US
Jen Psaki – White House Press Secretary
The White House press secretary said on Monday that the Biden administration continues to review sanctions and “no one is safe” from America’s sanctions. She made the comments in response to a question about sanctions against Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine.
RUSSIA
Sergei Lavrov – Russia’s foreign minister
The head of Russian diplomacy has warned Ukraine against provoking World War III and said the threat of a nuclear conflict “should not be underestimated”. “In no case should we allow a third world war,” Lavrov told a Russian TV channel on Monday and accused NATO of “pouring oil on the fire” by shipping arms to Ukraine.
N. KOREA
Kim Jong-un North Korean Supreme Leader
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un stated during a military parade address that any force to challenge Pyongyang will be destroyed and he will continue to boost the country’s nuclear capacities, state media reported on Tuesday.
“Our basic mission regarding nuclear power is to deter war, but our nuclear weapons cannot be confined solely to preventing a war if a situation arises that we never hope to witness in this land,” Kim was quoted as saying.
JAPAN
Shunichi Suzuki – Japanese Finance Minister
Suzuki stated on Tuesday that there is no truth to media speculations that Japan and the U.S. discussed coordinated currency intervention to stem further yen falls.
MOLDOVA
Moldovan President Maia Sandu steps up security measures after a series of explosions in Transnistria. “We urge citizens to keep calm and feel safe” Sandu said after a meeting of the Supreme Security Council. “This is an attempt to escalate tensions. We decisively condemn such acts,” she said, attributing the explosions to “internal differences between various groups in Transnistria that have an interest in destabilizing the situation.”
