1. What acts of sabotage do European countries believe Russia has orchestrated over the past week?

2. Define the following as used in the article:

• sabotage
• hybrid warfare
• malicious actors
• shadow war
• plausible deniability
• proxies

3. a) What information don't Western officials have regarding the cut fiber-optic cables?
b) What did German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius say about the cut cables?

4. List the accusations made against the Kremlin since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

5. How is Russia responding to suggestions it is behind the cable cutting sabotage in the Baltic Sea?

6. Why is it thought that Russia and China are working together in several of these acts of hybrid warfare against the West?

7. Why did historically neutral Sweden and Finland join NATO this year?

8. What accusations has Britain's M15 made against Russia?

CHALLENGE: Follow the news on the U.S./Russia/Ukraine.

• The U.S. under President Biden has sent Ukraine over $60 billion in funding and equipment over the past 3 years to protect itself and fight Russia.
• Two months before Donald Trump takes office, President Biden last week authorized Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to use American-made missiles with a range of about 190 miles, known as ATACMS, to strike deeper inside Russian territory than the Ukrainians have to date.
• Russia said Monday that the move was unacceptable and warned it could lead to a third world war.
• Putin on Tuesday approved an updated nuclear doctrine that includes the declaration that Moscow can unleash a nuclear strike if subject to an attack by a nonnuclear country that has the support of a nuclear state.
• (Trump has criticized the vast sums of money sent to Ukraine when the U.S. Southern border has been completely unsecured by Biden. He has also said that because of his policies, Russia never would have invaded Ukraine, but now when he returns to office, he will end the war in Ukraine.)