House Speaker John Boehner has invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to give a speech to the US Congress on the security threat posed by Iran. The White House was not contacted by the state of Israel about the visit nor did Speaker Boehner inform the White House about the invitation prior to it being proffered. The invitation is a clear violation of standard protocol, and an indication that Speaker Boehner wishes to disrupt the negotiations between the West and Iran. If the Congress passes stiffer sanctions against Iran, then the chances for a negotiated settlement on the Iranian nuclear program will diminish.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia of having 9,000 Russian troops on Ukrainian soil. There is a cease-fire between Ukrainian forces and Russian-speaking separatists in Eastern Ukraine, but it is very fragile and frequently broken. Russia adamantly denies the charges, and there seems to be little chance of some accommodation being reached. The European Union, however, seems to be more invested in addressing the threat posed by Russia than it has been in the past, and such pressure may cause Russia to rethink its calculations.
World Politics News 
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