Expert Survey: Does Russia’s Presidential Election Matter to U.S. and Its Allies?

Kremlin and River

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – RM Staff – March 15, 2024) Russia’s presidential election, whose outcome is near certain to grant Vladimir Putin a fifth term, got underway on March 15. Given the inevitability of Putin’s victory in what one Kremlin-connected insider has described as a “well-designed simulation,” one might wonder what impact the Russian election has on the U.S. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Rattled Nuclear Saber Ahead of Presidential Elections” – WSJ

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

“Raising specter of nuclear confrontation allows Russian leader to keep his population on edge and convinced of need for militarism, analysts say.” “… Putin warned publicly … of the possibility of nuclear confrontation with the West, a saber … [Putin was] rattling with increasing frequency ahead of presidential elections this weekend. The comments — part of an interview with a […]

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West Mistakenly Thinks Russia in Terminal Decline While Moscow Elites Even More Wrongly Believe They can Restore Russia’s Superpower Status, Pastukhov Says

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Mar. 11, 2024) Many of the mistakes Western elites have made about Russia and that Moscow elites have made about their own county arise from misconceptions each has about Russia’s future, Vladimir Pastukhov says. The West has mistakenly assumed Russia is in terminal decline while Moscow elites think they can restore the […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia Bans Entry to 227 Americans for ‘Anti-Russian’ Actions” – Moscow Times

File Photo of Wendy Sherman and Sergei Ryabkov Standing In Front of U.S. and Russian Flags, adapted from image at state.gov

(Moscow Times – March 14, 2024) [Complete list: mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1938555/] Russia has banned entry to 227 U.S. citizens, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow announced Thursday. The Foreign Ministry accused the banned individuals of playing a role in steering Washington’s “Russophobic policies” and being directly involved in “anti-Russian actions.” The latest additions to Russia’s “stop list” include State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, […]

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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

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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2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community [Excerpt re: Russia]

DNI Seal and Smaller Seals of Agencies Related to DNI

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence March 11, 2024 Director Avril D. Haines Office of the Director of National Intelligence 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community [Excerpt] [PDF: intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/hearings/unclassified_2024_ata_report_0.pdf] RUSSIA Regional and Global Activities Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in enormous damage at home and abroad, but Russia remains a resilient and capable adversary across […]

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

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: “Ukraine scrambles to fill U.S. funding gap” – Financial Times

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

“Kyiv in talks with Japan and Canada for extra aid as Zelenskyy government considers spending cuts and tax hikes” “… [D]eadlock in … Congress over a $60bn aid package for Ukraine has left Kyiv desperately looking for alternative donors …. Ukraine has allocated nearly half of its $87bn budget … to defence-related expenditure, but its domestic revenues are just $46bn, […]

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

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

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: “America’s New Twilight Struggle With Russia; To Prevail, Washington Must Revive Containment” – Foreign Affairs: Max Bergmann, Michael Kimmage, Jeffrey Mankoff, Maria Snegovaya

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

“… [C]containment should prioritize defending Russia’s threatened neighbors, especially those that do not have a clear and immediate path to NATO membership. Apart from Ukraine, Russia’s most vulnerable neighbors include [non-NATO] Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova …. The United States should offer … training and weapons … [and] bolster [their] resilience against Russian gray-zone threats, ranging from cyberattacks to election meddling. […]

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

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

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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Russia Analytical Report, Feb. 26-March 4, 2024

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

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 3 Ideas to Explore “Russia’s ability to absorb military losses, its deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and the limitations of its conventionally armed land-attack missile arsenal provides” at least two “potential insights into Russia’s theatre nuclear doctrine,” according to William Alberque of IISS. “Firstly, given Russia’s indifference to civilian casualties in Ukraine, it stands to reason that […]

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

NATO Meeting File Photo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

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

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

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

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

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: “Navalny’s Funeral to Be Held on Friday, Spokeswoman Says” – New York Times

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 service for the Russian opposition leader will be open to the public, but it was unclear whether the authorities will try to stop people from attending.” “… The planned service, at a church on Moscow’s outskirts, sets up the possibility of a rare display of opposition sentiment in the Russian capital … [] Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, advised anyone […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin propagandists attack director of new ‘Master and Margarita’ film captivating Russians” – The Telegraph (UK)

File Photo of Reel of Film

“Adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s anti-totalitarian Soviet novel wins rave reviews but pro-Russia activists want Michael Lockshin probed” “A new film adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s anti-totalitarian Soviet novel Master and Margarita is winning rave reviews in Russia but irritating the Kremlin and its supporters. Colleagues of Michael Lockshin, the American-Russian director of the Russian-language film, have … accused Kremlin trolls of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘There’s only Plan A’: Defense leaders fear failure in Ukraine” – Politico

U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“Attendees of the Munich Security Conference were worried about Ukraine’s prospects against Russia and American commitment to Kyiv.” “… Ukraine is low on ammunition and infantry. …. Before … Zelenskyy changed leadership at the top of his country’s military, generals insisted the president had to mobilize 500,000 more troops to keep pace with a larger, still-stronger Russian force that appears […]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland: The Two-Year Anniversary of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine” – CSIS

File Photo of Victoria Nuland Testifying

“Max Bergmann: … Two years on, a grinding conflict continues. … Ukraine and its European dream did not perish with Russia’s invasion … due to the bravery of Ukraine, but also the result of support from the United States and its European allies. … [W]ith the war now entering its third year, it is worth taking stock. … Ambassador Victoria […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky Says 31,000 Ukrainian Troops Killed in Two Years of War” – WSJ

U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“The Ukrainian leader highlighted the extent of the country’s sacrifices as it awaits a U.S. congressional vote on further military aid” “Around 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia launched its invasion two years ago … Zelensky said, highlighting the scale of Ukraine’s sacrifice ahead of a decisive vote in the U.S. Congress …. The admission … gives a […]

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

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

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

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s Deepening Fog of War” – New York Times

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

“Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian leaders are seeking a path forward in the face of ferocious assaults and daunting unknowns.” “… Even as he presses the case for more Western support … Zelensky is starting to take steps to improve some of the systemic problems under his control. … Kyiv has added several command headquarters to oversee brigades […]

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Meet the Press [interview with Jake Sullivan]” – NBC

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

“… We just hit the two-year anniversary since this brutal invasion began. … [M]ost people on your show predicted … it’d be over in a week or two. Most people in the U.S. government predicted it would be over in a week or two. Two years later, the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, stands. The country stands proud and free, and […]

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “State Dept. official [Victoria Nuland]: If Putin wins Ukraine, tyrants ‘will get hungry’ with aspirations” – PBS

File Photo of Victoria Nuland Testifying

“The Biden administration unveiled a new set of sanctions against Russia to punish it further for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine … [and] the death of anti-corruption activist and politician Alexei Navalny. Geoff Bennett spoke with U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland ….” Click here for: “State Dept. official [Victoria Nuland]: If Putin wins Ukraine, tyrants ‘will get hungry’ […]

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

Portion of U.S. Treasury Department Building Facade, North Side, with Sculpture of Alexander Hamilton

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

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelenskyy appeals to Trump, Congress to see ‘tragedy’ of Russia invasion in exclusive Bret Baier interview” – Fox

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

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy says there have been at least 5 assassination attempts made against him” “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an exclusive FOX News interview, appealed to President Biden and Republican front-runner Donald Trump to visit Ukraine and see for themselves at the front lines of ‘this tragedy.’ … Baier met with Zelenskyy near the front lines in Kharkiv, just a […]

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

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

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

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

File Photo of Assorted U.S. Cash, adapted from image at tsa.gov

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

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

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

U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

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

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Russia in Review, Feb. 9-15, 2024

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

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

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Says He Prefers Biden Over Trump. Commentators Are Skeptical.” – New York Times

File Photo of Joe Biden at Podium in Front of U.S. and State Department Flags, adapted from image at usembassy.gov

“The Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, called President Biden experienced and predictable. But Moscow watchers said the comments most likely had an ulterior motive.” “… Putin said … Wednesday … it was in Russia’s interest for … Biden to win a second term … dismissing concerns about [] Biden’s age. It was the first time that [] Putin … directly […]

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

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

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

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What Tucker Carlson’s Putin Interview Means for the War in Ukraine” – Council on Foreign Relations

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

“… But it wasn’t getting bogged down in historical minutiae that most hurt Putin’s case. He undermined his claim to be ready for practical diplomacy by endlessly parading his ethno-nationalist obsessions. And not all of these were matters of distant history. Blaming Poland rather than Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin for starting World War II was only the most egregious […]

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

NATO Meeting File Photo

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

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “China and Russia no longer perceived as top security threats, research finds” – CNBC

Satellite Image of Earth in Style of Mercator Map, adapted from image at nasa.gov

“China and Russia are considered less of a threat to Western populations now than a year ago, according to a new study which points to rising concern around non-traditional risks. Mass migration due to war or climate change and the rise of radical Islam now rank among the top perceived risks among G7 countries. The majority of respondents in Western […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Seeks Revenge on a World Order He Once Wanted to Join” – Bloomberg

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

“The KGB agent turned warlord president has shaped Russia with resentment and force. As Donald Trump threatens to abandon NATO allies if he returns to the White House, Putin’s poised to take advantage.” “… Putin is attempting to strike his own decisive blow against the U.S. and Europe to reshape [the] global order to Russia’s advantage … backed by military […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “IMF warns that any action on Russian assets needs ‘sufficient legal support'” – Reuters

International Monetary Fund Logo Over Ukraine Flag

“… IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath … said decisions about what to do with [Russian] assets rested solely with countries holding them. She declined to offer an opinion on how they should be used. Gopinath said the IMF would evaluate the impact of any decisions … but the IMF would not be involved in the decisions. … [S]he […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Rejects Putin’s Latest Call for Ukraine Negotiations” – New York Times

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

“Skepticism remains high about the Russian leader’s intentions after he told Tucker Carlson that the war in Ukraine could be settled with a peace deal.” “The Biden administration dismissed on Friday a call by … Putin … for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, showing no sign that flagging political support for American military aid to Kyiv had made […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Two Hours of Unchallenged Propaganda From Putin” – New York Times

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

“… [V]acillating among pedantic, sarcastic and aggrieved, Putin spent the first uninterrupted half-hour on his tired claims that Ukrainians are not a nation, that they’re neo-Nazis, persecute Russians, and are tools of the West. He then turned to … all the ways in which the United States has humiliated, betrayed and insulted Russia, and how Ukraine and … [the]  C.I.A. […]

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