A high-ranking Russian general was shot and wounded in Moscow, while the United States and Russia entered a new phase of nuclear relations without legally binding limits on their arsenals, according to multiple news reports. Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alexeyev, 64, was attacked in a residential building in the north-western outskirts of the capital and is reportedly in serious condition, according to the BBC. The attacker fled the scene, and no one has yet claimed responsibility, though senior Russian officials immediately blamed Ukraine. Meanwhile, the New START treaty, which capped U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, expired on Thursday, leaving the world's two largest nuclear powers without formal limits on their arsenals, as reported by Fox News.
The attack on Alexeyev marks the latest targeting of a high-ranking military figure in or near Moscow since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the BBC noted. Alexeyev holds a prominent position as number two in the main directorate of Russia's GRU military intelligence.
Simultaneously, the expiration of the New START treaty has raised concerns about the future of nuclear arms control. President Donald Trump has called for a new, sweeping arms control agreement, while Russian officials have warned that Washington's approach would make any deal impossible, according to Fox News.
In other international developments, indirect nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran in Oman were described as "a good start" by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who added that there was a "consensus" that the negotiations would continue, according to Fox News. Araghchi stated that "our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other sides views were also heard."
Adding to the global landscape, the opening ceremonies of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics are underway in northern Italy. Pope Leo XIV issued a papal letter on the value of sports, calling for nations to pause military conflict during the Games, according to the New York Times. The event is taking place across four separate venues in the cities of Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Predazzo, and Livigno.
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