Category: Europe, EU

UKRAINEWATCH: “Change the approach from just helping Ukraine fight to letting them win the war” – The Hill: Kira Rudik

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… [T]he Kremlin’s goals … have not changed. Dmitriy Medvedev, … former Russian president and current deputy head of the Russian Security Council, described them clearly … [to] include the ‘complete capitulation’ of Ukraine with the subsequent absorption of [Ukrainian] territories and resources by Russia. … Everything … Putin’s regime has already done and will continue to do is a […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Aid Is a Lifeline for Ukraine’s Struggle to Hold Off Defeat” – WSJ

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“Ammunition and arms will be rushed to Kyiv’s forces on funding bill’s approval, ‘literally in the nick of time’” “The House vote to approve $60 billion … for Ukraine comes at a desperate moment … and holds the prospect of helping them stave off a Russian onslaught at the last possible moment. If approved by the Senate … and … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky says the U.S. is ‘not funding’ war in Ukraine” – The Hill

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Volodymyr Zelensky file photo, adapted from dhs.gov image

“… Zelensky … [on] Sunday … emphasiz[ed] that the U.S. is helping protect democracy throughout the region. … ‘The Americans are not funding the war in Ukraine. They foremost protect freedom and democracy all over Europe. And Ukraine is fighting … sending their best sons and daughters to the front …reduc[ing] the price for all Europe, for all NATO,’ Zelensky […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Europe — but Not NATO — Should Send Troops to Ukraine” – Foreign Affairs: Alex Crowther, Jahara Matisek, and Phillips P. O’Brien

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Europe Map

“To Halt Russia’s Advance, Kyiv Needs More Boots on the Ground” “… The debate in the U.S. Congress over … military aid to Ukraine has been a debacle. … [M]onths of dithering in Washington have dismayed Europeans and given Moscow hope that Western resolve … is cracking. Russian forces — bolstered by equipment from China, Iran, and North Korea — […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What will it take for Ukraine to win?” – Washington Post: Michael O’Hanlon

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… [With] restored U.S. support and ongoing help from Europe, Ukraine might be able to turn the tide. …. Ukrainian conscription … [now] allow[s] the government to draft men ages 25 and 26, [so that] some 400,000 more men are now eligible. … [T]hat likely won’t be enough to find 200,000 more, so [Ukraine] will also need … to increase […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Christine Lagarde says U.S. plan to raise debt against Russian assets carries legal risk” – Financial Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Counterfeit Euros from Russia, adapted from cbp.gov image

“Comments from European Central Bank chief point to transatlantic rift over use of seized funds” “… Lagarde … [said] … ‘I have seen four different … proposals to circumvent what many other jurists or lawyers — including in some [U.S.] administrations … — regard as a very serious legal obstacle ….’ She added that [the] work was ‘ongoing’ …. ‘Moving […]

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Back to the Future: Russia’s New (and Old) Economic Policy

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – William E. Pomeranz – April 18, 2024) William Pomeranz, the Director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, is an expert guide to the complexities of political and economic developments in Russia, particularly through the lens of law. Vladimir Putin is putting a brave face on Russia’s downward economic spiral. To survive, he has gone back […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine is heading for defeat; The West’s failure to send weapons to Kyiv is helping Putin win his war.” – Politico

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… If the tide doesn’t turn soon in this third year of Russia’s invasion, it will be the nation of Ukraine as it currently exists that is consigned to the past. For a war of such era-defining importance, the scale of Western leaders’ actions to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invaders has fallen far short of their soaring rhetoric. … Without […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Victory Could Lead to World War III: Kyiv” – Newsweek

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Denys Shmyhal file photo adapted from usembassy.gov image

“… Should Kyiv be defeated in the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022, ‘the global system of security will be destroyed … and all the world will need to find … a new system of security,’ [Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys] Shmyhal said … Wednesday …. ‘Or, there will be many conflicts, many such kinds of wars, and in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Ukraine war is lost, but Hollywood and DC don’t know it” – Fox: Bryan Dean Wright

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Reel of Film

“Hollywood and DC ignore fact that Russia’s army is bigger than when the war began and Ukraine can’t keep up” “… First, Ukraine lacks the soldiers to win. … As Ukraine’s Commander of Joint Forces said … April 11, there are seven to 10 times more Russian soldiers than … Ukrainians on the battlefield … three days after his colleague, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The futility of the war in Ukraine has become more apparent” – The Hill: Thomas Graham

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“The great tragedy of the Russian-Ukrainian war is that it will ultimately prove to have been futile. The likely outcome — territorial adjustments in Moscow’s favor, security guarantees for Ukraine and Russia — could have been peaceably negotiated beforehand had leaders had a firmer grasp of the real balance of power or greater political courage. The cost of failed diplomacy […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia, China to Work on ‘Double Counteracting’ U.S.-Led Alliance” – Bloomberg

China, Europe, EU, Headlines, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Sergei Lavrov file photo

“Lavrov discussed security with Wang during visit to China Beijing and Moscow have deepened ties since the start of war” “Russia and China agreed to start a [security] dialogue … with the aim of ‘double counteracting’ the [U.S.-led] European-Atlantic alliance …. ‘We have a common goal of increasing security in Eurasia,’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday … [meeting] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Help Ukraine Hold the Line” – New York Times

Arms Trade, Military Aid, China, Europe, EU, Headlines, Iran, JRL NewsBlog, Military, North Korea, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… [R]ecalcitrance in Congress is not Ukraine’s only problem. Europe has been slow to step in … and … Zelensky[] may have taken too long to lower the recruitment age to 25 …. American weapons and artillery are essential to Ukraine’s ability to hold the line and[] eventually … negotiate for an end to hostilities from a position of strength. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin and Xi’s Unholy Alliance; Why the West Won’t Be Able to Drive a Wedge Between Russia and China” – Foreign Affairs: Alexander Gabuev

China, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, United Nations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Beijing Temple, adapted from image at lbl.gov

“… [T]ightening … alignment between Russia and China is one of the most important geopolitical outcomes of Putin’s war against Ukraine. … Xi and Putin drive much of this reorientation, but it is also the byproduct of the deepening schism between the West and both countries. … [T]he West should be prepared for an extended period of simultaneous confrontation with […]

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Russia in Review, March 29-April 5, 2024

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Belarus, China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Environment, Europe, EU, Georgia, Headlines, Human Rights, Kyrgyzstan, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Syria, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 6 Things to Know Russian forces have gained 23 square miles of Ukrainian territory, while Ukrainian forces have re-gained 0 square miles in the past month, according to the April 2, 2024, issue of the Belfer Center’s Russia-Ukraine War Report Card. Most recently, Russian forces have advanced into the outskirts of the town of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO Wants to Show Support for Ukraine, but Only So Much” – New York Times

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
NATO Meeting File Photo

“Admitting Kyiv is a nonstarter as long as the war with Russia is raging. But the member nations want to show they are supporting Ukraine ‘for the long haul.’” “… Ukraine … ultimately [wants] … a formal invitation to join NATO. … [A]lliance officials agree that is not going to happen at … festivities … [in] Washington in July. NATO […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia presses for answers from West over Nord Stream blasts” – Reuters

Denmark, Europe, EU, Germany, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sweden
Gas Flame file photo

“… Moscow has shown … frustration over the inconclusive nature of inquiries by some foreign powers into explosions in September 2022 on [Nord Stream] pipelines designed to carry Russian gas to western Europe. Denmark dropped its investigation in February after Sweden closed its inquiry and handed evidence … to German investigators. … Russia and the West … have accused each […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S., NATO Preparing for ‘All Contingencies’ Amid Russia War Threat” – Newsweek

Europe, EU, Headlines, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
NATO Meeting File Photo

“[U.S. ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith] has stressed that the U.S. and its transatlantic partners are preparing for a Russian expansion of its war on Ukraine into allied territory … [saying] Tuesday that Russia remains ‘the pre-eminent threat that we’re grappling with,’ though [she] added: ‘We do not see an imminent threat to NATO territory.’ ‘NATO is not sitting on […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine is at great risk of its front lines collapsing” – Politico

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“According to high-ranking Ukrainian officers, the military picture is grim and Russian generals could find success wherever they decide to focus their upcoming offensive.” “… Europe … is trying to help Ukraine make up for its colossal disadvantage in artillery shells. … [A] proposed Czech-led bulk artillery ammunition purchase could bring Ukraine’s total from both within and outside the EU […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Doubles Down on Blaming Concert Massacre on Ukraine and the West” – WSJ

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“Campaign is part of push to divert attention from security failures, analysts say” “Reeling from an apparent security lapse that allowed … heavily-armed men to massacre dozens of concertgoers in Moscow … Russia has gone into overdrive advancing a narrative that pins the blame on a usual suspect: Ukraine. Western officials have said Islamic State is responsible for the March […]

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

Baltics, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Threat Forces Europe to Choose: Bolster Defense or Protect Social Spending” – WSJ

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
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: “How can democracies respond to rigged elections?” – The Economist

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
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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Expert Survey: Does Russia’s Presidential Election Matter to U.S. and Its Allies?

Europe, EU, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
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

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
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

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Europe, EU, France, Germany, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
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

Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, History, Soviet Union, NATO, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Claims That Sanctions Hurt Europe More Than Russia Are Wrong” – Foreign Policy

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
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: “Europe is at last adjusting to the new reality in Ukraine” – Financial Times

Baltics, Europe, EU, France, Germany, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military
Europe Map

“… This was going to be a long war that Russia would do everything to win, and the west was not ready. This reality has now been sinking in, exposing new tensions among western leaders about how to confront it. … Hampered by an excruciating shortage of ammunition and artillery that its allies were too slow to provide, Ukraine’s troops […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t seize: capitalise; How to put Russia’s frozen assets to work for Ukraine; Exploit them to the full, but legally” – The Economist

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map adapted from cia.gov image

“… About €190bn of [Russian] assets are controlled in Belgium by Euroclear, a custodian. … [I]nvestment returns and principal repayments it would pass on to Russia are instead piling up as a cash balance … currently … around €132bn … which Euroclear’s bank can profitably invest. The argument that Russia has no right to these returns is relatively uncontroversial, not […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s losses on the battlefield could make the war more dangerous for Russia” – CNBC

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

“Russia’s advantage on the battlefield could prompt Ukraine’s backers to give it more of what it wants, and needs, to win the war. Defense analysts call this irony of conflict the ‘escalation paradox.’ French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial comments on the possibility of NATO ground troops in Ukraine demonstrated this paradox.” “… With Ukraine now on the back foot, analysts […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The West Can No Longer Hesitate on Ukraine” – Foreign Policy: Alexander Vershbow

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
NATO Meeting File Photo

“Allies must provide Kyiv with what it needs to win the war and secure the peace: arms supplies and a path to NATO membership.” “… [T]he West … need[s] … a clearer strategy for achieving victory and stopping … Putin from overturning the rules-based international order. … [H]esitation and incrementalism in providing Ukraine with the military capabilities … it needs […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Six-Year Manifesto Sets Sights Beyond Ukraine” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Europe, EU, France, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“Putin’s state of the nation address should have been a mere pre-election formality, but it left an extremely chilling impression of an unraveling spiral of escalation.” “… The horizons of this ‘holy war’ have now expanded. If a year ago, Putin focused on protecting ‘our land’ and relied on defensive and even sacrificial rhetoric, this year he sounded victorious, speaking […]

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Russia in Review, Feb. 23-March 1, 2024

Armenia, Arms Trade, Military Aid, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, Belarus, China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, France, Georgia, Headlines, Human Rights, Military, NATO, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, North Korea, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Syria, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 7 Things to Know Vladimir Putin used his annual address to the Russian parliament to not only rattle his nuclear saber at the West again, but also to accuse his Western counterparts of “spooking the world” with the threat of a nuclear war, all while claiming to be ready for talks on nuclear arms control. “We remember what […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s resilience to sanctions shows it is ‘costly and unattainable’ to isolate a large and globally integrated economy, economist says” – Business Insider

China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“Russia’s economy remains resilient against Western sanctions. Economist Elina Ribakova wrote about the limitations of trying to isolate a globally integrated economy like Russia. The West’s experience sanctioning Russia could help in crafting potential future trade restrictions against China.” “Despite sweeping … sanctions over … Ukraine, Russia posted … GDP growth of 3.6% in 2023 after contracting 1.2% in 2022. […]

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The War in Ukraine in a Transitional World Order

China, Europe, EU, Headlines, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Robert Legvold – Feb. 23, 2024) Robert Legvold is Marshall D. Shulman Professor Emeritus in the department of political science at Columbia University. The fundamental questions raised by the war in Ukraine are like the two sides of a coin: on one side, there is the overarching but largely ignored question of how the war […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Two years on, is Ukraine’s military faltering?” – The Economist

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… My sense, based on recent conversations with Western military, defence and intelligence officials, is that a collapse of Ukrainian lines is unlikely. … Many of the sharpest observers of the war are concerned. … It would be unfair, however, to focus on Russian advances without mentioning a spectacular Ukrainian success. On February 23rd Ukraine said it had downed a […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Will the U.S. Abandon Ukraine?” – WSJ

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Two years after Russia’s invasion, America’s waning commitment is raising fears that Putin could win the war — and that Europe may be on its own in future conflicts.” “… Ukraine has proved a formidable foe, regaining half of the land initially occupied by Russia and inflicting staggering casualties on Russia’s much more powerful military. Europe, too, has absorbed the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “A War Putin Still Can’t Win” – Foreign Affairs

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“To Thwart Russia, America Needs a Long-Term Strategy — and Ukraine Needs Long-Range Weapons” “… [T]he brutal war has often defied expectations. … [W]hen Russian forces poured over the … border, Ukraine … mounted an effective resistance and quickly ended the siege on Kyiv. … [A]fter the war moved south and east, Ukraine again caught observers off guard with its […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Has Already Lost” – New York Times

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… If the fundamental purpose of [] Putin’s war was to keep Ukraine within Russia’s orbit — politically, culturally and economically — it has had the opposite effect. Ukraine’s leaders and citizens, particularly those from younger generations, have decided that their future lies with the West, not Russia [including in eastern Ukraine]. … [A]ny visitor to Ukraine’s eastern and southern […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Unveils Biggest Sanctions Package on Russia Since War Began” – Bloomberg

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Portion of U.S. Treasury Department Building Facade, North Side, with Sculpture of Alexander Hamilton

“Drone maker, payment system are among targets of penalties Yellen says Russia’s economy showing ‘signs of weakness’” “U.S. holds off metals sanctions amid fears of economic chaos Russia’s economy still forecast to grow up to 1.5% in 2024″ “The U.S. unveiled its biggest one-day sanctions package against Russia since the [full-scale] invasion of Ukraine … targeting more than 500 people […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Leadership Change in Russia: Contingency Planning Memorandum” – Council on Foreign Relations: Liana Fix, Maria Snegovaya

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“Vladimir Putin’s grip on power in Russia does not appear as ironclad as it once did. Liana Fix and Maria Snegovaya recommend that the United States prepare for potential leadership change in Moscow and develop response strategies with its allies to mitigate fallout.” “… Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 … Putin looked set to stay in power […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Seizing Frozen Russian Assets Over Ukraine War Wins Endorsement of Legal Experts” – Bloomberg

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Assorted U.S. Cash, adapted from image at tsa.gov

Letter from scholars backing seizure is circulating in G-7 ‘It would be lawful, under international law,’ 10 experts say “A group of legal experts sought to bolster the case for seizing frozen Russian central bank assets, arguing that such actions are allowed under international law given the scale of Russia’s continuing attacks in Ukraine. … The letter … is co-signed […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Diplomatic Path to a Secure Ukraine” – Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Ukraine’s best hope lies in a negotiated settlement that protects its security, minimizes the risks of renewed attacks or escalation, and promotes broader stability in Europe and the world. No settlement will endure unless Ukraine, Russia, and the West all see it as sufficiently serving their interests and … preferable to continued war. … [W]e need not and should […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Does the West’s Ukraine policy need a reality check?” – Brookings

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… [T]he outlook appears bleak: both sides have sustained horrific losses, millions of Ukrainians remain displaced or in exile, and there is no plausible sign of an end to the violence. Western capitals are struggling to supply funds and ammunition to Kyiv … [T]he Kremlin seemingly draws on limitless supplies and political support from authoritarian allies and continues to pound […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Despair in Russia as Putin Spirals Out of Control” – Daily Beast

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“Just this [past] week the Kremlin claimed it was at war with the United States and Putin’s No.1 enemy was found dead in prison. Russians are terrified about what’s next.” “…. Putin’s spokesman informed Russians this [past] week that … [Russia’s] ‘special military operation’ … was set to go on much longer because it is now ‘a war against the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden, lawmakers hammer Ukraine aid holdouts after Navalny death” – Politico

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Europe, EU, Headlines, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“At the White House, the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill, Ukraine backers amp up the pressure on Republican holdouts.” “… [T]he Pentagon … touted the impacts of U.S. and European aid to Kyiv on the battlefield and in the economic costs to Moscow, but also underscored worries that Ukrainian forces won’t have the weapons needed to fend off Russian forces […]

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Russia in Review, Feb. 9-15, 2024

Armenia, Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, Human Rights, Military, NATO, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 5 Things to Know Donald Trump’s advisers have discussed getting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin around a negotiating table early in a potential second term, according to a Feb. 14 report by Bloomberg. One adviser to Trump said the promise of severing U.S. military aid could help get Zelenskyy—whom Trump has described as “the greatest […]

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UKRAINELINK: “A Long War Made Longer by the West’s Unaddressed Mistakes” – Kennan Institute: Victor Andrusiv

Europe, EU, Headlines, NATO, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Victor Andrusiv, Officer, Ukrainian Armed Forces; Former Director, Kyiv School of Public Administration – Feb. 14, 2024) Two years of war in Ukraine is already a long time, but recent events suggest that all forecasts regarding the end of hostilities no longer apply. For the first time, in speaking of a “long war” we’re referring […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why NATO Needs Ukraine: Kyiv’s Survival and Europe’s Security Depend on a More Unified Front” – Foreign Affairs: Alina Polyakova, James Goldgeier

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
NATO Meeting File Photo

“… The July 2023 NATO summit … settl[ed] on an ambiguously worded communiqué declaring … NATO could invite Ukraine to join ‘when Allies agree and conditions are met.’ … The absence of a clear plan … has given Putin more confidence that he can wait out the West … in a war of attrition. … [T]he lack of resolve … […]

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