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☆ 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

“Hard to watch” is how multiple foreign diplomats described Thursday night’s debate between Biden and Trump to CNN. I had difficulties understanding what he was saying, and I understand English pretty well,” said a second European diplomat. Biden’s debate flop was front-page news across Europe, with left- and right-leaning newspapers excoriating the president – even in France, where the country has its own elections coming up this weekend. “There are many options that are discussed, but we don’t see, any that are self-evident,” the first European diplomat said. Moscow’s state TV station, Russia 1, lampooned Biden’s debate performance.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, ”, “ Trump, “, –, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Trump, Radek Sikorski, “ Marcus Aurelius, Commudos, didn’t, Kamala, Harris, Trump’s, Volodymyr, Zelensky, Biden pilloried, Joe’Matosed ”, “ Biden, Biden’s, Emmanuel Macron’s, Ansa, Russia’s, Olga Skabeeva laughingly Organizations: CNN, Biden, NATO, Democratic Party, ”, “, strongmen, Arab, Financial Times, Sun, Guardian, Monde, TV Locations: Europe, East, Asia, European, Arab, Asian, France, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Afghanistan, Polish, California, Israel, British, Atlanta, Greece’s, Italy, Puglia

☆ 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

☆ How to Escape From the Russian Army
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Bhadra Sharma | Jeffrey Gettleman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He didn’t have any documents. He was wrapped in bandages and 2,500 miles from his village in the Himalayas. But as he lay in a Russian military hospital, wounded in battle and surrounded by people speaking an alien language, Krishna Bahadur Shahi, an out-of-work engineer from Nepal who had committed the mistake of joining Moscow’s army, made a vow. “I had to get out,” he said in a recent interview. But the Russian military continues to rely on it, boosting combat power with impoverished young foreigners even though many, like Mr. Shahi, said they didn’t know they would be going into battle.

Persons: Krishna Bahadur Shahi, I’m, “, ”, Mr, Shahi Locations: Russian, Nepal, Ukraine

☆ Russia is flooding Europe with discounted gas to win back Western buyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discounted Russian gas is hitting European markets, the Center for European Policy Analysis said. AdvertisementRussia has unleashed discounted gas onto European markets, working to keep countries hooked on its energy supply, the Center for European Policy Analysis said. Although the Ukrainian route has continued supplying Western markets through the war, its January expiration would likely be enough to risk a Gazprom bankruptcy. Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria are among examples CEPA cited as customers for Russian gas. AdvertisementAlready, Southern European traders are profiting by buying cheap Russian gas pumped through a Turkish pipeline and then selling it at a premium in Western European markets, she suggested.

Persons: —, It's, Aura Sabadus, CEPA, Sabadus Organizations: Center for, Kremlin, Service, Ukraine —, Moscow, Gazprom Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Eastern, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Gazprom's, Southern, Turkish, Poland

CNN —President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, are set to make history on CNN Thursday night as they meet for their first 2024 debate. Thursday’s debate will be the earliest in the election cycle that a presidential debate featuring the major parties’ nominees has taken place in modern history. That’s why Trump’s advisers and allies have urged the former president to focus on issues like the economy, crime and inflation as he debates Biden. The Biden campaign knows all this, of course, so it will be interesting – and instructive – to hear his message and analyze where it’s being targeted. The Trump campaign distanced itself, in part, from the plan, noting that the advisers who wrote it are not on the payroll.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, It’ll, Biden —, —, Trump, Hunter, Jake Tapper, Dana, insurrectionists, Biden, parry, Wade, Roe, ”, CNN’s Erin Burnett, won’t Biden, ” Biden, “, Lincoln, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” He’s Organizations: CNN, United States, Trump, Capitol, GOP, Biden, NATO, Reuters, Kyiv, Republicans, UFC Locations: New York, Georgia’s, Atlanta, Washington , Florida, Georgia, Russia, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Moscow, Kyiv, Western Europe, United States

☆ Russia to Start Secret Trial of U.S. Reporter Accused of Espionage
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | Milana Mazaeva | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He tries to keep himself in shape during the hourlong exercise period he is permitted each day. Friends who correspond with him describe Mr. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, as positive, strong and rarely discouraged, despite facing the official wrath of President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia. He is scheduled go on trial Wednesday, facing up to 20 years in prison on an espionage charge that he, his employer and the U.S. State Department vehemently deny. At the heart of Mr. Gershkovich’s ordeal is a void — the absence of any evidence made public by the Russian authorities to support their claim that he was a spy. Nor is any likely to emerge from his trial in Yekaterinburg, which has been declared secret, with any observers barred from attending, and his lawyers prohibited from publicly revealing anything they learn.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, ”, Gershkovich, Vladimir V, Maria Borzunova Organizations: Street Journal, U.S . State Department Locations: Moscow’s, United States, Russia, Russian, Yekaterinburg

☆ Russia's oil and gas revenue is reportedly set to boom 50% this month
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's energy trade likely boomed last month despite sanctions. That's a 50% increase from the prior year, a sign Moscow's energy trade is getting on despite restrictions. According to Reuters, Russia's oil and gas revenue is set to surge to $9.4 billion in June, up roughly 50% from the $6 billion it took in from oil and gas sales in June of last year. The increase in revenue has largely been spurred by declining subsidies to Russia's oil refineries, which fell $60 billion from last month. That may encourage refineries to export oil and gas overseas for a higher price, as opposed to keeping oil and gas for domestic sales.

Persons: —, That's Organizations: Reuters, Service, Kremlin, The Bank of Russia Locations: That's, Moscow, China, India, Ukraine, Russia

☆ India’s Modi to visit Moscow soon, Russian state media says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Preparations are being made for Modi’s visit to Moscow and dates will be announced soon, Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov said, according to Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency. “I can confirm that we are preparing a visit by the Prime Minister of India,” he said, according to TASS. India’s ties with Russia date back decades to the Cold War and have remained strong despite repeated sanctions on Moscow from Western governments. At the same time, India’s ties with the United States have grown stronger, amid shared concerns over China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Modi met with US President Joe Biden during a state visit to Washington last June, in a trip further cementing their defense, trade and technology partnership.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Yuri Ushakov, ”, India’s, Modi, Vladimir Putin, Putin, China –, China’s, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Indian, TASS, Affairs, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Russia, United Nations, Kremlin, SCO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Moscow, India, Russian, Uzbekistan, New Delhi, Western, China, United States, ’, Japan, Australia

☆ Evan Gershkovich: Russia begins espionage trial of US reporter behind closed doors
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The trial of Evan Gershkovich, the first American journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War, began Wednesday morning in a closed door hearing that has been condemned by his newspaper and the United States. While many newsrooms subsequently pulled their reporters out of Russia, Gershkovich remained, covering the war and how it was changing life in Russia. Footage on Wednesday morning showed Gershkovich inside a glass court cage, his head shaved, ahead of the trial due to start imminently behind closed doors. The trial of Gershkovich, the American-born son of Soviet-era emigres to the US, has highlighted the extent to which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has harmed relations between Moscow and Washington. Gershkovich seen inside an enclosure for defendants in Yekaterinburg, Russia on June 26, 2024.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich, Gershkovich “, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Ella Milman, Mikhail Gershkovich, “ He’s, ” Milman, He’s, Evan, Evgenia Novozhenina, Natalia Kolesnikova, Emma Tucker, “, ” Tucker, Joe Biden, Evan ”, Paul Whelan, Whelan, ”, Biden, Brittney Griner, –, Griner, Viktor Bout, Bout, Putin, Tucker Carlson, Andrei Soldatov, Vladimir Putin, Vadim Krasikov, ” Putin, Gershkovich’s, Mikhail Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, Russia, CIA, WSJ, US State Department, State, Reuters, Getty, Journalism, “, Kremlin, Tucker Carlson Network Locations: American, Russia, United States, Ukraine, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Washington, Sverdlovsk Regional, Russian, Moscow’s, AFP, Soviet, Ukrainian, Chechen, Berlin

☆ Supreme Court allows White House to press social media companies to remove disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( John Fritze | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the White House and federal agencies such as the FBI may continue to urge social media platforms to take down content the government views as misinformation, handing the Biden administration a technical if important election-year victory. Republican officials in two states – Missouri and Louisiana – and five social media users sued over that practice in 2022, arguing that the White House did far more than “persuade” the tech giants to take down a few deceptive items. That might include, the justices theorized, social media threats targeting public figures or disclosures of sensitive information about US troops. The case arrived at the high court at a time when the government has repeatedly warned of foreign efforts to use social media to influence elections. The jawboning case was one of several high-profile matters the court is deciding at intersection of the First Amendment and social media.

Persons: Biden, Amy Coney Barrett, “, ” Barrett, ” Biden, –, Hunter, John Roberts, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Alito, Samel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, ”, ” Alito, ’, unjustifiably, Vivek Murthy, Roe, Wade, Roberts, Kavanaugh, Barrett Organizations: CNN, White, FBI, Biden, Department of Homeland Security, Facebook, Republican, Centers for Disease Control, Infrastructure Security Agency, Supreme, National Intelligence Locations: – Missouri, Louisiana, Florida, Texas

☆ North Korea's Kim Jong Un could get his hands on some worrying military tech in exchange for throwing Russia a war lifeline
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Support from North Korea — in the form of weapons and ammunition — helps Russia keep up the pressure. KCNA via REUTERSOne of the biggest asks from Kim could be technology for nuclear-powered submarines, which North Korea is trying to build. North Korea currently maintains one of the world's largest fleets, with estimates ranging from 64 to 86 total subs. Much of the country's stockpiles date back decades, and US and South Korean officials have raised doubts about the effectiveness of these weapons. AdvertisementBut how this plays out is not all about what North Korea wants.

Persons: —, Kim Jong, Kim, Putin, Victor Cha, Kim Jae, Getty Images Putin, Cha, JUNG YEON, Kurt Campbell, There's, Scott Snyder, he's Organizations: Service, Business, Center for Strategic, International Studies, East, SOUTH, Getty Images, North Korea —, KCNA, REUTERS, Korean, Fighter, Korean People's Army, Reuters, Korea's Air Force, North, CSIS, Korea Economic Institute of America Locations: Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Pyongyang, Russia, Asia, East Asia, North Korea, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, Yongsan, Seoul, Russian, South Korea

☆ NATO Will Offer Ukraine a ‘Bridge’ to Membership, Hoping That’s Enough
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NATO will offer Ukraine a new headquarters to manage its military assistance at its upcoming 75th anniversary summit in Washington, officials said, an assurance of the alliance’s long-term commitment to the country’s security that has been heralded as a “bridge” to Kyiv’s eventual membership. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine — along with some Central European nations — had fervently hoped his country would be offered membership negotiations by NATO at the summit, which runs from July 9 to 11. Instead, the alliance will announce that it has agreed to set up a mission in Germany to coordinate aid of all kinds to Ukraine over the longer term, American and NATO officials said. The move is intended to send a strong signal of allied commitment, both to Kyiv and to Moscow, which hopes the West will grow tired of supporting the war. Because the mission will be under NATO’s auspices, it is designed to function even if Donald J. Trump, a sharp critic of the alliance and of aid to Ukraine, wins the U.S. presidency in November.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, —, Donald J, Trump Organizations: NATO, Central, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Washington, Germany, Moscow

☆ DHS identifies 400 migrants smuggled into US by network that may be connected to ISIS
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The purpose of the network was to smuggle people, not bring in terrorists, one of the officials said. There was specific “derogatory information” linking those individuals to ISIS, the official said. In the latest case, the 400 migrants under scrutiny – mostly from Central Asian nations – are being screened purely because of their connection to the human smuggling network. The leadership of ISIS-K is mainly made up of Tajik nationals and the group has recruited from both countries. Tajik nationals have carried out a series of recent attacks in Europe on behalf of the group, including the Crocus Hall attack in Moscow in March that killed more than 100 people.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, ”, Mayorkas, CNN’s Evan Perez Organizations: CNN, Department of Homeland Security, ISIS, Central, Homeland, NBC News, Crocus, US, MSNBC Locations: Central, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Europe, Moscow, United States, Kazakhstan

☆ Russia Committed Human Rights Violations in Crimea, European Court Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Lynsey Chutel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia and its proxy security forces in Crimea have committed multiple human rights violations during its decade-long occupation of the former Ukrainian territory. Between 2014 and 2018, there have been 43 cases of enforced disappearances, with eight people still missing. The disappeared were mostly pro-Ukrainian activists and journalists, or members of Crimea’s Tatar ethnic minority, the court found. Investigations of the disappearances went nowhere, the court added in its judgment. Men and women were abducted by the Crimean self-defense forces, by Russian security forces or by agents of Russia’s Federal Security Service, or F.S.B.

Persons: Russia’s Organizations: European, of Human, Crimean, Federal Security Service Locations: Russia, Crimea, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Simferopol

☆ Meet Russia's richest woman, a self-made billionaire who founded her e-commerce company on maternity leave
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

She founded the e-commerce retailer Wildberries in 2004 while on maternity leave from her job as an English teacher. A Wildberries delivery point in St. Petersburg. Bakalchuk told Bloomberg in 2018 that she used to make deliveries herself in the company's early days. Bakalchuk owns 99% of the company, and her husband owns 1%. In 2020, The Bell reported Vladislav Bakalchuk earned $5 million from selling stock in an internet provider, raising questions about Bakalchuk's status as a self-made billionaire.

Persons: Artem Priakhin, Wildberries, Otto, Bakalchuk, Sergei Anufriev, Bell, Vladislav Bakalchuk Organizations: Wildberries, Getty, Bloomberg Locations: St . Petersburg, German, Moscow, Wildberries

☆ I.C.C. Issues Arrest Warrants for 2 Senior Russian Security Officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The International Criminal Court said on Tuesday that it had issued arrest warrants for two top Russian security officials over strikes against civilian targets, delivering a stinging, if largely symbolic, condemnation of the Kremlin’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The Hague-based court accused Russia’s most senior military officer, Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov, and a senior member of the country’s Security Council, Sergei K. Shoigu, of directing a campaign of strikes against Ukraine’s power plants in the winter of 2022. “The expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage,” the court said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to the strikes. It issued the warrants on Monday. Russia’s Security Council denounced the warrants, calling them “pathetic” examples of “the West’s hybrid war against our country,” according to comments provided to the Moscow-based Interfax news agency.

Persons: Russia’s, Valery V, Sergei K, “ Organizations: country’s Security, Russia’s Locations: Ukraine, The Hague, Moscow

☆ 2 Russian Women Put on a Play. Then the State Came for Them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Valerie Hopkins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

They wrote and staged their play as an indictment of terrorism, examining the deception and depravity of violent extremists and the people whose lives they ruin. But now the two women behind the production of “Finist the Brave Falcon” are standing trial in a Moscow courtroom, charged with justifying the kind of acts they meant to condemn. The director, Yevgenia Berkovich, 39, and the playwright, Svetlana Petriychuk, 44, two highly decorated fixtures of contemporary Russian theater, have been in custody for more than a year. They face up to seven years in prison if convicted. One of their lawyers and people in the Russian cultural community contend that the prosecution is one of the clearest examples of the accelerating crackdown on freedom of expression since Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Yevgenia Berkovich, Svetlana Petriychuk Locations: Moscow, Russian, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine's fighting to stay 'five steps ahead' of the Russians in the 'cat-and-mouse' drone game, top official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kyiv and Moscow have both sought to significantly ramp up production of unmanned systems as each side looks to out-produce their enemy and score a numerical advantage. AdvertisementUkrainian officials said in December that Kyiv plans to produce one million first-person-view, or FPV, drones by the end of this year. A Ukrainian soldier of the 71st Jaeger Brigade prepares FPV drones at the frontline near Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region, on March 22, 2024. In February, Fedorov said Ukraine will reach its FPV production goals by the end of the year. Advertisement"You can track the successes of Ukraine's long-range program by the surprising news coming from Russia," Fedorov said.

Persons: —, it's, Mykhailo Fedorov, Chasiv Yar, Jose Colon, Fedorov, " Fedorov Organizations: Service, Business, Anadolu, Getty, 71st Jaeger Brigade, AP, BI, Ukraine doesn't, Fleet Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, Ukrainian, Russia, Donetsk, Avdiivka, Crimean

☆ Putin pledged decades ago to conquer the horrors of Islamic extremism. Deadly Dagestan attack again proves he failed
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Only a fraction of the violence that raged across Dagestan on Sunday is visible at the moment, and it is already horrific. But it is particularly bad in Dagestan, where protests broke out in the earlier months of the war, as their sons had been disproportionately mobilized. Putin came to power in 1999 graphically pledging to wipe out “in the toilet” the extremists apparently behind apartment bombings in Moscow. But it is still the same problem Putin faced when he sneaked into Beslan in 2004. A raging sore for the Kremlin, and a reminder of both how Putin came to power and his limits on it.

Persons: Putin, Shamil Basayev, Vladimir Putin, –, Lenin, jihadists, ISIS’s Organizations: CNN, Hall, Kremlin, National Antiterrorism, Antiterrorism, Police, ISIS Locations: Dagestan, Moscow, North Caucasus, Moscow’s Crocus, Ukraine, Russia, Chechnya, Chechen, Chechnya’s, Beslan, Ingushetia, Boston, Makhachkala, South, Central Asia

☆ Russia has seen two terror attacks in just three months. Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Jerome Taylor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In Dagestan, Russian security forces fought an Islamist insurgency in the mountainous region in the 2000s that spilled over from neighboring Chechnya, though attacks have become rarer in recent years. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with his election campaign confidants at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 20, 2024. ISIS-K attack on music venueThe coordinated attacks in Dagestan come just weeks after Russia suffered its worst terror attack in decades. For a leader who has long promised security and stability to Russians, the major attack on Russian soil was another powerful blow. In the aftermath of the March attack, Putin called for Russia to remain united.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Jill Dougherty, Vladimir Putin, confidants, Evgenia Novozhenina, Bashar al, Assad, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Ukraine grinds, Russian Jewish Congress, Attackers, TASS, Russian Federation, Soviet, Hamas, Makhachkala Uytash Airport, Kremlin, Reuters, Saudi, Israeli, Central, Migrants, Kazakhstan — Locations: Russia, Russia’s, Dagestan, Moscow, Derbent, Makhachkala –, Makhachkala, Russian, Republic of Dagestan, Russia’s Caucasus, Caucasus, Soviet Union, Chechnya, –, Grozny, Ukraine, ”, Gaza, Israel, CNN Moscow, Reuters Russia, Iran, Soviet, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan

☆ US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea as Russia-North Korea defense pact deepens regional fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Besides signing the defense deal with Kim Jong Un, Putin also linked security on the Korean Peninsula to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, threatening to arm North Korea should South Korea provide military aid to Kyiv. The aircraft carrier’s presence in Busan is just the latest in a series of US military moves to show Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to its own treaty ally in South Korea. Earlier this month, US Air Force B-1B bombers participated in a live-fire exercise on the peninsula, the first time in seven years those long-range strike aircraft have dropped live munitions in South Korea. The visit of the USS Theodore Roosevelt to Busan marks the second time a Nimitz-class carrier has visited South Korea in seven months. Neither the US nor South Korea would give details or exact dates of the upcoming Freedom Edge exercise.

Persons: Theodore Roosevelt, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, ” Putin, Carl Vinson, Roosevelt, “, ”, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United States Navy, DPRK, Democratic People’s, CNN, US Air Force, United Nations, South, Nimitz, Hornet, South Korean, Pentagon Locations: Hong Kong, South Korea, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, North Korea, Russia, Busan, Japan, Russian, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Kyiv, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North, Korea, Moscow, Yemen, Iran, Pacific, Yokosuka

☆ Ukraine Urges Allies to Allow Their Weapons to Target Russian Air Power
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Marc Santora | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration’s recent decision to allow Ukraine to use certain weapons to hit forces inside Russia has had an immediate impact, helping Ukraine thwart Moscow’s offensive north of Kharkiv and slowing the bombardment of the city, Ukraine’s second-largest, which is only about 25 miles from the border. But the lifting of U.S. restrictions does not apply to the use of Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, some of which have a range of around 190 miles. Those longer-range weapons would be needed to hit air bases deep in Russian territory that are used by the bombers. Kyiv has been left to rely largely on its own expanding fleet of domestically produced drones to go after those bases. Ukraine’s air defenses are gradually being strengthened after months of delays in American military assistance, but Russia continues to mount daily bombardments and Mr. Zelensky is desperate to find ways to thwart the attacks before they begin.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, Zelensky Organizations: Russian, Army Tactical Missile Systems Locations: Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine’s, Kyiv

☆ China is watching warily as Putin and Kim forge new ‘alliance’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Putin said Russia and North Korea have ramped up ties to a “new level.” Kim, meanwhile, called the new “alliance” a “watershed moment” in bilateral relations. In contrast, the reaction from China, the main political and economic patron for both Russia and North Korea, has been all but muted. “But they do know that China plays an irreplaceable role for both Russia and North Korea,” she said. China remains the largest trade partner to both Russia and North Korea, providing a crucial lifeline to the heavily sanctioned economies. “China doesn’t think that an alliance between Russia and North Korea would be a betrayal,” said Liu with the City University of Hong Kong.

Persons: Vladimir Putin glided, Kim Jong, Xi Jinping, Kim, Putin, ” Kim, Xi, Liu Dongshu, Liu, Kim Jong Un, ” Liu, Beijing doesn’t, Alexander Ryumin, ”, Edward Howell, Russia –, ” Yun Sun Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Benz, China’s Foreign, City University of Hong, KCNA, North Korea Treaty, Cooperation, Mutual Assistance, Getty, –, University of Oxford, North, Stimson Locations: China, Hong Kong, Pyongyang, Beijing, North Korea, Russia, United States, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Northeast Asia, City University of Hong Kong, Soviet Union, Friendship, North, Korean, Russian, Iran, Moscow, United Kingdom, Washington

☆ Ukraine needs to stop fighting the war Russia wants
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Build up Ukrainian military power and compel Russia to agree to peace, argues a Ukrainian security expert. It's also clear that even with robust EU and US support, Ukraine is still at a disadvantage against the Russian war machine in a years-long fight. Related storiesDanylyuk also worries that political divergences between Ukraine and its allies are undermining Ukrainian military effectiveness. REUTERS/Sofiia GatilovaThe result is that the Ukrainian military isn't sure what kind of war to prepare for. Interestingly, Danylyuk blames the West for failing to adapt its equipment to the lessons of the Ukraine war.

Persons: Oleksandr Danylyuk, Danylyuk, Carl von Clausewitz, Biden, It's, Ukraine's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Business, Royal United Services Institute, Century, [ Armed Forces, REUTERS, Ukrainian, Russian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, USSR, British, Europe, Ukrainian, Kostiantynivka, Donetsk, Crimea, Soviet, Afghanistan, Russian, Moscow, China, North Korea, Iran, Forbes

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