Amid mounting criticism of its actions against Ukraine, Moscow is stepping up efforts to repair its image and make its voice heard in Europe, with Russian-funded think tanks and media on the ground working hard to woo Europeans.

just 31 minutes before the onset of Shabbat in Jerusalem and less than 24 hours after the Palestinians succeeded in upgrading their status at the UN, a senior diplomatic source sent out a text message to diplomatic reporters saying Israel “had decided to approve the building of 3,000 housing units in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.