“Iran creates a unique link between the war in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, where it supplies Russia with arms. That puts the Kremlin in a difficult position in the Middle East.” “… [A]mid tensions in the Middle East – somewhat eased since an Israeli strike in Iran over the weekend – Moscow’s long-standing outreach to Tel Aviv may […]
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“The United States in recent weeks secretly shipped long-range [ATACMS] missiles to Ukraine for use in its battle to fight off Russian invaders, and Ukraine has now used them twice, a U.S. official said …. The missiles [reportedly] were contained in a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine … approved … March 12 …. White House national security adviser […]
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“Ammunition and arms will be rushed to Kyiv’s forces on funding bill’s approval, ‘literally in the nick of time’” “The House vote to approve $60 billion … for Ukraine comes at a desperate moment … and holds the prospect of helping them stave off a Russian onslaught at the last possible moment. If approved by the Senate … and … […]
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“… Zelensky … [on] Sunday … emphasiz[ed] that the U.S. is helping protect democracy throughout the region. … ‘The Americans are not funding the war in Ukraine. They foremost protect freedom and democracy all over Europe. And Ukraine is fighting … sending their best sons and daughters to the front …reduc[ing] the price for all Europe, for all NATO,’ Zelensky […]
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“To Halt Russia’s Advance, Kyiv Needs More Boots on the Ground” “… The debate in the U.S. Congress over … military aid to Ukraine has been a debacle. … [M]onths of dithering in Washington have dismayed Europeans and given Moscow hope that Western resolve … is cracking. Russian forces — bolstered by equipment from China, Iran, and North Korea — […]
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“The troops would be serving in a non-combat role, officials said.” “The U.S. is considering sending additional military advisers to the [U.S.] embassy in Kyiv … as Russia appears to be gaining momentum …. The advisers would not be in a combat role, but rather … advise and support the Ukrainian government and military …. ‘Throughout this conflict … DOD […]
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“… [With] restored U.S. support and ongoing help from Europe, Ukraine might be able to turn the tide. …. Ukrainian conscription … [now] allow[s] the government to draft men ages 25 and 26, [so that] some 400,000 more men are now eligible. … [T]hat likely won’t be enough to find 200,000 more, so [Ukraine] will also need … to increase […]
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“The stark warning from a top administration official comes as Kyiv worries about Russia’s looming summer offensive.” “CIA Director William Burns offered a stark warning to lawmakers on Capitol Hill … Thursday …. ‘With the boost that would come from [proposed] military assistance, both practically and psychologically, Ukrainians are entirely capable of holding their own through 2024 and puncturing Putin’s […]
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“… If the tide doesn’t turn soon in this third year of Russia’s invasion, it will be the nation of Ukraine as it currently exists that is consigned to the past. For a war of such era-defining importance, the scale of Western leaders’ actions to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invaders has fallen far short of their soaring rhetoric. … Without […]
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“… [Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov] fought behind Russian lines between 2014 and 2016 in [the] Donbas … injured three times … taking shrapnel in his heart, neck and back. In 2016, he led a raid that killed [a Russian FSB] lieutenant general …. Budanov [has] predicted … a big [Russian summer] offensive … to try to capture all of […]
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“… Should Kyiv be defeated in the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022, ‘the global system of security will be destroyed … and all the world will need to find … a new system of security,’ [Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys] Shmyhal said … Wednesday …. ‘Or, there will be many conflicts, many such kinds of wars, and in […]
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“Hollywood and DC ignore fact that Russia’s army is bigger than when the war began and Ukraine can’t keep up” “… First, Ukraine lacks the soldiers to win. … As Ukraine’s Commander of Joint Forces said … April 11, there are seven to 10 times more Russian soldiers than … Ukrainians on the battlefield … three days after his colleague, […]
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“Russia and Ukraine reached deal with Turkey, sources say But Ukraine pulled out at last moment – sources Deal would have given safety to merchant shipping Turkey’s Erdogan was about to announce it on March 30″ “Russia and Ukraine negotiated for two months with Turkey on a deal to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea and reached […]
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“A Hidden History of Diplomacy That Came Up Short—but Holds Lessons for Future Negotiations” “… By the end of March 2022, a series of in-person meetings in Belarus and Turkey and virtual engagements over video conference … produced the so-called Istanbul Communiqué … describ[ing] a framework for a settlement. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators then began working on the text of […]
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“The great tragedy of the Russian-Ukrainian war is that it will ultimately prove to have been futile. The likely outcome — territorial adjustments in Moscow’s favor, security guarantees for Ukraine and Russia — could have been peaceably negotiated beforehand had leaders had a firmer grasp of the real balance of power or greater political courage. The cost of failed diplomacy […]
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“The government and its people are recognizing what a cease-fire deal with Russia would really mean.” “In recent days … Zelensky … announc[ed] his openness to making several concessions to Russian demands … includ[ing] a commitment to Ukrainian neutrality with respect to military alliances, a rejection of any nuclear arsenal, and … acceptance of Russian control over Ukraine’s eastern regions. […]
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“… [R]eviving a proposal … Ukraine had rejected. … Dmitry Peskov said [Friday] … the draft document … discussed in Istanbul in March 2022 could be ‘the basis for starting negotiations.’ At the same time, he noted … [the] need to take into account … ‘new realities.’ ‘There have been many changes since then, new entities have been included in […]
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“… [I]t is increasingly clear that the Ukrainian army is not capable of reconquering … territories lost to Russia … [W]ithout continued and massive Western aid, the Ukrainians will suffer eventual defeat owing to Russia’s huge economic and demographic superiority, and … such aid cannot be guaranteed. Sanctions have not cratered Russia’s economy or crippled its war effort. Russia has […]
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“… [S]eek[ing] to influence congressional and other political debates to stoke anti-Ukraine sentiment, Kremlin-linked political strategists and trolls have written thousands of fabricated news articles, social media posts and comments that promote American isolationism, stir fear over the United States’ border security and attempt to amplify U.S. economic and racial tensions, according to a trove of internal Kremlin documents obtained […]
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“Ukraine ‘will lose the war’ if the United States Congress does not approve military aid to help it resist Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “It’s important to specifically address the Congress: if the Congress doesn’t help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said Sunday during a video meeting of the Ukrainian fund-raising group UNITED24. “If Ukraine loses this […]
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“In honoring a book depicting Ukrainian volunteers in the Waffen SS as heroes and patriots, the group reveals historical ignorance — or indifference to antisemitism.” “… [T]he American Library Association (ALA) published a list of Best Historical Materials for 2023, which includes Enemy Archives: Soviet Counterinsurgency Operations and the Ukrainian Nationalist Movement — Selections from the Secret Police Archives. This […]
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“… [R]ecalcitrance in Congress is not Ukraine’s only problem. Europe has been slow to step in … and … Zelensky[] may have taken too long to lower the recruitment age to 25 …. American weapons and artillery are essential to Ukraine’s ability to hold the line and[] eventually … negotiate for an end to hostilities from a position of strength. […]
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“The commander of one of Ukraine’s most skilled units sent his men on a dangerous mission that required them to outmaneuver a swarm of aerial threats.” “Members of Ukraine’s 1st Separate Assault Battalion describe themselves as firemen. Their job is to rapidly deploy to areas along the front that are in danger of collapse. Lately, their service has been in […]
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“According to the Pryncyp organization, which defends the interests of those injured in war, almost 70% of them have financed medical care themselves. ‘Semi-fit’ or wounded, they hope to influence the government.” “The Russian aggression that began on February 24, 2022, is far from having destroyed Ukraine’s democratic foundations. At the very heart of the army, a critical voice is […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 6 Things to Know Russian forces have gained 23 square miles of Ukrainian territory, while Ukrainian forces have re-gained 0 square miles in the past month, according to the April 2, 2024, issue of the Belfer Center’s Russia-Ukraine War Report Card. Most recently, Russian forces have advanced into the outskirts of the town of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine, […]
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“… [Past] Russian attacks towards the energy network in Ukraine … focused on the power distribution system and damages [had] been easy to repair quickly. This new campaign is … much more serious … since its focus is [on] power production facilities … [that] might take years to repair or replace. Why has Russia shifted its focus? … [In the […]
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“… [E]ven without the Crocus City Hall attack, [] Putin was primed to step up his assault on Ukraine. After his landslide victory in … [a] rubber-stamp presidential election, [] Putin is more secure than ever in his position and free to focus fully on the war effort. … Russian forces now hold material and manpower advantages over Ukraine. … […]
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“… The menacing images I watched … were sketched using signals captured by sensors from land, sea, air and space … [depicting abstractions of] Russian air-defense systems … Ukrainian drone operators can instantly map a safe route to [a] target using [a] system … developed for them by … U.S. software company Palantir …. part of an astonishing wave of […]
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“Admitting Kyiv is a nonstarter as long as the war with Russia is raging. But the member nations want to show they are supporting Ukraine ‘for the long haul.’” “… Ukraine … ultimately [wants] … a formal invitation to join NATO. … [A]lliance officials agree that is not going to happen at … festivities … [in] Washington in July. NATO […]
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“… Moscow’s initial plan was to have … agents infiltrate the highest levels of Ukrainian society ahead of its invasion and … seize power from within. … [M]ost … were … weeded out by Ukrainian law enforcement or fled … after Russia’s invasion. … [Today] there are fewer Ukrainians with pro-Russian sympathies, especially in positions of influence, willing to help […]
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“… Moscow has shown … frustration over the inconclusive nature of inquiries by some foreign powers into explosions in September 2022 on [Nord Stream] pipelines designed to carry Russian gas to western Europe. Denmark dropped its investigation in February after Sweden closed its inquiry and handed evidence … to German investigators. … Russia and the West … have accused each […]
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“[U.S. ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith] has stressed that the U.S. and its transatlantic partners are preparing for a Russian expansion of its war on Ukraine into allied territory … [saying] Tuesday that Russia remains ‘the pre-eminent threat that we’re grappling with,’ though [she] added: ‘We do not see an imminent threat to NATO territory.’ ‘NATO is not sitting on […]
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“According to high-ranking Ukrainian officers, the military picture is grim and Russian generals could find success wherever they decide to focus their upcoming offensive.” “… Europe … is trying to help Ukraine make up for its colossal disadvantage in artillery shells. … [A] proposed Czech-led bulk artillery ammunition purchase could bring Ukraine’s total from both within and outside the EU […]
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“… Russia has … greater manpower … and the ability to recruit more fighters through lucrative contracts …. Russian firepower is reportedly ten times greater in aggregate than Ukraine’s and about seven-fold just for artillery and mortars. … U.S. congressional failure to approve [more] support … has led to an increased loss of Ukrainian lives and territory on the front […]
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“… If there’s one mistake the West made in its relationship with Russia, it was not paying enough attention to or taking seriously the rhetoric coming from the Kremlin and Russia’s political-military elites. Putin’s anti-Western, paranoid and virulent speech in Munich in 2007 was not out of character. Russia’s beliefs and ideas have never really changed since 1991. An analysis […]
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“Analysts of Russia differ about … the roots of Russia’s ongoing aggression. One side argues that Russian history and political culture are to blame …. The other side argues that the causes are … typical of … certain kinds of states, regimes, societies and leaders. … How can this vicious circle be broken? Since Russian history is [that of] of […]
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“Many units, which say the official conscription system is dysfunctional and unwieldy, have started their own recruitment campaigns to fill ranks depleted in the war with Russia.” “… Slick recruiting campaigns brimming with nationalist fervor have become ubiquitous in Kyiv … and other Ukrainian cities … perhaps the most visible sign of a push to replenish Ukrainian troops depleted by […]
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“… To make peace in a conflict, both parties have to be willing to accept each other’s minimum demands. And despite the mutual lack of progress, neither Russia nor Ukraine can swallow each other’s requirements. Kyiv, for instance, cannot accept Russia’s demand for new leadership. Moscow cannot accede to Ukraine’s demand for reparations. Both sides will not give up land. […]
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“… We asked about proposals … by some in the West who say the United States should press for a negotiation to ‘save’ Ukraine by ceding parts of the country to Russia in exchange for peace. Few Ukrainians expressed interest … point[ing] to … war crimes Ukrainians have suffered under Russian occupation … ask[ing] how they could abandon anyone to […]
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“‘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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“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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“… 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 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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“… [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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“… 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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“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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“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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“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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“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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“… 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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