JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky’s Fight After the War: What Peace Will Mean for Ukraine’s Democracy” – Foreign Affairs/ Henry E. Hale, Olga Onuch

Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“… In the war’s first days, many Western observers assumed that Zelensky would buckle, flee, surrender, or die. Instead, he stayed in Kyiv and led Ukraine with resolve. His popularity skyrocketed. …. But when the war finally ends, Zelensky will face major challenges. Wartime leadership requires very different skills and capacities …. Ukrainians are less confident in Zelensky’s leadership when […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “America’s leading ‘realist’ keeps getting Russia wrong” – The Hill

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… Putin and his comrades see Nazis where there aren’t any … [and] see militarization where there isn’t any …. They insisted in late 2021 and early 2022 that they would never, ever invade Ukraine — and then did. They deny, still, targeting Ukrainian civilian targets. They deny, still, having destroyed the Kakhovka dam. The list could go on ad […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “After Armed Rebellion, Putin Tries to Reinforce His Defenses” – New York Times

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

“Long focused on security, the Russian resident is rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite and showering his most important constituency — the men with guns — with cash.” “… Putin appears to be scrambling to coup-proof his system once more. … rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite and showering his most important constituency — the men with guns — with […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Lessons from Ukraine; The war in Ukraine shows how technology is changing the battlefield” – The Economist

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

“But mass still counts, argues Shashank Joshi in the first of seven chapters of a special report on the future of warfare.” “… [The Russo-Ukrainian War has turned out to feature] old-style attrition: an industrial-scale contest of manpower, steel and explosives. … [with Russian casualties thought to number] over 200,000 … killed and wounded. … four times the … Soviet […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Medvedev says standoff with West to last decades, Ukraine conflict ‘permanent'” – Reuters

Dmitri Medvedev file photo

“… Medvedev … has warned that Moscow’s confrontation with the West will last decades and that its conflict with Ukraine could become permanent. Medvedev[, former Russian president and now] deputy head of … [Russia’s] Security Council, … has emerged as one of Russia’s most outspoken hawks since Moscow launched what it called a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine last year. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia ‘On the Edge of Civil War’ — Ukraine Spymaster” – Newsweek

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“The head of Ukraine’s main intelligence directorate (GUR)[, Major-General Kyrylo Budanov,] has said … Russia is on the brink of civil war …. [He said that] [h]is spy agency examined a secret internal study by Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD)… [that] focused on levels of public support for the [Wagner Group] mutiny … a direct challenge to … Putin’s […]

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Brooks and Capehart on cluster munitions for Ukraine” – PBS

File Image of DCIPM artillery shell artist's rendition, adapted from image at army.mil

“This is war. … Zelenskyy[] is fighting or forced to fight a Russian president who’s been ruthless, bombing civilian targets from almost minute one, with Zelenskyy pleading with the United States and the West, please send tanks, please send planes, please send us the most advanced military equipment you can give us, because we need it. … [S]ending cluster munitions […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Western Support for Kyiv: It’s Now or Never For Ukraine” – Der Spiegel/ Thore Schröder

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

“… At [the] NATO summit, the West must decide how much a victory over Putin is worth and finally get serious about delivering urgently needed weapons systems. … The Ukrainians have thus far fallen far short of the goals they set for their counteroffensive. They don’t have the equipment they need for a rapid breakthrough in the southeast … lack[ing] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is NATO Ready for Chaos in Russia?” – Foreign Policy/ Angela Stent

Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

“… [Prigozhin’s] short-lived mutiny … reminded the world that autocrats appear to be stable — until they are not. As NATO leaders convene … they will focus on the immediate challenge of the Russia-Ukraine war …. [b]ut the Western alliance will inevitably confront having to deal with a less stable nuclear-armed Russia. NATO has returned to its original mission of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: ‘Vladimir Putin’s useful idiots; Too many European politicians are failing to confront Russia” – The Economist

Europe Map

“… The spectrum of Europe’s Useful Idiots, a cold-war term for unwitting allies of communism, is wide. In politics, parties on both the far right and far left disagree on much; but over Ukraine these extremes have often converged in demanding an instant ‘peace’ that would in effect reward Russian aggression with land. In media and academe, intellectuals still seem […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s counteroffensive hasn’t met expectations. Here’s why progress has been slow” – CNN

Russian Landmine TM-62, adapted from image at army.mil

“… [S]outhern Ukraine [minefields] are so dense… [that] troops trying to liberate the area [reportedly] can only advance ‘tree by tree’ … Ukraine’s Western allies are getting nervous about the fact that … progress … is … measured in meters, rather than kilometers. … [T]he slower than expected pace of the counteroffensive means … support could become increasingly unsustainable if […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Prigozhin Affair Is Much Less than Meets the Eye” – Politico

Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“The short-lived mutiny by the Wagner Group rebounded to help solidify Putin’s control.” “… There is no doubt that Prigozhin’s rebellion was unpleasant news for Putin. But is the Russian leader weakened? We know very little about what happened between Putin and Prigozhin … ‘Putin’s chef.’ And what we do know supports very few, if any, of the claims that […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is Russia Really Becoming China’s Vassal?” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace/ Mikhail Korostikov

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

“China may have the opportunity to turn Russia into its vassal, but it has no compelling reason to do so.” “…. Moscow … is betting on China in the global confrontation with the West …. The trade turnover between the two countries, which reached a record $190 billion last year, increased by another 39 percent in the first quarter of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Donors Are War-Weary, So Ukrainian Soldiers Get Creative for Funds” – New York Times

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

“A robust fund-raising operation has been critical in supplying Ukraine’s military. But as the war drags on, contributions have lagged.” “… [M]any Ukrainian military units have relied heavily on donations and charitable funds to supply … troops with much-needed supplies like first aid kits, body armor, vehicles and even drones. People and groups from around the world rallied to Ukraine’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Wagner Cost Russia Suspiciously Little Money” – Bloomberg/ Leonid Bershidsky

Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“If Putin’s defense spending numbers are correct, it’s likely that Prigozhin overstated the size of his army.” “… [D]isatisfaction with Russia’s military and political leadership will continue to brew with the fighting in Ukraine. As more details become available about Wagner — until recently, the best-equipped, always regularly paid part of the Russian invasion force — officers and soldiers alike […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t Let Ukraine Join NATO; The Costs of Expanding the Alliance Outweigh the Benefits” – Foreign Affairs/ Justin Logan, Joshua Shifrinson

NATO Meeting File Photo

“… At a time when Washington already faces serious resource demands both at home and in Asia, it risks being backed into a corner: with Ukraine in NATO, Washington will need to divert resources from other priorities, … or accept increased risk along … a dramatically expanded eastern front. … [C]osts could balloon because of the perverse incentives that offering […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Smoking Guns: How to Prove the Putin Regime’s War Crimes in Ukraine” – Foreign Affairs/ Janine di Giovanni

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

“… [The] Ukraine … conflict has involved horrific atrocities, many … extensively recorded in real time …. [U]nlike in Syria and other recent wars, these crimes are being documented with the explicit aim of amassing evidence that can be used in courts. Since the war began, dozens of investigative journalists have been trained to become war crimes researchers, gathering images, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Wagner ‘Coup’ Was Staged by Putin — and the West Fell for It” – Newsweek/ Rebekah Koffler

Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“… An army invades Russia, race[s] right up to Moscow, and no one gets hurt? With just a few thousand men, it achieved what Hitler with almost a million men wasn’t able to? And Putin holds his military back? And then, with Moscow supposedly within his grasp, Prigozhin decides, ‘Oh well, never mind’ and heads to Belarus? … It is […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine says Putin is planning a nuclear disaster. These people live nearby” – Washington Post

Radioactivity Symbol Against Mottled Metallic Background, adapted from image at ready.gov

“.. .[R]isk of … major disaster at the … Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant terrifies Nadiya Hez, who lives in an area that would probably take the brunt of … radioactive fallout. The nuclear plant has been in continual danger as Russian and Ukrainian troops trade fire … but the chance of a meltdown has increased sharply since the [June 6] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Isn’t Going to Run Out of Missiles” – CSIS

File Photo of Russian Fighter Jet in Flight Bearing Kinzhal Hypersonic Missile, adapted from image at alssa.mil

“Long-range missile strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure have been … prominent and persistent …. … [T]he CSIS report Putin’s Missile War found that Russian missile attacks in 2022 … caused major damage to Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure but … failed to achieve the kind of decisive strategic effects … Moscow … likely sought. Into 2023, Russia has persisted in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is Russia Losing Its Grip on Central Asia? What China’s Growing Regional Ambitions Mean for Moscow” – Foreign Affairs/ Temur Umarov, Alexander Gabuev

Map of CIS Central Asia and Environs

“Last month … [in] a diplomatic milestone … Chinese President Xi Jinping[] … invited … leaders of five Central Asian states to … Xian for their first-ever joint summit with China. … [part of] China’s foray into a region … often referred to … as Russia’s backyard. … [P]raise … Xi and his guests from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. actively considering giving cluster munitions to Ukraine” – Politico

File Image of DCIPM artillery shell artist's rendition, adapted from image at army.mil

“The Biden administration is actively considering sending cluster munitions to Ukraine to help Kyiv’s counteroffensive punch through Russia’s defenses, two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the debate said. The discussion … has intensified … as Ukraine’s effort to break through Russia’s frontline has stalled. … Late last year, the administration said it had ‘concerns’ … mainly for humanitarian […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The humbling of Vladimir Putin: The Wagner mutiny exposes the Russian tyrant’s growing weakness. But don’t count him out yet” – The Economist

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

“The last pretence of … Putin to be … one of his nation’s historic rulers was stripped away …. [A]rmed mercenaries swept through his country almost unopposed, covering some 750km (470 miles) in a single day, seizing control of two big cities and getting to within 200km of Moscow before withdrawing unharmed. [] Putin long ago failed as a reformer […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “21 Miles of Obstacles: The Ukrainian counteroffensive faces an enemy nearly as daunting as the Russians: the terrain” – New York Times

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

“… For Ukraine to retake territory … armored vehicles and infantry [] will need to traverse routes that Russia has extensively mined. Open fields and side roads will need to be cleared …. The West has supplied mine-clearing equipment, including explosive charges that can clear an open lane through a minefield. But … the task is [still] daunting. … [and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Yesterday’s Putin Is Gone” – New York Times/ Andrei Kolesnikov

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

“… Prigozhin’s mutiny … poke[d] a hole in the Kremlin’s campaign to assure Russians that everything is fine …. [] Prigozhin … gave more Russians reason to doubt their leadership. Is [] Putin really the all-powerful, czarlike figure they thought he was? …. Even if they are not ready to give up their relative safety and stability in favor of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Prigozhin went free. What about these Russians?” – Washington Post

File Photo of Prison Cell and Bars with Shaft of Light, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“For 18 months, Russia has been sliding deeper into totalitarian rule, including draconian laws pushed by … Putin that make it criminal to question the war against Ukraine — or even call it a ‘war’ …. [T]housands of Russians who object to the war and oppose [] Putin have not had the benefit of [the kind of] lenienc[y] [shown Prigozhin, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “West explores nuclear risks from unstable Putin regime” – Financial Times

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

“Officials have discussed possible negative outcomes from Wagner insurrection destabilising Kremlin” “Western nations have explored contingencies in the aftermath of … Prigozhin’s attempted insurrection … including the threat to nuclear stockpiles from an unstable [Russian] regime …. Talks led by G7 members [reportedly] have included [discussions of] how a weakening of … Putin’s control over security and military forces could […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine says ‘main event’ in counteroffensive still to come” – Financial Times

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

“Defence minister argues Wagner insurrection in Russia will encourage further western support for Kyiv” “… [F]ormer Soviet paratrooper … [and current Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy] Reznikov said Ukraine’s army continued to impose heavy losses on Russian troops, with ‘degradation as a tool and the liberation of Ukrainian lands as the goal.’ Ukraine’s counteroffensive has … recaptured about 300 square kilometres […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “After the rebellion, how well will Putin carry on his rule?”  – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“Yevgeny Prigozhin’s attempted rebellion didn’t topple President Vladimir Putin. But in its aftermath, it has launched debate over just how stable Mr. Putin’s hold on the country really is.” “When oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin led his 25,000-strong Wagner private military forces into open insurrection against Russia’s Defense Ministry and Moscow elites … it looked like the kind of turning point that […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin, Prigozhin, and Russia’s Future; Caution should be our guiding principle” – The Nation/ Katrina vanden Heuvel

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

“… Prigozhin lambasted the elite’s children as ‘shaking their tails on beaches’ while the children of ordinary Russian families are dying. … His fury both stokes and is fueled by widespread anger … [Russian] towns have been emptied by conscription[] and …  cemeteries seek more gravediggers. … It would be reckless to dismiss the possibility that the regime’s internal troubles […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Just How Much Trouble Is Vladimir Putin In?” – Politico

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

“Fourteen Russia experts on what we learned about Putin over the past few days, and what the attempted mutiny could mean for Russia and the West.” “… Some think this is the beginning of the end of Putin’s rule while others think he could use the episode to consolidate his power. Some see a future of bitter infighting among elites […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Beginning of the End for Putin? Prigozhin’s Rebellion Ended Quickly, but It Spells Trouble for the Kremlin” – Foreign Affairs/ Liana Fix, Michael Kimmage

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… [Recent] events … portend a dark future for Russia. In a few short hours, Prigozhin’s armed rebellion generated enormous chaos. The war has stretched Russian state capacity thin … [T]he revolt has stretched it still further, presenting … a new domestic challenge. For years, the Kremlin has devised ways to head off a [cosmopolitan,] liberal, urban revolution. … [T]he […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Gripped by Uncertainty After Mutiny, Russians Note Absence of Kremlin Leaders” – New York Times

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

“Neither Vladimir V. Putin nor the leader of the Wagner mercenary group made public appearances on Sunday, a day after an armed rebellion shook the nation.” “Confusion and uncertainty pervaded Russia on Sunday … [N]either … Putin nor … Prigozhin, … head of a mutinous mercenary group, appear[ed] anywhere in public a day after the most profound government crisis in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin looked into the abyss Saturday — and blinked” – Washington Post

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

“… Putin looked into the abyss … and blinked. After vowing revenge for what he called an ‘armed mutiny,’ he settled for a compromise. The speed with which Putin backed down suggests … his sense of vulnerability might be higher even than analysts believed. Putin might have saved his regime Saturday, but this day will be remembered as part of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Inside Zelensky’s Plan to Beat Putin’s Propaganda in Russian-Occupied Ukraine” – Time

Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“… [I]n Russia … [and] occupied regions of eastern and southern Ukraine, millions of people absorb the Kremlin line about Ukraine through Russian television. Its central message, like a genocidal fever dream mixed in among gardening shows and soap operas, depicts Ukraine’s existence as a historical mistake, its government a cabal of satanists and neo-Nazis intent on Russia’s destruction. Zelensky, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Prigozhin’s armed insurrection/mutiny/rebellion” – Michael Kofman

Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

(Michael Kofman – twitter.com/KofmanMichael – June 25, 2023) “A few thoughts on Prigozhin’s armed insurrection/mutiny/rebellion. For now it appears over. … Prigozhin launched a mutiny that ultimately challenged Putin’s power, and the system. This was not a traditional coup, but with Putin’s video and FSB statements it became a challenge that would reveal the extent of brittleness in the regime. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Wagner’s Aborted Mutiny Leaves No Winners in Russia; The authority of the Russian state has sustained lasting damage, inviting future challenges” – WSJ

Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“Shaken by the Wagner mutiny, Russia began addressing the damage of Saturday’s bout of violence as its citizens tried to understand how these events will affect … Putin’s regime, … shown … [to be] so unexpectedly vulnerable. … One widely shared conclusion in Russia …  was that none of the key players in the power struggle that began when Prigozhin […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Short-Lived Mutiny in Russia Sheds Light on Putin’s Hold on Power” – New York Times

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

“The armed standoff on the road to Moscow, brief as it was, represented the most dramatic struggle for power in Russia in decades.” “… Could Russia’s botched invasion … eventually lead to the downfall of … Putin? For a few chaotic, head-snapping hours this weekend, the notion did not seem so far-fetched. … [E]ven with the apparent end to the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “A critical look at Russian studies in the U.S.” – Meduza

Bookcase file photo, adapted from image at nlm.nih.gov

“In a new piece for VoxUkraine that’s been circulating on Twitter, economists Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Ilona Sologoub, and Tatyana Deryugina make the case for a ‘major review of both the quantity and quality of “Slavic” studies,’ arguing that the field focuses disproportionately on Russia and leaves graduates unprepared to produce balanced media coverage or wise policy. The claim that many of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The great dilemma: NATO is agonising over whether to let Ukraine join. America is not keen for the country to enter the alliance — yet” – The Economist

NATO Meeting File Photo

“… Biden was blunt … about Ukraine’s chances of joining NATO. ‘I’m not going to make it easier,’ he declared. Despite its bold fight against Russia, the country still has to prove itself: ‘Does it meet all the standards every other nation in NATO does?’ Joining the alliance … ‘is not automatic.’ America … finds itself unusually isolated in the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s Offensive Slows Down, Zelensky Says, as Kyiv Rethinks Approach” – WSJ

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

“Putin says Kyiv has no chances in its push to retake occupied land” “Ukrainian forces are proceeding more slowly than planned in their offensive to retake occupied areas, … Zelensky acknowledged, as military commanders said they are taking time to reassess tactics, adjusting to Russia’s extensive minefields and [air] attacks …. Both sides agree that the intensity of fighting declined […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia gas flows through Ukraine could stop next year, Kyiv says” – Financial Times

Gas Flame file photo

“Ukrainian energy minister said renewal of five-year transit contract to supply Europe was unlikely” “One of the last arteries carrying Russian gas to Europe could be shut off by the end of [2024] when Ukraine’s … contract with Gazprom expires … Ukrainian [Minister of Energy German] Galushchenko said … the chances of … [contract] renewal … were slim … [T]he […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “An unspooked spook; Ukraine’s spymaster has got under the Kremlin’s skin” – The Economist/ Kyrylo Budanov

Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

“… 37-year-old General [Kyrylo] Budanov, a former commando, is Ukraine’s youngest-ever spymaster. … [A]rchitect of increasingly brazen operations within Russia, he is also a big irritant for the Kremlin. Aides say there have been ‘at least ten’ attempts on his life. … Western partners describe [him] as a straightforward and incorruptible player. He is now [reportedly] privy to more American […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Top U.S. official to meet Ukraine war sceptics from developing nations” – Financial Times

File Photo of Jake Sullivan Gesturing While Speaking Next to U.S. Flag, with White House Logo in Background

“Jake Sullivan to fly to Copenhagen at Kyiv’s request to meet India, Brazil and others in ‘global south’” “Joe Biden’s … national security [advisor Jake Sullivan] will fly to [Copenhagen] this weekend at [Ukraine’s] behest … for an unannounced meeting with representatives of several developing countries that have not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, [reportedly] including India, Brazil and South […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Digging Up Old Graves to Make Room for Newly Fallen Soldiers” – New York Times

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

“Funerals have taken on a grim routine in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, and as the fighting grows more intense during the counteroffensive, gravediggers say they are bracing for more bodies.” “… Fierce battles are playing out … in the … east and south …. A British defense intelligence report said … Sunday … both armies were suffering significant casualties […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Treacherous Path to a Better Russia; Ukraine’s Future and Putin’s Fate” – Foreign Affairs/ Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Erica Frantz

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

“… Authoritarian leaders rarely lose power while still waging a war they initiated. … [and] authoritarian regimes most often survive in the wake of the departure of longtime leaders … [W]ere Putin to die … or be removed by insiders, the regime would … likely endure …. One development … could spark more substantive change in Russia: a Ukrainian victory. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO Has No Good News for Ukraine” – Foreign Policy

NATO meeting file photo

“Next month’s meeting of Western allies will leave the war-torn country mostly empty-handed.” “… [In] 2008 … NATO officially welcomed Ukraine’s aspirations for membership …. Now, after a full-scale Russian invasion, [Ukraine] is being asked to wait longer, without a timeline …. [T]he alliance … offers [Ukraine] perhaps the only chance at dodging future Russian attacks on its sovereignty. … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Showcase Economic Forum Is Now a Charade” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Cash, Calculator, Pen

“The excessive optimism of Putin and his ministers smacks of an attempt to convince not even mythical investors so much as themselves that business as usual is possible — and even compatible with their threats to unleash nuclear war.” “… Investors and foreign media used to see … Putin’s keynote address as an economic road map and indication of [Putin’s] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Rush to Arm Ukraine, Weapons Are Bought but Not Delivered, or Too Broken to Use” – New York Times

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

“Some of the weapons sent to Ukraine by other countries have been unusable, and hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts paid up front have yet to be fulfilled.” “Ukraine has paid contractors hundreds of millions of dollars for weapons that have not been delivered, and some of the much-publicized arms donated by its allies have been so decrepit that […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Mines Everywhere’: Ukraine’s Offensive Is Proving a Hard Slog” – WSJ

Russian Landmine TM-62, adapted from image at army.mil

“Dense Russian defenses and a lack of air cover add to the challenges facing Ukrainian troops.” “… Ukraine’s ambitious offensive to take back Russian-occupied land is proving to be a hard slog against dense minefields, well-prepared defenses and Russia’s superior air power. After … mixed results, Ukrainian forces have mostly paused … assaults … [to] draw lessons from the past […]

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