Category: JRL NewsBlog

VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Has Been Slower Than Expected” – Foreign Policy

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

“While Ukraine has consistently surpassed the world’s expectations … it’s fair to say Kyiv’s ongoing counteroffensive has hit more roadblocks than expected. On FP Live … former CIA analyst Andrea Kendall-Taylor explained … Russia’s troops are heavily entrenched; Moscow has planted deadly mines across vast swathes of land; and Kyiv has yet to commit a large part of its forces. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: ‘Ukraine and the West are facing a devastating defeat” – The Telegraph (UK)

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

“The prospect of a failed counter-offensive and significant territorial concessions would only embolden Russia and China.” “Since … last year, three options … for how this war would end[] [have been] victory for one side or the other, a frozen conflict or a negotiated settlement. … [T]he last may be more likely than previously thought. … The long-planned counter-offensive … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine begins firing U.S.-provided cluster munitions at Russian forces” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Image of DCIPM artillery shell artist's rendition, adapted from image at army.mil

“Ukraine has begun firing U.S.-provided cluster munitions against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine in a push to break up well-fortified Russian positions … according to Ukrainian officials …. Putin … threatened to retaliate against Ukraine ‘if [cluster munitions] are used against us,’ although Russia [reportedly] has already used cluster munitions in populated areas of Ukraine at least 24 times since […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Russia’s grain deal snub isn’t just about attack on Kerch Bridge” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Agriculture, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Wheat in Field, adapted from image at usda.gov

“The Kremlin’s decision to pull out of a deal to allow Ukrainian grain to get to the global market isn’t simply a matter of spite. While the agreement helped Kyiv and grain buyers, it hasn’t aided Russia, Moscow says.” “… [T]he Kremlin’s … decision to formally pull Russia out of the deal to keep Ukrainian grain and oilseeds flowing … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “IOC’s Bach says key to Russian decision for Paris Olympics is athletes’ respectful conduct” – AP

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sports, Olympics, World Cup, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Olympic Rings Lit at Night, adapted from image at state.gov

“The key factor in weighing the IOC’s ultimate decision on letting Russians participate at the 2024 Paris Games is how well athletes behave in international competitions … Olympic body[] president Thomas Bach said …. ‘It’s too soon to draw final conclusions’ … ‘[W]e have the responsibility not to punish athletes for the acts of their government.’ … Another Olympic Truce […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Tell Russians Putin Has to Go” – Foreign Affairs/ Max Bergmann

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“Biden Should Call on Russians to Oust Putin and End Their Isolation.” “The Biden administration has a rare opportunity to put added … pressure on Putin … offering the Russian people a path out of … economic and diplomatic isolation …. Putin’s invasion has been … a disaster for Russia, with more than 50,000 killed and 150,000 wounded, roughly one […]

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “As U.S. crosses Putin’s red lines, NSA says, ‘We have learned … what is possible and what is not’” – Meet the Press

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
NATO Meeting File Photo

“… JAKE SULLIVAN: … I’m not sure we could have said it more clearly than the 31 allies said in the NATO communique … ‘Ukraine’s future will be in NATO.’ Period. Full stop. That was a single clear sentence. … not subject to negotiation with any country, including Russia. … a subject only for the allies and for Ukraine. … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine bides its time in its counteroffensive, trying to stretch Russian forces before striking” – AP

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

“The first phase of Ukraine’s counteroffensive … began weeks ago without fanfare. Apart from claiming … its troops are edging forward, Kyiv has not offered much detail …. [M]ostly out of sight of impartial observers … fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine pits troops equipped with new Western-supplied weapons against Kremlin forces that spent months digging formidable defenses and honing […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Post-mutiny Moscow descends into factional murk” – The Economist

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

“Vladimir Putin’s authority has suffered a grave blow.” “… Prigozhin[‘s] … mutiny has revealed the erosion of the state and the flimsiness of [] Putin’s support base. His dictatorship has so far relied less on mass purges than a consensus between power groups. His political opponents have ended up in jail (like [] Navalny) or exile. … [H]e has sowed […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Forces Are Doing ‘Everything They Can’ to Stop Counteroffensive, Zelensky Says” – New York Times

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

“The Ukrainian leader has secured new weapons pledges, but it was not clear when the aid would arrive, or how consequential it would be on the battlefield.” “… Zelensky … said … Russian forces were throwing ‘everything they can’ at Kyiv’s troops fighting to retake land in the south and east … emphasizing the grueling nature of a counteroffensive … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s spymaster comes out of the shadows” – Reuters

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

“… For an intelligence chief running Ukraine’s spy operations during war with Russia, Kyrylo Budanov, 37, has built up an unusually public profile … to get his message out and … menace Russia from afar. These days, a spy boss cannot stay in the shadows, he says. … In parts of his interview … he said … mutinying Russian mercenaries […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Should Ukraine Negotiate With Russia? The Debate Over How to End the War” – Foreign Affairs

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“Russia Can Be Stopped Only on the Battlefield – Angela Stent” “… [T]here is a huge problem in trying to negotiate with … Putin’s Russia, … Russia itself. Moscow has broken every security-related agreement it has signed with Ukraine in the past 30 years. These include the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, whereby Ukraine renounced its nuclear arsenal — […]

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Trump describes how he could solve Russia-Ukraine conflict in 24 hours” – Fox

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Cropped Photo of Donald Trump Seated In Front of U.S. and Russian Flags, Part of Larger Photo at Summit with Vladimir Putin, adapted from White House photo

“Trump says President Biden isn’t capable of dealing with world leaders.” “… Trump explained his plan to secure peace in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking back the White House on Sunday, saying he would tell … Zelenskyy to make a deal. … The former president said he has a good relationship with both Zelenskyy and … Putin, and added […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “To defeat Russia, Ukraine’s top commander pushes to fight on his terms” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of F-16 in flight above clouds, adapted from image at defense.gov with photo credit, U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Lotz

“… [I]f it were up to [Gen. Valery] Zaluzhny[, Ukraine’s top commander,] … [h]e would fight with air superiority. … fire back at least as many shells as the Russians are firing at his troops[] [a]nd … have cruise missiles that could match Moscow’s. Instead, modern fighter jets, such as … F-16[‘s], are not expected on the battlefield until next […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO did not give Volodymyr Zelensky everything he wanted. But he still got a lot.” – The Economist

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

“…  [NATO] leaders … affirm[ed] … ‘Ukraine’s future is in NATO’ … [declaring] ‘[w]e will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met’ …. [Meanwhile] G7 countries … issued a joint declaration setting out general principles on … ‘enduring’ support for Ukraine. … work[ing] towards ‘specific, bilateral, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Daniil Medvedev gets the Wimbledon crowd behind him after missing last year because he is Russian” – AP

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Tennis Ball and Racket, adapted from stock photo featured at nps.gov

“Daniil Medvedev had to skip the Wimbledon tournament last year …. The 2021 U.S. Open champion was banned from the All England Club, just like every other Russian and Belarusian tennis player, because of the war in Ukraine. … [T]he 27-year-old Russian … achieved his best result at the grass-court Grand Slam this week … reaching the semifinals. …” Click […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Ukraine War Is Tearing Apart the West’s Largest Russian Diaspora”

Europe, EU, Germany, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Scenic Historic Town Area in Germany, adapted from image at state.gov

“When Russia marched into Ukraine last year, it sought to rally Russian speakers abroad …. Then the Russian speakers pushed back. … Germany[] [is] home to 3.5 million Russian speakers, the largest such group outside the former Soviet Union and the biggest migrant community in Germany. … [T]he Russlanddeutsche, or ‘Russia Germans,’ ethnic Germans whose ancestors settled in Russia in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Wonder Confronts Certainty’ Review: Lessons From Russian Literature” – WSJ

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Bookcase file photo, adapted from image at nlm.nih.gov

“The writings of Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky and others are littered with clues for understanding the 21st-century world.” “Books of cultural criticism seldom shed a piercing light on headline events. However, readers of ‘Wonder Confronts Certainty,’ Gary Saul Morson’s masterly panorama of classic Russian literature and its hinterland of ideas, will find their understanding of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s recent botched rebellion against […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Tennis has a Russia problem” – Politico.eu

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sports, Olympics, World Cup, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Tennis Ball and Racket, adapted from stock photo featured at nps.gov

“As Wimbledon gets into full swing, there’s no hiding the ructions Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine has caused in locker rooms.” “… [A]s the world’s top stars … battl[e] … through … Wimbledon, tennis is grappling with how to handle all the Russian players near the top of the game. Ukraine’s players, for their part, reckon the sport is failing […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Deepening Poverty Grips Ukraine, Spurs Resilience” – WSJ

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Russia’s invasion has brought about the most severe economic hardship since the end of the Soviet Union.” “… Russia’s invasion has pushed the number of Ukrainians living in poverty to nearly a quarter of the population, … the most acute economic hardship the country has experienced since independence in 1991. … One-fifth of the country is now reliant on humanitarian […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Former U.S. officials have held secret Ukraine talks with prominent Russians” – NBC

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“The aim of the discussions is to lay the groundwork for potential negotiations to end the war, people briefed on the talks tell NBC News.” “A group of former senior U.S. national security officials [reportedly] have held secret talks with prominent Russians believed to be close to the Kremlin … [including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,] [] … [seeking to] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky’s Fight After the War: What Peace Will Mean for Ukraine’s Democracy” – Foreign Affairs/ Henry E. Hale, Olga Onuch

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“… In the war’s first days, many Western observers assumed that Zelensky would buckle, flee, surrender, or die. Instead, he stayed in Kyiv and led Ukraine with resolve. His popularity skyrocketed. …. But when the war finally ends, Zelensky will face major challenges. Wartime leadership requires very different skills and capacities …. Ukrainians are less confident in Zelensky’s leadership when […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “America’s leading ‘realist’ keeps getting Russia wrong” – The Hill

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

“… Putin and his comrades see Nazis where there aren’t any … [and] see militarization where there isn’t any …. They insisted in late 2021 and early 2022 that they would never, ever invade Ukraine — and then did. They deny, still, targeting Ukrainian civilian targets. They deny, still, having destroyed the Kakhovka dam. The list could go on ad […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “After Armed Rebellion, Putin Tries to Reinforce His Defenses” – New York Times

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

“Long focused on security, the Russian resident is rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite and showering his most important constituency — the men with guns — with cash.” “… Putin appears to be scrambling to coup-proof his system once more. … rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite and showering his most important constituency — the men with guns — with […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Lessons from Ukraine; The war in Ukraine shows how technology is changing the battlefield” – The Economist

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

“But mass still counts, argues Shashank Joshi in the first of seven chapters of a special report on the future of warfare.” “… [The Russo-Ukrainian War has turned out to feature] old-style attrition: an industrial-scale contest of manpower, steel and explosives. … [with Russian casualties thought to number] over 200,000 … killed and wounded. … four times the … Soviet […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Medvedev says standoff with West to last decades, Ukraine conflict ‘permanent'” – Reuters

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Russia & the West, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Dmitri Medvedev file photo

“… Medvedev … has warned that Moscow’s confrontation with the West will last decades and that its conflict with Ukraine could become permanent. Medvedev[, former Russian president and now] deputy head of … [Russia’s] Security Council, … has emerged as one of Russia’s most outspoken hawks since Moscow launched what it called a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine last year. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia ‘On the Edge of Civil War’ — Ukraine Spymaster” – Newsweek

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“The head of Ukraine’s main intelligence directorate (GUR)[, Major-General Kyrylo Budanov,] has said … Russia is on the brink of civil war …. [He said that] [h]is spy agency examined a secret internal study by Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD)… [that] focused on levels of public support for the [Wagner Group] mutiny … a direct challenge to … Putin’s […]

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Brooks and Capehart on cluster munitions for Ukraine” – PBS

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Image of DCIPM artillery shell artist's rendition, adapted from image at army.mil

“This is war. … Zelenskyy[] is fighting or forced to fight a Russian president who’s been ruthless, bombing civilian targets from almost minute one, with Zelenskyy pleading with the United States and the West, please send tanks, please send planes, please send us the most advanced military equipment you can give us, because we need it. … [S]ending cluster munitions […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Western Support for Kyiv: It’s Now or Never For Ukraine” – Der Spiegel/ Thore Schröder

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

“… At [the] NATO summit, the West must decide how much a victory over Putin is worth and finally get serious about delivering urgently needed weapons systems. … The Ukrainians have thus far fallen far short of the goals they set for their counteroffensive. They don’t have the equipment they need for a rapid breakthrough in the southeast … lack[ing] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is NATO Ready for Chaos in Russia?” – Foreign Policy/ Angela Stent

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

“… [Prigozhin’s] short-lived mutiny … reminded the world that autocrats appear to be stable — until they are not. As NATO leaders convene … they will focus on the immediate challenge of the Russia-Ukraine war …. [b]ut the Western alliance will inevitably confront having to deal with a less stable nuclear-armed Russia. NATO has returned to its original mission of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: ‘Vladimir Putin’s useful idiots; Too many European politicians are failing to confront Russia” – The Economist

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Europe Map

“… The spectrum of Europe’s Useful Idiots, a cold-war term for unwitting allies of communism, is wide. In politics, parties on both the far right and far left disagree on much; but over Ukraine these extremes have often converged in demanding an instant ‘peace’ that would in effect reward Russian aggression with land. In media and academe, intellectuals still seem […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s counteroffensive hasn’t met expectations. Here’s why progress has been slow” – CNN

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Landmine TM-62, adapted from image at army.mil

“… [S]outhern Ukraine [minefields] are so dense… [that] troops trying to liberate the area [reportedly] can only advance ‘tree by tree’ … Ukraine’s Western allies are getting nervous about the fact that … progress … is … measured in meters, rather than kilometers. … [T]he slower than expected pace of the counteroffensive means … support could become increasingly unsustainable if […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Prigozhin Affair Is Much Less than Meets the Eye” – Politico

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“The short-lived mutiny by the Wagner Group rebounded to help solidify Putin’s control.” “… There is no doubt that Prigozhin’s rebellion was unpleasant news for Putin. But is the Russian leader weakened? We know very little about what happened between Putin and Prigozhin … ‘Putin’s chef.’ And what we do know supports very few, if any, of the claims that […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is Russia Really Becoming China’s Vassal?” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace/ Mikhail Korostikov

China, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog
File Photo of Beijing Temple, adapted from image at lbl.gov

“China may have the opportunity to turn Russia into its vassal, but it has no compelling reason to do so.” “…. Moscow … is betting on China in the global confrontation with the West …. The trade turnover between the two countries, which reached a record $190 billion last year, increased by another 39 percent in the first quarter of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Donors Are War-Weary, So Ukrainian Soldiers Get Creative for Funds” – New York Times

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

“A robust fund-raising operation has been critical in supplying Ukraine’s military. But as the war drags on, contributions have lagged.” “… [M]any Ukrainian military units have relied heavily on donations and charitable funds to supply … troops with much-needed supplies like first aid kits, body armor, vehicles and even drones. People and groups from around the world rallied to Ukraine’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Wagner Cost Russia Suspiciously Little Money” – Bloomberg/ Leonid Bershidsky

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“If Putin’s defense spending numbers are correct, it’s likely that Prigozhin overstated the size of his army.” “… [D]isatisfaction with Russia’s military and political leadership will continue to brew with the fighting in Ukraine. As more details become available about Wagner — until recently, the best-equipped, always regularly paid part of the Russian invasion force — officers and soldiers alike […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t Let Ukraine Join NATO; The Costs of Expanding the Alliance Outweigh the Benefits” – Foreign Affairs/ Justin Logan, Joshua Shifrinson

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
NATO Meeting File Photo

“… At a time when Washington already faces serious resource demands both at home and in Asia, it risks being backed into a corner: with Ukraine in NATO, Washington will need to divert resources from other priorities, … or accept increased risk along … a dramatically expanded eastern front. … [C]osts could balloon because of the perverse incentives that offering […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Smoking Guns: How to Prove the Putin Regime’s War Crimes in Ukraine” – Foreign Affairs/ Janine di Giovanni

Headlines, Human Rights, International Law, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photos of Law Books and Gavel, adapted from image at fjc.gov

“… [The] Ukraine … conflict has involved horrific atrocities, many … extensively recorded in real time …. [U]nlike in Syria and other recent wars, these crimes are being documented with the explicit aim of amassing evidence that can be used in courts. Since the war began, dozens of investigative journalists have been trained to become war crimes researchers, gathering images, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Wagner ‘Coup’ Was Staged by Putin — and the West Fell for It” – Newsweek/ Rebekah Koffler

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“… An army invades Russia, race[s] right up to Moscow, and no one gets hurt? With just a few thousand men, it achieved what Hitler with almost a million men wasn’t able to? And Putin holds his military back? And then, with Moscow supposedly within his grasp, Prigozhin decides, ‘Oh well, never mind’ and heads to Belarus? … It is […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine says Putin is planning a nuclear disaster. These people live nearby” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Radioactivity Symbol Against Mottled Metallic Background, adapted from image at ready.gov

“.. .[R]isk of … major disaster at the … Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant terrifies Nadiya Hez, who lives in an area that would probably take the brunt of … radioactive fallout. The nuclear plant has been in continual danger as Russian and Ukrainian troops trade fire … but the chance of a meltdown has increased sharply since the [June 6] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Isn’t Going to Run Out of Missiles” – CSIS

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Russian Fighter Jet in Flight Bearing Kinzhal Hypersonic Missile, adapted from image at alssa.mil

“Long-range missile strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure have been … prominent and persistent …. … [T]he CSIS report Putin’s Missile War found that Russian missile attacks in 2022 … caused major damage to Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure but … failed to achieve the kind of decisive strategic effects … Moscow … likely sought. Into 2023, Russia has persisted in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is Russia Losing Its Grip on Central Asia? What China’s Growing Regional Ambitions Mean for Moscow” – Foreign Affairs/ Temur Umarov, Alexander Gabuev

Central Asia, Far East, Siberia, APEC, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Map of CIS Central Asia and Environs

“Last month … [in] a diplomatic milestone … Chinese President Xi Jinping[] … invited … leaders of five Central Asian states to … Xian for their first-ever joint summit with China. … [part of] China’s foray into a region … often referred to … as Russia’s backyard. … [P]raise … Xi and his guests from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. actively considering giving cluster munitions to Ukraine” – Politico

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Image of DCIPM artillery shell artist's rendition, adapted from image at army.mil

“The Biden administration is actively considering sending cluster munitions to Ukraine to help Kyiv’s counteroffensive punch through Russia’s defenses, two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the debate said. The discussion … has intensified … as Ukraine’s effort to break through Russia’s frontline has stalled. … Late last year, the administration said it had ‘concerns’ … mainly for humanitarian […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The humbling of Vladimir Putin: The Wagner mutiny exposes the Russian tyrant’s growing weakness. But don’t count him out yet” – The Economist

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

“The last pretence of … Putin to be … one of his nation’s historic rulers was stripped away …. [A]rmed mercenaries swept through his country almost unopposed, covering some 750km (470 miles) in a single day, seizing control of two big cities and getting to within 200km of Moscow before withdrawing unharmed. [] Putin long ago failed as a reformer […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “21 Miles of Obstacles: The Ukrainian counteroffensive faces an enemy nearly as daunting as the Russians: the terrain” – New York Times

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

“… For Ukraine to retake territory … armored vehicles and infantry [] will need to traverse routes that Russia has extensively mined. Open fields and side roads will need to be cleared …. The West has supplied mine-clearing equipment, including explosive charges that can clear an open lane through a minefield. But … the task is [still] daunting. … [and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Yesterday’s Putin Is Gone” – New York Times/ Andrei Kolesnikov

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

“… Prigozhin’s mutiny … poke[d] a hole in the Kremlin’s campaign to assure Russians that everything is fine …. [] Prigozhin … gave more Russians reason to doubt their leadership. Is [] Putin really the all-powerful, czarlike figure they thought he was? …. Even if they are not ready to give up their relative safety and stability in favor of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Prigozhin went free. What about these Russians?” – Washington Post

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Prison Cell and Bars with Shaft of Light, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“For 18 months, Russia has been sliding deeper into totalitarian rule, including draconian laws pushed by … Putin that make it criminal to question the war against Ukraine — or even call it a ‘war’ …. [T]housands of Russians who object to the war and oppose [] Putin have not had the benefit of [the kind of] lenienc[y] [shown Prigozhin, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “West explores nuclear risks from unstable Putin regime” – Financial Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Tactical Missile on Mobile Launcher, adapted from image featured by army.mil and defense.gov

“Officials have discussed possible negative outcomes from Wagner insurrection destabilising Kremlin” “Western nations have explored contingencies in the aftermath of … Prigozhin’s attempted insurrection … including the threat to nuclear stockpiles from an unstable [Russian] regime …. Talks led by G7 members [reportedly] have included [discussions of] how a weakening of … Putin’s control over security and military forces could […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine says ‘main event’ in counteroffensive still to come” – Financial Times

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

“Defence minister argues Wagner insurrection in Russia will encourage further western support for Kyiv” “… [F]ormer Soviet paratrooper … [and current Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy] Reznikov said Ukraine’s army continued to impose heavy losses on Russian troops, with ‘degradation as a tool and the liberation of Ukrainian lands as the goal.’ Ukraine’s counteroffensive has … recaptured about 300 square kilometres […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “After the rebellion, how well will Putin carry on his rule?”  – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“Yevgeny Prigozhin’s attempted rebellion didn’t topple President Vladimir Putin. But in its aftermath, it has launched debate over just how stable Mr. Putin’s hold on the country really is.” “When oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin led his 25,000-strong Wagner private military forces into open insurrection against Russia’s Defense Ministry and Moscow elites … it looked like the kind of turning point that […]

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