Austin and Russia’s New Defense Minister Speak via Phone for the First Time
Communications between Washington and Moscow have become rare since Russia invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.
By Helene Cooper
I write about national security with a focus on the Pentagon and the U.S. military. These days the war in Ukraine has been a principal focus, but topics can range from faraway conflicts to U.F.O.s. It is, bar none, the best beat in Washington.
I was born in Monrovia, Liberia, and moved to the United States in 1980. I decided I wanted to be a journalist when I read “All the President’s Men” in the 11th grade. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and have worked for three newspapers: The Providence Journal, The Wall Street Journal and The Times. I have won two George Polk awards and one Pulitzer Prize. I am the author of “The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood,” a New York Times best seller, and “Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,” a Washington Post best seller, both published by Simon & Schuster.
As a Times journalist, I share the values and adhere to the standards of integrity outlined in The Times’s Ethical Journalism handbook. Reporters who write about national security often handle classified information, and we must work to decide what makes sense to report and what doesn’t. It’s a daily juggling act. For instance, I may not report on a coming raid by American special operations troops because publication of that information could harm said troops. There are times, however, when we must weigh the public’s right to know versus the government’s desire for secrecy.
Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips
Communications between Washington and Moscow have become rare since Russia invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.
By Helene Cooper
Officials hope a looming deadline will pressure Israel to open more land routes into the territory, which is facing extreme levels of hunger.
By Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt
The system is one of the best air-defense weapons, but the United States and its allies have a limited supply.
By Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt, Edward Wong and Julian E. Barnes
A new bulletin says China is trying to step up recruitment of Western-trained fighter pilots to improve its air combat capability.
By Julian E. Barnes and Helene Cooper
Army engineers are working to put the pier back together, and Defense Department officials hope it will be operational again in about a week.
By Helene Cooper
The Pentagon predicted that a stream of humanitarian aid would be arriving in Gaza via the floating pier, but little relief has reached the besieged strip, officials acknowledged this week.
By Helene Cooper and Adam Rasgon
American officials say they do not want U.S. weapons used in cross-border attacks or intelligence reports used to strike inside Russia.
By Helene Cooper, Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt and Michael Schwirtz
Fighting in Rafah has closed off a vital border crossing in southern Gaza, forced hundreds of thousands to flee and cut off humanitarian aid.
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The move could draw the United States and Europe more directly into the war. The Biden administration continues to say there will be no American troops on the ground.
By Helene Cooper, Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt and Lara Jakes
The flow of supplies through land borders has largely come to a halt since Israel began its incursion into Rafah last week.
By Victoria Kim