Washington exited two other key agreements – the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the 1992 Treaty on Open Skies. Thus, Trump’s lack of interest in extending New START and the desire to instead conclude some other “great deal” are consistent with his general foreign policy strategy. 

Loss of transparency

The most significant blow to the arms control system after the expiration of New START will be a general decline in transparency and trust between nuclear powers. Beyond quantitative and qualitative limitations on weapons, the treaty included provisions for inspections at each other’s nuclear bases, data exchange, notifications regarding the number of systems and their status, and demonstrations of new types and variants of systems covered by the agreement.

Following the escalation of tensions between the US (and the West in general) and Russia and the West’s explicit goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on the country, Russia could not continue to uphold the treaty’s transparency obligations. Consequently, in 2023, Russia suspended its participation in the treaty while maintaining its commitments to limit nuclear arsenals. Thus, one of the primary adverse effects of the collapse of New START occurred even before the treaty officially expired. 

Vasily Klimov, a researcher at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that the lack of transparency will ultimately make it more difficult for both Russia and the US to predict the necessary development of their nuclear deterrent forces.

“The transparency that these agreements were supposed to ensure is disappearing. They are necessary not only to reduce and limit arsenals but also to provide predictability, which is essential for the development of national strategic nuclear forces. Without such an agreement, neither [Russia] nor the United States will have this [predictability],” Klimov told RT.

A last-minute decision to extend New START is improbable. On the one hand, the terms of the treaty itself do not allow for this type of extension. On the other hand, the documents require meticulous preparation and negotiation; we do not see this happening today, even at the level of statements. 

“The most we can hope for is a politically binding agreement on adhering to limits on launchers and warheads. Achieving a comprehensive agreement, like the New START signed in Prague, could take years,” Klimov said. 

Indeed, there were times when Moscow and Washington agreed to abide by certain norms without ratifying the treaty. For example, in 1981, the US and the Soviet Union agreed to comply with the terms of SALT II (the precursor of START) while discussing START I. 

China, Europe, and others

One of the key factors hindering the establishment of a new strategic arms reduction treaty is China’s rapidly growing nuclear arsenal. The US has expressed a desire to involve Beijing in nuclear deterrence talks, citing the need to increase China’s nuclear transparency. 

According to SIPRI, China currently possesses about 600 nuclear warheads, and this arsenal is expanding faster than that of any other country – by approximately 100 warheads a year since 2023. Experts note that by the early 2030s, China is expected to catch up with Russia and the US in the total number of warheads.

“No one is stopping China from expanding its offensive nuclear capabilities, and it doesn’t have to answer to anyone about it.

That’s why Trump wants Beijing involved in the agreement. However, this is a very complicated process, as it’s hard to envision how to transition from a bilateral agreement to a trilateral one,” Pavel Sharikov explained.

Moscow shares similar concerns about Europe’s nuclear arsenal, which is also not restricted by any deterrence doctrine. France and the UK possess 290 and 225 warheads, respectively. Germany, while lacking its own nuclear weapons, participates in NATO’s nuclear sharing program.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted this in January. “We must not forget Putin’s statement that discussing [a new treaty] without considering the arsenals of France and the UK is not feasible,” he said. 

Thus, both the US and Russia are looking to expand the list of participants in a new comprehensive nuclear arms limitation treaty. Yet neither China nor European countries show a clear interest in engaging in these negotiations, which could further prolong the process of drafting a new document. 

There’s also a risk of how non-nuclear states will react as they watch the actions of Russia and the US. Dr. Nikolai Sokov, a senior fellow at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, pointed this out in an article published on the organization’s website. 

“For years, non-nuclear-weapon states have increasingly criticized nuclear-armed states for failing to implement Article VI of the NPT, which obliges them to pursue nuclear disarmament. The expiration of New START only months before the NPT Review Conference, beginning on 27 April in New York, will likely intensify these concerns. A joint US-Russian announcement committing to observe at least some elements of the expired treaty – especially if paired with a pledge to resume negotiations – could help somewhat mitigate the looming crisis,” Sokov wrote.

Experts told RT that after the expiration of New START, the focus will likely shift towards defensive measures and missile defense systems rather than the development of offensive weapons.

Top US House Democrats have threatened to launch impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem unless she is fired by President Donald Trump, in response to the weekend killing of a man by federal agents in Minneapolis.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his deputies, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, said in a joint statement on Tuesday that the violence unleashed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “must end forthwith” and that Noem should be fired immediately, warning that they would commence impeachment proceedings in the House if she is not removed. The matter could be handled “the easy way or the hard way,” they added.

The ultimatum followed a wave of criticism after a majority of the House Democratic caucus signed on to articles of impeachment introduced earlier this month over the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both US citizens killed by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents in Minneapolis. The incidents, part of increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement operations in the city, have intensified scrutiny of Homeland Security and calls for Noem’s removal.

Pressure has also mounted from some Republican lawmakers who have joined calls for her to resign.

A Democratic impeachment push led by Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois has drawn 162 co-sponsors, adding 51 Democrats since Pretti’s killing, according to congressional aides. No Republicans have joined the impeachment effort so far, although dozens have called for an investigation into the shooting.

Minneapolis has seen days of demonstrations after a controversial federal immigration enforcement push in Minnesota. The DHS has deployed thousands of agents in its largest interior operation to date, aimed at arresting illegal immigrants.

Trump defended Noem on Wednesday, signaling her job was not in immediate jeopardy. Asked as he left the White House whether Noem would step down, he replied, “No,” and later told Fox News he had confidence in her, saying she had “closed up the border” and calling the effort a “tremendous success.”

Impeachments of US cabinet officials are rare. Two years ago, the Republican-led House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s border and immigration policies, but the Senate dismissed the charges. Before that, the only cabinet member ever impeached was War Secretary William Belknap in 1876, who was also acquitted.

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The EU must strengthen its military capabilities and seek new alliances now that the US no longer considers Europe its primary area of concern, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.

Speaking at the European Defence Agency’s annual conference on Wednesday, Kallas said that “Europe needs to adapt to the new realities,” namely that “Europe is no longer Washington’s primary center of gravity.” 

“This shift has been ongoing for a while,” she continued, adding that “it is structural, not temporary.” 

The shift Kallas was referring to was codified by US President Donald Trump in his latest National Security Strategy. The document, which sets out Washington’s military priorities for the near future, accuses the EU of undermining Europe through censorship and mass migration, and calls on Brussels to make peace with Russia and look after its own defense.

Kallas urged European defense chiefs and industrialists to ramp up arms production, develop new weapons systems, and “act jointly” in military “investment, development, procurement, maintenance, [and] training.” 

She pointed to the signing of a security agreement with India on Tuesday as an example of the EU “diversifying” its partnerships, now that it can no longer rely on the US as before.

“No great power in history has ever outsourced its survival and survived,” Kallas declared.

Less than a day earlier, the EU approved a total ban on Russian gas imports, further deepening the bloc’s dependence on outsourced American energy for survival. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico labeled the EU’s plan to phase out Russian gas by next November “energy suicide.” Slovakia and Hungary have both threatened to sue Brussels over the ban.

While Kallas and Trump both agree on ramping up EU defense spending, Kallas firmly refuses to seek peace with Moscow. During her speech, she said that the bloc’s most pressing priority is to “support Ukraine with €60 billion in military aid for 2026 and 2027.” 

Trump’s national security strategy criticized “European officials who hold unrealistic expectations for the war,” adding that “a large European majority wants peace, yet that desire is not translated into policy.”