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☆ Kremlin denies Olympics disinformation campaign, calls Microsoft allegation slanderous
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends the 8th Russian-Chinese EXPO and the 4th Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation in Harbin, China, May 17, 2024. Sergei Bobylyov | Via ReutersThe Kremlin denied an allegation that it is waging a disinformation campaign against France, its president and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, or MTAC, said Sunday that "Russia is ramping up malign disinformation campaigns against France, French President Emmanuel Macron, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and this summer's Olympic Games in Paris." On Tuesday, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov characterized the MTAC's accusations against Russia as slander, news agency RIA Novosti reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine's losses are eight times higher than those of Russia during an interview with Chinese media.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Sergei Bobylyov, Emmanuel Macron, Peskov, Macron, Vladimir Putin, Ludovic Marin Organizations: Interregional Cooperation, Reuters, Kremlin, France, Microsoft, International Olympic Committee, IOC, RIA Novosti, Olympic Games, Russian, NATO, Afp, Getty Locations: Russian, Harbin, China, Paris, Russia, France, Ukraine, Belarusian

☆ Biden to meet with Zelensky in Normandy and at next week’s G7, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while he is in Normandy, France, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. CNN previously reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not extended an invitation, according to a French presidential source. Sullivan added that Biden is also expected to meet with Zelensky during the G7 in Italy next week. “In the course of a little more than a week, the president will have two substantive engagements with President Zelensky,” Sullivan said. The two leaders last met in person when Zelensky was in Washington, DC, in December 2023 to make an in-person plea for military and economic aid.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jake Sullivan, “, Zelensky, ” Sullivan, Biden, Rishi Sunak, Justin Trudeau, Vladimir Putin, Sullivan, ”, Janet Yellen’s, Emmanuel Macron, CNN’s Jack Forrest, Joshua Berlinger, Simone McCarthy, Brad Lendon, Eric Cheung Organizations: CNN, White House, Ukraine, Air Force, British, Canadian, Zelensky, “, Russia, US, US Army Rangers, Biden, NATO Locations: Normandy, France, he’s, he’ll, Ukraine, Europe, Italy, Washington , DC, Kharkiv, “, United States, Germany, Biden’s, Pointe du Hoc

☆ A Ukrainian commander said new troops are trained so badly they have to learn basic skills on the front lines like shooting a gun
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The 93rd Mechanized Brigade has seen some of the heaviest fighting in the war, including the battles for Bakhmut, Kharkiv, and Adviivka. One newly arrived soldier, identified by call sign Val of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, told the outlet he was assigned to the front line with a day's notice. AdvertisementAnother soldier from the 42nd Mechanized Brigade in Kharkiv told the outlet that "everything is learned on the spot." As for new recruits, Ukraine's training centers are barely equipped to provide soldiers with basic training, per the Post. AdvertisementThe UK hosts trainings for Ukrainian troops under its Operation Interflex program.

Persons: —, Schmidt, Mechanized Brigade Kholodny Yar, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Val, France —, HENRY NICHOLLS Organizations: Service, Washington Post, Business, Kyiv, 93rd Mechanized Brigade, Bakhmut, Mechanized Brigade, Getty, 42nd Mechanized Brigade, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Ukraine, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kremlin, NATO, for Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk, AFP, Chasiv Yar, Kyiv, Baltic States, France, Russia, Washington

☆ NATO is finally giving Ukraine a shot at repelling Russia's destructive glide-bomb attacks on a major city
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Western positions on this issue have softened in the wake of Russia's ongoing offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region, which began last month. AdvertisementUkrainian gunners firing at Russian positions in the Kharkiv region. AdvertisementGunners from Ukraine's 43rd Separate Mechanized Brigade fire at a Russian position in the Kharkiv region in April. Ukraine can only conduct cross-border strikes in Russian territory right around the Kharkiv region, and it is still barred from conducting longer-range strikes with its most powerful US-provided missiles. "That's exactly what we're doing in response to what we've now seen in and around the Kharkiv region," Blinken told reporters.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Stepanov, Ukraine's, Matthew Savill, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Biden, John Kirby, Kirby, it's, Serhii, Antony Blinken, what's, we've, Blinken, we'll Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Getty, Institute for, Kharkiv City, Gunners, Mechanized Brigade, National Security, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, Artillery Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Moscow, AFP, Western, Russia's, Ukrainian, Russian, RUSI, Ukraine's, Washington, Prague, Belgorod

☆ Kremlin warns Washington of 'fatal' miscalculation to let Kyiv use U.S.-supplied weapons inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

An employee of the Kharkiv prosecutor's office collects fragments of an aerial bomb for further analysis on April 30, 2024 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Monday warned the U.S. against the potential "fatal consequences" of allowing Kyiv to deploy U.S.-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia. He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly addressed the topic, giving "a very significant warning, and it must be taken seriously, with the utmost seriousness." Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the White House had approved a Ukrainian request to deploy U.S.-supplied weapons against targets in Russian territory, on the border near Ukrainian city Kharkiv. "I'm not sure that for today we have [the] possibility to use these jets on the territory of Russia, we will see.

Persons: Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, what's, we've, Blinken, you've, he's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron —, Radoslaw Sikorski, I'm, Zelenskyy Organizations: Google, White, Russian, Associated Press, The, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Ukrainian, Sweden, Germany, The U.S, Iran, Tehran

☆ China continues to support Russia in a 'limitless' relationship, says NATO military committee chair
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina continues to support Russia in a 'limitless' relationship, says NATO military committee chairNATO Military Committee chair Rob Bauer says China has not condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine, and explains why this is hypocritical.

Persons: Rob Bauer, Russia's Organizations: China, NATO Locations: Russia, China, Ukraine

☆ As Challenges Pile Up, a Spate of Summitry Spotlights Western Resolve
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Western leaders are embarking on an extraordinary stretch of summitry this week, which could give them a chance to project unity to adversaries who increasingly view the West as something to be defied, disregarded or even repudiated. On one level, D-Day and NATO are inspiring bookends: the first, a nostalgic commemoration of the Allied victory over Nazi tyranny; the second, a 75th birthday party for the alliance that grew out of the ashes of World War II. In between, there is a Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland and a Group of 7 leaders’ summit in Italy. Yet beneath the pride and pomp, there will be nagging doubts, not least about the direction of American politics. President Biden will travel to France and Italy (he is expected to skip the Switzerland forum), but he is squeezing in the diplomacy amid an election-year battle against former President Donald J. Trump, whose victory in November would call into question the very survival of the alliance that Western leaders are spending so much time celebrating.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump Organizations: NATO Locations: Normandy, Washington, Ukraine, Gaza, China, United States, Switzerland, ’, Italy, France

☆ Austin reaffirms U.S. commitment to Indo-Pacific, says region is 'more prosperous when we work together'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin speaks at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 1, 2024. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Austin said that Washington's enduring commitment to the region has been a "springboard" that has enabled transformative growth in the region. Austin said that the region is seeing a "new convergence" around nearly all aspects of security in the Indo-Pacific. It's about notions of goodwill, uniting around the interests that we share and the values that we cherish," Austin said. "I respectfully disagree with your point that the expansion of NATO caused the Ukraine crisis," Austin replied, drawing applause from the room.

Persons: Defence Lloyd Austin, Nhac Nguyen, Lloyd Austin, Austin, we're, Lai Ching, Lai, Cao Yanzhong, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Defence, Afp, Getty, SINGAPORE, U.S, NATO Locations: Singapore, United States, U.S, Philippines, Australia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Beijing, NATO, Europe, Russia, Ukraine

Zelensky’s surprise attendance at the gathering is a stark illustration of Kyiv’s determination to keep the international community engaged in Ukraine’s defense – and its vision for peace – more than two years into Russia’s devastating invasion. A CNN team at the summit witnessed Zelensky and his delegation arriving. His attendance at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore provides a rare opportunity for Zelensky to potentially meet with defense chiefs from across the Asia-Pacific, including China which has deepened its relations with Moscow since the war. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and defense heads from US allies Australia, Japan, and South Korea, as well as China’s Defense Minster Dong Jun are expected to be in attendance for the three-day gathering. Announcing his arrival at the summit, Zelensky said in a statement on X that he would hold “a number of meetings,” in particular with Austin, Singapore’s president and prime minister, Timor-Leste’s president and Singaporean investors.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenksy, Zelensky, Lloyd Austin, Dong Jun, ”, Austin, Rustem Umerov, “, Roman Pilipey, Zelenksy, Ukraine’s, Dong, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, –, It’s, Sergey Lavrov, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, CNN’s Ivan Watson, Xiaofei Xu, Alex Stambaugh, Natasha Bertrand, Sharon Braithwaite Organizations: Singapore CNN —, CNN, US, Austin, Ukrainian Defense, Getty, NATO, Russia, Northern, Firefighters, Reuters, Ministry, RIA Novosti, Russian, Key Locations: Singapore, Asia, Kharkiv, China, Moscow, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Timor, Ukraine, AFP, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Europe, North Korea, Beijing, Beijing’s, Russian, Reuters Beijing, Zelensky, Kyiv

☆ Russia Bombards Ukraine with Missiles, Ukraine Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Constant Méheut | More About Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russian drones and missiles streaked into Ukrainian skies early Saturday morning, Ukrainian officials said, in a large-scale air assault that appeared to be targeting western Ukraine, including regions near borders with NATO allies. The Ukrainian Air Force said some missiles were heading toward the western Zakarpattia and Lviv regions, which border Hungary, Slovakia and Poland, all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Shortly after midnight on Saturday, the Ukrainian Air Force reported launches of attack drones followed by waves of missiles. Debris from a downed Russian drone started a fire at an infrastructure facility in the western region of Vinnytsia, and several explosions were heard in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, local officials said. No casualties were immediately reported.

Organizations: NATO, Ukrainian Air Force, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Polish Army Locations: Ukraine, Zakarpattia, Lviv, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Russian, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Ukraine could soon fire Western-supplied missiles at targets in Russia. But don't expect that to tilt the war in its favor.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Advertisement"The military logic of allowing Ukraine to use weapons against targets in Russia is straightforward," he said, but "there are structural limits, which Ukraine is now facing." AdvertisementOn Tuesday, France said Ukraine should be allowed to use Western weapons to hit targets in Russia — but only sites that Russia is using to launch attacks on Ukraine. Related storiesThree unnamed officials told Politico on Thursday that Ukraine can now use US-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia. AdvertisementUkraine could also struggle to develop the intelligence needed to find and quickly strike targets farther inside Russia. Advertisement"This does not mean that allowing Ukraine to hit targets in Russia will not help — but it is clearly not a silver bullet to win the war," he said.

Persons: —, Keir Giles, should've, Alexander Libman, Vladimir Putin, hadn't, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Giles, John Hardie Organizations: Service, Business, Chatham House's, Eurasia Programme, Free University of Berlin, NATO, Politico, Times, Russia's, Foundation for, Defense of Democracies, Ukraine, New York Times, EU, intel Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Chatham House's Russia, Eurasia, Kharkiv, Ukraine's, France, Ukrainian, London, Russian

☆ US defense chief hails security partnerships in Asia in face of Russia, China threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Brad Lendon | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Singapore CNN —US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday hailed the arrival of a “new convergence” in the Indo-Pacific, as the United States fortifies strategic and security partnerships in the region amid rising threats from China and Russia. “Today, we are witnessing a new convergence around nearly all aspects of security in the Indo-Pacific,” Austin said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore. Looming large in that regional vision is a more assertive China, which Austin alluded to without mentioning it by name. Austin’s emphasis of a “new convergence” in Asia Pacific appeared to have struck a raw nerve with the Chinese delegation in the audience. Austin also reaffirmed US commitment to the Asia Pacific region, saying peace and stability across the region are crucial for the whole world.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Austin, Lai Ching, “ We’ve, We’ve, we’ve, ”, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Cao Yanzhong, “, Mr.Putin, Dong Jun, Dong, Ferdinand R, Marcos Jr Organizations: Singapore CNN — US, Saturday, “, South China Seas, Asia Pacific, NATO, Institute of War Studies, Academy of Military Sciences of, China’s, National Defense Locations: Singapore, United States, China, Russia, Taiwan, Beijing, South China, Asia Pacific, South, Washington, Asia, Ukraine, Philippines, Philippine

☆ The Kremlin is accused of waging a 'shadow war' against the West with incidents of Russian sabotage on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Daniel Kochis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If true, the loss of a Polish shopping center by means of Russian arson would be shocking on its own. As NATO advances toward the July summit, it's become clear that more comprehensive discussions on addressing the Russian sabotage campaign must take place. Some of the earliest identified acts of Russian sabotage occurred in 2014 at ammunition depots in the Czech Republic killing two and causing $42.5 million in damage. Bulgaria has played a crucial role in supplying ammunition and shells to Ukrainian forces, especially in the early stages of the war. Matthias Merz/picture alliance via Getty ImagesWeapons and training facilities aiding Ukrainian forces are frequent targets.

Persons: —, Donald Tusk, MAXIM SHEMETOV, Kaja Kallas, it's, Hannah Beier, Ozempic, Abrams, Matthias Merz, Russia, John MacDougall, Daniel Kochis Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters Estonia's, West, NATO, Scranton Army, BAE Systems, Denmark's Novo Nordisk, BAE, US Army, Getty Images, Energy, NATO Pipeline System, Deutsche Bahn, Investigators, DB, Getty, Kremlin, Ukraine, Center, Hudson Institute, United Locations: Polish, Poland, Wroclaw, Lithuania, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Estonia, Czech Republic, Vrbětice, Bulgaria, Scranton, Pennsylvania, United Kingdom, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Norwegian, Baltic, Bellheim, Germany, Czech, Europe, Berlin, France, Washington, Eurasia, United States, NATO

☆ Biden to Allow Ukraine to Use U.S. Weapons to Strike Inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A senior American official in Washington said the administration’s policy prohibiting Ukraine from using U.S.-made weapons for “long range” attacks inside Russia had not changed. He was responding to a question about whether Mr. Biden would soon allow Ukraine to use American-made weapons to strike in Russia. The Pentagon is charged with giving Ukraine the exact guidelines of what it can strike in Russia, U.S. officials said. In addition to artillery and missile launchers, the Ukrainians are concerned about Russian aircraft releasing glide bombs at Kharkiv from inside Russian airspace. Ukrainian officials say they want to use American-made weapons to attack Russian aircraft in Russia’s airspace and air bases inside Russia.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Mr, Biden Organizations: American, NATO, Politico, Pentagon Locations: Washington, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, United States, France, Germany, Prague, U.S, Kharkiv

☆ Opinion: To those world leaders privately rooting for Biden — now is your chance
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Opinion Arick Wierson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And among those watching most closely are world leaders near and far. Of course, world leaders have generally stayed mum on the issue of which man they prefer – although I would wager that most favor the status quo over a return to the raucous years of Trump’s presidency. Some world leaders have already signaled their aversion to another Trump presidency. But for these foreign leaders, coming out against Trump is a move that is chock full of risks. The stakes in this election are too high for global leaders to stay mum.

Persons: Michael Bloomberg, Read, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden “, ”, Trump, Trump’s, “, Hank Sheinkopf, Biden, Javier Milei, Israel’s Netanyahu, Victor Orbán, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, it’s, Justin Trudeau, isn’t, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, octogenarian Biden, “ Trump, Sheinkopf, Don’t, Team Biden, — Organizations: New York, CNN, Trump, NATO, “, Biden, Canadian, Worker’s Party, Team Trump, Team Locations: United States, Latin America, Africa, America, Asia, China, Argentina, Hungary, Brazilian, Gaza, Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Washington

☆ A new Howitzer ammo plant nearly doubles US production, but it's still not nearly enough to match Russia's output
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe US has opened a new factory for Howitzer ammo near Dallas, which aims to pump out 30,000 of the 155mm shells a month as the Ukraine war chews through Western stocks. The new facility at max capacity would bump total production to 66,000 shells a month for the US. Kofman told the outlet that while the Mesquite plant would be important for long-term production, Russia would likely still be producing more ammo than the West even if the US hits its 2025 goal. The US and Europe have sent Ukraine more than 3 million 155mm artillery shells since the war began. With Washington and its allies expected to produce about 1.3 million rounds in 2024, that would be about a third of Russia's forecast capacity at triple the cost.

Persons: —, John Ismay, Ismay, Michael Kofman, That's, Kofman, Doug Bush Organizations: Service, General Dynamics, The New York Times, Business, Texas, US Army, CNN, Kyiv, Carnegie Endowment, International, European Union, Sky News, Bain & Company, Washington, Press, Pentagon Locations: Dallas, Ukraine, Mesquite , Texas, The, Pennsylvania, Moscow, Kyiv . Washington, Israel, Europe, Russia, Mesquite, Kyiv

☆ Why the Swedish and Finnish Air Forces are a powerful add to NATO
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Finland's F/A-18 Hornets — which used to be the US Navy's standard fighter — are already compatible with NATO air forces. This puts several squadrons of stealth fighters on Russia's northern border, with the potential to penetrate and suppress Russian air defenses, and hit vital targets. "Both Finland's and Sweden's proximity allows NATO air forces to stage closer to the Baltics. Similarly, Sweden's Gotland island — located almost midway in the Baltic, about 60 miles from the Swedish mainland and 80 miles from the Baltic States — provides NATO with an advanced outpost. Their air forces are vital for this Nordic push, and will become very useful to further deter and defend the increasingly contested arctic space with Russia."

Persons: Paul Cormarie, John Hoehn, Sweden's JAS, Finland's, Ian Valley, Hoehn, Cormarie, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, NATO, RAND, Corp, Modern, Institute, Business, Nordic, Gripen, UK's Royal Air Force, Finnish Air Force, US Army, —, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, West, Russia, Finnish, Swedish, France, Germany, Warsaw, Poland, Europe, Rovaniemi, US Army Sweden, Baltic States, Baltic, Norway, Norwegian, North, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Gotland, —, Pacific, United States, Taiwan, China, Forbes

☆ Taking the Fight to Russia: The West Weighs Ukraine’s Use of Its Weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Lara Jakes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With Ukraine’s second-largest city bracing for a new Russian offensive, a growing number of NATO allies are backing Kyiv’s pleas to allow its forces to conduct strikes in Russian territory with Western weapons. This week Canada became the latest of at least 12 countries to declare that arms it has given to Ukraine could be used to hit military targets over Russia’s border. But the most important supplier of weaponry to Ukraine, the United States, remains reluctant to take the step, worried about provoking Russia into an escalation that could drag in NATO and set off a wider war. Without sign-off from Washington, the American-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, can only strike Russian targets inside Ukraine. Yet many Western leaders and military analysts say that with Russia massing thousands of troops on its side of the border — less than 20 miles from the northeastern city of Kharkiv — Ukraine badly needs the authority to strike inside Russia with Western weapons.

Organizations: NATO, Tactical Missile Systems, Kharkiv — Locations: Canada, Ukraine, Russia’s, United States, Russia, Washington, Russian, Kharkiv, Kharkiv — Ukraine, Western

☆ The US accused China of offering Russia 'every support behind the scenes' for its war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe US has accused China of covertly supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and suggested that further US and NATO sanctions would be leveled against it. "What we've seen from China to Russia is not a one-off or a couple of rogue firms involved in supporting Russia," Campbell said, according to Reuters. "This is a sustained, comprehensive effort that is backed up by the leadership in China that is designed to give Russia every support behind the scenes." While many Western countries have put sanctions on Russia, China has remained a close economic ally, which has helped Russia finance its war. AdvertisementWhile Ukraine has support from many allies, including the US, UK, and Germany, their support has come in waves that have been disrupted by politics.

Persons: —, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, he'd, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Reuters, North Atlantic Council, US Locations: China, Ukraine, Belgium, Russia, Europe, Beijing, Iran, North Korea, Germany

☆ Opinion: On Ukraine, Biden is taking Putin’s threats too seriously
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Opinion Adam Kinzinger | Ben Hodges | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —There seems to be a doctrine within the National Security Council in the Biden administration: escalation aversion. Ukraine requested Javelins and Stingers before the full-scale war began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022. After the battle of Kyiv was won, Ukraine requested MiG-29s, which Poland agreed to provide in exchange for Western fighters. Ukraine requested Abrams tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles for trench warfare in the east. During the Cold War, nuclear threats were not uncommon, but the US didn’t keep them from advancing its foreign policy interests.

Persons: Adam Kinzinger, Kinzinger, Ben Hodges, Biden, Vladmir Putin, Putin, Let’s, Abrams, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Annegret Hilse, Donald Trump’s Organizations: CNN, Republican, House Foreign Affairs, Air National Guard, US Army Europe, US Army, National Security Council, Ukraine, MiG, Western, Patriot, HIMARS, Bradley, ATACMS, NATO, Kyiv, Twitter, Facebook Ukraine Locations: Illinois, Ukraine, France, Germany, Russian, Russia, Kyiv, Poland, West, Vietnam, Afghanistan

☆ A top secret meeting is kicking off in Madrid with the CEOs of Google DeepMind, Anthropic and Microsoft AI in attendance
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google DeepMind co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Demis Hassabis gives a conference during the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 26, 2024. The CEOs of artificial intelligence heavyweights Google DeepMind, Microsoft AI, Anthropic and Mistral AI are among the elite list of business and political leaders attending a secretive meeting kicking off in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday. AI will once again dominate discussions at the annual Bilderberg Meeting after catapulting onto the agenda last year following the meteoric rise of the burgeoning technology. U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg are also among the political figures who will attend for geopolitical discussions including on China and Russia. According to its organizers, the closed nature of the event aims to foster "informal discussions about major issues."

Persons: Demis Hassabis, Jane Fraser, Eric Schmidt, Albert Bourla, Wael Sawan, Peter Thiel, Wally Adeyemo, Dmytro Kuleba, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Google, Mobile World Congress, MWC, Microsoft, Mistral, Citigroup, Pfizer, NATO, Chatham House, Economic Locations: Barcelona, Madrid, Spain, Ukrainian, China, Russia, Spanish, Chatham, Davos, Switzerland

☆ NATO doesn't have enough air defenses to protect Eastern Europe from an invasion: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

NATO members have less than 5% of the air defenses needed to protect Central and Eastern Europe, per the FT.A NATO official said their air defense "stockpiles have been reduced." Putin hinted on Tuesday that he might attack NATO members calling for Ukrainian strikes on Russia. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementCentral and Eastern European countries may find themselves vulnerable during an invasion because of NATO's weak air defenses, per a new report from the Financial Times. Members of the military alliance only have less than 5% of the air defense capabilities needed to protect those regions from attacks, the FT reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with NATO's defense plans.

Persons: Putin, — Organizations: NATO, Service, Financial Times, Business Locations: Central, Eastern Europe, Russia, Eastern

☆ A major ammo supplier to Ukraine says poor quality parts are impacting half the shells it's trying to deliver
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewCentral Europe's largest ammunition supplier said that quality and cost issues meant that half of the shells it's sourcing for Ukraine can't be sent directly to the country, according to the Financial Times. In January, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the war in Ukraine had "become a battle for ammunition." Ukraine has been forced to limit itself to firing 2,000 shells per day for much of this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. AdvertisementAnd it's only been since mid-May that its forces have started to breathe more easily over their ability to expend shells, Zelenskyy said.

Persons: —, Michal Strnad, Strnad, Strnad's, Jens Stoltenberg, Sinéad Baker, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Czechoslovak Group, Business, CSG, Radio Free, NATO, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Czech, Asia, Africa, Prague, Russia

In a warehouse off Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway in an industrial area outside Dallas, the future of American military ammunition production is coming online. Here, in the Pentagon’s first new major arms plant built since Russia invaded Ukraine, Turkish workers in orange hard hats are busy unpacking wood crates stenciled with the name Repkon, a defense company based in Istanbul, and assembling computer-controlled robots and lathes. The factory will soon turn out about 30,000 steel shells every month for the 155-millimeter howitzers that have become crucial to Kyiv’s war effort. Ukraine fired between 4,000 and 7,000 such shells daily for several months in 2023, according to NATO’s secretary-general, before infighting among House Republicans held up further funding for Pentagon arms shipments. Large shipments of American artillery ammunition resumed in April after Congress passed an aid package that included $61 billion to Ukraine.

Organizations: Republicans, Pentagon Locations: Dallas, Russia, Ukraine, Istanbul

Eastern Ukraine CNN —Ukrainian crews working on US-supplied Abrams tanks have told CNN of a series of the weaknesses and flaws with the armored vehicles, calling into doubt their utility on the war’s ever-changing frontlines. Much of the Ukrainian frontline is now dominated by the use of self-destructing attack drones, tiny and accurate devices that can swarm infantry and even cause significant damage to tanks. Mick Krever/CNNAmmunition is also a problem, like elsewhere on the Ukrainian frontline. NATO “would never” use the Abrams tank the way the Ukrainian military has to use it, a Ukrainian soldier who uses the moniker “Joker” said. Mick Krever/CNNThe Ukrainian crew expressed frustration the tanks were made for a NATO style of warfare, in which air power and artillery prepare the battlefield before tanks and infantry advance.

Persons: Abrams, Joe Biden, ”, Crews, Saddam Hussein’s, Mick Krever, ” Joker, “, ’ ”, Oleksandr Syrsky, Victoria Butenko Organizations: Eastern, Eastern Ukraine CNN —, CNN, United, ” CNN, 47th Mechanised Brigade, Pentagon, Abrams, NATO, “ Locations: Eastern Ukraine, United States, Ukraine, Germany, Iraq, Dnipro, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Russia, Poland, American, Russian, Red Square, Kyiv, “ Ukraine, Ukraine’s, France

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