This Week’s Highlights:

• During his annual address to Russia’s parliament, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the U.S.-Russian relationship has multiple problems, but also noted that there are mechanisms and tools for working together on these problems, which he hopes will be used to avoid a new Cuban Missile Crisis. He also said Russia “does not intend to take the first step in deploying” intermediate-range missiles in Europe, which may be seen as an opening for U.S.-Russian dialogue on post-INF arms control.
• Responding to the brandishing of new nuclear and conventional systems in Vladimir Putin’s address, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said: “We are not pursuing similar development of exotic new nuclear weapons delivery systems,” the Wall Street Journal reports. 

• U.S. Justice Department officials are preparing for the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and believe a confidential report could be issued in coming days, The Washington Post reports.
• Economic restrictions from 62 countries have cost Russia $6.3 billion, according to a report by Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development. The EU’s restrictions have caused the most damage at $2.4 billion, followed by the U.S. at $1.1 billion and Ukraine at $775 million, according to RBC news agencies.
• Russia and Germany have already started to thrash out plans for Nord Stream 2 after an EU deal cast doubt on how the pipeline between the two countries would be operated, the Financial Times reports. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez says the new Russia sanctions bill that he is cosponsoring will not affect the pipeline, according to RFE/RL.
• U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade conflict with Beijing has nearly wiped out U.S. soy exports to China, while Russian agricultural exports to China are growing—especially soybeans, which have risen more than 10-fold in four years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

I. U.S. and Russian priorities for the bilateral agenda

Nuclear security and safety:

• The U.S. welcomed the decision by the Federated States of Micronesia to endorse the Proliferation Security Initiative. (U.S. State Department, 02.22.19)

North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs:

• Moscow is ready to contribute to establishing connections between Washington and Pyongyang using diplomatic instruments, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing Feb. 22. (TASS, 02.22.19)

Iran’s nuclear program and related issues:

• Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence challenged Europe to step up and support American leadership on growing international crises including the threat posed by Chinese technology, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the battle for power in Venezuela. (Financial Times, 02.18.19)

New Cold War/Sabre Rattling:

• “We have good contacts [with Americans] in the military realm as a whole,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in remarks made after his address to parliament on Feb. 20. “Yes, there are problems. … [B]ut there are mechanisms and tools for working together on these problems. I hope that they will be used so that no new crises like the Caribbean crisis [Cuban Missile Crisis] are created in the world. There are no grounds for this, there are no prerequisites for exacerbating the current international situation,” Putin said. (Kremlin.ru, 02.20.19)
• “If the U.S. really is going to deploy missiles on the European continent, it will exacerbate the international situation and create a genuine danger for Russia, as there will be missiles with a 10-12 minute flight time to Moscow,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual address to parliament. If the U.S. does deploy such missiles, then Russia will target not only the countries where the weapons are deployed, but the United States as well, he said. Moscow would station its own missiles closer to the U.S. or by deploying faster missiles or both, he said. "Let them count the speed and the range of the weapons systems we are developing," Putin told Russia's political elite to strong applause. However, he also said that "Russia does not intend, and this is important, I am repeating this advisedly, Russia does not intend to take the first step in deploying such missiles in Europe.” (Reuters, 02.20.19, RFE/RL, 02.20.19, RFE/RL, 02.20.19, The Moscow Times, 02.20.18, Reuters, 02.20.19)
  • A U.S. State Department spokesperson characterized Putin’s comments as “a continuation of Russia’s propaganda effort to avoid responsibility for Russia’s actions in violation of the INF Treaty.” (Wall Street Journal, 02.20.19)
  • Russia and Belarus will have to consider a joint response if the U.S. deploys new intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe following its withdrawal from the INF Treaty, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Feb. 22.  (Reuters, 02.22.19)
  • “If Putin is offering not to deploy new nuclear systems if the United Stated does not deploy new intermediate-range missile systems, that is the start of a conversation,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association. “It’s the start of a potential deal of a no-first deployment arrangement that can mitigate the risk of a new arms race,” he said. (Wall Street Journal, 02.20.19)

Military issues, including NATO-Russia relations:

• Britain’s defense minister Gavin Williamson accused Russia in a speech at the Munich Security Conference of “trying to goad the West into a new arms race” that it does not want and called on Moscow to reset its relationship with Western countries through dialogue. (Reuters, 02.15.19)
• A day after British Defense Minister Gavin Williamson’s speech, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called him Britain's minister of war. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Lavrov attacked NATO’s ambitions and noted how the Euro-Atlantic relationship had become increasingly “tense.” “We see new cracks forming and old cracks deepening,” he said. (Reuters, 02.16.19, Financial Times, 02.18.19)
• The U.S. military is expected to trim troop levels in Afghanistan by more than 1,000 soldiers, according to U.S. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command. European governments, stung by U.S. President Donald Trump's barbs against NATO and sudden ordering of a military pullout from Syria, are urging the U.S. to coordinate with them on plans to reduce forces in Afghanistan and avoid a unilateral withdrawal. (Wall Street Journal, 02.19.19, RFE/RL, 02.15.19)
• Turkey's president has said his country will proceed with plans to purchase the advanced S-400 air-defense system from Russia despite pressure from the U.S. to scrap the deal. (RFE/RL, 02.16.19)

Missile defense:

• "American colleagues have already tried to gain absolute military superiority with the help of global missile defense," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual state-of-the-nation address on Feb. 20. "We need to abandon these illusions." (Wall Street Journal, 02.19.19)

Nuclear arms control:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual address to the Russian parliament on Feb. 20 that by using medium-range target missiles and deploying launchers in Romania and Poland that he said are fit for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, the U.S. had openly violated the INF Treaty. (Wall Street Journal, 02.20.19)
  • Responding to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said: “The Aegis Ashore system in Romania and under construction in Poland are in full compliance with the INF Treaty, as NATO has stated, and not capable of launching offensive missiles like Tomahawk,” she said. “Furthermore, we are not pursuing similar development of exotic new nuclear weapons delivery systems.” (Wall Street Journal, 02.20.19)
• Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the decisions by the U.S. and Russia to withdraw from the INF Treaty were “really bad news” for Germany and Europe. While she said alleged Russian violations of the pact—which Moscow denies—gave the U.S. little choice but to withdraw, she regretted Europe was “left just sitting there” in a position of vulnerability. (Financial Times, 02.18.19)
• On Jan. 23, Russian military officials held a press conference showing off what they said was a cruise missile at the center of the years-long INF Treaty controversy between Washington and Moscow. Except the presentation was essentially a hoax, according to a classified briefing prepared by U.S. intelligence. Neither the missile, nor its launch vehicle nor the accompanying schematics were what Russia claimed they were. (Daily Beast, 02.18.19)
• Sergei Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister, said at the Munich conference there was a risk the New START treaty will “just fade away” in two years’ time. “That would be another severe blow to the international system of security,” he said.  (Financial Times, 02.19.19)

Counter-terrorism:

• No significant developments.

Conflict in Syria:

• The U.S. says it will at least temporarily leave 200 “peacekeeping” troops in Syria after a planned pullout of the main U.S. force. Earlier, America's closest European allies have turned down a Trump administration request to fill the gap that will be created when U.S. troops leave with their own troops. (The Washington Post, 02.21.19, RFE/RL, 01.22.19)
  • "We do not understand at the moment what it is all about," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Feb. 22. (Newsweek, 02.22.19)
• Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria, where Moscow and Tehran have helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime regain control of territory after almost eight years of civil war. “Is [this] a good thing? Or will it strengthen Iran’s and Russia’s hand?” she asked. (Financial Times, 02.18.19)
• The Russian and French presidents spoke by telephone to discuss the situation in Syria and Ukraine, the Kremlin said. "Both sides noted the need to advance the intra-Syrian political dialogue, primarily the swift launch of the Constitutional Committee," the Kremlin press service said. (Interfax, 02.19.19)
• Around 60 percent of Russian military police officers have received wartime experience in Syria in fewer than three years of deployment, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. (The Moscow Times, 02.18.19)
• Religious leaders of Russia’s republic of Chechnya have inaugurated a re-opened landmark mosque in Syria’s Homs, once the symbol of the rebellion against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (AP, 02.21.19)

Cybersecurity:

• European think-tanks have said they are shoring up their defenses after being targeted by Russian state hackers ahead of EU elections in May. Microsoft said on Feb. 20 it had recently found evidence of cyberattacks on employees of the German Council on Foreign Relations, the Aspen Institute in Europe and the German Marshall Fund. It added that it was “confident” that a group called Strontium, sometimes known as APT28 or Fancy Bear, was behind the attacks. (Financial Times, 02.20.19)
• Australia says a "sophisticated state actor" was responsible for a cyberattack on Australian lawmakers earlier this month, most likely carried out by a foreign country. (RFE/RL, 02.18.19)
• Twitter has removed 228 accounts from the Russian IRA dataset because the social-media company now believes these accounts were operated by a different trolling network located in Venezuela. (Bloomberg, 02.21.19)
• U.S. cybersecurity and data analytics company Splunk has announced its decision to pull out of Russia. (RFE/RL, 02.20.19)

Elections interference:

• U.S. Justice Department officials are preparing for the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s nearly two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and believe a confidential report could be issued in coming days, according to people familiar with the discussions. (The Washington Post, 02.21.19)
• Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort will be sentenced in Alexandria federal court for tax and bank fraud on March 8, the first punishment handed down to Manafort as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Manafort could face 19 to 24 years in prison on tax and bank-fraud charges, according to a new court filing by the U.S. special counsel. (RFE/RL, 02.16.19, The Washington Post, 02.21.19)
• Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has agreed to testify publicly before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 27, in what is expected to be an explosive hearing focused on his decade of working for the president. (Wall Street Journal, 02.20.19)
• The federal judge overseeing the criminal case of U.S. President Donald Trump's former political adviser Roger Stone on Feb. 21 tightened a gag order against him and threatened Stone with jail if he violates it. (Reuters, 02.21.19)
• White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders has confirmed that she has been interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller. (RFE/RL, 02.16.19)
• Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe said Feb. 19 that officials briefed a bipartisan group of lawmakers after the bureau opened an investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump in May 2017, and that no one in the room pushed back. (The Washington Post, 02.19.19)
• The FBI developed a backup plan to protect evidence in its Russia investigation soon after the firing of FBI Director James Comey in the event that other senior officials were dismissed as well, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions. (AP, 02.19.19)
• Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein plans to leave the Justice Department in mid-March. (The Washington Post, 02.19.19)

Energy exports:

• U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez says the new Russia sanctions bill that he is cosponsoring will not affect the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline carrying Russian gas to Germany. (RFE/RL, 02.18.19)
• Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel dismissed U.S. criticism of Nord Stream 2. “A Russian gas molecule remains a Russian gas molecule, regardless of whether it comes through the Ukraine or across the Baltic Sea,” she said. (Financial Times, 02.18.19)
• Russia and Germany have started to thrash out plans for one of Europe’s most contentious infrastructure projects after an EU deal cast doubt on how a gas pipeline between the two countries would be operated. (Financial Times, 02.21.19)
• Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in a telephone conversation, voiced their support for continued coordination on the global energy markets, the Kremlin said on Feb. 19. (Reuters, 02.19.19)
• Light, sweet crude for March delivery rose 1.3 percent to $57.16 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Feb. 20, notching a sixth consecutive session of gains and closing at the highest level since Nov. 12. Brent, the global benchmark, gained 0.9 percent to $67.08 a barrel. (Wall Street Journal, 02.21.19)

Bilateral economic ties:

• No significant developments.

Other bilateral issues:

• In his state-of-the-nation address on Feb. 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the U.S. of ignoring Russia's "legitimate interests" and of organizing "anti-Russian activities," including economic sanctions. "We have no interest in confrontation and we don't want one, least of all with such a global power as the United States. But it appears our partners haven't noticed how quickly the world is changing, and where it is heading. They continue their destructive and plainly mistaken policy," Putin said. He said Russia is not a threat to the U.S. but wants "a full-fledged, equal, and friendly" relationship. (Reuters, 02.20.19, RFE/RL, 02.20.19, RFE/RL, 02.20.19)
• Some 62 countries currently have sanctions or other economic and trade restrictions imposed on Russia, according to a report by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. The restrictions have cost the Russian economy some $6.3 billion, according to experts cited in the report. The EU has greatest number of restrictions imposed on Russia (25), followed by Ukraine (22), Belarus (13), India (16), Turkey (12) and the U.S. (9), according to the RBC News agencies’ recount of the report. As for damages caused by these restrictions, the EU leads, having caused $2.4 billion in damages, followed by the U.S. at $1.1 billion and Ukraine at $775 million, according to RBC. (Russia Matters, 02.19.19)
• Serial production of Russia's first post-Soviet mainline commercial aircraft, the MS-21, will be delayed by a year due to U.S. sanctions, the head of state-owned industrial conglomerate Rostec said on Feb. 18. (Reuters, 02.19.19)
• The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is demanding that Russia give U.S. diplomats immediate access to American investment-fund manager Michael Calvey, who was formally charged with financial fraud and is being held in a Russian pretrial detention center. The Kremlin said the arrest of Calvey shouldn’t hurt the confidence of foreign investors in Russia and it’s “very closely watching” developments in the case.  (RFE/RL, 02.21.19, RFE/RL, 02.19.19, The Moscow Times, 02.18.19, Reuters, 02.16.19)
• A Moscow court has extended the pretrial detention for former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who is being held in Russia on an espionage charge until May. (RFE/RL, 02.22.19)
• A Bangkok court ruled Feb. 20 that Dmitry Ukrainsky be extradited to the U.S., where he has been indicted on fraud and money laundering charges. Ukrainsky's extradition to Russia was already ordered last year by a Thai court after he agreed to return there after he finishes serving a 10-year, 8-month prison term in Thailand for fraud, money laundering and conducting business illegally as a foreigner. (AP, 02.20.19)

II. Russia’s domestic news

Politics, economy and energy:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin dedicated much of his nearly 90-minute state of the nation address on Feb. 20 to domestic affairs. Putin warned that Russia faced a “very difficult demographic period,” and said the country must spend more to increase the country’s life expectancy. He said he would raise child support payments and subsidies on housing and also introduce new tax breaks for families at a cost of as much as $3 billion a year. He also promised lower mortgage rates and emphasized the need to combat poverty, saying that 19 million of Russia's approximately 147 million people live below the official poverty line, currently the equivalent of around $160 a month. “Russia’s economic growth should exceed 3 percent by 2021,” Putin said. “Investments should rise by 6 to 7 percent in 2020.” Putin also said "honest businesses" should not live in fear of prosecution. (RFE/RL, 02.20.19, Financial Times, 02.20.19, The Moscow Times, 02.20.19, Financial Times, 02.20.19)
• Russia’s economy grew just 0.7 percent in January year on year, according to government data released on Feb. 20, well below a Reuters forecast of 1.5 percent, as manufacturing and construction slowed. (Financial Times, 02.20.19)
• Russians’ real incomes declined by 1.3 percent in January 2019 compared to the same period last year, according to the Russian government’s statistical service. (Russia Matters, 02.19.19)
• The size of Russia’s shadow economy was equal to 20 percent of GDP last year, media reported Feb. 22, citing the Rosfinmonitoring state financial watchdog. (The Moscow Times, 02.22.19)
• Sixty-two percent of Russian respondents said it is impossible to conduct honest business in Russia "without hiding anything or deceiving anyone," while 34 percent held a more positive view, the state-funded VTsIOM pollster said. (The Moscow Times, 02.20.19)
• The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center says Vyacheslav Yegorov, the leader of anti-landfill protests in the city of Kolomna near the Russian capital is a political prisoner. (RFE/RL, 02.21.19)

Defense and aerospace:

• “This year, the first regiment of the Strategic Missile Troops will be equipped with Avangard,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual state-of-the-nation address on Feb. 20. He said the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile of unlimited range, Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater system and Sarmat liquid-fuel ICBM are also undergoing tests while the Peresvet laser weapon and Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles have proved “their unique characteristics.” He said Peresvet will be put on standby alert next December, while the first submarine equipped to carry the Poseidon will be commissioned later this year. Putin also said Russia will deploy a new Zircon hypersonic missile for its navy, and that money for new systems must come from existing budget funds. (Reuters, 02.20.19, Kremlin.ru, 02.20.19, Wall Street Journal, 02.19.19, AP, 02.20.19)
  • The Russian Defense Ministry has released a video showing a test of the Poseidon new nuclear-powered underwater drone. (AP, 02.20.19)
• Russian lawmakers have approved a bill banning the armed forces from carrying smartphones, tablets and other gadgets capable of recording and keeping information while on duty. (RFE/RL, 02.19.19)

Security, law-enforcement and justice:

• Former Russian military intelligence officer Vladimir Kvachkov, known for his radical views about the Russian leadership, has been released from prison after his conviction for incitement to hatred was annulled following the partial decriminalization of extremism in the Criminal Code. (RFE/RL, 02.19.19)
• Dmitry Nikolayev, former warden of an infamous prison in the Russian city of Yaroslavl, has been arrested in high-profile torture probes, a human rights group says. (RFE/RL, 02.18.19)
• A spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses has said that Russian investigators have brutally tortured adherents of the group who are currently held in detention. (The Moscow Times, 02.20.19)

III. Foreign affairs, trade and investment

Russia’s general foreign policy and relations with “far abroad” countries:

• Venezuela on Feb. 20 received a shipment of humanitarian aid sent from Russia. Venezuela's Industry Minister Tareck El Aissami was scheduled to meet Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov in Moscow on Feb. 22. In the meantime, Russia's Foreign Ministry on Feb. 22 accused the U.S. and its NATO allies of discussing how to arm the opposition in Venezuela and alleged Washington was deploying special forces and equipment near the South American nation. (Reuters, 02.22.19, The Moscow Times, 02.22.19)
• Seventy-seven percent of Russians living on the disputed Kuril Islands in Far East Russia have overwhelmingly rejected the prospect of being transferred to Japan, a state-funded survey said Feb. 19. (The Moscow Times, 02.19.19)
• India plans to buy 21 MiG-29 jet fighters and possibly more from Russia, the RIA news agency reported. (Reuters, 02.20.19)
• Danske Bank A/S will close its operations across the Baltic states and in Russia after authorities in Estonia kicked out the Danish lender amid a deepening money-laundering scandal. (Bloomberg, 02.19.19)
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Russia on Feb. 27 for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that had been scheduled for this week, the Israeli government said. (Channel News Asia, 02.22.19)
• A Russian flag appeared on scaffolding outside Salisbury’s cathedral, nearly a year after a nerve agent attack against a former Russian spy in the English city. (RFE/RL, 02.17.19)
• The independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta says its correspondent Yelena Milashina and Milana Bakhayeva of the respected Memorial human rights center have been detained at an airport in Amsterdam. (RFE/RL, 02.18.19)

China:

• U.S. President Donald Trump's trade conflict with Beijing has nearly wiped out U.S. soy exports to China, the bean's biggest market. Meanwhile Russian agricultural exports to China are growing, especially soybeans, which have risen more than 10-fold in four years to nearly 1 million tons. (Wall Street Journal, 02.21.19)

Ukraine:

• Russia remained Ukraine’s main trade partner in 2018, despite mutual trade restrictions imposed in 2016. The biggest share of Ukraine’s exports, $3.7 billion, still falls on Russia, despite a 7.2 percent decrease, followed by Poland at $3.3 billion. Among importers, Russia also remains in first place. In 2018, imports of Russian goods to Ukraine rose by 12.3 percent compared with 2017 to $8.1 billion. (TASS, 02.19.19)
• Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on the U.N. secretary-general to draw up options for a peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine, saying such a mission could be a "decisive factor" in ending the conflict there. In that speech and in meetings with the Ukrainian-American diaspora in New Jersey, Poroshenko expressed gratitude for international backing for Ukraine. (RFE/RL, 02.20.19, New York Times, 02.20.19)
• Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko reiterated that Ukraine must apply for EU and NATO membership no later than 2023. Poroshenko has signed a bill into law to amend Ukraine’s constitution to formalize the country's strategic course toward membership. (TASS, 02.19.19, Interfax, 02.19.19)
• Amnesty International says the Ukrainian criminal justice system has "resisted and obstructed justice" when dealing with the human rights violations committed by police during the Euromaidan protests five years ago. (RFE/RL, 02.19.19)
• In his state-of-the-nation address on Feb. 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin said a railway link to Crimea will start working this year. (RFE/RL, 02.20.19)
• The EU is set next week to remove Andriy Klyuyev, the head of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s presidential administration, from its sanctions list, but the assets freeze on Yanukovych and 11 of his associates are likely to be prolonged by another year. (RFE/RL, 02.22.19)

Russia’s other post-Soviet neighbors:

• EU ambassadors on Feb. 20 extended for another year an arms embargo against Belarus and sanctions on four Belarusian citizens. (RFE/RL, 02.20.19)
• Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says his country "Will always be the European Union's partner." (RFE/RL, 02.18.19)
• Two Moldovan opposition leaders, Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase of the pro-European ACUM, have accused the authorities of poisoning them, three days before parliamentary elections. (RFE/RL, 02.21.19)
• Moldovan President Igor Dodon says his country needs to maintain good relations with Russia amid uncertainty about the future of the EU. (RFE/RL, 01.22.19)
• The Russian Interior Ministry says that it has launched a money laundering probe involving the influential leader of Moldova's Democratic Party, just two days before parliamentary elections in the former Soviet republic. (AP, 02.22.19)
• Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has dismissed the government, citing its failure to raise living standards and diversify the economy away from the energy sector. (RFE/RL, 02.21.19)
• Three former executives of telecom giant Telia have been acquitted in Sweden in a high-profile bribery case involving the eldest daughter of late Uzbek President Islam Karimov. (RFE/RL, 02.15.19)
• The Netherlands' Foreign Ministry says Tajik authorities have confirmed that opposition activist Sharofiddin Gadoev who resurfaced in Dushanbe last week from self-imposed exile was arrested, and that he is accused of "criminal activities." (RFE/RL, 02.21.19)
• Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Georgia’s Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has hailed NATO’s decision to allow North Macedonia to join. (RFE/RL, 02.17.19)

IV. Quoteworthy

• No significant developments.