WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis posted the following commentary on Feb. 18, 2026, by Gabrielius Landsbergis, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania: * * * Landsbergis: Europe, Look to Thyself If Europe hopes to find inspiration and security from others it is destined for disappointment, says Lithuania's former Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. * I left this year's Munich Security Conference in a mood which diplomats would describe as "thoughtfu more PR

STRASBOURG, France, Feb. 19 -- The Council of Europe issued the following news: * * * The Council of Europe on the ground in Ukraine in time of war The Council of Europe's office in Ukraine steadfast in supporting resilience and democratic transformation * Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine in 2022 the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine has remained a constant partner to the Ukrainian authorities and society. Rooted in the Council of Europe Action Plan fo more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following commentary on Feb. 18, 2026, by Clayton Seigle, senior fellow and James R. Schlesinger Chair in Energy and Geopolitics: * * * If Trump Strikes Iran: Mapping the Oil Disruption Scenarios Crude oil prices have fluctuated in recent days along with headlines about potential military strikes against Iran, as a second round of indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives concluded on February 1 more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following Critical Questions Q&A on Feb. 18, 2026, by Leah Kieff, non-resident senior associate with the Project on Prosperity and Development: * * * Transnistria: A Conflict Unfrozen but Not Thawed For more than three decades, Transnistria has existed as one of Europe's frozen conflicts--a breakaway region of Moldova sustained by Russian economic subsidies and military presence. But over the last year, the c more PR

PORTLAND, Oregon, Feb. 18 [Category: Sociological] -- The Mercy Corps posted the following news release: * * * Four Years of War and Freezing Winters: Ukrainian Farmers Feed the Nation Amid Blackouts * Kyiv - Four years into full-scale war, civilians across Ukraine are battling freezing temperatures, rolling blackouts, and diminishing humanitarian support. Yet Ukrainian farmers continue to plant, harvest, mill, and move food, feeding their communities and keeping global grains supplies stabl more PR

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Feb. 18 [Category: Health Care] -- Humanity and Inclusion, alongside 36 organizations, issued the following letter: * * * HI Joins 36 Organizations to Urge the US to Stop the Purchase of Cluster Munitions * We write in opposition to the United States' reported $210 million purchase of cluster munitions from Tomer, a company owned by the Israeli government. When used in populated areas, cluster munitions violate international humanitarian law because they cannot disti more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (TNSxrep) -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, issued the following commentary on Feb. 18, 2026, by nonresident senior fellow Can Kasapoglu: * * * Ukraine Military Situation Report Executive Summary * Battlefield assessment: Russia pressed on in the Myrnohrad sector while amassing troops in northern Pokrovsk. In the Zaporizhzhia sector, the Ukrainian military took advantage of a sudden Sta more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (TNSrpt) -- Human Rights First issued the following news: * * * New report: Ukraine's Human Rights Challenges Will Persist Beyond Any Peace Deal In a report released today to mark this week's anniversaries of the 2014 and 2022 Russian invasions, human rights activists in Ukraine warn that whether or not ongoing peace talks with Russia produce an imminent breakthrough, many of the country's most serious human rights challenges will persist long after the fighting ends. Hum more PR

VIENNA, Austria, Feb. 18 (TNSrpt) -- The International Press Institute issued the following news: * * * MFRR Report 2025 documents 1,481 press freedom violations across 36 European countries Verbal attacks, harassment and smear campaigns remain the most common form of press freedom violation in Europe * IPI joins partner organisations in publishing the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) Monitoring Report for 2025, which documents 1,481 press freedom violations affecting 2,377 journalists o more PR

JERUSALEM, Israel, Feb. 19 -- The government of Israel issued the following news release: * * * The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism to Provide 4 Million NIS in Aid to Jewish Communities Across Ukraine Aid from the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, in collaboration with Mosaic United, includes hotel and guesthouse stays with continuous access to electricity, heating, and hot meals * Following extensive damage to energy infrastructure in Ukrain more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on Feb. 18, 2026, by John C.K. Daly, Eurasian foreign affairs and defense policy expert and non-resident fellow at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, in its Eurasia Daily Monitor: * * * Russian Railways Faces Economic Setbacks Executive Summary: * Russian Railways (RZhD) cargo volumes dropped by 5.6 percent in 2025 to a 16-year low due to reduced shipments of oil, construction materials, metals, and coal, resu more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on Feb. 18, 2026, by journalist Giorgi Menabde, in its Eurasia Daily Monitor: * * * Tbilisi's Long Fight Against Organized Crime Continues Executive Summary: * The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has made more than 100 arrests over the past few months as part of a nationwide crackdown on organized crime. They are charged with participating in criminal activities and carrying out orders from leaders of the c more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 -- Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, issued the following news release: * * * Kaptur Statement on President Trump's Pressure on Ukraine * Toledo, OH - Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus released the following statement on negotiations to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "I am alarmed by reports that the Trump Administration is pressuring Ukraine into ceding its sovereign territory and the people who live on i more PR

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Feb. 18 -- The European Federation of Journalists posted the following news: * * * MFRR Monitoring Report 2025: 1,481 press freedom violations across 36 European countries * The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners today publish the Annual Monitoring Report for 2025, which documents 1,481 press freedom violations affecting 2,377 journalists or media-related entities in 36 European countries between January and December 2025. The report was compiled by the European  more PR

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Feb. 17 -- NATO issued the following news: * * * North Atlantic Council meets with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, reaffirms transatlantic bond * On Monday (16 February 2026) NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska welcomed members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NPA) to NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Ms Shekerinska chaired the annual meeting with Permanent Representatives of the North Atlantic Council and NPA members as well asPresident Marcos Perestrello.  more PR

LONDON, England, Feb. 18 -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued the following news release: * * * PM call with President Trump of the United States: 17 February 2026 * The Prime Minister spoke with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, last night. The Prime Minister reiterated his condemnation of Putin's barbaric attacks on innocent civilians in Ukraine, and the leaders discussed the ongoing negotiations to deliver a just and lasting peace. Turning to the situation in  more PR

NEW YORK, Feb. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft issued the following policy note (No. 21) on Jan. 29, 2026 by Anatol Lieven and Mark Episkopos entitled "Frequently Asked Questions About the Russia-Ukraine Negotiations ." Here are excerpts: * * * The Current State of Play Has Russia made concessions in the negotiation process? Yes. Russia has made significant concessions. Russia has agreed to lift all objections to Ukraine's accession to the European Union, ma more PR

NEW YORK, Feb. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft issued the following brief (No. 92) on Feb. 3, 2026 by Pavel Devyatkin entitled "Strategic Prudence and Extending New START." Here is the executive summary: * * * The last standing bilateral nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia -- the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START -- is set to expire on Feb. 5. In an era of nuclear escalation, the end of New START and effective lap more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 18, 2026: * * * Ranking Member Shaheen, Senators Whitehouse, Coons, Blumenthal Travel to Ukraine ODESA, UKRAINE - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) travelled to Odesa, Ukraine where they reite more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Senate Intelligence Committee issued a report (S.Rpt. 119-51) on the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal 2026. The report was advanced by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, on July 25, 2025. Here are excerpts: * * * Classified Annex to the Committee Report Pursuant to Section 364 of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-259), the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) publicly disclosed on June 4, 2025, that the request for the Na more ST

GLASGOW, England, Feb. 19 -- The John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow issued the following news: * * * TACKLING THE BIG ISSUES: JOHN SMITH CENTRE'S UK YOUTH POLL THEMES CHOSEN BY YOUNG PEOPLE Young people taking the John Smith Centre's groundbreaking Youth Poll Project course have chosen the themes for this year's high-profile UK Youth Poll. * The UK Youth Poll, generously funded by Nationwide, produces high-quality annual data and results about the priorities and opinions of youn more PR

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 18 -- The following federal patents were awarded to inventors in Maryland. *** Systems and Methods for Digitally Connecting Patients to De-Identified Research Specimens and Data Using Composable Protocols and Tokenized Identifiers ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Feb. 17 -- DE-BI, CO., Baltimore, Maryland has been assigned a patent (No. US 12554867 B2, initially filed May 28, 2025) developed by Marielle Gross, Baltimore, Maryland, for "Systems and methods for digitally connecting p more ST

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 18 -- The following federal patents were awarded to inventors in Utah. *** Access Control Device With Gateway Operability ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Feb. 17 -- JANUS INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLC, Temple, Georgia has been assigned a patent (No. US 12555429 B2, initially filed Oct. 31, 2023) developed by three inventors William Debord, Woodstock, Georgia; David P. Gengler, Draper, Utah; and Nathan Perry, Eagle Mountain, Utah, for "Access control device with gateway operability."  more ST

LONDON, England, Feb. 18 -- The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issued the following news: * * * UK formally opens British Embassy Office in Lviv * Formal opening deepens relationships and grows on commitments under UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership * Move will boost trade with Ukraine, creating closer links for businesses while supporting UK's future reconstruction efforts * Follows UK this week unveiling major package of air defence systems for Ukraine worth over PS50 more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- SURVIVING THE FREEZING COLD UNDER FIRE: How winter is disrupting Ukrainian children's education and mental health: Evidence from displaced families in frontline areas - A report from World Vision International, London, England - February 2026 (20 pages) * * * World Vision International issued a report documenting how the intersecting impacts of extreme winter conditions, ongoing conflict and weakened infrastructure are profoundly disrupting the lives of childre more ST