• A source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has been forced to alter some of its military plans following a leak of classified U.S. documents, which appear to have been produced between mid-February and early March. (CNN) The Pentagon said it is “working around the clock” to discover the source of the leak, which officials said appears to contain authentic information while also showing signs of having been altered. (Financial Times)
• French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe should not follow the United States’ policy on China and provoke an “overreaction” from Beijing, adding that Europe should avoid getting “caught up” in “crises that aren’t ours.” The comments were met with consternation in Washington, with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) suggesting that if Macron won’t “pick sides between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, maybe then we should not be taking sides either” when it comes to Ukraine. (France24)
• Chinese navy ships and aircraft remain in the waters around Taiwan even after finishing drills conducted in protest to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), according to the defense ministry in Taipei. Tsai condemned Beijing’s behavior as irresponsible and asserted her right to represent Taiwan abroad as her country’s leader. (Reuters)
• U.S. and Filipino troops participated in their largest joint combat exercises in decades in waters near the disputed South China Sea, as Washington and Manila seek to strengthen their longstanding but much neglected alliance. (The Associated Press)

Happening today (all times Eastern):

• 11:30 a.m. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen holds a press conference ahead of the 2023 International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington D.C.
• 3:15 p.m. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hold a joint news conference with their counterparts from the Philippines.

COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory Finds Public Backing in Several Latin American, European Countries

Morning Consult

Poorest countries find finances under pressure from higher rates

Jonathan Wheatley, Financial Times 

Debt burdens as a proportion of government revenues at highest level since 1998, research shows.

Pakistan condemns India’s decision to hold G20 meetings in Kashmir

Asif Shahzad, Reuters 

Pakistan on Tuesday condemned India’s decision to hold Group of 20 meetings in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir next month, calling the move “irresponsible”.

India-Pakistan spat threatens Cricket World Cup

Adnan Aamir, Nikkei Asia 

Both countries are refusing to play on each other’s home grounds.

Sumitomo Metal to produce lithium with rapid-extraction tech

Shoya Okinaga, Nikkei Asia 

Joint investments eyed in Argentina and Chile for crucial battery material.

South Korea Downplays Leaked Pentagon Documents

Choe Sang-Hun, The New York Times 

As opposition lawmakers in South Korea accuse Washington of spying, President Yoon Suk Yeol has tried to minimize the significance of the breach.

North Korean leader vows ‘offensive’ nuclear expansion

Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal in more “practical and offensive” ways as he met with senior military officials to discuss the country’s war preparations in the face of his rivals’ “frantic” military exercises, state media said Tuesday.

UN food agency: $800m urgently needed for Afghanistan

The Associated Press

The U.N. food agency said Monday it urgently needs $800 million for the next six months to help Afghanistan, which is at the highest risk of famine in a quarter of a century.

U.N. asks Afghan staff to stay home until May after female worker ban

Charlotte Greenfield, Reuters 

The United Nations’ mission to Afghanistan has launched a review of its operations and asked all Afghan staff not to come to work at least until May after the Taliban administration barred its women staff from working, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

At least 50 killed as Myanmar military attacks rebel gathering – media, militias

Reuters 

At least 50 people were killed in central Myanmar on Tuesday in an air strike by the military on an event attended by opponents to its rule, according to media and members of a local resistance movement.

‘The hand of China reaches here’: how Beijing pushes Uyghurs to spy on each other overseas

Yuan Yang and Ayla Jean Yackley, Financial Times 

Xinjiang police try to manipulate Turkic Muslims abroad through offers of contact with family or threats to loved ones.

Russia plans electronic call-up papers to help mobilisation

Reuters 

Russia will soon draft men into the army by sending them electronic call-up papers via an online portal in addition to traditional letters, according to draft legislation due to be debated on Tuesday that aims to facilitate mobilisation.

Belarus leader says he wants guarantees that Russia will defend his country if it is attacked

Reuters 

Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, told Russia’s defence minister on Monday that he wanted guarantees that Moscow would defend his country if it was attacked, the state-owned BelTA news agency reported.

US and Cuba to hold fresh round of migration talks this week

Matt Spetalnick and Ted Hesson, Reuters 

The United States and Cuba will hold another round of migration talks on Wednesday, officials said, as the Biden administration braces for the end of COVID-era border restrictions that have blocked Cubans in recent months from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu Retains Defense Minister Amid Security Concerns

Dov Lieber, The Wall Street Journal

Israel faces challenging security environment amid opposition to now-delayed judicial overhaul.

Kenyan presidential adviser rules out default as cash crunch delays salaries

Duncan Miriri, Reuters 

Kenya will not default on its debt repayment obligations, the president’s chief economic adviser said, as the government delayed payment of civil service salaries due to a cash squeeze caused by massive interest payments.

U.N calls for massive international support to Somalia

Omar Faruk, The Associated Press

The U.N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed for “massive international support” for Somalia during his visit to the East African country that is facing the worst drought in decades.

U.S. Deems WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich ‘Wrongfully Detained’ by Russia

Vivian Salama and William Mauldin, The Wall Street Journal

Official designation enables U.S. to press a foreign government, unlocks other resources to free detainee.

Polish leader heads to US to further strengthen defense ties 

The Associated Press

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki flew Tuesday to the United States for meetings aimed at strengthening the economic and defense cooperation of the two nations.