United States, U.S.-Russian Relations – Johnson's Russia List

Johnson's Russia List

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia, China dump the dollar as Moscow announces new trade corridors” – Quincy Institute

April 26, 2024 JRL Russia List China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“The Kremlin is looking to reshape global commerce in an effort to dodge Western sanctions” “Russia announced this week that its bilateral trade with China has almost completely moved away from using the U.S. dollar, highlighting the two countries’ commitment to reducing their reliance on the U.S.-led economic system. … [T]hese ‘de-dollarization’ efforts allow Russia and China to avoid … […]

Leave a comment Asia, China, Currency, Dollar, Economy, Far East, Russia, Russian News, Sanctions, Trade, U.S.-Russian Relations

CIA Director Burns on Ukraine: ‘We’re Running Out of Time to Help Them’

April 26, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

William Burns file photo, adapted from image at cia.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – April 25, 2024) The full video of this event from the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s 2024 Forum on Leadership can be found here. Introduction and transcription by RM Staff. [note from web editor: embedded video added below] CIA Director William Burns predicts that with supplemental U.S. aid, which is now beginning to flow to […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “An intellectual battle rages: Is the U.S. in a proxy war with Russia?” – Washington Post

April 25, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“Vladimir Putin says the West is trying to ‘finish’ Russia. The Biden administration denies the accusation. But leaked documents reveal the extent of U.S. involvement in the Ukraine fight.” “… [L]eaked documents confirm … that the United States is using its vast array of espionage and surveillance tools — including cutting-edge satellites and signals intelligence — to keep Kyiv ahead […]

Leave a comment Intelligence, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Military Aid, Newswatch, Russia, Russian News, Russo-Ukrainian War, Slider, Spies, U.S.-Russian Relations, U.S.-Ukrainian Relations, Ukraine, Ukrainian Military, Ukrainian News

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia warns Europe: if you take our assets, we have a response that will hurt” – Reuters

April 25, 2024 JRL Russia List Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

File Photo of Counterfeit Euros from Russia, adapted from cbp.gov image

“… Putin [ally Valentina Matviyenko] warned Europe on Tuesday [without specifics] that Russia has already drafted legislation to retaliate if nearly $300 billion of Russian assets were seized by the West … to help Ukraine. … ‘We also have a prepared answer,’ … Matviyenko, the speaker of the Russian upper house of parliament [and a member of Russia’s powerful Security […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The U.S. quietly shipped long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine” – Reuters

April 25, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

File Photo of ATACMS U.S. Army Long-Range Missile, adapted from U.S. Army image at army.mil

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “FBI director: Russia is casing the U.S. — possibly for an attack on this critical industry” – NJ.com

April 25, 2024 JRL Russia List Cybersecurity, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Artist's Rendition of Binary Code Speeding Towards Light, adapted from ornl.gov image

“… FBI Director Christopher Way[] … warn[s] … ‘Like China, Russia continues to target critical infrastructure … like underwater cables and industrial control systems … in the United States and [globally] …. [S]ince its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we’ve seen Russia conducting reconnaissance on the U.S. energy sector. … [A]dding to that concern is that the Russians, like our other […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian cyber attackers hack Texas Panhandle drinking water and flood town in first-ever raid by ‘Kremlin aligned’ group” – The Daily Mail (UK)

April 24, 2024 JRL Russia List China, Cybersecurity, Headlines, Iran, JRL NewsBlog, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Artist's Rendition of Binary Code Speeding Towards Light, adapted from ornl.gov image

“If true, the hack would be the first-ever disruption of a U.S. water system by Russia Others like Iran and China have already been accused, and feds are investigating A hacking group allied with the Russian government took credit for the scandal” “Russian hackers claiming to be backed by the Kremlin are believed to have remotely accessed a … water […]

Leave a comment Cybersecurity, Hackers, Hacking, JRL NewsBlog, Newswatch, Russia, Russian News, Spies, Texas, U.S.-Russian Relations

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Mariinsky Dancers Barred From Youth Ballet Gala in New York” – New York Times

April 23, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

File Photo of Lincoln Center Facade and Fountains, adapted from loc.gov image with photo credit to Carol M. Highsmith

“Two dancers from the Russian company were set to perform at a benefit for a prestigious competition for young dancers, but they were sidelined after protests by pro-Ukrainian activists.” “Two dancers from the Mariinsky Theater in Russia were barred from performing at a youth ballet gala in New York … [after previously being] set to take part in two performances, […]

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UKRAINEWATCH: “Change the approach from just helping Ukraine fight to letting them win the war” – The Hill: Kira Rudik

April 23, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“… [T]he Kremlin’s goals … have not changed. Dmitriy Medvedev, … former Russian president and current deputy head of the Russian Security Council, described them clearly … [to] include the ‘complete capitulation’ of Ukraine with the subsequent absorption of [Ukrainian] territories and resources by Russia. … Everything … Putin’s regime has already done and will continue to do is a […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Aid Is a Lifeline for Ukraine’s Struggle to Hold Off Defeat” – WSJ

April 22, 2024 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky says the U.S. is ‘not funding’ war in Ukraine” – The Hill

April 22, 2024 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Volodymyr Zelensky file photo, adapted from dhs.gov image

“… 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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Europe — but Not NATO — Should Send Troops to Ukraine” – Foreign Affairs: Alex Crowther, Jahara Matisek, and Phillips P. O’Brien

April 22, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Europe Map

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. weighs sending additional military advisers to Ukraine as Russia gains momentum” – Politico

April 22, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

File Photo of U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, adapted from image at state.gov

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What will it take for Ukraine to win?” – Washington Post: Michael O’Hanlon

April 21, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“… [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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Christine Lagarde says U.S. plan to raise debt against Russian assets carries legal risk” – Financial Times

April 21, 2024 JRL Russia List Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

File Photo of Counterfeit Euros from Russia, adapted from cbp.gov image

“Comments from European Central Bank chief point to transatlantic rift over use of seized funds” “… Lagarde … [said] … ‘I have seen four different … proposals to circumvent what many other jurists or lawyers — including in some [U.S.] administrations … — regard as a very serious legal obstacle ….’ She added that [the] work was ‘ongoing’ …. ‘Moving […]

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Back to the Future: Russia’s New (and Old) Economic Policy

April 19, 2024 JRL Russia List Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – William E. Pomeranz – April 18, 2024) William Pomeranz, the Director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, is an expert guide to the complexities of political and economic developments in Russia, particularly through the lens of law. Vladimir Putin is putting a brave face on Russia’s downward economic spiral. To survive, he has gone back […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Burns: Ukraine could lose by end of 2024” – Politico

April 19, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

William Burns file photo, adapted from image at cia.gov

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine is heading for defeat; The West’s failure to send weapons to Kyiv is helping Putin win his war.” – Politico

April 18, 2024 JRL Russia List 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

“… 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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “This defiant Ukrainian general has no smile — and surprising remarks on Trump” – Washington Post [Re: Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov]

April 18, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“… [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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Victory Could Lead to World War III: Kyiv” – Newsweek

April 18, 2024 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Denys Shmyhal file photo adapted from usembassy.gov image

“… 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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Can Russian-U.S. Scientific Cooperation Be Restored as Arctic Warming and the Ukraine War Intensify?” – The Nation

April 18, 2024 JRL Russia List Arctic, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Science, Technology, Engineering, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

File Photo of Arctic Fox Running Across Snow, adapted from image at USGS.gov, with photo credit to Mike Lockart and USGS

” U.S. and Russia have a long history of polar science cooperation.” “… The United States and Russia should be working together to understand the deepening crisis …. Warming at a rate four times faster than the rest of the world, the Arctic is disproportionately affected by global warming: sea ice is diminishing, coastlines are eroding, ecosystems are collapsing, and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Ukraine war is lost, but Hollywood and DC don’t know it” – Fox: Bryan Dean Wright

April 18, 2024 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

File Photo of Reel of Film

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The futility of the war in Ukraine has become more apparent” – The Hill: Thomas Graham

April 16, 2024 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Coming to Terms” – Harpers: George Beebe, Anatol Lieven

April 16, 2024 JRL Russia List Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… [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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine ‘will lose the war’ if U.S. fails to approve aid, says Zelensky” – CNN

April 10, 2024 JRL Russia List 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

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Is the American Library Association Whitewashing the History of Ukrainian Nazis?” – The Nation: Lev Golinkin

April 10, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, History, Soviet Union, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “IOC wins as top Western nations agree to Russians in Paris” -Deutsche Welle

April 10, 2024 JRL Russia List Belarus, Britain, UK, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Headlines, Sports, Olympics, World Cup, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Olympic Rings Lit at Night, adapted from image at state.gov

“… [Britain] … has joined France, Germany and the United States … accepting the International Olympic Committee’s plan for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the Paris Olympics …. [T]he IOC and … International Paralympic Committee have decided that [those] athletes … can take part … as neutrals if they have not publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia, China to Work on ‘Double Counteracting’ U.S.-Led Alliance” – Bloomberg

April 9, 2024 JRL Russia List China, Europe, EU, Headlines, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Sergei Lavrov file photo

“Lavrov discussed security with Wang during visit to China Beijing and Moscow have deepened ties since the start of war” “Russia and China agreed to start a [security] dialogue … with the aim of ‘double counteracting’ the [U.S.-led] European-Atlantic alliance …. ‘We have a common goal of increasing security in Eurasia,’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday … [meeting] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Help Ukraine Hold the Line” – New York Times

April 9, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, China, Europe, EU, Headlines, Iran, JRL NewsBlog, Military, North Korea, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“… [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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin and Xi’s Unholy Alliance; Why the West Won’t Be Able to Drive a Wedge Between Russia and China” – Foreign Affairs: Alexander Gabuev

April 9, 2024 JRL Russia List China, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, United Nations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“… [T]ightening … alignment between Russia and China is one of the most important geopolitical outcomes of Putin’s war against Ukraine. … Xi and Putin drive much of this reorientation, but it is also the byproduct of the deepening schism between the West and both countries. … [T]he West should be prepared for an extended period of simultaneous confrontation with […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden Tells Ukraine Not to Hit Russia; The White House fears attacks on refineries inside Russia could raise global prices.” – WSJ

April 8, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, Oil, Gas, Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“… Biden’s policy of ambivalence toward Ukraine means … he has provided enough weapons to avoid defeat (at least so far) but with enough constraints that Kyiv also hasn’t been able to win. Witness U.S. unhappiness about Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian territory. Ukraine has struck at least 15 of Russia’s 30 major refineries since January. The West has been […]

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Russia in Review, March 29-April 5, 2024

April 7, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Belarus, China, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Environment, Europe, EU, Georgia, Headlines, Human Rights, Kyrgyzstan, Military, NATO, North Korea, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sanctions, Syria, 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) 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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How Ukraine’s tech army is taking the fight to Russia” – Washington Post

April 5, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Science, Technology, Engineering, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Artist's Rendition of Binary Code Speeding Towards Light, adapted from ornl.gov image

“… 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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO Wants to Show Support for Ukraine, but Only So Much” – New York Times

April 5, 2024 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

NATO Meeting File Photo

“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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TRANSCRIPT: Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Darius Rochebin of LCI/TF1 [Excerpt]

April 4, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Anthony Blinken file photo adapted from usembassy.gov image

(U.S. State Department – April 2, 2024) INTERVIEW ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE CHIEF OF MISSION RESIDENCE PARIS, FRANCE QUESTION: Good evening, Mr. Secretary of State. Antony Blinken, you’re head of U.S. foreign policy. First, Ukraine’s cry for help. Is the United States in a position to promise that the Ukrainian state, that Kyiv, will never fall into Russian […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. told Russia that Crocus City Hall was possible target of attack” – Washington Post

April 3, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“In an unusual move, U.S. officials shared highly specific information about a terrorist plot with an adversary country” “More than two weeks before terrorists staged a bloody attack in the suburbs of Moscow, the U.S. government told Russian officials that Crocus City Hall, a popular concert venue, was a potential target, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The […]

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RUSSIALINK: “U.S. Warnings ‘Too General’ to Prevent Crocus Attack, Russia’s Spy Chief Says” – Moscow Times

April 3, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, Spies, Spy Allegations, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

FSB Headquarters Building file photo

(Moscow Times – April 2, 2024) Russia’s spy chief said Tuesday that U.S. warnings of a possible extremist attack were too broad to have prevented the deadly concert hall attack outside Moscow late last month. “The Federal Security Service [FSB] received some information from the U.S. intelligence services that such a thing was unfortunately possible,” Sergei Naryshkin, who heads Russia’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine is at great risk of its front lines collapsing” – Politico

April 3, 2024 JRL Russia List 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

“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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine is not losing; U.S. assistance must continue” – The Hill: Evelyn N. Farkas

April 2, 2024 JRL Russia List 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

“… 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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Havana syndrome’ might have been a Russian attack. The U.S. can’t stop investigating.” – Washington Post

April 2, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Spies, Spy Allegations, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“A just-published investigation … has unearthed startling new information about … Havana syndrome, or ‘Anomalous Health Incidents’ … unexplained bouts of painful disorientation [impacting] U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers …. The new information suggests but does not prove that Russia’s military intelligence agency is responsible. Earlier, agencies in the U.S. intelligence community had concluded … ‘it is very unlikely a […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Always Say До Свидания, Never Прощайте” – Moscow Times

April 2, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Airplane Taking to Sky At Sunset, adapted from gps.gov image

(Moscow Times – Michele A. Berdy – March 29, 2024) Последнее слово: last word I began to write The Word’s Worth in April 2002, the third writer (I think) to take up what was envisioned as a language column for expats. Since then I’ve written more than a thousand columns, touching on just about every aspect of language use and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Moscow attack: ‘The Russian population seems doomed to endure the Kremlin’s hunt for imaginary threats'” – Le Monde

April 2, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“… 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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TRANSCRIPT: On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby [Excerpt]

March 29, 2024 JRL Russia List Headlines, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

File Photo of White House with South Lawn and Fountain

(The Whitehouse – whitehouse.gov – March 28, 2024) … MR. KIRBY: First, I want to just take a moment to respond to the – both the nonsense and the propaganda that we’ve been seeing coming from the Kremlin and the Russian government over the past few days about the ISIS terrorist attack on the concert hall, which sadly took the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The mood in wartime Ukraine: Weariness, resolve, and exasperation” – Atlantic Council

March 29, 2024 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Oil, Gas, Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

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

March 29, 2024 JRL Russia List 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

March 28, 2024 JRL Russia List 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

March 27, 2024 JRL Russia List 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

March 27, 2024 JRL Russia List 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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