Category: JRL NewsBlog

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine needs to open up about hard truths from battlefield, US diplomat says” – Politico

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of James Rubin and American Flag, adapted from state.gov image

“‘Sometimes the Ukrainian government may resist the kind of freedom of information that’s normal for us,’ said the State Department’s James Rubin.” “A senior U.S. diplomat responsible for countering disinformation says … Zelenskyy should be more open to disclosing information about the state of the war in Ukraine. The advice comes as fighting intensifies amid Russian gains in key areas […]

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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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Russia Analytical Report, March 18-25, 2024

Arms Trade, Military Aid, China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, 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) 3 Ideas to Explore The March 22 terrorist attack on a concert hall outside Moscow, in which more than 130 people were killed and for which ISIS claimed responsibility, is a “reminder of the fatal results of mutual distrust in the US-Russian relations,” Anatol Lieven writes in reference to the fact that the U.S. did warn Russia on March […]

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

Chechnya, Dagestan, North Caucasus, Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Kremlin and River

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Kremlin and River

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

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

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

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

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

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

Central Asia, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Tajikistan, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Mark Milley file photo, adapted from image at defense.gov

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aviation, Drones, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Middle East, North Africa, Oil, Gas, Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

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

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

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

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

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

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Donald Trump Waving Before Large Crowd with Trump Signs, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

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

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Volodymyr Zelensky file photo, adapted from dhs.gov image

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

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

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

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

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

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, 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

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

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

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

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

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Mutual Frustrations Arise in U.S.-Ukraine Alliance” – New York Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Pentagon Aerial View adapted from defense.gov image, with photo credit: DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. John Wright

“Ukrainian officials are disheartened about stalled aid. The Pentagon wants Kyiv to heed its advice on how to fight.” “… For the Pentagon, the exasperation comes down to a single, recurring issue: American military strategists … believe that Ukraine needs to concentrate its forces on one big fight at a time. Instead, … Zelensky, who has vowed to drive Russia […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Is Burning Up Its Future” – Foreign Affairs

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“How Putin’s Pursuit of Power Has Hollowed Out the Country and Its People” “… Russia is neither stable nor normal. The [Russian] presidential election brings to maturity the late-stage Putinism that began with the [2020] constitutional referendum … when Putin’s potential mandate was extended until 2036. … Putin has made clear that Russia is fighting a permanent background war with […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s opposition and Ukraine find it impossible to unite against Putin” – Washington Post

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… Russia’s liberals … walk[] a tightrope. Their opposition to the war puts them at odds with much of their own society …. [M]any Ukrainians still feel … the Russian opposition has not gone far enough in condemning the killing of Ukrainians and occupation of their lands, instead opposing the war from a Russian viewpoint, focused predominantly on the losses […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin Seeks to Suppress Navalny’s Influence, in Death as in Life” – New York Times

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Alexei Navalny Marching on Street with Others in Background; adapted from image at commons.wikimedia.org with credit to Evgeny Feldman, subject to Creative Commons license; original image at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FEV_1795_(cropped1).jpg, with license information at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en and creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

“The Russian authorities vilified the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny with a viciousness that suggested he was more influential than Moscow would admit. Little has changed since he died.” “When … Navalny was alive, the Kremlin sought to portray him as an inconsequential figure unworthy of attention, even as … Russian authorities vilified and attacked him with a viciousness that […]

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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: “Surprisingly Weak Ukrainian Defenses Help Russian Advance” – New York Times

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

“… Sparse, rudimentary trench lines [reportedly] populate the area west of Avdiivka that Ukraine is trying to defend …. lack[ing] many of the additional fortifications that could help slow Russian tanks and help defend major roads and important terrain. … Ukraine appeared to have begun plans for new fortifications only three months ago, when government officials announced the creation of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky in bind over how to draft more troops as Russian forces advance” – Washington Post

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

“Even as he promises … that Ukraine will handle the fighting if given needed weapons and other support, … Zelensky and … top military commanders have failed … to come up with a clear plan to conscript or recruit many thousands of new soldiers … to defend against Russia’s continuing attacks. Zelensky’s inability to forge a political consensus on … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Two Years After Russia Invaded Ukraine: Q&A with RAND Experts” – RAND

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

“… The … conflict has brought renewed focus on the regional threat posed by Russian revanchism and presents challenges to security and stability … in the region and elsewhere. The geopolitical implications are immense. The conflict has established new benchmarks … [for] modern warfare and demonstrated anew … how dangerous the world is. We invited a group of RAND experts […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine Braced for Russian Disinformation Attacks on Zelenskiy” – Bloomberg

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

“Kremlin campaign to focus on legitimacy as vote scrapped Ukrainian leader sensitive over issue as war footing shifts” “… With … Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation, millions … having fled … and [Ukraine’s] infrastructure battered … martial law has imposed restrictions on elections. Zelenskiy … would otherwise be campaigning for a vote held at the end of March if he […]

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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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine Sees Risk of Russia Breaking Through Defenses by Summer” – Bloomberg

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

“Kyiv’s assessment of battlefield situation increasingly bleak Putin still aims to capture Kyiv, Ukrainian intelligence shows” “Ukrainian officials [reportedly] are concerned that Russian advances could gain significant momentum by … summer unless their allies can increase the supply of ammunition …. Internal assessments … from Kyiv are growing increasingly bleak as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold off Russian attacks while […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Leaked Russian military files reveal criteria for nuclear strike” – Financial Times

China, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Tactical Missile on Mobile Launcher, adapted from image featured by army.mil and defense.gov

“Doctrine for tactical nuclear weapons outlined in training scenarios for an invasion by China” “… Putin’s forces have rehearsed using tactical nuclear weapons at an early stage of conflict with a major world power, according to leaked Russian military files that include training scenarios for an invasion by China. The [29 secret Russian military files from 2008 to 2014] … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s Frontline Is Collapsing” – Newsweek

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

“… [A]fter Ukraine’s retreat from [Avdiivka] … partly blamed on ammunition shortages … Moscow’s advances … have been incremental and are unlikely to be rapid in the short-term but hold-ups in Western aid for Kyiv threaten to hand … Putin the initiative. … Russian forces [reportedly] are exploiting tactical opportunities opened up by Avdiivka’s seizure … trying to push as […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin” – New York Times

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

“For more than a decade, the United States has nurtured a secret intelligence partnership with Ukraine that is now critical for both countries in countering Russia.” “… [T]he intelligence partnership between Washington and Kyiv is a linchpin of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. The C.I.A. and other … [U.S.] agencies provide intelligence for targeted missile strikes, track Russian troop movements […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Ukraine, Russia Is Inching Forward Death by Death” – New York Times:

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

“Russian forces have an unorthodox view of acceptable levels of military losses, with a willingness to expend troops and equipment to make even small gains on the battlefield.” “… Hundreds of thousands of … Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have been wounded or killed since [2022] … including tens of thousands last year in the battle for … Bakhmut. … Avdiivka […]

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