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☆ Sea drones could 'radically' change warfare, giving smaller navies a chance to 'flip the chessboard,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine has used sea drones to devastating effect against Russia's far superior Black Sea Fleet. Drones could 'radically' change naval warfare, Pavlo Lakiychuk told the Kyiv Independent. He said they pose a threat to larger navies and give smaller navies a chance to turn the tide. AdvertisementSea drones could radically change naval warfare, giving smaller navies a chance to "flip the chessboard," a retired Ukrainian naval officer told the Kyiv Independent. Pavlo Lakiychuk told the outlet that sea drones present a "serious" threat to modern navies, which have spent billions creating enormous, supposedly "impenetrable killing" weapons.

Persons: Russia's, Pavlo Lakiychuk, — Organizations: Fleet, Kyiv Independent, Service, Business Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Putin's Hungarian ally Orban draws EU ire over 'peace mission' to Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 5, 2024. Russia's closest European ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has drawn ire from the EU over his Friday trip to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Orban's trip to Moscow has also drawn the wrath of European officials, who questioned his authority to represent the bloc. Also referencing Orban's visit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that "appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, Orban, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, " Orban, Josep Borrell, Ursula von der Leyen, Donald Trump Organizations: Hungary's, Kremlin, EU, NATO, Reuters, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Locations: Moscow, Russia's, Hungarian, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Europe, Brussels, EU

☆ Le Pen promises French far-right will rein in aid to Ukraine, slams soccer star Mbappé
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Joseph Ataman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Le Pen: Mbappé not representativeLe Pen directed most of her ire closer to home. “I’m not contesting the existence of these comments,” Le Pen said, referring to the accusations levelled against her candidates. Top of the list of sensitivities is likely to be foreign policy, where Le Pen and Macron rarely see eye to eye. Many held similar suspicions ahead of the election of hard-right culture warrior Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in 2022. “It’s a form of interference, and in that sense, I find it unacceptable,” Le Pen said of the post.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron’s, Emmanuel Macron, ”, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Kylian Mbappé, Le Pen, Macron, Le, Jordan Bardella, CAESAR, Roman Pilpey, Pen, Mbappé, “, ” Mbappé, “ It’s, Kylian, Franck Fife, ” Le Pen, Bardella, CNN Le, Florent de Kersauson, Daniel Grenon, Grenon, “ I’m, “ That’s, Francois Lo Presti, Vladimir Putin, She’s, Putin, Giorgia Meloni, she’s Organizations: Paris CNN —, CNN, Macron, soccer side’s, Ukraine, National Rally, National Assembly, National, 55th Artillery Brigade, Getty, CNN Le Pen’s, BFMTV, Kyiv, ” Locations: Ukraine, Russia, France’s, Donetsk, AFP, Washington, Kyiv, France, Paris, Hamburg, Germany, Algeria, Cameroon, United States, Brittany, “, ”, Henin, Beaumont, Brussels, Crimea, 2014, Russian, Italian, There’s, Moscow

☆ Viktor Orban Meets Vladimir Putin, Dismaying E.U.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Anton Troianovski | Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary met with President Vladimir V. Putin at the Kremlin on Friday, a rare trip to Russia by a Western leader and one that quickly stirred consternation in the European Union. Mr. Orban made the trip three days after visiting President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. And it was the same week that Hungary took over the European Union’s rotating presidency, prompting other European leaders to quickly declare that Mr. Orban was not representing them in Moscow. Mr. Putin and Mr. Orban met for more than two hours, but there were no signs that the talks had done anything to influence Mr. Putin. The Hungarian leader appeared to acknowledge as much, telling reporters afterward that the positions of Kyiv and Moscow “are very far apart.”

Persons: Viktor Orban, Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, Orban, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zoltan Kovacs, ” Organizations: European Union Locations: Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Moscow, Hungarian, Moscow “

☆ Kazakh Journalist’s Killing Sends Chill Through Exiles in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Carlotta Gall | Oleksandr Chubko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A small crowd of mourners gathered on Friday for the funeral of the Kazakh opposition activist and YouTuber Aidos Sadykov, who was assassinated in Kyiv, Ukraine — a killing that colleagues said had cast a chill over journalists and exiles in Ukraine and the wider region. A former opposition politician and trade unionist, Mr. Sadykov, 55, lived in Ukraine after fleeing Kazakhstan, his homeland, with his family 10 years ago. He was granted political asylum in Ukraine and, with his wife, ran a widely followed YouTube Channel covering events in Kazakhstan. He was shot last month outside their home, and died of his injuries earlier this week. Natalia Sadykova, his widow and a journalist, has laid the blame for her husband’s death on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan.

Persons: YouTuber Aidos Sadykov, Sadykov, Natalia Sadykova, Kassym Organizations: YouTube Locations: Kazakh, Kyiv, Ukraine, Kazakhstan

☆ Who is Jordan Bardella and what might his far-right party do in power?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Handpicked as leader by National Rally (RN) doyenne Marine Le Pen in an effort to purge the far-right party of its racist and antisemitic roots, Bardella has taken it closer to the gates of power than ever before. Whether the RN forms a government and Bardella becomes prime minister after the July 7 runoff is not clear. So, who is Bardella, and what might his party do in power? Le Pen and Bardella address a crowd of RN supporters in Paris, after Macron called a snap election, June 9, 2024. When the prime minister and president belong to different parties – in a rare arrangement known as “cohabitation” – things can grind to a halt.

Persons: CNN — Jordan, –, Bardella, Emmanuel Macron’s, France’s, Denis, Le Pen, Le Pen’s, Louis Aliot, Le, Macron, Julien De Rosa, Freed, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Franco, Paris Anne Hidalgo, Luc Mélenchon, ” Bardella, Julien de Rosa, Gabriel Attal, ” Mujtaba Rahman, Mario Draghi, Giorgia Meloni, Benito Mussolini, Matteo Salvini, Vladimir Putin, Antonio Masiello, Hungary’s Viktor Orban –, Macron – Organizations: CNN, National Rally, National Assembly, Front, Sorbonne university, Getty, Macron’s Ensemble, Immigrants, Ministry of, Armed Forces, New Popular Front, EU, Eurasia Group, European Union Locations: Paris, France, Europe, Seine, Macron, AFP, Vichy, Spanish, Brussels, Italy, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia

☆ Putin and Kim Jong Un are getting alarmingly close, and it's put US ally South Korea in a predicament
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewRussia and North Korea's newfound friendship has left key US ally South Korea in a predicament with few good options. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang, where he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un further strengthened their partnership. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: A TV at Yongsan Railway Station shows North Korea's fired Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un drive a Russian Aurus limousine during their meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea. With Putin supporting North Korea, tensions are higher between Pyongyang and Seoul, and the two could find themselves on the brink.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Korea's, KIM Jae, Sue Mi Terry, Putin, he's, Victor Cha, they've, Cha, Terry, what's, Caesar, LIONEL BONAVENTURE, Kim Organizations: Service, North, Business, SOUTH, Getty, Council, Foreign Relations, South Korean, Ukraine, KCNA, Reuters, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Putin Locations: Russia, North, South Korea, Seoul, Ukraine, North Korea, Russian, Pyongyang, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, Yongsan, Korea, North Korean, Moscow, Asia, Poland, Ukrainian, Tarbes, France, Kyiv, China, United States

The relatively small town of Chasiv Yar has played an outsized role in the conflict and has been battered by months of intense fighting. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its troops have taken over the easternmost district of Chasiv Yar. Medics prepare for transportation of a wounded Ukrainian serviceman inside a medical stabilization point near Chasiv Yar on July 1, 2024. Vadym Filashkin, the head of Donetsk regional military administration, said in May that some 679 civilians were still in Chasiv Yar, refusing to evacuate their homes. If Chasiv Yar was to fall to Russian hands, it could put bigger cities to the west at risk.

Persons: Chasiv Yar, Nazar Voloshyn, Ukraine’s, DeepState, Alina Smutko, Vadym Filashkin, ” Konrad Muzyka, Vladimir Putin, “ Chasiv Yar, ” Muzyka, Yar Organizations: CNN, Russian Defense Ministry, television, Kharkiv, “ Locations: Ukraine, Chasiv, Donetsk, Kramatorsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Chasiv Yar, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Moscow, ”, Russian, Russia

☆ US announces $2.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US announced a new $2.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine on Wednesday, one day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US would soon provide Kyiv with more air defense interceptors and critical munitions. The $2.2 billion in USAI funding for Ukraine is one of the largest such packages the US has announced, though it is dwarfed by the $6 billion USAI package announced in late-April. This is also the fifth military aid package for Ukraine since the passage of a $95 billion supplemental aid package in April, which included $61 billion in aid for Ukraine. In opening statements before their meeting, Austin said the US would soon be announcing the $2.3 billion security package. The US has provided approximately $53.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, “, Biden, Austin, Rustem Umerov Organizations: CNN, US, Ukraine, Pentagon, Presidential, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, Kyiv, Biden Administration, Ukrainian Defense Locations: Ukraine

☆ Ukraine is killing Russian missiles with hand-me-down air defense weapons the US retired decades ago
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Ukrainians are using an American-made air-defense system that the US retired from service more than two decades ago to successfully shoot down Russian cruise missiles. But the hand-me-down weapons have found new life in Ukraine, proving they are still useful tools after all these years. AdvertisementA MIM-23 Hawk air-defense system. Apparent kill marks on a MIM-23 Hawk air-defense system showing Russian drones and missiles it's taken down. The Biden administration has since donated an unspecified number Hawk systems and munitions to Kyiv and has committed to procuring more for the country over the long term.

Persons: it's, Oleksandr, Hawk, Biden Organizations: Service, Business, Russia's, Ukrainian Air Force, FIM, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Spain, Kyiv

☆ A.I. Begins Ushering In an Age of Killer Robots
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Paul Mozur | Adam Satariano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In a field on the outskirts of Kyiv, the founders of Vyriy, a Ukrainian drone company, were recently at work on a weapon of the future. To demonstrate it, Oleksii Babenko, 25, Vyriy’s chief executive, hopped on his motorcycle and rode down a dirt path. Behind him, a drone followed, as a colleague tracked the movements from a briefcase-size computer.

Persons: Oleksii Babenko Organizations: Vyriy Locations: Kyiv, Ukrainian

☆ Hungary’s Prime Minister Orban — a key Putin ally — makes first wartime visit to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (L) talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) in the Europa building prior the start of the meeting on June 27, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday for his first wartime visit to the battle-torn country. Orban, meanwhile, communicated Hungary's intentions to improve ties with Ukraine and sign a broad bilateral cooperation agreement, while urging Zelenskyy to consider a quick cease-fire to accelerate peace talks, Reuters reported. Orban absented from last month's Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland, where Hungary was instead represented by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. The Hungarian prime minister has also been one of the few Western leaders to meet the increasingly isolated Kremlin leader Putin since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Orban, Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Orban's, " Orban, Orban absented, Peter Szijjarto, Putin, Donald Trump, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: European Union, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Reuters, nonmember Kyiv, Ukraine Peace Summit, Foreign, Associated Press, NATO Locations: Europa, Brussels, Belgium, Hungarian, Ukraine, Hungary, Moldova, Switzerland

☆ Ukraine says it thwarted a coup plot
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Lex Harvey | Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ukraine has foiled an alleged plot to overthrow the government that “would have played into Russia’s hands,” security officials in the war-torn country said Monday. In a Telegram post, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed the plot organizers planned to trigger a riot in Kyiv on June 30 as a distraction to seize control of the Ukrainian parliament and remove the military and political leadership from power. Concerns have grown over the future of US military support for Ukraine with the potential for another Donald Trump presidency on the horizon. During last week’s presidential debate, Trump questioned whether the United States should continue to fund Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Trump’s comments on the war in Ukraine were “worrying,” Ukrainian politician Oleksiy Goncharenko told CNN.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ” Zelensky, Donald Trump, Trump, Oleksiy Goncharenko Organizations: CNN, Security Service of Ukraine, Russia Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Dnipro, Vilniansk, United States, Ukrainian

☆ Viktor Orban, Putin’s greatest European ally, makes first trip to Kyiv since start of war
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

According to Zhovkva, Kyiv’s number one tool to end hostilities is through a second peace summit, which Ukraine is already preparing for. “We are saying that Ukraine will draft its peace plan, a roadmap for establishing peace in Ukraine. Orban also stated his desire to improve relations between Budapest and Kyiv, which have been strained by the Hungarian leader’s close relationship with Putin. Tuesday’s meeting comes as Orban and Hungary take control of the EU Council’s rotating presidency, which changes every six months. The agenda for that event is expected to be dominated by long-term plans to support Ukraine and conversations about its eventual accession to the alliance.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Zelensky, Orban, Vladimir Putin, “, ” Orban, Ihor Zhovkva, Orban “, ” Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron’s, Zhovkva, Putin, Donald Trump’s, Zoltan Fischer Organizations: CNN, Russian Federation, United, EU, White, NATO, Political Locations: Hungarian, Kyiv, Moscow, Ukraine, Hungary, Russian, Budapest, Russia, United Nations, Crimea, Tuesday’s, Washington , DC, Ukrainian, United Kingdom

☆ Ukraine says it destroyed almost 60 Russian air defense systems in June, the second-highest number of monthly kills since the war began
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewUkraine's defense ministry said Monday that the country's military inflicted substantial damage on Russian air defense systems last month. June was a bad month for russian air defense. Ukrainian defenders destroyed 59 russian air defense systems. Without these restrictions, Ukraine could "in principle" replicate its success at taking out Russian air defense systems in Russian territory, ISW has said. With fewer defensive systems threatening its aircraft, Ukraine could have more freedom of movement for conducting air operations.

Persons: —, couldn't, ISW Organizations: Service, Business, —, General Staff of, Armed Forces, Institute for, Washington DC, Army Tactical Missile Systems, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Russia, Washington, Ukrainian

☆ Exclusive: World Athletics president invites Ukraine president Zelensky to the Paris Olympics in surprise visit to Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Madalena Araujo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said he invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Olympics as his personal guest during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday. But he’s at odds with the IOC when it comes to their stance on Russian athletes. Following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – supported by Belarus – in February 2022, World Athletics is the only Olympic sports federation to have banned all Russian and Belarussian athletes from elite competition. In the meeting with the Ukrainian president, World Athletics committed to keep providing financial support for the country’s athletes. Coe also stopped by the Ukrainian Athletics Championships in Lviv, the event that determined which athletes will compete in the Olympics.

Persons: Sebastian Coe, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, Coe, CNN’s Amanda Davies, Ukraine –, Zelensky, ” Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, International Olympic, IOC, Belarus –, Athletics, Olympic, Paris, country’s Sports Ministry, Ukrainian Athletics, CNN, Games Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Paris, Belarus, Lviv

☆ Ukraine Says It Foiled Another Russian Plot to Topple the Government
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Marc Santora | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine’s security service said on Monday that it had foiled yet another Russian plot to stir public unrest and then use the ensuing turmoil to topple the government, outlining a familiar tactic that Kyiv claims has been employed in string of coup attempts in recent years. Four people have been arrested and charged, according to the authorities. While offering little detail on how such an ambitious plan could have succeeded, officials said it was a reminder that more than two years after launching a full-scale invasion of the country, the Kremlin remained determined to bring down President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government by any means. On the battlefield, Russia continues to send tens of thousands of new soldiers to the front to replace those killed in the hopes of exhausting Ukraine’s military and Kyiv’s Western backers. At the same time, Russia’s relentless bombardment of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure is designed, in part, to throttle the economy and undermine the state’s ability to function.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky’s Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Russia's new 3.3-ton glide bomb escalates the destructive potential of its airstrike campaign against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe Russian Aerospace Forces are using a new munition in Ukraine that might change the situation on the ground. In June, Russian aircraft deployed for the first time the FAB-3000 M-54 glide bomb. Ukrainian outlets reported the use of the glide bomb against Ukrainian troop concentration points in Kharkiv Oblast in eastern Ukraine. Relying on a combination of stand-off and glide munitions, Russian aircraft have been targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure and urban centers. But beyond causing some additional casualties to the Ukrainian forces, Russian tactical aviation hasn't made a difference.

Persons: —, Stu, Avi, lar, hav, tim e s and Organizations: Service, Russian Aerospace Forces, Russian, Business, FAB, for, Ukrainian Air Force Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv Oblast, Russian, 🇷🇺🇺🇦

☆ Russia can’t fight NATO on the battlefield – so it’s waging a hybrid war instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

And while they might look minor in isolation, taken together these incidents amount to what security experts say is Russia’s hybrid war on the West. Thornton said Russia was resorting to a campaign of sabotage as an alternative to a full-on war with NATO, which would be disastrous for Russia. Article 5 is the cornerstone principle that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all members. Danylyuk said the Russian security apparatus doesn’t shy away from using criminals to do its dirty work, tapping into its links with international organized crime. Russia can only be strong if the West and NATO are weak.

Persons: –, Petr Fiala, Jens Stoltenberg, Rod Thornton, there’s, ” Thornton, Vladimir Putin, Thornton, “, ”, It’s, ” Nicole Wolkov, Andrei Averyanov, Averyanov, Sergei, Yulia Skripal, d’etat, Oleksandr Danylyuk, …, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Danylyuk, Olga Lautman, Fiala, Sergei Skripal, Yulia, Frank Augstein, ” Lautman, Lautman, Alexander Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoi, Theresa May, Nikolai Glushkov, Salisbury, Putin, ” “, let’s, ’ ”, that’s, Litvinenko, Skripal Organizations: CNN, Occupation, . Police, European Union, NATO, King’s College London, ”, Royal United Services Institute, Czech Police, GRU, London –, German Federal Public, Ukraine, Russian, Russia NATO, Center for, European, of Human, Duma, Metropolitan Police, Command, Soviet, West Locations: Prague, Czech, Moscow, Europe, Riga, London, Warsaw, Germany, Russia, Belarus, Russian, Spain, Lithuania, Canada, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia –, United States, al Qaeda, France, EU, Salisbury, England, Czech Republic, Vrbetice, Montenegro, Moldova, Macedonia, Ukrainian, Poland, Salisbury , England, Finland, Estonia, Lautman, Soviet Union

☆ Meet NATO's next chief, the 'Trump whisperer' and fierce critic of Vladimir Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewNATO has selected outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next Secretary-General. Rutte, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will take over from Jens Stoltenberg on October 1, ending the latter's decadelong run at the helm of the alliance. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Persons: —, Mark Rutte, Rutte, Vladimir Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Philippe Dickinson, Dickinson, Trump, Rachel Rizzo, he's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Michael O'Hanlon, Putin Organizations: Service, Dutch, Business, Transatlantic Security, Strategy, Security, Alliance, Trump, NATO, Atlantic Council's, Getty, Brookings Institution, Malaysia Airlines Flight Locations: Netherlands, Ukraine, Gaza, Russia, China, Dutch

☆ Opinion: Ukraine’s new weapon against Russia? Lego
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Opinion Roy Schwartz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Pictured in Lego miniature is Kyiv’s Golden Gate, released as part of United24's second wave of Ukrainian monument replicas. The inspiration for a Lego campaign came from these initiatives and from Lego Architecture, an adult-oriented line of sets recreating iconic landmarks. The second wave, #UKRAINEinLEGObricks, released last month, includes Kyiv’s Golden Gate, Crimea’s Khan Palace, Lviv’s Oblast’s Pidhirtsi Castle, Odesa’s National Academic Opera and Mykolaiv’s Astronomical Observatory. Mykolaiv’s Astronomical Observatory is featured in Lego's second wave of monument recreations. UNITED24All models are made from authentic Lego bricks, though the Lego company isn’t affiliated with the project nor the artists building the sets.

Persons: Roy Schwartz, Volodymyr Zelensky, Yaroslava Gres, Gres, United24, isn’t, Brick, Mark Segedie, ”, ” Eric Law, he’d, “, Law, ” Gres, there’ll Organizations: Twitter, Facebook, CNN, Russia, Deloitte, US, Council, Foreign Relations, World Bank, Lego Foundation, Lego Architecture, Opera, raffles, Velykokostromska Locations: royschwartz.com, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Chicago, Khan, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, American, Tacoma

☆ Russia's navy sought a safer spot, but is still at the mercy of Ukraine's drones and missiles, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The sea, which borders occupied southern Ukraine, is connected to the Black Sea via the Kerch Strait, and, crucially, Russia controls its coastline. AdvertisementUkraine's attacks have forced Russian warships to withdraw from Crimea and relocate to safer waters, where they have also come under attack. But this doesn't mean ships there will be safe from Ukraine's aerial drones and missiles, experts told BI. But he added that "Russia's warships in the Azov Sea are still at the mercy of Ukrainian missiles and aerial drones." AdvertisementMeanwhile, Russian "missiles can reach most of Ukraine from the Sea of Azov and ports along the Russian Black Sea coast," Clark said.

Persons: —, Dmitry Pletenchuk, Pletenchuk, Matthew Boyse, Basil Germond, Mark Temnycky, Scott Savitz, Bryan Clark, Clark, Steven Horrell, Igor Delanoë, Savitz Organizations: Service, Kyiv Independent, Business, Naval Forces of, Armed Forces of, Hudson Institute's Center, Lancaster University, Council's Eurasia Center, RAND, US Navy, Hudson Institute, Transatlantic Defense, Security, Center for Locations: Russian, Azov, Kyiv, Ukraine, Kerch, Russia, Crimea, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Europe, Eurasia, Ukrainian, Western

The debate between Donald J. Trump and President Biden had analysts in Asia fretting. During Thursday night’s debate, President Biden told former President Donald J. Trump that the United States is the “envy of the world.”After watching their performance, many of America’s friends might beg to differ. In Europe and Asia, the back-and-forth between the blustering Mr. Trump and the faltering Mr. Biden set analysts fretting — and not just about who might win the election in November. Image Mr. Biden leaving the debate stage. Kasit Piromya, Thailand’s foreign minister from 2008 to 2011 and a former ambassador to the United States, lamented the state of American politics.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Biden, ”, fretting —, ” Simon Canning, ” Sergey Radchenko, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, “, Putin, “ I’ve, Mr, Kenny Holston, François Heisbourg, Trump’s, “ I’m, Heisbourg, Radoslaw Sikorski, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Sikorski, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Daniela Schwarzer, Bogdan Butkevych, “ Trump, Chan Heng Chee, Ms, Chan, Lee Byong, ’ ”, Koichi Nakano, Haiyun Jiang, Narendra Modi, Tara Kartha, —, Shen Dingli, don’t, Kasit, Damien Cave, Lee Wee, Choe Sang, Vivian Wang, Camille Elemia, Mujib Mashal, Ségolène Le Stradic, Marc Santora Organizations: Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, —, Mr, Russia, New York Times, Trump, Bertelsmann Foundation, Washington , D.C, Credit, Kremlin, Kyiv Independent, Biden unnerves, Institute for Far Eastern, Kyungnam University, Sophia University, The New York Times, Washington, National Security Council of, ”, Weibo Locations: Asia, Australian, United States, Europe, Australia, Washington, Russia, China, North Korea, Ukraine, Lebanon, Iran, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Gaza, Jerusalem, France, Washington ,, American, Ukrainian, North, Seoul, “, United, Tokyo, The New York Times India, National Security Council of India, New Delhi, Beijing, India, Communist, Shanghai, U.S, Southeast Asia

☆ Specter of Putin casts a shadow over the Trump-Biden debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

There appeared to be an additional presence on stage with Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump in last night's CNN electoral debate: Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader was invoked roughly a dozen times in the 90-minute volley of verbal blows on domestic and foreign policy between the two candidates. Both have navigated the White House relationship with the Kremlin for a mandate each and shared very different views of the Russian leader. "I will have that war settled between Putin and Zelenskyy as president-elect before I take office on January 20th. The Russian leader has previously signaled interest in a potential prisoner swap for Gershkovich, rather than in financial compensation.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Trump, —, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Russia —, Evan Gershkovich Organizations: Democratic U.S, Republican, CNN, Kremlin, Trump —, U.S, Kyiv, Wall Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Ukrainian

☆ EU leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as Commission chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

European Union leaders agreed to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive body. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another right-winger, voted against von der Leyen and did not vote for Kallas, diplomats said. Von der Leyen's nomination still needs approval from the European Parliament in a secret ballot - widely seen as a trickier proposition than her endorsement by EU leaders. "It is a matter of convincing - if possible - a broad majority for a strong Europe," von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen hails from the centre-right, Costa from the centre-left and Kallas from Europe's liberal group.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa, Kaja Kallas, Charles Michel, Giorgia Meloni, von der Leyen, Costa, Meloni, Viktor Orban, Von der, Von der Leyen, there's, Kallas Organizations: Union, European Commission, Estonian, European, Italian, Kallas, EU, Kyiv, U.S Locations: Germany, Brussels, Portuguese, Hungarian, Europe, Ukraine, Russia

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