“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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“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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“… [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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“Ammunition and arms will be rushed to Kyiv’s forces on funding bill’s approval, ‘literally in the nick of time’” “The House vote to approve $60 billion … for Ukraine comes at a desperate moment … and holds the prospect of helping them stave off a Russian onslaught at the last possible moment. If approved by the Senate … and … […]
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“… Zelensky … [on] Sunday … emphasiz[ed] that the U.S. is helping protect democracy throughout the region. … ‘The Americans are not funding the war in Ukraine. They foremost protect freedom and democracy all over Europe. And Ukraine is fighting … sending their best sons and daughters to the front …reduc[ing] the price for all Europe, for all NATO,’ Zelensky […]
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“To Halt Russia’s Advance, Kyiv Needs More Boots on the Ground” “… The debate in the U.S. Congress over … military aid to Ukraine has been a debacle. … [M]onths of dithering in Washington have dismayed Europeans and given Moscow hope that Western resolve … is cracking. Russian forces — bolstered by equipment from China, Iran, and North Korea — […]
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“The troops would be serving in a non-combat role, officials said.” “The U.S. is considering sending additional military advisers to the [U.S.] embassy in Kyiv … as Russia appears to be gaining momentum …. The advisers would not be in a combat role, but rather … advise and support the Ukrainian government and military …. ‘Throughout this conflict … DOD […]
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“… [With] restored U.S. support and ongoing help from Europe, Ukraine might be able to turn the tide. …. Ukrainian conscription … [now] allow[s] the government to draft men ages 25 and 26, [so that] some 400,000 more men are now eligible. … [T]hat likely won’t be enough to find 200,000 more, so [Ukraine] will also need … to increase […]
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“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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“The stark warning from a top administration official comes as Kyiv worries about Russia’s looming summer offensive.” “CIA Director William Burns offered a stark warning to lawmakers on Capitol Hill … Thursday …. ‘With the boost that would come from [proposed] military assistance, both practically and psychologically, Ukrainians are entirely capable of holding their own through 2024 and puncturing Putin’s […]
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“… If the tide doesn’t turn soon in this third year of Russia’s invasion, it will be the nation of Ukraine as it currently exists that is consigned to the past. For a war of such era-defining importance, the scale of Western leaders’ actions to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invaders has fallen far short of their soaring rhetoric. … Without […]
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“… [Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov] fought behind Russian lines between 2014 and 2016 in [the] Donbas … injured three times … taking shrapnel in his heart, neck and back. In 2016, he led a raid that killed [a Russian FSB] lieutenant general …. Budanov [has] predicted … a big [Russian summer] offensive … to try to capture all of […]
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“… Should Kyiv be defeated in the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022, ‘the global system of security will be destroyed … and all the world will need to find … a new system of security,’ [Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys] Shmyhal said … Wednesday …. ‘Or, there will be many conflicts, many such kinds of wars, and in […]
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“Hollywood and DC ignore fact that Russia’s army is bigger than when the war began and Ukraine can’t keep up” “… First, Ukraine lacks the soldiers to win. … As Ukraine’s Commander of Joint Forces said … April 11, there are seven to 10 times more Russian soldiers than … Ukrainians on the battlefield … three days after his colleague, […]
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“Russia and Ukraine reached deal with Turkey, sources say But Ukraine pulled out at last moment – sources Deal would have given safety to merchant shipping Turkey’s Erdogan was about to announce it on March 30″ “Russia and Ukraine negotiated for two months with Turkey on a deal to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea and reached […]
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“A Hidden History of Diplomacy That Came Up Short—but Holds Lessons for Future Negotiations” “… By the end of March 2022, a series of in-person meetings in Belarus and Turkey and virtual engagements over video conference … produced the so-called Istanbul Communiqué … describ[ing] a framework for a settlement. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators then began working on the text of […]
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“The great tragedy of the Russian-Ukrainian war is that it will ultimately prove to have been futile. The likely outcome — territorial adjustments in Moscow’s favor, security guarantees for Ukraine and Russia — could have been peaceably negotiated beforehand had leaders had a firmer grasp of the real balance of power or greater political courage. The cost of failed diplomacy […]
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“Ukraine is facing challenges on multiple fronts, from critical shortages of munitions and manpower to Russia ramping up its attacks. It comes amid uncertainty around future aid from the U.S. …” Click here for: “Exclusive: Zelenskyy says without U.S. aid ‘we’ll have no chance of winning’ [including transcript]” – PBS: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Amna Nawaz, Dan Sagalyn, Sam Lane “… Amna […]
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“Russia has been able to swiftly repair some of [the] key oil refineries hit by Ukrainian drones, reducing capacity idled by the attacks to about 10% from almost 14% at the end of March …. Ukraine stepped up drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure since the start of the year, hitting … major oil refineries across the world’s second largest […]
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“The government and its people are recognizing what a cease-fire deal with Russia would really mean.” “In recent days … Zelensky … announc[ed] his openness to making several concessions to Russian demands … includ[ing] a commitment to Ukrainian neutrality with respect to military alliances, a rejection of any nuclear arsenal, and … acceptance of Russian control over Ukraine’s eastern regions. […]
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“… [R]eviving a proposal … Ukraine had rejected. … Dmitry Peskov said [Friday] … the draft document … discussed in Istanbul in March 2022 could be ‘the basis for starting negotiations.’ At the same time, he noted … [the] need to take into account … ‘new realities.’ ‘There have been many changes since then, new entities have been included in […]
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“… [I]t is increasingly clear that the Ukrainian army is not capable of reconquering … territories lost to Russia … [W]ithout continued and massive Western aid, the Ukrainians will suffer eventual defeat owing to Russia’s huge economic and demographic superiority, and … such aid cannot be guaranteed. Sanctions have not cratered Russia’s economy or crippled its war effort. Russia has […]
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“… At the start of the war, when Ukraine lost access to its deep-water ports in the Black Sea, the EU temporarily exempted Ukrainian lorry drivers from a permit system …. upset[ting] Polish drivers, who had dominated .. local freight …. [A] suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian farm goods, produced by larger, more efficient outfits, posed competition […]
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“… [S]eek[ing] to influence congressional and other political debates to stoke anti-Ukraine sentiment, Kremlin-linked political strategists and trolls have written thousands of fabricated news articles, social media posts and comments that promote American isolationism, stir fear over the United States’ border security and attempt to amplify U.S. economic and racial tensions, according to a trove of internal Kremlin documents obtained […]
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“Ukraine ‘will lose the war’ if the United States Congress does not approve military aid to help it resist Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “It’s important to specifically address the Congress: if the Congress doesn’t help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said Sunday during a video meeting of the Ukrainian fund-raising group UNITED24. “If Ukraine loses this […]
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“In honoring a book depicting Ukrainian volunteers in the Waffen SS as heroes and patriots, the group reveals historical ignorance — or indifference to antisemitism.” “… [T]he American Library Association (ALA) published a list of Best Historical Materials for 2023, which includes Enemy Archives: Soviet Counterinsurgency Operations and the Ukrainian Nationalist Movement — Selections from the Secret Police Archives. This […]
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“… [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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“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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“… [R]ecalcitrance in Congress is not Ukraine’s only problem. Europe has been slow to step in … and … Zelensky[] may have taken too long to lower the recruitment age to 25 …. American weapons and artillery are essential to Ukraine’s ability to hold the line and[] eventually … negotiate for an end to hostilities from a position of strength. […]
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“The commander of one of Ukraine’s most skilled units sent his men on a dangerous mission that required them to outmaneuver a swarm of aerial threats.” “Members of Ukraine’s 1st Separate Assault Battalion describe themselves as firemen. Their job is to rapidly deploy to areas along the front that are in danger of collapse. Lately, their service has been in […]
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“According to the Pryncyp organization, which defends the interests of those injured in war, almost 70% of them have financed medical care themselves. ‘Semi-fit’ or wounded, they hope to influence the government.” “The Russian aggression that began on February 24, 2022, is far from having destroyed Ukraine’s democratic foundations. At the very heart of the army, a critical voice is […]
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“… 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 Matters – russiamatters.org) 6 Things to Know Russian forces have gained 23 square miles of Ukrainian territory, while Ukrainian forces have re-gained 0 square miles in the past month, according to the April 2, 2024, issue of the Belfer Center’s Russia-Ukraine War Report Card. Most recently, Russian forces have advanced into the outskirts of the town of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine, […]
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“… [Past] Russian attacks towards the energy network in Ukraine … focused on the power distribution system and damages [had] been easy to repair quickly. This new campaign is … much more serious … since its focus is [on] power production facilities … [that] might take years to repair or replace. Why has Russia shifted its focus? … [In the […]
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“… [E]ven without the Crocus City Hall attack, [] Putin was primed to step up his assault on Ukraine. After his landslide victory in … [a] rubber-stamp presidential election, [] Putin is more secure than ever in his position and free to focus fully on the war effort. … Russian forces now hold material and manpower advantages over Ukraine. … […]
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“… The menacing images I watched … were sketched using signals captured by sensors from land, sea, air and space … [depicting abstractions of] Russian air-defense systems … Ukrainian drone operators can instantly map a safe route to [a] target using [a] system … developed for them by … U.S. software company Palantir …. part of an astonishing wave of […]
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“Admitting Kyiv is a nonstarter as long as the war with Russia is raging. But the member nations want to show they are supporting Ukraine ‘for the long haul.’” “… Ukraine … ultimately [wants] … a formal invitation to join NATO. … [A]lliance officials agree that is not going to happen at … festivities … [in] Washington in July. NATO […]
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“… Moscow’s initial plan was to have … agents infiltrate the highest levels of Ukrainian society ahead of its invasion and … seize power from within. … [M]ost … were … weeded out by Ukrainian law enforcement or fled … after Russia’s invasion. … [Today] there are fewer Ukrainians with pro-Russian sympathies, especially in positions of influence, willing to help […]
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(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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“German diplomat says Moscow’s messaging combines greater subtlety and plausibility with automation” “Russian disinformation campaigns to undermine support for Ukraine in Europe have grown significantly in scale, skill and stealth, [Ralf Beste of Germany’s Federal Foreign Office] has warned. ‘It is absolutely a threat we have to take seriously’ … ‘Overall, [there] is an increase in sophistication and impact ….’ […]
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“[U.S. ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith] has stressed that the U.S. and its transatlantic partners are preparing for a Russian expansion of its war on Ukraine into allied territory … [saying] Tuesday that Russia remains ‘the pre-eminent threat that we’re grappling with,’ though [she] added: ‘We do not see an imminent threat to NATO territory.’ ‘NATO is not sitting on […]
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“According to high-ranking Ukrainian officers, the military picture is grim and Russian generals could find success wherever they decide to focus their upcoming offensive.” “… Europe … is trying to help Ukraine make up for its colossal disadvantage in artillery shells. … [A] proposed Czech-led bulk artillery ammunition purchase could bring Ukraine’s total from both within and outside the EU […]
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“… Russia has … greater manpower … and the ability to recruit more fighters through lucrative contracts …. Russian firepower is reportedly ten times greater in aggregate than Ukraine’s and about seven-fold just for artillery and mortars. … U.S. congressional failure to approve [more] support … has led to an increased loss of Ukrainian lives and territory on the front […]
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“… If there’s one mistake the West made in its relationship with Russia, it was not paying enough attention to or taking seriously the rhetoric coming from the Kremlin and Russia’s political-military elites. Putin’s anti-Western, paranoid and virulent speech in Munich in 2007 was not out of character. Russia’s beliefs and ideas have never really changed since 1991. An analysis […]
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“Analysts of Russia differ about … the roots of Russia’s ongoing aggression. One side argues that Russian history and political culture are to blame …. The other side argues that the causes are … typical of … certain kinds of states, regimes, societies and leaders. … How can this vicious circle be broken? Since Russian history is [that of] of […]
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“Many units, which say the official conscription system is dysfunctional and unwieldy, have started their own recruitment campaigns to fill ranks depleted in the war with Russia.” “… Slick recruiting campaigns brimming with nationalist fervor have become ubiquitous in Kyiv … and other Ukrainian cities … perhaps the most visible sign of a push to replenish Ukrainian troops depleted by […]
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“… To make peace in a conflict, both parties have to be willing to accept each other’s minimum demands. And despite the mutual lack of progress, neither Russia nor Ukraine can swallow each other’s requirements. Kyiv, for instance, cannot accept Russia’s demand for new leadership. Moscow cannot accede to Ukraine’s demand for reparations. Both sides will not give up land. […]
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“Moscow has found better ways to conceal influence operations that spread arguments for isolationism, officials and experts say.” “Russia has intensified … online efforts to derail military funding for Ukraine in the United States and Europe, largely by using harder-to-trace technologies to amplify arguments for isolationism ahead of the U.S. elections, according to disinformation experts and intelligence assessments. … [I]ntelligence […]
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(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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“… 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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