Category: JRL NewsBlog

JRL NEWSWATCH: “The U.S. imports uranium from Russia. What if sanctions end that?” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Nuclear Energy, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“If sanctions are imposed on Rosatom, Russia’s civilian nuclear firm, it could cut off exports of uranium to the U.S. and European nuclear industry. What would be the impact?” “Russia’s state-owned nuclear power conglomerate, Rosatom, is suspected of supplying the Russian arms industry with components, technology and raw materials for missile fuel …. The military goods were sent to more […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t Fear Putin’s Demise; Victory for Ukraine, Democracy for Russia” – Foreign Affairs/ Garry Kasparov, Mikhail Khodorkovsky

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

“The [Putin] regime … is living on borrowed time. … If the West holds firm, Putin’s regime will likely collapse in the near future. Yet some of Ukraine’s key partners continue to resist supplying Kyiv with the weapons it needs …. The end of Putin’s tyrannical rule will indeed radically change Russia (and … the world) …. [But] [r]ather than […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Adam Schiff, Disinformation Man: The latest Twitter documents show how he deceived the public and has earned his ouster from the Intelligence Committee.” – Wall Street Journal

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“… Twitter documents … have exposed another Schiff falsehood. As news broke that [] Nunes … submitted his then-classified memo to Congress, Twitter exploded with the hashtag ‘#ReleaseTheMemo.’ [] Schiff … joined … Feinstein to publicly claim this hashtag was driven by ‘Russian bots and trolls’ … to ‘manipulate public opinion,’ ‘influence congressional action’ and ‘undermine … Mueller’s investigation’ into […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “A Brutal New Phase of Putin’s Terrible War in Ukraine” – New York Times

Arms Trade, Military Aid, 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 has won repeated and decisive victories …, clawed back some of its lands and cities and withstood lethal assaults on … infrastructure[] [but] the war is at a stalemate. Still, the fighting rages on, including a ferocious battle for … Bakhmut in … eastern Donetsk …. Cruel, seemingly random Russian missile strikes at civilian targets have become a […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Defensive missile systems erected on Moscow rooftops” – The Guardian

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“Kremlin appears to prepare for strikes on Russian capital by installing interception systems.” “Missile systems designed to intercept aircraft and incoming missiles appear to have been deployed on top of several defence and administrative buildings in downtown Moscow, signalling that the Kremlin is preparing for a potential, if unlikely, attack being directed on the Russian capital. … The appearance of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Sanctions on Russia Are Working: Slowly but Surely, They Are Weakening Putin” – Foreign Affairs/ Vladimir Milov

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Portion of U.S. Treasury Department Building Facade, North Side, with Sculpture of Alexander Hamilton

“… Russia had the opportunity to cushion its economy against Western sanctions before Putin declared war. … Russia accumulated substantial financial reserves. … increased trade to Asia … and[,] [m]ost important, Putin aggressively strengthened his repressive machine to deter mass protests against deteriorating living standards.  … [E]xpectations that Western sanctions would cause the Russian economy — and Putin’s regime — […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Bloody Bakhmut siege poses risks for Ukraine” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Kyiv must balance its defense of the city, weighted with symbolism, with preparations for a counteroffensive.” “Ukraine faces difficult choices about how much deeper its military should get drawn into a protracted fight over the besieged city of Bakhmut, as Kyiv prepares for a new counteroffensive elsewhere on the front that requires conserving weapons, ammunition and experienced fighters. … [A] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders plea for Western tanks” – BBC

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of T-72 Tanks in Bulgaria, adapted from image at defense.gov, with photo credit to Cpl. Immanuel Johnson

“… Plans to send German-made Leopard tanks and UK Challengers to the front lines here in the Donbas have been greeted with visible excitement by Ukrainian forces, who have been taking heavy casualties in recent weeks, around Bakhmut, and, more particularly, during the ferocious struggle for the nearby town of Soledar. … The war in Ukraine has, in many ways, […]

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VIDEO: “How U.S. prosecutors seize sanctioned Russian assets” – CBS

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations, Videos
Hand Pulling Cash from Envelope

“Since the U.S. levied sanctions against Russian oligarchs last spring in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s wealthiest have gone to great lengths around the globe to hide their wealth. So, too, have U.S. prosecutors in pursuit of would-be sanctions evaders. … The Justice Department’s KleptoCapture unit does not only seek Kremlin companions hiding assets. It also looks for […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Energy Clout Is Waning, Weakening Its Global Influence” – WSJ

China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sanctions
Gas Flame file photo

“The rebalancing is stoking Moscow’s fear of becoming a junior partner to Beijing.” “… Putin‘s use of energy as a weapon of financial war is increasingly backfiring, threatening the core of Russia’s beleaguered economy and curtailing its geopolitical influence. Western sanctions, falling prices for Russian fossil fuels and strategic miscalculations are hurting the country’s oil-and-gas industry while the war in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “No Russian and no Russians: Ukraine invasion has supercharged Latvian nationalism” – Vancouver Sun

Baltics, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Latvia, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Baltics and Environs, Including Kaliningrad

“Back to the U.S.S.R.: Paule Robitaille writes that Soviet Union symbols used to be tolerated, now they’re reminders of Putin’s aggression.” “… [A]lmost everyone in Latvia feels … hyperaware of the fragility of their way of life. In Riga, the war feels very close and immediate. The Russian and Belarusian borders are only a few hours away by car. Despite […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What 70 Years of War Can Tell Us About the Russia-Ukraine Conflict” – New York Times

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“Despite some postmodern features, the fighting resembles a type of conflict from decades past: wars fought between nations in which one does not conquer the other outright.” “Any Russian invasion of Ukraine was long expected to … [be] defined by 21st-century weapons like media manipulation, battlefield-clouding disinformation, cyberattacks, false flag operations and unmarked fighters. Such elements have [been] featured …. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Scale of alleged torture, detentions by Russian forces in Kherson emerges” – Reuters

Headlines, Human Rights, International Law, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… [M]ethods of the alleged physical torture administered by occupying Russian forces [reportedly] have included electric shocks to genitals and other parts of the body, beatings and various forms of suffocation …. Prisoners [reportedly] were also held in overcrowded cells without sanitation or sufficient food or water for periods of up to two months …. According to the most comprehensive […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “It’s High Time to Prepare for Russia’s Collapse; Not planning for the possibility of disintegration betrays a dangerous lack of imagination.” – Foreign Policy/ Alexander J. Motyl

Baltics, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“Ever since Russia’s attempt to take Kyiv and install a puppet government failed in the early days of the war, a defeat for the Kremlin in Ukraine has looked increasingly likely. What’s stunning … is the near-total absence of any discussion among politicians, policymakers, analysts, and journalists of the consequences of defeat for Russia. … considering the potential for Russia’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Time is not on Ukraine’s side” – Washington Post/ Condoleezza Rice, Robert M. Gates

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“When it comes to the war in Ukraine, about the only thing that’s certain … is that the fighting and destruction will continue. … Putin remains fully committed to bringing all of Ukraine back under Russian control or — failing that — destroying it as a viable country. He believes it is his historical destiny — his messianic mission — […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine military says it killed 800 Russian soldiers in past day” – EURACTIV/ Reuters

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Ukraine’s military estimated on Thursday (5 January) that 800 Russian soldiers were killed in the past day, mostly … in the eastern Donetsk region, while Western allies pledged supplies of armoured battle vehicles but not the tanks Ukraine wants. … Ukraine’s military said Russian forces were focused on an offensive in the Bakhmut sector and its attacks in the Avdiivka […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Rebound: How Moscow Has Partly Recovered From Its Military Setbacks” – Foreign Affairs

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“‘All the dumb Russians are dead[,]’ … said Ukrainian officials in July … as they sought to explain why the Russian army had abandoned the overambitious strategy and amateurish tactics that defined its [earlier] conduct …. It was probably too early to make this quip. The Russians continued to do many dumb things and indeed still do. But broadly speaking […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine Is Already Paying Us Back; Our investments in Ukrainian democracy are paying off. Now is not the time to pull back.” – Politico

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Maidan Square in Kiev, Ukraine

“Ukraine is … defeating the Russian army … crippling one of America’s most dangerous adversaries. … For decades, Washington has invested in supporting the institutions that enabled Ukraine to take a different path than Russia, … toward democracy and independence … away from autocracy and subservience, and to tackle corruption to serve citizens instead of fostering kleptocracy …. As … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s New Winter War: Could Putin Go the Way of Napoleon and Hitler?” – Foreign Affairs

Environment, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… [W]hen the Kremlin was finally forced to order a ‘partial mobilization’ of the Russian population, it had to warn those called up that uniforms and equipment were in short supply. They would have to provide their own body armor and even ask their mothers and girlfriends for sanitary pads to use instead of field dressings. The lack of bandages […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin, Isolated and Distrustful, Leans on Handful of Hard-Line Advisers” – WSJ

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

“Russia’s president built a power structure designed to deliver him the information he wants to hear, feeding into his miscalculations on the Ukraine war.” “… [Putin reportedly] seemed to have limited understanding of the reality of the situation [in a particular location] …. His poorly equipped front-line troops were being encircled by a Ukrainian advance backed by artillery provided by […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky Urges Ukrainians to Persevere as Putin Says Moscow Ready for Long War” – WSJ

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“In a defiant Christmas message, Ukraine’s president called on Ukrainians to continue to resist Russian forces.” “… Ukrainian officials … warned that Russia would try to make the Christmas and New Year period as miserable as possible for Ukrainian civilians, part of a focus on targeting the population far behind the front lines. Moscow has targeted Ukraine’s power grid and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Victory’? Zelensky and Biden differ on the path forward for Ukraine” – Washington Post/ David Ignatius

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“Make no mistake: Beyond the rousing, heartfelt cheers for … Zelensky, his visit to Washington was a war summit. And it appears to have ended with a gap between the two allies about their strategies for ending the war. … In his address to Congress, Zelensky said emphatically that he seeks ‘absolute victory’ over Russia …. Zelensky used the word […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Some Ukrainians move up Christmas to part ways with Russia” – AP

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Religion, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, adapted from image at cia.gov by Steven C. Welsh :: www.stevencwelsh.com :: www.stevencwelsh.info

“Some Orthodox Ukrainians have decided to observe Christmas on Dec. 25, like many Christians around the world. … The idea … was considered radical in Ukraine until recently, but Russia’s invasion changed many hearts and minds. In October, the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine … not aligned with the Russian church[,] … one of two branches of Orthodox […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How Citizen Spies Foiled Putin’s Grand Plan for One Ukrainian City” – New York City

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“A partisan cell in Kherson spied on, undermined and even hunted down Russian soldiers. Now that Vladimir V. Putin’s forces are gone, people feel free to talk — and to brag a little.” “Guided by … Ukrainian security services … ordinary citizens formed themselves into a grass-roots resistance movement.  … They took clandestine videos of Russian troops and sent them […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Belarus Is Inching Toward Invading Ukraine; Signs are growing that an invasion from the north could be imminent” – Foreign Policy

Belarus, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Belarus and Environs, adapted from images at cia.gov

“Recent satellite images of Belarus show newly carved forest roads and the movement of a slow stream of military equipment to Ukraine’s northern border. Many experts take it as a sign that Belarus is likely to be the next front in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The arrival of new equipment, together with a recent ‘counterterror’ operation and snap inspection of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Mr. Zelensky Goes to Washington; The U.S. would be far worse off today if Putin had conquered Ukraine.” – WSJ

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“… Zelensky’s visit … is a symbolically important moment after 10 brutal months of war in Ukraine. … his first trip abroad since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24[.] [T]he Ukrainian President is signaling how vital the U.S. is to his country’s survival …. [] Zelensky, in his trademark fatigues, met … Biden at the White House and addressed […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Spending Bill Contains Billions for Ukraine” – WSJ

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
American Flag and Partial View of U.S. Capitol Dome, adapted from image at aoc.gov

“… Here is some of what is in the bill … $9 billion to arm, equip and train Ukrainian forces …. on top of the nearly $20 billion in [U.S.] military hardware … already sent …. $7 billion … to fund the surge of U.S. troops and gear to Europe …. $687 million for Army ammunition plants[] to build capacity […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO Could Take Out Russia in 3 Days: Congressman” – Newsweek

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

“Representative Adam Kinzinger said on Monday that [NATO] could take out Russia in only three days. … Putin has long taken issue with NATO … raising concerns about the West’s expanding sphere of influence …. [s]pecifically … oppos[ing] … Ukraine joining …. Experts have raised concern the Russia-Ukraine war could escalate into a larger conflict with NATO …. Both Russia […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia has its troops. But does it have the economy to supply them?” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Cash, Calculator, Pen

“When Russia called up 300,000 reservists to fill out the army’s ranks for the ongoing Ukraine war … bureaucratic chaos and public angst … erupted as men were dragged from their civilian lives into unexpected military service …. But there is a parallel, economic mobilization … still going on, to rapidly reallocate resources and labor from the civilian sector to […]

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AUDIO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “A century and counting: Ukraine’s ongoing fight to free itself from Russia” – NPR

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Maidan Square in Kiev, Ukraine

“The past century in Ukraine has been packed with monumental events — wars, famines, political upheavals. Yet there’s a recurring theme that can be boiled down to a single sentence: Ukraine tries to break free from Russia, and Russia refuses to let it go. … Ukrainians thought this matter was finally resolved in December 1991, when … [in] a referendum[,] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How Putin’s technocrats saved the economy to fight a war they opposed” – Financial Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“Once thought of as reformers, the president’s economic confidants have ended up as enablers of an invasion they warned against.” “One month before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine … Putin’s top economic confidants … brief[ed] him on the likely fallout from western sanctions. … Gref … led a 39-page presentation warning … of disastrous consequences …. Nabiullina … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Makes Rare Visit to Ukraine War Headquarters” – New York Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“The meetings with his top brass seemed to signal a shift from his largely hands-off public posture to one conveying a more active role in war planning.” “… Putin … made a surprise visit to a command post coordinating the Russian war effort in Ukraine, the Kremlin said …. Putin spent the day on Friday in the military headquarters in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “A Biden admin official recently told members of Congress that Ukraine has the military capability to take back Crimea” – NBC

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

“No offensive is imminent, but officials worry that a large-scale attack that threatens Russia’s hold on the peninsula could push Putin to use nuclear weapons.” “A Biden administration official … told … Congress … Ukraine has the military capability to retake Crimea[.] [B]ut some [U.S.] officials [reportedly] are concerned any large-scale offensive that threatens Russia’s hold on the peninsula could […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Are We in the West Weaker Than Ukrainians? Thank God someone is standing up to Putin.” – New York Times

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… We are holding Ukraine’s coat as it is sacrificing lives and infrastructure in ways that benefit us, by degrading Russia’s military threat to NATO and Western Europe — and thus to us. … Putin has been a destabilizing and brutal bully for many years — from Chechnya to Syria, Georgia to Moldova — partly because the world has been […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “A looming Russian offensive; Ukraine’s chiefs, in an unprecedented series of briefings, tell The Economist about the critical months that lie ahead” – The Economist

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Russia is massing men and arms for a new offensive. As soon as January, but more likely in the spring, it could launch a big attack from Donbas in the east, from the south or even from Belarus, a puppet state in the north. Russian troops will aim to drive back Ukrainian forces and could even stage a second attempt […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Royal Marines deployed on ‘high-risk covert operations’ in Ukraine” – The Times (UK)

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“The Royal Marines have taken part in covert operations in Ukraine …. Lieutenant General Robert Magowan said that the commandos supported ‘discreet operations’ in a ‘hugely sensitive environment.’ He said that their missions carried ‘a high level of political and military risk.’ Magowan is the former commandant general of the Royal Marines …. The Ministry of Defence had previously acknowledged […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Divided in the Face of Defeat: The Schism Forming in the Russian Elite” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

“Russia is heading toward a final battle between the radicals, for whom escalation is a way of life, and the realists, who understand that continuing to up the ante could lead to their country’s collapse.” “There was already talk of a possible split within the Russian elite two months ago, after Russia’s hurried retreat from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Since then, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s War and the Dangers of Russian Disintegration; The Unraveling of a Fragile Multiethnic State Could Lead to More Violence” – Foreign Affairs/ Marlene Laruelle

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russia Regions Map

“As … Putin doubles down on his war in Ukraine …. [s]ome observers have predicted that [Putin] could be overthrown; others even hope for a breakup of the country. … Could Russia splinter? Russia’s geography makes cohesiveness elusive. Spanning 11 time zones, it is the largest nation … by landmass. Twenty percent of its population is not ethnically Russian but […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin says Russia could adopt U.S. preemptive strike concept” – AP

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

“… Putin said … Moscow could adopt what he described as a U.S. concept of using preemptive military strikes … in a blunt statement amid rising Russia-NATO tensions over Ukraine. … For years, the Kremlin has expressed concern about U.S. efforts to develop the so-called Conventional Prompt Global Strike capability that envisions hitting an adversary’s strategic targets with precision-guided conventional […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t Be Afraid of a Russian Collapse; Why is the West so hesitant about a clear Ukrainian victory?” – Foreign Policy

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… The Ukrainians’ courage and determination to defend their independence is a historic chance for the United States and Europe to deliver a decisive blow to Russian imperialism and toxic nationalism. But so far, the major Western powers hesitate to throw their weight behind this outcome. Ukraine, strongly supported by the Baltic countries and Poland, insists that Russia must be […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky” – Time

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“Zelensky’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious. It spread through Ukraine’s political leadership in the first days of the invasion, as everyone realized the President had stuck around. … During his childhood, Zelensky’s grandmother would talk about the time when Soviet soldiers came to confiscate the food grown in Ukraine, its vast […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Goal in Ukraine: Drive Russians Back to Pre-Invasion Lines, Blinken Says” – WSJ

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

“Kyiv must decide itself later whether to try to reclaim Crimea and Donbas” “The U.S. priority is helping Kyiv drive Russian forces out of Ukrainian territory … seized since the full-scale invasion in February … leaving to Kyiv a future decision on whether to press the fight on to … Russian-occupied Crimea[] … and eastern Donbas …. Though Ukrainian forces […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s Somme: Russia is hurling troops at the tiny Ukrainian town of Bakhmut. But the battle is bloody and pointless” – The Economist

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Ukrainian offensives in Kharkiv … and Kherson … have put Russia on the defensive along vast front lines. The exception is Bakhmut, along with Avdiivka to the south. Virtually all of Russia’s remaining offensive power — which is not much — has been thrown at the town since August. That was originally because it anchors the southern end of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Pope Francis Compares War in Ukraine to the Holocaust” – WSJ

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Religion, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“Pontiff intensifies his rhetoric on Russia’s invasion, which he recently likened to the Soviet genocide.” “Pope Francis … compared the war in Ukraine to the Nazi genocide of the Jews, in his latest escalation of rhetoric on the war. The comments risked aggravating tensions between the Vatican and Moscow following the Pope’s earlier comparison of the war to Soviet-instigated genocide […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Russia, critiquing the Ukraine war could land you in prison” – Christian Science Monitor

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Religion, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“The Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent has gone from being focused on particular targets to broadly criminalizing any criticism of the government or its war – and it is casting a pall over Russian society.” “… Mikhail Lobanov, a local political activist in the Moscow suburb of Ramenki, put a little sign on his balcony that said ‘No War.’ … [O]ne […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. intel chief thinking ‘optimistically’ for Ukraine forces” – AP

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“The head of U.S. intelligence says fighting in Russia’s war in Ukraine is running at a ‘reduced tempo’ and suggests Ukrainian forces could have brighter prospects in coming months. … [T]he British Ministry of Defense … pointed to … public support in Russia for the military campaign … ‘falling significantly.’ Meduza said it obtained a recent confidential opinion survey conducted […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Sanctions on Russia Are Working. Here’s Why.” – Foreign Policy/ Agathe Demarais

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Image of Artist's Conception of Globe with Curved Connecting Lines of Light Passing Through Space, adapted from image at fincen.gov

“The Kremlin’s ability to wage war is already constrained, but the worst is yet to come.” “… [I]ncessant debates over the effectiveness of sanctions … serve[] the Kremlin’s interests. … [W]inter fast approaching, Putin is betting that sanctions fatigue will soon set in. … [D]ata show[] that the people claiming sanctions are ineffective are wrong: Only nine months after … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What is the war in Ukraine teaching Western armies? It shows the importance of dispersal, firepower and stockpiles” – The Economist

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File photo

“… The pivotal role of artillery is a sobering thought for western European armies, whose firepower has dwindled dramatically since the end of the cold war. … Ukraine[] … started the war with over 1,000 barrel artillery systems (those with long tubes) and 1,680 multiple-rocket launchers — more than Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Poland [combined] … the largest artillery […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “EU Asks Members to Set Russia Oil-Price Cap at $60” – WSJ

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Oil Well file photo

“Move is an attempt to squeeze the Kremlin’s oil revenues while keeping global supplies steady.” “The European Commission, the [EU]’s executive body, [reportedly] has asked the [EU]’s 27 member states to approve a … Russian oil [price cap] of $60 a barrel …. significantly below the international benchmark … Brent …. … [T]he [G7] … nations [would] need to sign […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “EU Says It Can’t Seize Frozen Russian Central-Bank Assets for Ukraine; Brussels hopes to set aside a portion of the funds to pay for Ukraine’s reconstruction” – WSJ

Europe, EU, Headlines, International Law, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map adapted from cia.gov image

“… Pressure had been building … for Brussels to come up with ways to seize Russian assets and hold top Russian leaders accountable for the war [in Ukraine]. European Commission officials … said that because of … state immunity, they were unable to confiscate central-bank assets, but were now proposing that member states and their international partners establish a fund […]

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