JRL NEWSWATCH: “What Ukraine Needs from NATO: Advanced Weapons — and Clarity on What Membership Will Require” – Foreign Affairs: Ivo Daalder, Karen Donfried

NATO Meeting File Photo

“… Without new U.S. military assistance, Ukrainian ground forces may not be able to hold the line against a relentless Russian military. … The most urgent priority is to appropriate funds to resupply Kyiv with artillery shells, air defense missiles, deep-strike rockets, and other critical military needs. But even once Ukraine receives this much-needed support, a fundamental question remains: how […]

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Russia Analytical Report, March 18-25, 2024

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 3 Ideas to Explore The March 22 terrorist attack on a concert hall outside Moscow, in which more than 130 people were killed and for which ISIS claimed responsibility, is a “reminder of the fatal results of mutual distrust in the US-Russian relations,” Anatol Lieven writes in reference to the fact that the U.S. did warn Russia on March […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “China and Russia ‘spreading slurs against Princess of Wales'” – The Telegraph (UK)

File Photo of British Parliament Building, Big Ben, Thames, adapted from image at loc.gov

“Whitehall figures fear hostile states have helped to fuel wild conspiracy theories in attempt to destabilise nation” “China, Russia and Iran are fuelling disinformation about the Princess of Wales to destabilise the nation, Whitehall sources believe. Senior Government figures fear … hostile states are behind the spread of wild conspiracy theories and online rumours surrounding the Princess’s health. After the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Moscow Terror Attack; Coming just days after Putin’s orchestrated election, will it endanger his legacy — and his future?” – The Nation

Kremlin and River

“… [T]he glaring failure of Putin’s security state to prevent the gruesome assault — despite the U.S. warning of March 7 that a strike on a concert hall could be imminent — may endanger the Russian government’s social contract with its people. The attack, which underscored the country’s continuing vulnerability to terrorist acts, came just days after Putin’s victory in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “For Putin, Even a Terrorist Attack Is a Chance to Spread Misinformation” – New York Times

Kremlin and River

“… In the past the Kremlin acknowledged its opponent and dealt ruthlessly with Islamist extremists. This time … Putin made no mention of the organization that credibly claimed responsibility, an Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State known as ISIS-K, and instead cast indirect and utterly unsubstantiated suspicion on Ukraine. … [T]he claim reflected Putin’s problem: coming on the heels of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Ukraine obsession has blinded him to dangers at home” – Financial Times

Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“The Kremlin autocrat once wanted to align with the U.S. in fighting terrorism but is trapped in lies and paranoia” “… Today, Russia’s discourse seems intended to justify inaction, rather than action. Putin’s vaunted security apparatus, obsessed with pursuing proclaimed enemies of the state, proved unable to prevent Russia’s deadliest terrorist attack in 20 years. … Russia’s current framing of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Expect more strikes ‘deeper and deeper’ into Russia, Ukraine’s spy chief tells ABC News” – ABC

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“Budanov was cagey talking about Ukraine’s responsibility for attacks in Russia.” “There will likely be further strikes into Russian territory … Budanov [said] … without specifically saying whether Ukraine would be behind them. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the Dec. 26 attack on Russia’s Engels Air Force Base … more than 800 miles from the Ukrainian border … Budanov […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia has long worried about terrorism. The Moscow attack showed it may not be prepared.” – Christian Science Monitor

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“While many Russians are trying to link Friday’s deadly terrorist attack to Kyiv, the more likely suspect is an older enemy: radical Islamists. Russia has diverted attention from them amid its war with Ukraine.” “The horrific slaughter at Crocus City Hall, in which gunmen with automatic weapons and explosives killed over 130 people last Friday, has jolted Muscovites out of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Attack on Russian Concert Hall Threatens Putin’s Strongman Image” – WSJ

Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“Authoritarian system promised security. Now the Kremlin confronts Islamist terrorism at home and a costly war abroad.” “Last week, … Putin dismissed American warnings of an imminent terrorist attack and urged leaders of the country’s security services to focus on catching Ukrainian spies instead. Three days later, Islamic State gunmen rampaged through a concert hall outside Moscow, killing more than […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Miscalculations, divisions marked offensive planning by U.S., Ukraine” – Washington Post 12.4.23

Mark Milley file photo, adapted from image at defense.gov

“… Top officials including Gen. Mark A. Milley, then chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of Ukrainian ground forces, attended several of the simulations and were briefed on the results. During one visit to Wiesbaden, Milley spoke with Ukrainian special operations troops — who were working with American Green Berets — in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Warned About Possible Moscow Attack Before Concert Hall Shooting; Pro-Moscow forces had dismissed the alert as an attempt to scare Russians.” -New York Times

File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

“Pro-Moscow forces had dismissed the alert as an attempt to scare Russians.” “The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a security alert on March 7, warning that its personnel were ‘monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts.’ The statement warned Americans that an attack could take place in the next 48 hours. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. urged Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries” – Financial Times

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

“Washington told Kyiv that drone attacks risk driving up crude prices and provoking retaliation” “… The repeated warnings from Washington [reportedly] were delivered to senior officials at Ukraine’s state security service, the SBU, and its military intelligence directorate, known as the GUR …. Both intelligence units have steadily expanded their own drone programmes to strike Russian targets on land, sea […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s European allies are either broke, small or irresolute; In search of the perfect partner to derail Russian aggression” – The Economist

EU Map adapted from cia.gov image

“… Europeans should be in a position to deliver more than enough support to Ukraine. The 30 European countries that belong to NATO have, taken together, the world’s second-biggest military budget (exceeded only by America’s), vastly outspending Russia. Their economy is bigger than America’s. … [A]cross the continent the desire for Ukraine to prevail is strong. The realisation that … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russians Are Growing Tired of War; The people may cheer Putin, but they are increasingly resentful of the sacrifices he asks them to make.” – WSJ

File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“… Putin staked his campaign largely on the war, which he blames the West for provoking. …[T]he war’s negative effects are becoming hard to ignore. … [T]he Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service says Russians are suffering from ‘war fatigue’ … ‘… weariness, coupled with a desire to minimize the war’s direct impact on themselves personally and those close to them.’ … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s Drone Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries Mark New Phase in War” – Bloomberg

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“Attacks on refineries have both symbolic and strategic goals Kyiv plans to send ever-increasing swarm of drones into Russia” “Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown drone technology against a … 1,200 mile[] swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities. At least nine major refineries have been successfully attacked this year … [reportedly] taking offline 11% […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia is winning the global grain war; And it’s turning EU countries against Ukraine in the process.” – PoliticoEU

Wheat in Field, adapted from image at usda.gov

“The main reason … EU farmers can’t sell their … goods … has nothing to do with Ukraine and its huge agricultural sector. … [I]t is Russia, whose own record farm output — and world-beating exports — have driven crop prices down to the point where farmers everywhere are hurting. … Aided by extremely favorable weather, Russia has grown unprecedented […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia says it is pushing Ukrainian forces back, will create two new armies” – Reuters

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Russia controls a little under one fifth of Ukraine and … Putin ordered troops to push further forward after Moscow took … Avdiivka …. Russia, which has recruited hundreds of thousands of contract soldiers, will create two new armies and 30 formations including 14 divisions and 16 brigades, [according to Russian Defense Minister] Shoigu …. Western spy chiefs say […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Threat Forces Europe to Choose: Bolster Defense or Protect Social Spending” – WSJ

Europe Map

“With U.S. commitment to NATO uncertain, Europe faces a security rebuild that threatens budgets for other programs” “European countries are waking up to Russia’s danger … [T]he cost of building robust defenses able to withstand a potential U.S. pullback … threatens Europe’s post-Cold War social model. With … Trump questioning America’s future in [NATO] and Russian forces on the offensive […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t defund the fight against Russia and China’s disinformation” – Washington Post

U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“Two authoritarian U.S. adversaries, Russia and China … carry[] out what some … call[] a ‘hidden war on democracy,’ attempting to shape global opinion using deception and false narratives. … Russia [reportedly] spends about $1.5 billion a year and China $7 billion or more annually to influence overseas audiences. … The Global Engagement Center (GEC), headquartered at the State Department, […]

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State Department: “On Russia’s Presidential Elections”

State Department Building adapted from state.gov image

U.S. Department of State March 19, 2024 On Russia’s Presidential Elections PRESS STATEMENT ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE Russia’s recent presidential election occurred in an environment of intense repression of independent voices and the imprisonment, death, or exile of virtually all genuine political opposition. The Kremlin has systematically marginalized groups advocating for democratic processes and rule of law, including […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Americans Still See China as Nation’s Top Foe, Russia Second” – Gallup

File Photo of Beijing Temple, adapted from image at lbl.gov

“Both countries less likely to be named than last year, while mentions of Iran swell” “Forty-one percent of Americans name China as the United States’ greatest enemy today … the top perceived U.S. adversary for the fourth straight year. Russia ranks second, cited by 26%, followed by Iran at 9%. Five percent of national adults now name the United States […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine needs 500,000 military recruits. Can it raise them?” – Financial Times

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Ahead of a new mobilisation law, exhausted soldiers on the frontline complain of low morale” “… A new [Ukrainian] mobilisation law — due to be put to a parliamentary vote on March 31 — seeks to update the country’s legal framework ahead of a probable recruitment wave this year in which up to 500,000 people could be drafted. Some 330,000 […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How can democracies respond to rigged elections?” – The Economist

File Photo of G7 Meeting, with Persons at Round Table and Long Table, with Flags and Windows Overlooking Green Space in Background

“A host of Western countries reject the results of Russia’s sham election” “… Long before the first ballot was cast, it was clear … Putin, … dictator since 1999, would win by a predetermined, overwhelming majority. … Voting … was strictly supervised. In illegally occupied parts of Ukraine, voters cast their ballots at gunpoint. [] Putin faced no credible opponents: […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Has Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Improved His Standing in Russia?” – The New Yorker

Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“As Russians go to the polls, the economy is booming and the public feels hopeful about the future. But the politics of Putinism still depend on the absence of any means to challenge it.” “… Putin has ruled … for nearly a quarter century, just a few years shy of Stalin’s epoch-spanning grip …. No genuine opposition candidates have been […]

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Expert Survey: Does Russia’s Presidential Election Matter to U.S. and Its Allies?

Kremlin and River

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – RM Staff – March 15, 2024) Russia’s presidential election, whose outcome is near certain to grant Vladimir Putin a fifth term, got underway on March 15. Given the inevitability of Putin’s victory in what one Kremlin-connected insider has described as a “well-designed simulation,” one might wonder what impact the Russian election has on the U.S. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Moscow hopes frozen assets swap scheme will benefit Russian stocks” – Reuters

File photo of Russian paper currency, adapted from image at csce.house.gov

“Russia hopes its stock market will benefit from a scheme … where Russians who own frozen foreign securities will be able to apply to sell them to foreigners with frozen assets in Russia …. Moscow presents the plan as a way for … Russian and foreign investors to free up assets … blocked by Western sanctions and Russian counter-measures …. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Rattled Nuclear Saber Ahead of Presidential Elections” – WSJ

Russian Tactical Missile on Mobile Launcher, adapted from image featured by army.mil and defense.gov

“Raising specter of nuclear confrontation allows Russian leader to keep his population on edge and convinced of need for militarism, analysts say.” “… Putin warned publicly … of the possibility of nuclear confrontation with the West, a saber … [Putin was] rattling with increasing frequency ahead of presidential elections this weekend. The comments — part of an interview with a […]

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West Mistakenly Thinks Russia in Terminal Decline While Moscow Elites Even More Wrongly Believe They can Restore Russia’s Superpower Status, Pastukhov Says

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Mar. 11, 2024) Many of the mistakes Western elites have made about Russia and that Moscow elites have made about their own county arise from misconceptions each has about Russia’s future, Vladimir Pastukhov says. The West has mistakenly assumed Russia is in terminal decline while Moscow elites think they can restore the […]

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RUSSIALINK: “What’s the Kremlin Scared Of? Pro-War Ultranationalists” – Moscow Times

File Photos of Law Books and Gavel, adapted from image at fjc.gov

(Moscow Times – Lucy Birge – March 15, 2024) The killing of Alexei Navalny four weeks before the Russian presidential election appears to portray an increasingly brazen and self-assured Kremlin. Yet its treatment of ultra-nationalist Igor Strelkov tells a different story, that the Kremlin is afraid of ultra-nationalism as a political force. On Jan. 25, 2024, Ukraine and Russia became […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Pointed to War’s Economic Windfall With Russia Set to Vote” – Bloomberg

Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“Wages are soaring, unemployment falling amid labor shortage Budget deficit, dwindling reserves pose long-term challenges” “… Though the war has left hundreds of thousands killed or wounded, and long-term challenges continue to build with officials still wrestling [with] inflation … , for now, [Putin] is pointing to the economy and claiming success. The government is spending massively on social support […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia Bans Entry to 227 Americans for ‘Anti-Russian’ Actions” – Moscow Times

File Photo of Wendy Sherman and Sergei Ryabkov Standing In Front of U.S. and Russian Flags, adapted from image at state.gov

(Moscow Times – March 14, 2024) [Complete list: mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1938555/] Russia has banned entry to 227 U.S. citizens, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow announced Thursday. The Foreign Ministry accused the banned individuals of playing a role in steering Washington’s “Russophobic policies” and being directly involved in “anti-Russian actions.” The latest additions to Russia’s “stop list” include State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The drama in Russia’s election is all about what Putin will do with another 6 years in power” – AP

Kremlin and River

“… [Russian] voting … conclud[ing] … Sunday is all but certain to allow Putin to remain in office until 2030, giving him a full three decades of leading Russia as either president or prime minister. … [T]hat long tenure and the thorough suppression of effective domestic opposition voices gives Putin a very strong — and perhaps unrestrained — hand … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s 2024 Presidential Election: What to Know” – New York Times

Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“[Russia’s] presidential vote … begins Friday and lasts through Sunday … but is more of a predetermined, Soviet-style referendum. … Putin, 71, will undoubtedly win a fifth term, with none of the three other candidates … permitted on the ballot presenting a real challenge. The main opposition figure who worked to spoil the vote, Aleksei A. Navalny, a harsh critic […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Forever Putinism: The Russian Autocrat’s Answer to the Problem of Succession” – Foreign Affairs

Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“… Early-stage Putinism was marked by … public complacency and indifference. Complacency flourished when the Russian economy expanded between 2000 and 2008 …  enabling the rise of a Russian middle class. Indifference, which the Kremlin inculcated in part by discouraging public participation in politics, assisted in the regime’s creeping authoritarianism. One need not love Putin; it was sufficient to merely […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How Russian elections became a futile exercise for Putin’s opposition” – Christian Science Monitor

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“Russia’s presidential election appears largely a rote exercise, as a popular, unchallengeable leader faces only nominal competition from three ‘systemic’ opponents. The Kremlin has worked for years to make it this way.” “… ‘[M]anaged democracy’ … under … Putin used to offer plenty of opportunities … to … members of various ‘loyal opposition’ parties, [including the chance to] get elected […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Trump and Ukraine: Ignore the press. They don’t know what he’d do because they forget how politics works” – WSJ

File Photo of Donald Trump Waving Before Large Crowd with Trump Signs, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“What survives of the mainstream press prides itself on delivering the anti-Trump message. … Anti-Trumpism is the gift that briefly arrested their decline, though the holiday may be running out for the Washington Post. … The media … can no longer be trusted to give a skeptical, realistic account of what [Trump] might do as president, preferring to put words […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Has Russian Elite in a Frenzy Over Their Political Futures” – Bloomberg

File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“The government may feature new names and responsibilities, but there’s no sign Putin plans to alter the direction of policy.” “The Kremlin elite is feverishly jostling for position in [anticipation of] … Putin’s new term as the president surrounds himself with loyalists to pursue his war in Ukraine. Putin [reportedly] may carry out a significant government shake-up for the first […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Claims That Sanctions Hurt Europe More Than Russia Are Wrong” – Foreign Policy

EU Map adapted from cia.gov image

“A false narrative is being peddled by the Kremlin and its Western friends.” “… Russia has never been a major market for EU firms, with Russian businesses buying just 4 percent of EU exports in 2021. [A]bout half of EU exports to Russia fall under sanctions … [so] only 2 percent of EU exports are affected …. [S]anctions do not […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin, in Pre-Election Messaging, Plays Down Threat of Nuclear War” – New York Times

Russian Tactical Missile on Mobile Launcher, adapted from image featured by army.mil and defense.gov

“The Russian leader struck a softer tone in an interview with state television than in last month’s state-of-the-nation address. He is aiming to project stability before this weekend’s vote.” “… Putin … tried to play down fears of nuclear war in [a Russian state television] interview … and denied having considered using weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine …. Putin […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Volodymyr Zelensky: ‘Your children are not going to die in Ukraine'” – Le Monde

Volodymyr Zelensky file photo, adapted from dhs.gov image

“Before the French Parliament debates support for Kyiv on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president, in an interview with Le Monde and BFMTV, reacts to Macron’s statement about sending troops: ‘We’re only talking about training.’” “In an interview … on Monday, March 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of a “pause” in the fighting, which would only give Vladimir Putin […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Not so quiet; A grinding, difficult war on Ukraine’s southern front” – The Economist

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“The Russians want to take Robotyne. But while the ammo lasts, Ukraine can hold them off.” “… In the wake of the fall of Avdiivka Russian forces have captured outlying villages and attacked several other small eastern towns such as Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk. To Avdiivka’s south the front line turns and then slopes gently towards the Dnieper river just below […]

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2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community [Excerpt re: Russia]

DNI Seal and Smaller Seals of Agencies Related to DNI

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence March 11, 2024 Director Avril D. Haines Office of the Director of National Intelligence 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community [Excerpt] [PDF: intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/hearings/unclassified_2024_ata_report_0.pdf] RUSSIA Regional and Global Activities Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in enormous damage at home and abroad, but Russia remains a resilient and capable adversary across […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The West Is Still Oblivious to Russia’s Information War; Paralyzed by free speech concerns, Western governments are loath to act.” – Foreign Policy

File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

“… Despite the tedium of Putin’s two-hour-long lecture about an imaginary Russian and Ukrainian history, the streaming and promotion of the [Tucker Carlson] interview by Western platforms is only the latest successful foray in Russia’s information war …. A decade into Russia’s all-out information war, the social media companies seem to have forgotten their promises to act after … 2016 […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden’s Armageddon Moment: When Nuclear Detonation Seemed Possible in Ukraine” – New York Times

Russian Tactical Missile on Mobile Launcher, adapted from image featured by army.mil and defense.gov

“For a few weeks in October 2022, the White House was consumed in a crisis whose depths were not publicly acknowledged at the time. It was a glimpse of what seemed like a terrifying new era.” “… [I]ntercepts revealed that for the first time since the war in Ukraine had broken out, there were frequent conversations within the Russian military […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine scrambles to fill U.S. funding gap” – Financial Times

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Kyiv in talks with Japan and Canada for extra aid as Zelenskyy government considers spending cuts and tax hikes” “… [D]eadlock in … Congress over a $60bn aid package for Ukraine has left Kyiv desperately looking for alternative donors …. Ukraine has allocated nearly half of its $87bn budget … to defence-related expenditure, but its domestic revenues are just $46bn, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Is Pumping Out Weapons—but Can It Keep It Up?” – WSJ

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“Some Western analysts say Moscow’s arms-production figures mask various challenges and could be misleading” “Russia’s ability to churn out tanks, missiles and shells has surprised the West and heaped further pressure on Ukraine. The question … is how long it can continue. … Russia’s military production figures are [said to be] misleading and mask challenges including a shortage of labor […]

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RUSSIALINK: “’20 Days in Mariupol’ Brings First Oscar Home to Ukraine” – Moscow Times

File Photo of Reel of Film

(Moscow Times – March 11, 2024) Ukraine won its first Oscar for best documentary with “20 Days in Mariupol,” directed by Mstyslav Chernov, on Sunday night in Los Angeles. The film chronicles the harrowing Russian siege of Mariupol, a once beautiful port city, by the only journalists still on the ground, Chernov and the photographer/journalist Evgeniy Maloletka. At the Academy […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Moscow plans its own mini-Olympics. Will Russians be satisfied?” – Christian Science Monitor

Olympic Rings Lit at Night, adapted from image at state.gov

“As the West has isolated Russia, Moscow has worked fervently to create alternatives to global commodities. But when it comes to Olympic-level athletic competitions, the Kremlin’s proxies may not pass muster with the Russian public.” “… In September, just a month after the 2024 Paris Olympics, Russia will launch the World Friendship Games, a Soviet-inspired extravaganza that looks like a […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Big Lesson From the West’s Last Invasion of Russia” – Foreign Policy: Theodore Bunzel

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“What the Allied intervention in the Russian civil war teaches us about Ukraine today.” “… Despite the current pall of pessimism pervading Western capitals, today’s war in Ukraine presents some of the more propitious circumstances a policymaker could hope for …. Ukraine is a worthy and competent ally, fighting to defend its territory with a highly motivated population …. The […]

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