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☆ This 35-year-old turned a local Indonesian coffee stall into a unicorn startup — today it brings in $100 million a year
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Ernestine Siu | In Ernestinesiu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Within the span of seven years, Kopi Kenangan went from a local Indonesian coffee stall to a venture-backed unicorn coffee company. "Instead of focusing on the sofa, or fast Wi-Fi, we're going to focus on a good, high quality cup of coffee," Tirtanata said. This decision helped Kopi Kenangan scale to over 200 locations and 10 cities within the first two years of operations. Taking a data-driven hyperlocal approach means that a Kopi Kenangan latte in Singapore will taste different from a latte in Indonesia. This helped Kopi Kenangan more than triple its store count during the pandemic.

Persons: Edward Tirtanata, Dunkin, Kopi Kenangan, Tirtanata, it's, Carroll, James Prananto, Kopi, Kenangan, Prananto Organizations: CNBC, Entrepreneur, Northeastern University, Lewis Locations: Indonesian, Southeast Asia, Jakarta, Boston, Indonesia, U.S, Singapore

☆ How I built a billion dollar coffee company called Kopi Kenangan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Ernestine Siu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

And recognizing that very notion is what makes Indonesian coffee chain Kopi Kenangan different from many of its competitors. Which is why this cup of Kopi Kenangan coffee here in Singapore may taste different from a cup in Indonesia. Edward Tirtanata: Before I started Kopi Kenangan, I started this tea chain called Lewis and Carroll. And that is why our first menu is called Kopi Kenangan Mantan, which directly translates into, memory of my ex-girlfriend coffee. Ernestine Siu: In 2019, Kopi Kenangan received its first outside investment of $8 million from venture capital firm Alpha JWC Ventures.

Persons: Edward Tirtanata, Ernestine Siu, It's, Serena Williams, Jay, Eduardo Savrin's, Edward, Kopi Kenangan, Carroll, James Prananto, James, Little, Kopi, creamer Organizations: Alpha JWC Ventures, Northeastern University, Starbucks, Entrepreneurship, Toyota Locations: Jakarta, Singapore, New York, Indonesia, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Boston, United States, Kopi, Bandung, U.S, Indonesian

Morehouse College President David A. Thomas speaks at Northeastern University’s commencement ceremony in Boston on May 5. Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe/Getty ImagesMorehouse College President David A. Thomas said Thursday he would shut down commencement ceremonies “on the spot” rather than allow police to remove student protesters in zip ties during President Joe Biden’s graduation speech. Biden’s scheduled commencement speech Sunday at one of the nation’s preeminent historically Black colleges comes as school officials around the country have called in law enforcement to clear pro-Palestinian encampments and quell demonstrations in recent weeks. “So, for example, prolonged shouting down of the president as he speaks. I have also made a decision that we will also not ask police to take individuals out of commencement in zip ties.

Persons: David A, Thomas, Danielle Parhizkaran, Joe Biden’s, Biden’s, ” Thomas, ”, Morehouse Organizations: Morehouse, Northeastern, Boston Globe, Getty Images Morehouse College, CNN, White House Locations: Boston, Atlanta, Gaza

☆ Renting Forever and Trying to Create a Strong Financial Future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Paulette Perhach | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Moving back and forth from Tennessee to Alaska, Michael Rogers and his wife Christy have twice been stuck simultaneously paying a mortgage and rent. Once, in 2006, the situation dragged on for eight months, finally ending when they sold their house in Tennessee for $20,000 below what they’d paid for it. Other adventures in homeownership ended well — the couple doubled their money after selling a fixer-upper. The couple just renewed their lease for a third year, and have decided to remain renters for good. Mr. Rogers, a construction manager, likes the convenience of being able to move when a job calls.

Persons: Michael Rogers, Christy, homeownership, Rogers Locations: Tennessee, Alaska, Kingsport

☆ Kharkiv: Life goes on as Russian advance menaces city
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Andrew Carey | Daria Tarasova-Markina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Kharkiv, Ukraine CNN —Thirty miles to the north, Russian forces are invading again. 00:41 - Source: CNNHotel manager Olha SokolenkoOlha Sokolenko, director of Kharkiv Palace Hotel, was in the hotel at the moment of the strike. This is my homeland.”Kharkiv’s mayorKharkiv's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, was elected just a few months before the Ukraine war broke out. To send signals both to Kharkiv residents who stay here that life goes on, and signals to those outside of Kharkiv that Kharkiv is a Ukrainian city and people live here.”Lomako explains that he and his partners traveled across the country to collect local recipes and techniques. Kharkiv theater goes undergroundThis theater in Kharkiv is one of several city institutions forced underground by the war.

Persons: Yuriy Sapronov, Sapronov, Chasiv Yar, ”, Yuriy, Daria Tarasova, ” Sapronov, Olha Sokolenko, Sokolenko, Olha, “, Kolotay, Cristiano Ronaldo, Matviy, Mikhaylo Galushko, ” Galushko, Ihor Terekhov, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Terekhov, Borys Lomako, “ It’s, ” Lomako, Lomako, Dmytro Gurov’s, Dmytro Gurov, CNN Gurov, Gurov, it’s, Oksana Stetsenko, ” Stetsenko, Neda Nezhdana Organizations: CNN, Ukraine CNN, Emergency Service, Soviet, Kharkiv, CNN Hotel, Hotel, ” FC Metalist Kharkiv Matviy Kolotay, FC Metalist Kharkiv, Hirnyk Sport, Coaches, FC Metalist, English, Everton, UEFA, Kharkiv's, Russia, Hyundai, Russian, Employees, Schools Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russian, Ukraine’s, Che, Russia, “, Kaliningrad, Soviet Union, Soviet, Kyiv, Kremenchuk, Uzhhorod, Poltava, Ukrainian, Dnipro

☆ Russian strikes on Ukraine's Kharkiv region kill at least 11
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a crater that appeared after a Russian missile strike on a structure at a resort, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine May 19, 2024. The missile strikes were the latest in what have been constant Russian attacks in recent weeks on the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine, where Russian troops have launched an offensive. Rescuers said the initial strike was followed by a second strike around 20 minutes later, targeting emergency crews at the scene in a so-called "double tap". Local governor Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces shelled two villages of the district with a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher. "Two Patriots for Kharkiv will make a fundamental difference," he said, referring to Patriot missile defence systems.

Persons: gesturing, Rescuers, Yaroslav Trofimko, Oleh Syniehubov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: REUTERS, Prosecutors, Local, Patriots, Kharkiv, Patriot Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Valentyn, Russia, Kupiansk district

☆ Ukraine Reports No Shortages of Artillery Shells for First Time: Zelenskyy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week that Ukraine's forces had reported no shortages of artillery shells for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Kyiv Independent reported. "For the first time during the war, none of the brigades complained that there were no artillery shells," Zelenskyy said on May 16. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesUkraine's armed forces have faced severe artillery shortages in recent months, partly due to a US military aid package being stalled in Congress. Despite this, Russian artillery will likely outmatch Ukraine's for most of 2024, officials and analysts told Foreign Policy. He added that he expected Ukrainian forces would "hold the line" near Kharkiv City.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, milblogger Stanislav Osman, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Rustem Umerov, Petr Pavel, Vladimir Putin, Christopher Cavoli Organizations: Service, Kyiv Independent, Business, Kyiv Post, Army, Anadolu Agency, Getty, EU, BBC News, Policy, CNN, for Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ukraine's, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Czech Republic, Russian, Kharkiv City

☆ Russia Presses Attacks in Northeast Ukraine, Seeking Buffer Zone on Border
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Ukrainian Army said on Saturday that Russian troops had tried to break through its defenses near the village of Lyptsi, which lies directly north of Kharkiv. It said the attacks had been repelled, but maps of the battlefield compiled by independent groups analyzing publicly available video of the fighting showed that Russian troops had almost reached the outskirts of the village. Ukraine’s Khartia Brigade, which is defending Lyptsi, posted a video on Telegram on Friday afternoon that it said showed Russian soldiers advancing on the village on foot, and attacking in small groups between tree lines. The brigade said it had targeted the Russians with rockets, forcing them to withdraw. Russian troops opened a new front in Ukraine’s northeast a week ago, surging across the border and quickly capturing about 10 settlements in what Ukrainian officials and military analysts described as an attempt to stretch Ukraine’s already outnumbered forces.

Persons: Lyptsi Organizations: Ukrainian Army, Ukraine’s Khartia Brigade Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s, Lyptsi

☆ Russia is finally getting serious about its war, and it spells trouble for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Much of the war in Ukraine has gone poorly for Russia. But Russian President Vladimir Putin's war machine looks very different today than it did at the start of the conflict. The Russian military continued to suffer from other problems in the first year of fighting, racking up troop and equipment losses while failing to capture significant amounts of Ukrainian territory. AdvertisementThe following month, a top US official and general said, respectively, that the Russian military was "almost completely reconstituted" and had "grown back" to its pre-war strength. The employment of glide bombs to support ground maneuver is the primary example of how Russia's military is successfully learning from its past shortcomings, Barros said.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Maxim Shemetov, George Barros, Russia's, Stringer, They've, Chris Cavoli, Andrei Belousov —, Sergei Shoigu, Barros, It's, Andrei Belousov, VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV, Oleksandra Novosel, Biden, Sergey Pivovarov, Mick Ryan, Jack Watling Organizations: Service, Business, Cuban, Institute for, Ukraine, REUTERS, Allied, US European Command, Sputnik, Security, Defense, Getty, JSC, UA, PBC, 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, Russian, Kharkiv, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Ukraine —, —, Russian, Kharkiv, Kherson, Robotyne, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Soviet, Shevchenkivskyi, Avdiivka, Washington, Russia's Rostov, Australian, Kyiv

Ukraine has asked the Biden administration to provide more intelligence on the position of Russian forces and military targets inside Russia as Ukrainian troops struggle to hold ground in the war, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. A group of Ukrainian Parliament members also met with members of Congress in Washington to press for the United States to allow Kyiv to use American weapons in Russia. Ukraine’s requests have become more urgent in recent weeks as Russia has taken advantage of delays in shipments of American weapons and intensified military operations in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine. But White House officials said the administration’s longstanding policy remained unchanged: The United States is not encouraging or enabling attacks inside Russia. American officials, seeking to avoid escalating the war, have insisted they do not want U.S. weapons used in cross-border attacks or their intelligence reports used to target sites in Russia.

Persons: Biden Organizations: White Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, United States, Kyiv, Kharkiv, U.S

☆ Russia-Ukraine war: Exclusive satellite images show destroyed jets and building at Belbek airbase
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Paul P. Murphy | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Satellite images exclusively obtained by CNN show three destroyed Russian jets and damaged buildings at Belbek airbase in occupied port city of Sevastopol on Wednesday. Satellite images exclusive to CNN show destroyed jets and building at Belbek Airbase in Crimea on May 15, 2024. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesSatellite images exclusive to CNN show destroyed jets and building at Belbek Airbase in Crimea on May 15, 2024. Satellite images exclusive to CNN show destroyed jets and building at Belbek Airbase in Crimea on May 15, 2024. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesSatellite images exclusive to CNN show destroyed jets and building at Belbek Airbase in Crimea on May 15, 2024.

Persons: Mikhail Razvozhaev, “, ” Razvozhaev, Belbek, Dmytro Pletenchuk, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, don’t, Christopher Cavoli, ” Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, ” CNN, Black, NATO, Allied Locations: Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia, Belbek, Russian, Belbek Airbase, Ukrainian, Atesh, Moscow, Ukraine, Azov, Kharkiv, Vovchansk, Ukraine’s, Brussels, Beijing, China

☆ Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine’s Kharkiv hit by drones during longest air raid alert of the war; Putin praises Russia-China cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Russian forces on Friday continued to attack Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, according to its regional governor, with Ukrainian forces repelling several ground attacks in the northeastern region. The reported attacks come as Russian forces seek to build on recent gains in the strategically important region. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a Google-translated post via Telegram that at least five drone strikes had hit the city overnight. An air raid alert in the city of Kharkiv lasted more than 16-and-a-half hours, Reuters reported, citing Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne. It marked the longest recorded air alert since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Ukraine's, Oleh Syniehubov Organizations: Kharkiv, CNBC, Reuters, Suspilne, Russia Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine

☆ Putin’s China Visit Highlights Military Ties That Worry the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( David Pierson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Vladimir V. Putin attended a trade fair on Friday in a northeastern Chinese city and toured a state-backed university famous for its cutting edge defense research, highlighting how economic and military ties between the countries have grown despite, or perhaps because of, Western pressure. Mr. Putin’s visit to Harbin, a Chinese city with a Russian past, is part of a trip aimed at demonstrating that he has powerful friends even as his war against Ukraine — a campaign that he is escalating — has isolated him from the West. The visit followed a day of talks between him and President Xi Jinping of China that seemed orchestrated to convey not only the strategic alignment of the two powerful, autocratic leaders against the West, but a personal connection. State media showed Mr. Putin and Mr. Xi, neck ties off after formal talks on Thursday, strolling under willow trees and sipping tea at a traditional pavilion on the sprawling grounds of Zhongnanhai, the walled leadership compound in Beijing, with only their interpreters. As Mr. Xi saw Mr. Putin off in the evening, he even initiated a hug — a rare expression of affection for the Chinese leader.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Putin’s, Ukraine —, Xi Jinping, Xi Organizations: Ukraine Locations: Harbin, Russian, China, Zhongnanhai, Beijing

☆ In Beijing, Xi and Putin left no question of their close alignment in a divided world
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Putin’s two-day state visit comes as Western leaders have leant on Xi to ensure that soaring exports from his country aren’t propping up the Russian war effort – a claim Beijing denies. Putin also traveled to Beijing with top security officials who the Russian president said Thursday would join informal talks on Ukraine. Beijing, which says it is neutral on the war, has repeatedly defended its trade with Russia as part of normal bilateral relations. Xi, analysts say, is seeking to keep Putin as a close partner, while not stepping over Western red lines. For that reason, she added, “he’s okay with on-going dependency between Russia and China – and with inequality in this relationship.”

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin’s, Xi, Putin, Putin’s, Andrey Belousov, Sergey Shoigu, “ Putin, he’s, Kurt Volker, “, ”, Alexandra Prokopenko Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, –, Israel, Hamas, Russian, Russian Security, Chinese Communist Party, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Observers, CNN, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Taiwan, Gaza, Russian, China, ”, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, China’s Harbin, Siberia, Europe

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, Putin meets Xi, Kharkiv under attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Beijing for the start of a two-day state visit underlining close alignment with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as Russian troops advance in Ukraine. The visit — Putin’s symbolic first overseas foray since entering a new term as Russia’s president last week – is the latest sign of deepening relations as the two bind their countries closer in the face of heavy frictions with the West. This is the fourth in-person meeting between Xi and Putin since Russia's invasion and Putin’s second visit to Beijing in that time. Russian troops have been pushing into northeastern Ukraine since their surprise assault on May 10 in the border region of Kharkiv. Their advances in the region are Moscow’s most significant since Ukrainian forces recaptured Kharkiv in 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Xi, Putin Locations: Beijing, Ukraine, Kharkiv

☆ Ukraine's getting more longe-range missiles that leave the Russians with 'nowhere to hide'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The number of missiles isn't publicly known, but ATACMS missiles average about $1.3 million each. These air-dropped missiles can fly at low altitudes to avoid detection and have been used to strike Russian naval headquarters and vehicle-repair depots in the occupied Crimean peninsula. The arrival of Storm Shadow missiles — and, several months later, ATAMCS — presented new challenges for Moscow, but Ukraine has received so few it has had to bee choosy over what to target. Indeed, Kyiv has used the American missiles in recent weeks to strike Russian airfields and troop gatherings. Missiles like ATACMS and Storm Shadow "will enable Ukraine to neutralize Russia's advantages and eventually enable them to regain the initiative," he added.

Persons: —, Ben Hodges, John Hamilton The, Jake Sullivan, Grant Shapps, Ben Stansall, Dan Rice, you've, Rice, ATAMCS —, Serhii, Hodges, Moscow's, Jack Watling, Watling Organizations: Service, US, Business, US Army, Army Tactical Missile System, White, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, Biden administration's, Republicans, Congress, Kyiv, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Storm, Shadow, Farnborough, American University Kyiv, Artillery Rocket Systems, Getty, Missiles, Russian Defense Ministry, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Ukraine, New Mexico, Washington, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Italy, France, Crimean, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Donetsk Oblast, Berlin, Avdiivka, Anadolu, Kharkiv

☆ Exclusive satellite images show destroyed Russian jets and building at Crimean airbase
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Paul P. Murphy | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

☆ Defending in Its North, Ukraine Faces Pressure All Along Front Line
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Maria Varenikova | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian forces said on Thursday that they were slowing the pace of an offensive push by Russia in their country’s northeast, even as they struggled to contain new Russian assaults at several other locations on the front line, with Moscow seeking to stretch Kyiv’s troops to break through their defenses. The Ukrainian military reported late Wednesday that it had repelled four ground attacks in the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Russian forces surged across the border last week and quickly captured a dozen or so villages and about 50 square miles of territory. “Over the course of the day, our Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine — all units involved — have managed to partially stabilize the situation,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Wednesday evening. “Our attention is constantly focused on the front line, on all combat zones.”Ukrainian civilians who were evacuated on Thursday said that Russian forces had been fighting in small units that slip through the forest and into villages. They have popped up unexpectedly on streets in the town of Vovchansk, a village a dozen miles to the east of Kharkiv city that is now contested between the two armies.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: Russian, Defense and Security Forces Locations: Russia, Moscow, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Vovchansk

☆ Opinion: Putin’s lightning assault jolts Europe awake
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

View more opinion on CNNCNN —It was a carefully choreographed show of force in Beijing Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived for yet another meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Frida Ghitis CNNOn Wednesday, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded in an assassination attempt. Russia’s lightning assault, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who cancelled all his foreign travel, aims to force Ukraine to stretch its defenses. Security officers move Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a car after the assassination attempt in Handlova, Slovakia, on Wednesday May 15. Every day, the stark reality that what began in Ukraine will change Europe for years to come becomes more inescapable.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Robert Fico, Fico, Putin, —, Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, David Cameron, “, Fico —, Radovan Stoklasa, Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov, laughably, Rishi Sunak, Mark Rutte, Russia's, Alexander Ryumin, Emmanuel Macron, ”, Mikko Heiskanen, Xi Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, CNN CNN, Frida Ghitis CNN, Wednesday, Slovakian, Kyiv, British, Putin, Kremlin, Moscow, European Union, Reuters, Europe, Russia, Republicans, Russian, West, NATO, Institute for, ” Locations: Beijing, Europe, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Georgia, Soviet Republic, Moscow, Moldova, Slovak, Slovakia, “, Handlova, Iran, North Korea, China, Norway, London, British, Netherlands, ”, Germany, Berlin, Finland

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, Blinken in Kyiv, Kharkiv under attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

An apartment is being damaged by an airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 14. Pavlo Pakhomenko/NurPhoto/APRussia is continuing its push into northeastern Ukraine since making several advances there over the past week after launching a surprise cross-border assault. These are Moscow’s most significant gains since Kyiv’s forces recaptured the Kharkiv region in 2022. On Tuesday, at least 21 civilians, including two 12-year-old girls and an 8-year-old boy, were wounded in Russian attacks on the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest, according to prosecutors. In the neighboring Sumy region, officials have also ordered a “voluntary evacuation” for several towns where attacks have increased, according to the military administration.

Persons: Pavlo Pakhomenko Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine's, Sumy

☆ Ukraine Says It Is Engaged in Fierce Fighting With Russia in Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After surging across the border last week, Russia’s army appears to be advancing more slowly in northeastern Ukraine, Ukrainian officials and military analysts said on Wednesday, with the two sides engaged in fierce combat around villages about five miles from the border. In a sign of the concern that Russia’s northeastern offensive is causing in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine canceled his participation in all international events for the coming days, including a visit on Friday to Spain where he was expected to sign a security agreement. Civilians continued to flee areas of northeastern Ukraine under heavy shelling by Russian forces, the Ukrainian officials said, warning that their troops had to contain relentless assaults and that the situation on the ground could change fast. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, told Ukrainian television on Tuesday that conditions in the area under attack were moving “toward stabilization,” with additional Ukrainian units being rushed in to repel Russian advances. But he added that “the situation is quite tense and is changing very quickly.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Kyrylo Budanov, ” Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Spain, Russian

☆ Ukrainian officials want the green light to strike targets in Russia with US weapons, saying they couldn't do anything about enemy troops massing nearby: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUkrainian parliamentary officials are pushing the Biden administration to remove restrictions on Kyiv striking targets in Russian territory with its arsenal of US weapons, Politico reported. Ukraine knew for weeks that Russia was massing troops at the border, with intelligence officials saying in early May that Moscow was gathering some 50,000 to 70,000 personnel there. Speaking to Politico, Ustinova said the Russians had become "smart now because they know there is a restriction for Ukrainians to shoot at the Russian territory." Ukraine has been attacking targets beyond the border — more recently on Russia's oil facilities — but only with its own drones. The policy has been criticized as a means of effectively shielding Russia from significant Ukrainian counterattack.

Persons: —, Biden, David Arakhamia, Oleksandra Ustinova, Ustinova, it's, isn't Organizations: Service, Politico, Business, Ukraine, Kharkiv, NATO, Kremlin, US Locations: Washington, Russia, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Mariupol, Vovchansk, West

☆ Vladimir Putin arrives in China for state visit as Russian troops advance in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing for the start of a two-day state visit underlining close alignment with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as Russian troops advance in Ukraine. Ahead of the trip, Putin hailed the “unprecedented level of strategic partnership” between the countries in an interview with Chinese state media Xinhua. The two leaders – who declared a “no limits” partnership weeks before the February 2022 invasion – have continued to strengthen their countries’ diplomatic, trade and security ties since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Xi hosts Putin in Beijing as the Chinese leader comes under under mounting pressure from the US and Europe to ensure exports from China aren’t propping up Russia’s war effort. This is the fourth in-person meeting between Xi and Putin – known for their personal chemistry – since the invasion and Putin’s second visit to Beijing in that time.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia’s, China’s, –, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, Wednesday, Xinhua, ”, Trade, China aren’t, Kremlin Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Gaza, ” Beijing, United States, Europe, China, Moscow, Harbin, China’s, Heilongjiang, Russia’s

☆ What to Know About the Summit Between Putin and Xi in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( David Pierson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, hosts President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia this week, the two leaders are expected to present a united front. Mr. Putin is trying to escalate his war in Ukraine before Ukrainian forces can receive a replenishment of arms from the United States, and likely wants to know he can rely on China. Mr. Xi will seek to bolster his strategic partner and “old friend,” but is also under pressure to avoid further alienating the West over his support for Russia. Mr. Putin will most likely seek more help from Beijing, which has provided a lifeline to the Kremlin ever since Western sanctions were imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. China purchases huge quantities of Russian oil and provides technologies that help Moscow withstand its economic isolation and sustain its war machine.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, Xi, Putin’s Organizations: West, Russia, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, United States, China, Beijing, Harbin

☆ US intelligence sees Russia step up disinformation campaign against Ukraine’s Zelensky
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Russia has stepped up its disinformation efforts to discredit Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and raise questions about his legitimacy in recent months, US intelligence agencies have observed. Russia has spread disinformation about Zelensky since before the war started but recent intelligence shows “it’s definitely increasing,” the official said. The administration has also imposed sanctions against individuals and entities connected with Russian disinformation. Both Ukraine and Russia have been involved in disinformation efforts against each other for years. “Not only have we seen these disinformation efforts increasing but we also expect them to continue to increase.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, “ it’s, “, ”, Zelensky, ’, Vladimir Putin’s, ’ ”, Gavin Wilde, ” Wilde, isn’t Organizations: CNN, Biden, ’ ” Biden, National Security Council, Carnegie Endowment, International Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Ukraine’s, Russian, Zelensky

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