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Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Ukraine Claims Responsibility for Blast Destroying Nine Russian Warplanes - Democracy Now!

U.S. Pledges Increased Military Support to Latvia

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Latvia Wednesday, where he pledged more U.S. military support to the former Soviet republic and NATO member. After meeting Austin, Latvia’s minister of defense said his country is a “litmus test” for Russia’s imperial ambitions beyond Ukraine. He said Latvia wants more military training from the United States — and more heavy weaponry.

Artis Pabriks: “Our priorities is very clear. It’s rocket artillery. We can see it used very well in defending Ukrainian sovereignty and freedom. It is air defense and, of course, coastal defense, because we have a quite a long coastal territory. So that these are our priorities, and we are looking forward for cooperation with the United States.”

China Pledges Taiwan Patrols as It Concludes Major War Games

China’s military said Wednesday it has wrapped up large-scale military war games around Taiwan, but warned it would organize regular patrols around the island, which Beijing considers part of China’s sovereign territory. This comes after China launched its largest-ever live-fire drills near Taiwan, following a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island last week. Meanwhile, a top Chinese diplomat is blaming the United States for the war in Ukraine, calling the U.S. the “initiator and main instigator of the Ukrainian crisis.” China’s ambassador to Russia made the remarks in an interview with the Russian TASS news agency published...



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