“President Volodymyr Zelensky’s briefing, via a video call, will come a day after the White House warned that aid to his country would soon run out.” “… [A]n emergency funding package is stalled in Congress. The … Senate will vote … Wednesday … [on] more than $61 billion in Ukraine-focused assistance as part of a $106 billion national security package. […]
» Read more
(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, Nov. 27, 2023) Even now, “Russian elites are unhappy with Putin, but they aren’t trying to overthrow him” because “they have something to lose and don’t want to take risks,” Abbas Gallyamov says. But “at some point, it will be this conflict within the elites that will destroy the regime.” According to […]
» Read more
(The George Washington University – Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies – ieres.elliott.gwu.edu/ – The Russia Program – therussiaprogram.org) The Russia Program The Russia Program at GW is a university-based, data-driven analytical center that combines knowledge, technologies, and networks into a research ecosystem. We condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and call for the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Read Our […]
» Read more
“… [F]or most Ukrainians, the main factor fueling their determination … is the sense that Russia’s genocidal objectives leave them … no choice …. Either Ukrainians defend themselves, or Ukraine … will cease to exist. Examples of the Russian military’s genocidal conduct … and the Kremlin’s genocidal intent continue to mount. … [H]uman rights investigators have released new evidence accusing […]
» Read more
“FOX News correspondent Benjamin Hall sits down with … Zelensky … ZELENSKY: … Many times, we are ready for co-production. … [I]t can be win-win. We need licenses, and we can produce air defense …. [and] when you produce it for Ukraine and with Ukraine, you produce it also with Americans. … [T]he big part will be production in your […]
» Read more
Ukraine is consumed by war, and elections are probably not an option. Or are they? President Zelensky is considering the answer to this question […]
» Read more
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Simon Saradzhyan, Angelina Flood – Nov. 16, 2023) A second Russian pollster reports that the share of Russians who advocate for peace negotiations with Ukraine has exceeded the share of their compatriots who favor continuing the war. The devil is in details, however. When It Comes to Ukraine, Doves Appear to Continue to Outnumber Hawks […]
» Read more
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 3 Things to Know In the past month, Russian forces have gained 16 square miles of Ukrainian territory, while Ukraine gained 7 square miles, according to calculations by Katherine Davidson, associate of the Belfer Russia-Ukraine War Task Force.1Yet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has this week denied his top general Valery Zaluzhny’s recent claim that the war has reached […]
» Read more
“As a long war with Russia looms, American support can no longer be depended on.” “… [O]nly around 400 square km (154 square miles) of territory had been liberated [in the Ukrainian counteroffensive] …. Russia still occupies about 18% of Ukraine[.] [A]round half … it took in 2014 … annex[ing] Crimea and grabb[ing] the eastern Donbas[.] [T]he rest is … […]
» Read more
“The Biden administration and Ukrainian officials are issuing urgent appeals for Congress to provide military aid for Ukraine, with the White House saying the pot of funding is running dangerously low. In a sign of how acute the threat is … Zelensky dispatched his No. 2 official[, Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine,] to … […]
» Read more
“Ukraine allies in U.S. Congress begin uphill battle for help Assistance caught in partisan fight over immigration” “… Ukraine’s congressional backers are … in a tough battle over an expansive aid package … now enmeshed in a partisan fight over border policies and torn from must-pass bills that would prompt swift action. The soonest Congress could complete negotiations and pass […]
» Read more
“Kyiv is low on money and time, its advocates say, but in Congress the desire to continue funding its fight against Russia has reached new lows.” “Ukraine is running out of money and time, its proponents say. But congressional interest in financing its fight against invading Russian forces has dipped lower than ever, and rising competition from other national security […]
» Read more
(PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo – Mikhail Alexseev, Serhii Dembitskyi – Nov. 14, 2023) Mikhail Alexseev is a Professor of Political Science at San Diego State University. Serhii Dembitskyi is Deputy Director of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Not only do the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians remain resolute in their commitment to driving Russia […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – Nov. 13, 2023) President Vladimir Putin’s oldest daughter has been appointed to the board of the Moscow Society of Medical Genetics, the independent news outlet Mozhem Obyasnit reported Monday, citing her public profile on the organization’s website and a video in which she criticizes laws adopted during her father’s time in office. Maria Vorontsova is a candidate […]
» Read more
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 3 Ideas to Explore “In the end, Ukraine may face the reality that it needs to negotiate with a Russian foe willing to endlessly sacrifice treasure and lives on the battlefield,” according to WP editors. “That point has not been reached, but the West should give Ukraine the leverage to drive the best possible bargain if the […]
» Read more
“… Nov. 7 in Moscow, the Kremlin defiantly renounced its membership in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), once thought of as a pillar of European stability. … NATO countries quickly followed suit, suspending … treaty obligations. The CFE is not the only arms control agreement … thrown onto the garbage heap of history in recent years. […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – Nov. 14, 2023) Russia has managed to almost entirely circumvent a G7 price cap on its oil exports, with Moscow claiming average sales at more than $20 per barrel above the imposed limit, the Financial Times reported Tuesday, citing Western officials and Russian export data. [ft.com/content/09e8ee14-a665-4644-8ec5-5972070463ad] According to an unnamed senior European official who spoke to FT, […]
» Read more
“More than 300 Ukrainian scholars, activists and artists express their solidarity with Palestinians in an open letter.” “… As activists committed to freedom, human rights, democracy and social justice, and while fully acknowledging power differentials, we firmly condemn attacks on civilian populations – be they Israelis attacked by Hamas or Palestinians attacked by the Israeli occupation forces and armed settler […]
» Read more
“Russian forces are encircling Avdiivka, a new war map [from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War] shows, as Moscow is said to have accumulated around 40,000 troops for a fresh assault on the eastern Donetsk town. Russian forces launched a major offensive [there] in October[, yet] Avdiivka has been the target of [Russian] aggression since 2014, when … […]
» Read more
“… Some 4.8m [Ukrainians] lost their jobs … when Russia attacked. Unemployment is estimated [at] 18.4% in October … [down] from [over] 30% in [early] 2022 … [yet still] well above pre-war levels. … [Reportedly] 17% of Ukrainian workers have changed professions …. American officials estimate … at least 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died … [with] up to 120,000 more […]
» Read more
“‘It would only be fair,’ Galushchenko says of attacking Russian oil and gas in response to possible attacks against Ukraine’s grid this winter.” “Ukraine is open to the possibility of attacking Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure if Moscow ramps up its targeting of Ukraine’s electric system this winter, Ukraine Energy Minister German Galushchenko said …. Galushchenko … said Russia has […]
» Read more
“Roman Chervinsky, a colonel in Ukraine’s special operations forces, was integral to the brazen sabotage operation, say people familiar with planning.” “… Roman Chervinsky, a decorated 48-year-old colonel who served in Ukraine’s special operations forces, [reportedly] was the ‘coordinator’ of … Nord Stream [sabotage] operation … logistics and support for a six-person team that rented a sailboat under false identities […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – Nov. 11, 2023) The Kremlin has begun compiling a list of influential figures that would campaign on behalf of President Vladimir Putin as he seeks re-election next year, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday, citing several anonymous sources familiar with the matter. According to the newspaper, work on organizing a so-called “initiative group” of campaign surrogates suggests […]
» Read more
“With so much in the war against Russia hinging on refilling the ranks of soldiers, efforts are underway to draw more Ukrainian women into the army.” “… [F]ighting in Ukraine has bogged down in vicious battles of attrition along a zigzag [southeastern] front line …. [S]teady suppl[ies] of weapons and personnel are crucial … Ukraine … benefit[s] [from] … Western-donated […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – Nov. 9, 2023) Ukraine on Thursday criticized calls for Kyiv to hold negotiations with Russia, following media reports that its Western allies were pushing for peace talks in the wake of an underwhelming Ukrainian counteroffensive. Nearly two years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the sprawling front line remains largely static as both Ukrainian and Russian forces struggle […]
» Read more
“MARGARET BRENNAN: … Your president has said that … the war in the Middle East is diverting some attention from the war that’s happening in Ukraine. And he said that’s part of Russia’s goals. So I want to hear from you, where you think the conflict is, because I know that Ukraine has said it is running very short of […]
» Read more
(Moscow Times – Nov. 7, 2023) Ancient pathogens that have been preserved in northern Russia’s permafrost for millennia could reawaken as global temperatures rise, scientists warn, potentially putting humanity at risk of never-before-seen diseases. Jean-Michel Claverie, a virologist and emeritus professor at the Aix-Marseille University School of Medicine, is one of the few scientists worldwide who has studied “zombie viruses” […]
» Read more
“Even Republicans who support arming Ukraine are skeptical of providing more cash to the country’s government.” “… [Some] top Biden administration officials [have] urged [Congress] to provide $11.8 billion in direct budget support to Kyiv to help pay … day-to-day bills. … part of a roughly $106 billion emergency funding request covering Ukraine, Israel and other issues. … Ukraine’s economy […]
» Read more
“… Putin [reportedly] has decided to run in the March presidential election, a move that will keep him in power until least 2030 …. After defusing an armed mutiny by the leader of the Wagner mercenary group … Putin has moved to shore up support among his core base in the security forces, the armed forces and with regional voters […]
» Read more
6 Things to Know Commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces Valery Zaluzhny has admitted that his forces’ offensive has reached a stalemate, while the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces and architect of last year’s successful counteroffensive Oleksandr Syrskyi has described the current conditions along the 600-mile frontline as “difficult” and “challenging.” “There will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough … […]
» Read more
“… [F]ew have paid attention in recent years as the entire framework of strategic arms control, assembled over decades by Moscow and Washington, has been dismantled piece by piece by American and Russian politicians, leaving a dangerous vacuum where mutual responsibility, verification, and dialogue used to be. The last important agreement, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, effectively lapsed when … Putin […]
» Read more
“… Zelensky’s top priority and perhaps … main contribution to the nation’s defense had been to keep attention on Ukraine and .. rally the democratic world …. Both tasks would become a lot harder with the outbreak of war in Israel. The focus of Ukraine’s allies in the U.S. and Europe … quickly shifted to the Gaza Strip. … A […]
» Read more
“The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal with Russia.” “U.S. and European officials [reportedly] have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail …. includ[ing] broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up …. Some of the talks […]
» Read more
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Simon Saradzhyan – Nov. 3, 2023) Simon Saradzhyan is the founding director of Russia Matters. Time journalist Simon Shuster has just published an article titled “Volodymyr Zelensky’s Struggle to Keep Ukraine in the Fight,” which contains three revelations that do not bode well for that struggle. First, the article reveals that Zelensky—who remains staunchly opposed […]
» Read more
“General Valery Zaluzhny admits the war is at a stalemate” “Five months into its counter-offensive, Ukraine has managed to advance … just 17 kilometres. Russia fought for ten months around Bakhmut in the east ‘to take a town six by six kilometres.’ … Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Valery Zaluzhny, [said] … ‘Just like in the first world war we have reached […]
» Read more
“Putin’s war in Ukraine is leaving billionaires who sought to integrate with the West to face the reality of international isolation.” “… Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed everything for [certain Russian oligarchs] … who prospered under Putin until the U.S. and Europe imposed sweeping sanctions aimed at isolating the Kremlin leader and bringing his economy to its knees. The penalties […]
» Read more
“… [E]vidence attesting to Russia[n] atrocities in Ukraine … represents a small fraction measured against the likely scale of atrocities …. Notwithstanding the … accounts detailing systematic torture, rape, execution and other forms of abuse … independent investigators are denied access to territory seized by Russian forces. … [T]he Kremlin’s commanders have time to eliminate traces of physical evidence as […]
» Read more
“Ukraine’s army is in dire need of manpower, an aide to its president told Time magazine. The lack of soldiers means Ukraine isn’t able to make proper use of Western-provided gear, he said. As well as suffering casualties, many Ukrainian men are trying to escape enlistment.” “A Ukrainian official said Ukraine’s army is suffering a manpower shortage that is hampering […]
» Read more
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) The Kremlin stands to benefit from the Israel-Hamas conflict in three ways, according to Hanna Notte of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. The conflict distracts the West from the war in Ukraine; it hinders normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel; and it helps Russia to style itself as David to the Western […]
» Read more
“… Putin is … expected to seek another term when Russia holds presidential elections next March. … But 71 is an age when death or serious illness are hardly distant concerns …. If Putin was not on the ballot … it’s not clear who might take his place. … There are no primary elections … [P]olitical parties … present [candidates] […]
» Read more
“Is … Putin dead? … [M]ysterious Russian Telegram channel … ‘General SVR’ and [prominent Russian political analyst] Valery Solovey … [say] yes. … [Putin] supposedly breathed his last … Thursday, Oct. 26. The Putin we see now [allegedly would] … actually his double … [already] filling in for the sickly real Putin for several months. Few Russian or Western analysts […]
» Read more
“Once upon a time, Alexey Navalny wanted to be a normal politician in a normal country. Now that’s just a fantasy.” [original article was adapted from “The Dissident: Alexey Navalny, Profile of a Political Prisoner,” released by Twelve, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.] “… Navalny, despite decades crusading against Russian corruption and against … Putin’s increasingly dictatorial rule, never […]
» Read more
(Kennan Institute – Victor Andrusiv – Oct. 31, 2023) Victor Andrusiv is a Ukrainian political and civic activist and officer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He was previously the Director of the Kyiv School of Public Administration and the former executive director of the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. In successive speeches, President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State […]
» Read more
“… Biden [has] … emphasized that … missiles and artillery shells … sent overseas are made in America, providing a local economic boost. … [T]hat may not be a winning argument for [a] significant number of Republican lawmakers …. ‘We are $33 TRILLION in debt, and Ukraine is not the 51st state,’ [posted] Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala. …. When Russia […]
» Read more
“Moscow has gambled on pouring troops, bombs and artillery into large-scale assault on Avdiivka.” “… For more than two weeks, Russian forces have [targeted Ukraine’s] … eastern industrial city of Avdiivka, using so-called human waves, airdropped bombs and heavy artillery …. Russia [reportedly] has deployed at least three battalions with thousands of soldiers in the fight for Avdiivka … start[ing] […]
» Read more
“More than a year and a half since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, defense companies have been struggling to hire workers, untangle supply chains and restart mothballed production lines.” “Billions … spent by the federal government to arm Ukraine and replenish U.S. military stockpiles have been slow to translate into a significant number of new [U.S.] jobs … as defense manufacturers […]
» Read more
“… Comigration [is] … a small collective of comedians … [who] have left Russia since Putin’s [2022] invasion of Ukraine … and now ply their trade in Georgia. The contrast in their material is striking [compared with comedians still back in Russia]. According to one …, Ilya Ovechkin, any reference to Putin in a joke boosts laughs by 70%. In […]
» Read more
“… Zelensky’s immediate and forceful support for Israel … against Hamas has imperiled almost a year of concerted efforts … to win the support of Arab and Muslim nations in [Ukraine’s] war against Russia. Zelensky’s early statements … after the surprise attack by Hamas … [killing] more than 1,400 Israelis … helped Ukraine stay in the international spotlight, and … […]
» Read more
“Chinese and Russian military officials on Monday criticized the United States as an agent of global instability … Russia’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, … threatened grave consequences over Western involvement in the war in Ukraine. … Shoigu made the remarks at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, China’s annual international military summit … [China’s] second-highest-ranked military official, Zhang Youxia, also issued oblique […]
» Read more
“… [O]netime Russia advisor to then-President Trump [Fiona Hill] fears … support for Ukraine is gradually eroding, encouraging … Putin to try to wait the West out. … But she’s worried about much more …, beginning with Israel’s war in Gaza …. The two conflicts aren’t directly linked, but each is likely to affect the other. ‘These could be global-system-shifting […]
» Read more