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☆ Paul Whelan urges Biden admin to take ‘decisive action’ to secure his release as he surpasses 2,000 days in Russian custody
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Whelan said he was aware that Gershkovich’s trial is scheduled to begin behind closed doors in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg next week. Gershkovich, who has been declared wrongfully detained, has also been charged with espionage, which he denies. And in my case, that’s 100% true, and I’m sure in Evan’s case, it’s 100% true. But people go to trial here and they’re automatically guilty, and then they’re given a sentence, and that’s it,” he said. “We put a substantial offer on the table to secure the release of Evan and Paul Whelan some months ago, as we said publicly; we’re continuing to work to secure their release.

Persons: CNN —, Paul Whelan, ”, Biden, Evan Gershkovich, Whelan, “, You’re, it’s, ” Whelan, Evan, Paul, you’ve, ’ ”, Trevor, Reed, – Gordon Black, Alsu Kurmasheva, Gershkovich, they’re, Matthew Miller Organizations: CNN, US State Department, ex, Marine, State Department, ”, Moscow – Locations: Mordovia, Russia, Moscow, Guantanamo, Russian, Yekaterinburg

☆ Russia's talking about a 6th-generation fighter jet while its Su-57 sits out the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Not coincidentally, the discussion comes as the US Air Force hints that it may drop its plan for a sixth-generation fighter, a piloted air superiority fighter that will operate with drones. But experts consider the idea of a next-generation Russian fighter to be sheer fantasy at a time when it's struggling to operate its fifth-generation stealth fighters. AdvertisementDiscussing cutting-edge aircraft seems almost surreal for Russia, whose air force has enough problems using its current warplanes in Ukraine. Russia's fifth-generation fighter, the Su-57, has been conspicuous by its absence in Ukraine. In November 2023, a senior Russian aviation official said that no decision had been made as to whether a sixth-generation fighter would be manned or unmanned.

Persons: it's, Pavel Luzin, Evgeny Fedosov, Russia's, —, Russia wasn't, Sergei Korotkov, Fedosov, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Air Force, State Research Institute of Aviation Systems, TASS, America, Army, United Aircraft Corporation, Moscow Institute, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Ukrainian, China, Forbes

☆ Russia’s shifting tactics put unprecedented pressure on Ukraine’s already hobbled power system
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Clare Sebastian | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“We are doing our best,” Deputy Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk told CNN. “I installed them so that my family would not feel uncomfortable when there is no electricity,” he told CNN. The company told CNN it’s also halted the use of air conditioning in administrative buildings, and turned off outdoor lighting. The G7, having already spent $3bn to date to support Ukraine’s energy sector, just announced another $1bn in funding in early June. Ukraine’s energy ministry says it has been building concrete shelters to protect some energy equipment from attacks.

Persons: CNN — Kateryna Serzhan, “, Keen, Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, …, Dmytro Sakharuk, DTEK, Thomas Peter, Yan Dobronosov, Svitlana Grynchuk, Denis Shmyhal, Serzhan, CNN it’s, Stepanov, Valentyn Ogirenko, Marta Trush, Igor Piddubnyi, Piddubnyi, ” CNN’s Clare Sebastian, Olga Voitovych, Svitlana Vlasova, Daria Tarasova, Markina Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Getty, Energy, Kyiv region’s, Ukraine’s, Companies, Railways, Kyiv School of Economics, “, National Bank of, Patriot, White House Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, –, Moscow, Russia, Berlin, Russian, Europe, AFP, National Bank of Ukraine, “ Ukraine, Romania, London

☆ Front-line NATO allies are facing an unconventional Russian threat short of war but still quite dangerous
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"There are hybrid threats. NATO has also cautioned against intensifying Russian hybrid warfare in the region and in the rest of Europe that could include "disinformation, sabotage, acts of violence, cyber and electronic interference, and other hybrid operations." The murky nature of hybrid warfare can make it hard to identify and address potential threats. Yet, the Baltic countries are prioritizing hybrid threats and fortifying their institutions in response. And last week, writing alongside his Polish and Czech colleagues, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed "deep concern" over Russian hybrid threats.

Persons: —, Denmark –, Margus Tsahkna, Maria Zakharova, Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Gitanas Nausėda, Yan Dobronosov, Dmitry Petrov, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Landsbergis, –, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Edgars Rinkēvičs Organizations: Service, West, NATO, EU, Business, Estonian, Russian Foreign Ministry, Getty, Kremlin, Lithuanian, Destabilization, 76th Guards Air Assault Division, Alliance Locations: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Denmark, Kyiv, Moscow, Baltics, Belarus, Soviet Union, Russian, crosshairs, Europe, Baltic, Finland, Narva, Tallinn, Vilnius, Poland, Pskov, Crimea, Tellingly, Czech, Latvian

☆ Russia open to security talks with U.S. — if Ukraine conflict also on the table, Kremlin says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is open to "comprehensive" security talks with the U.S., so long as they include the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday. "We are open to dialogue, but to a broad, comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the dimension related to the conflict around Ukraine, the involvement of the United States in this conflict," Peskov said, according to a Google-translated report by Russian state news agency Tass. His comments came in response to the possibility of holding talks with Washington on nuclear risks apart from the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has so far been largely isolated from West-led diplomacy to resolve the conflict with Kyiv — and was most recently not invited to the Summit on Peace in Ukraine of June 15-16. Kyiv has solicited membership but cannot accede to the coalition while an active conflict wages on its territories.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Barack Obama Organizations: U.S, Kremlin, CNBC, U.S . State Department, Kyiv —, Senior, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Russian, Washington, West, Peace, Moscow, U.S

☆ Putin signs deals with Vietnam in bid to shore up ties in Asia to offset Moscow’s growing isolation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russia and Vietnam pledged on June 20, 2024 to deepen ties as President Vladimir Putin made a state visit aimed at bolstering his alliances to counter Moscow's growing isolation over the war in Ukraine. Putin and President To Lam agreed to further cooperate in education, science and technology, oil and gas exploration and clean energy. The two countries also agreed to work on a roadmap for a nuclear science and technology center in Vietnam. In Hanoi, Putin also met Vietnam’s most powerful politician, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to the official Vietnam News Agency. Putin drove to Vietnam’s Presidential Palace on Thursday afternoon, where he was greeted by school children waving Russian and Vietnamese flags.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Lam, Gavriil Grigorov, Putin, ” Lam, “, Kim Jong, Nigel Gould, Davies, ”, Nguyen Khac Giang, Giang, Nguyen Phu Trong, Pham Minh Chinh, Putin’s, Ridzwan Rahmat, Janes, ” Rahmat, Prashanth, Wilson, Vladimir Lenin, Trong, Nhan Dan, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Gould, they’ve, he’s, Parameswaran Organizations: Sputnik, Hanoi Opera, Afp, Getty, North, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Singapore’s, Yusof, Institute, Communist Party General, Vietnam News Agency, Criminal, Kremlin, U.S, Embassy, Security, NATO, Asia, Communist Party’s, Vietnam’s Communist Party Locations: Russian, Hanoi, Russia, Vietnam, Ukraine, Moscow, Asia, Pacific, Eurasia, London, British, Belarus, China, North Korea, U.S, Hague, Korea, Singapore, Soviet Union, Soviet, trickier, Washington

☆ South Korea said it might send weapons to Ukraine after Putin signed a security pact with its biggest enemy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewSouth Korea said it could send weapons to Ukraine after Russia signed a security pact with Seoul's biggest regional foe, North Korea. Putin became the first Russian leader to visit North Korea in a quarter of a century this week, cementing an alliance with the pariah state. Putin, on a trip to Vietnam Friday, warned South Korea against arming Ukraine in response, saying that it would be a "big mistake." Moscow "will... [make] decisions which are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea" if it goes ahead and sends weapons to Ukraine, Putin said, reported BBC News. But he also said that South Korea has "nothing to worry about" from the new pact as long as it doesn't commit acts of aggression toward North Korea.

Persons: —, Chang Ho, Kim Jong Un, Chang, Putin, Russia's, Cho Tae, yul, Antony Blinken Organizations: Service, Seoul's, Korean, North, Business, UN Security Council, UN, South, BBC Locations: Korea, Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russian, East Asia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Moscow

☆ Kim Jong Un gave Putin some fan art of the Russian leader, and that's just the tip of their dog-petting, joyriding day of ultimate bromance
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

With North Korea aggressively testing devastating weapons, Seoul is aghast at the Putin-Kim meet-up. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - 2024/04/22: South Korea's 24-hour Yonhapnews TV shows a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program on a TV at Yongsan Railroad Station in Seoul. Now, South Korean officials say the revitalized partnership between North Korea and Russia may prompt Seoul to lift its ban on sending weapons to Ukraine. South Korea has a substantial conventional arms manufacturing sector and is the world's 10th biggest arms exporter, per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Putin sought to assure Seoul that the treaty only dealt with either country defending each other, though he did not address South Korea's concerns that Russia was enabling Pyongyang.

Persons: Kim, Kim Jae, Putin Organizations: North, Putin, SOUTH, Getty Images, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, DPRK, RIA Novosti Locations: North Korea, Seoul, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, Yongsan, Korea, Pyongyang, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, Stockholm, Republic of Korea, RIA

☆ China's yuan will take over as Russia's main trade currency 'once and for all' as US sanctions get tighter, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The latest batch of US sanctions against Russia will promote further use of the yuan, a think tank said. It argued that as ruble volatility increases, the Chinese currency will offer stability. While sanctions also threaten Chinese entities, they won't be enough to disrupt yuan trading, it said. AdvertisementFresh sanctions on Russia are too late to be a game-changer, but they will help cement the role of China's yuan in place of Western currencies, a think tank said. "In May, its share in exchange trading once again hit a new record, reaching 53.6 percent.

Persons: —, Alexandra Prokopenko, Prokopenko Organizations: Russia, Service, Carnegie, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Carnegie Russia, Moscow, Beijing, Kazakhstan, UAE

☆ Supply chain hotspot Vietnam rolled out the red carpet for Putin, and the US is trying to act cool
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewWanted by the International Criminal Court, Russian President Vladimir Putin still traveled to Vietnam on a two-day visit, where he was warmly welcomed. Russia and Vietnam also have a long history going back to the Soviet era, so his visit is also not surprising. Related storiesWestern allies may rethink "Vietnam's reliability as a strategic partner in the region," Hoang wrote. AdvertisementThis sentimentalism can influence the pragmatism that marked Hanoi's foreign policy for the last two decades, wrote Hoang at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. It's also a smart political move, as a segment of Vietnamese still holds "a deep fondness for Russia," wrote Hoang.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Vietnam —, Hoang Thi, Yusof, Hoang, Janet Yellen, Yellen, Daniel Kritenbrink, Kritenbrink, It's Organizations: Service, International Criminal Court, Business, ICC, US, Russia, Institute, Regional, Political, State, East Asian, State Department, Soviet Union Locations: Russian, Vietnam, Russia, Soviet, Washington, Ukraine, Australia, Japan, Singapore, ISEAS, China, Hanoi, Moscow, Beijing, Atlanta

☆ Putin Shows He Can Antagonize the U.S. Far Afield From Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the United States and its Western allies declared that Ukraine could strike Russian territory with their weapons, President Vladimir V. Putin began ratcheting up the threats. He triggered drills in Russia to practice the use of tactical nuclear weapons. He reminded unnamed NATO countries in Europe of their small territories and dense populations, implying they could be easily obliterated. “The Westerners supply weapons to Ukraine and say that ‘we don’t control anything here at all,’” he said Thursday, failing to acknowledge the limits Washington and its allies have placed on Ukraine. “We can also say that we delivered something to someone, and then we have no control over anything.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Jong, ’ ”, ” Locations: United States, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Europe, Russian, North Korea, Washington

☆ Video appears to capture the first use of Russia's monstrous 6,600-pound glide bomb in Ukraine and the immense destruction it causes
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNew video footage appears to capture the first combat employment of Russia's 6,600-pound glide bomb in Ukraine, a highly destructive capability that analysts say could be a tremendous problem for Kyiv. The munition was outfitted with a unified planning and correction module that turns it into a glide bomb, meaning it could have been air-launched from far away. Reportedly the first video of a Russian FAB-3000 UMPK glide bomb strike. Advertisement"Russian forces have already increased guided and unguided glide bomb use against Ukraine, particularly in Kharkiv Oblast, to devastating effect," they said. Unlike conventional gravity bombs, glide bombs have flight control surfaces and are standoff weapons.

Persons: —, VilUVEYlmJ, — Rob Lee Organizations: Service, Business, Russian FAB, FAB, Institute for, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Defense Ministry Press Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Russian, Russia, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian

☆ Alfa Bank: US-sanctioned Russian banking giant expands in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Laura He | Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong/London CNN —Battered by Western sanctions, Russia’s largest privately owned bank is expanding its business in the world’s second-largest economy. That would make the lender the first private Russian bank to open full-service branches in the two major Chinese cities. The bank is part of Alfa Group, one of Russia’s largest financial and investment conglomerates, which was founded by Fridman. Alfa Bank made a loss of 117.1 billion rubles ($1.44 billion) in 2022, according to its annual report for that year. A year later, it seemed to bounce back, reporting profit of 120.9 billion rubles ($1.4 billion) for 2023.

Persons: Mikhail Fridman, hasn’t, Fridman Organizations: London CNN, Alfa Bank, CNN, Alfa Group, European, Moscow, Hong Kong Equity Investment Association Locations: China, Hong Kong, London, Russian, Beijing, Shanghai, Ukraine, United States, Russia, Italy, Western

☆ Russian court begins hearing treason case against US-Russian citizen
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The trial of a US-Russian dual citizen, accused of committing treason by fundraising for Ukraine’s military, has begun in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Chris Van Deerden, Karelina’s boyfriend, told CNN he had bought her tickets to visit the country as a birthday gift. Karelina is among several American citizens being held in Russian prisons, including journalists and former soldiers. His trial will also be held behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg, where he was arrested more than a year ago. Discussing Karelina’s case, the Russian investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov told CNN the FSB aims “to build up a bank of hostages with American passports,” which Moscow can use “as leverage” in any negotiations with Washington.

Persons: Ksenia Karelina, Chris Van Deerden, ”, ” Van Heerden, Karelina, Evan Gershkovich, Andrei Soldatov Organizations: CNN, Federal Security Service, Street Locations: Russian, Yekaterinburg, Ksenia, Ukrainian, Beverly Hills , California, Los Angeles, Russia, New York, Ukraine, American, Moscow, Washington

☆ China's yuan is tumbling amid US sanctions and as central banks boost dollar holdings
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China's yuan is falling as holders eye the risk of western sanctions. AdvertisementChina's yuan is in the midst of a steep decline as holders of the currency eye the risk of US sanctions. Central banks, meanwhile, are looking to dump the yuan while raising their holdings of the US dollar. Nearly 20% of central bank reserve managers said they planned on raising dollar holdings over the next one to two years, while 12% said they planned on reducing yuan holdings, according to a survey from the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum. Lawmakers are reportedly already drafting sanctions to impose against Chinese banks, sources told The Wall Street Journal in April.

Persons: —, Yuan, They've Organizations: US Treasury, Service, Russia's, Monetary, Financial, Treasury, Lawmakers, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Putin and Kim laugh as they enjoy a jaunt in Russian-made limousine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were seen laughing as they took turns to drive each other around in a Russian-built limousine during Putin’s first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years. On Wednesday, Putin presented Kim with an Aurus car as the pair exchanged gifts, according to Russian state media – the second time the Kremlin leader has given his counterpart this car model. According to Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov, the Russian leader also presented Kim with a tea set. The two autocrats appeared to enjoy each other’s company as they took a jaunt in the Aurus luxury car. Putin gave Kim an Aurus when the two leaders exchanged gifts, according to Russian state media – the second time Putin has given his counterpart this car model.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, KCNA, Putin, Kim, Yuri Ushakov, Moon Jae, ” Putin, Pyongyang’s Organizations: CNN, North, Kremlin, South Korean Locations: Russian, Pyongyang, North Korean, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Seoul, Washington, Moscow, Hanoi

☆ Biden to ban U.S. sales of Kaspersky software over ties to Russia, source says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Kaspersky Internet Security software is seen at the store in Krakow, Poland on December 30, 2021. A spokesperson for the Commerce Department declined to comment, while Kaspersky Lab and the Russian Embassy did not respond to requests for comment. Previously, Kaspersky has said that it is a privately managed company with no ties to the Russian government. The new restrictions on inbound sales of Kaspersky software, which will also bar downloads of software updates, resales and licensing of the product, kick in on Sept. 29, 100 days after publication, to give businesses time to find alternatives. If it only adds the Russian entity, the impact will be largely reputational.

Persons: Biden, Trump, Kaspersky, Donald Trump Organizations: Commerce Department, Russian Embassy, Biden, Department of Homeland Security, Kyiv, U.S, Reuters, Piaggio, Qatar Olympic Committee Locations: Krakow, Poland, United States, U.S, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, China, New U.S, Massachusetts, Spain

One by one, each country with the money and the drive to compete started its own nuclear weapons program. Even with this kind of evidence in hand, science has reached only limited conclusions about how nuclear weapons testing affects individuals’ health. They helped create the 2021 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, signed by 93 countries, which bans the possession, use and testing of nuclear weapons. France has acknowledged its “debt” to Polynesians over nuclear testing, and it created a commission in 2010 to evaluate nuclear testing victim compensation claims, but it has never apologized. We are still wrestling with the damage wrought by testing nuclear weapons in our past.

Persons: —, Ernest Moniz, Barack Obama, ” Mr, Moniz, Trump, Trump’s, Biden, United States ’, Republic of Kiribati —, we’re, Robert Oppenheimer’s, Oppenheimer, Ben Wyatt, King Juda, Harry Truman, Oppenheimer’s, Karina Lester, ”, Willard F, Libby, Louis, couldn’t, Merril Eisenbud, Hinamoeura, Britain —, “, it’s, John Moody, Benetick Kabua Maddison, Maddison, Benetick, It’s, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Las, Washington, United States, Marshall, Embassy, D.C, Marshalls, U.S, Navy, United, Soviet Union, Britain, Atomic Energy Commission, St, Louis University, Washington University School of Dental Medicine, Bravo, U.S . Navy, Atomic Energy, Centers for Disease Control, Polynesia —, Nuclear Weapons, ., Pacific Mart, Educational, America Locations: U.S, Japan, United States, Russia, China, Nevada, Soviet Union, — Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, Reggane, Algeria, Montebello, Australia, Republic of Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Republic, Washington, Hiroshima, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Marshall, Hawaii, Philippines, Bikini, Atoll, Soviet, Africa, Polynesia, Xinjiang, The, Britain Britain, Britain, American, Kwajalein Atoll, France, France France, Tahiti, Nagasaki, Asia, Europe, India, Pakistan, North Korea, United, Kwajalein, Hawaii , California, Washington and Oregon, Arkansas, Springdale, you’re, Rhode Island, Moscow

☆ Ukraine got the go-ahead to hit Russia with F-16s, but doing so could be a waste of a good jet
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Read previewNATO member Denmark has given Ukraine permission to use the F-16s it receives to hit military targets within Russia. AdvertisementThe exact number of F-16s Ukraine will get to begin with is unclear, but it's not expected to be many. But in Russia, Ukrainian aircraft can also expect to battle the Russian Air Force in addition to enemy air defenses. It would also bolster a capability that has been heavily strained by relentless Russian attacks, and that's air defense. But they said these fighter jets will be useful for Ukraine by replenishing lost aircraft, deterring Russian jets, and acting as defenses.

Persons: —, George Barros, Israel Aerospace Industries Barros, it's, Mark Cancian, Tim Robinson, Peter Layton, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mette Frederiksen, Ritzau Scanpix, Mads Claus Rasmussen, there's, Michael Clark, Clark, Cancian, ISW, Layton, Robinson, DIMITAR DILKOFF, Noble, Chanceler Organizations: Service, Business, Ukraine, Analysts, Israeli Military Industries Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Denmark's, Skrydstrup Airbase, REUTERS, Politico, Republicans, Russian Air Force, Getty, Noble Eagle, US Air Force Locations: Denmark, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Israeli, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, France, Skrydstrup, Vojens, Arizona, Romania, British, Crimea, Ukrainian, AFP

☆ Kaspersky: Biden administration bans Americans from using Russian-made cybersecurity software over national security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Zachary Cohen | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration is taking the unprecedented step of banning US companies and citizens from using software made by a major Russian cybersecurity firm because of national security concerns, Commerce Department Secretary Gina announced Thursday. Thursday’s announcement comes after CNN reported in April that the Biden administration was preparing to issue an order that would prevent US companies and citizens from using Kaspersky software. US government agencies are already banned from using Kaspersky Lab software, but action to prevent private companies from using the software is unprecedented. Founded in Moscow in 1997, Kaspersky Lab grew into one of the world’s most successful anti-virus software companies alongside American rivals like McAfee and Symantec. Some of the speculation and suspicion from US officials about the Russian company centers around Eugene Kaspersky, a charismatic computer expert who co-founded Kaspersky Lab in Moscow in 1997.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Gina, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ” Raimondo, “ We’re, Kaspersky, Raimondo, we’ve, Russian government’s, Eugene Kaspersky, ” Kaspersky Organizations: CNN, Commerce, Commerce Department, Kaspersky, McAfee, Symantec, Lab, —, Russian Ministry of Defense, West Locations: Russian, United States, Russia, Moscow, Israel, Eugene, Ukraine

☆ Mark Rutte, next NATO secretary general, after Romania drops long-held objection
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Mark Rutte, the outgoing prime minister of the Netherlands, is now set to become the next NATO secretary general. Rutte will inherit a NATO that is racing to bolster its own security while also supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. Over time its position has evolved from not sending any tanks to allowing Ukraine to strike inside Russian territory with NATO weapons. Rutte must also oversee NATO’s radical upgrade in defense and security capabilities. NATO allies are aware that Trump has historically criticized NATO allies for not spending enough money on their own security and relying on America.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Iohannis, Jens Stoltenberg, Rutte, Donald Trump, Trump, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kyiv Locations: Netherlands, Romania, Romanian, Moscow, Ukraine, Sochi, Crimea, United States, America, Sweden, Finland

☆ Satellite images capture Russia's Black Sea Fleet running from its base in Crimea as Ukraine hit it with missiles and exploding drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewArmed with exploding naval drones and long-range missiles, Ukraine has managed to push Russia's Black Sea Fleet away from its long-held headquarters in the occupied Crimean peninsula to other bases far away. AdvertisementThese attacks span the entirety of the war, but the exodus of the Black Sea Fleet didn't really kick into gear until September 2023. The aftermath of two Ukrainian missile strikes on Black Sea Fleet facilities and vessels in Sevastopol in September 2023. The dispersal of the Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol to Feodosia and Novorossiysk. "Forcing the enemy to flee from the Black Sea was the goal we sought," he added, "and it was achieved."

Persons: —, BlackSky, Lloyd Austin, BlackSky BlackSky, Ivan Lukashevych Organizations: Service, Business, Black, US, Fleet, Ukrainian, BlackSky, Security Service, Kyiv, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Crimean, Sevastopol, Russian, Feodosia, Crimea, Novorossiysk, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Western, Crimea's, detections, Novorossiysk —, BlackSky, BlackSky Sevastopol

☆ Why Is Putin Traveling to Vietnam?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia wrapped up a state visit to one ally, North Korea, and moved on to another, Vietnam, arriving early Thursday local time hoping to shore up crucial partnerships in the region as he wages a protracted war in Ukraine. Mr. Putin’s war in Ukraine has left him isolated from the West, and his need for munitions to fight that war has pushed him closer to North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong-un. In Vietnam, by contrast, Mr. Putin — who landed in Hanoi, according to Russian state media — will meet with officials who have recently forged deeper bonds with Washington. But Moscow has long been Hanoi’s main source of weapons, and Mr. Putin is keen to hold on to that position. It is Mr. Putin’s fifth visit to Vietnam and follows trips last year by President Biden and President Xi Jinping of China, two leaders who sought assurances from Hanoi that it was not taking the other’s side.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Jong, Putin —, Putin’s, Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Washington Locations: Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Ukraine, United States, Hanoi, Moscow, China

☆ How AI chatbots are already helping fuel conspiracy theories ahead of the election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Generative AI chatbots are guilty of spreading dangerous disinformation, a new report found. NewsGuard audited 10 AI chatbots and found they spread Russian propaganda one-third of the time. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementYour favorite AI chatbot likely isn't immune to the powers of Russian propaganda, a new report found. The world's leading generative AI chatbots are fueling disinformation and citing Moscow-funded fake news sources as fact more than 30% of the time, according to a recent NewsGuard audit.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Moscow

☆ Putin arrives in Vietnam as Russia seeks support in face of Western isolation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Considered a pariah by the West, Putin is looking to boost economic ties with friendly countries and show that Western isolation is not having an impact. Vietnam was among several Southeast Asian countries that abstained from joining a global summit on Ukraine in Switzerland last week. Last week, Vietnam sent a delegation led by its Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Russia. Analysts say Russia is likely to get more out of the visit than Vietnam, and Hanoi may even suffer reputational damage by hosting Putin following his trip to North Korea. “If no substantive deals are made, the visit will mainly be symbolic and a means for Putin and Russia to show the world that Western sanctions against Russia are not working,” said Le.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Putin, Nguyen Phu Trong, Lam, Minh, Yury Ushakov, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, ”, Le Hong Hiep, – Yusof, Le, ” Putin, Xi, –, John Kirby, Anwar Ibrahim Organizations: CNN, West, US, Reuters, Communist Party General, Vietnam’s, Vietnam News Agency, ” TASS, TASS, ”, Vietnam Studies, International Criminal Court, ICC, United Arab, Foreign Ministry, Foreign Affairs, ’ Summit, Analysts, Putin Locations: Hanoi, North Korea, Ukraine, Vietnam, Moscow, United States, China, Russia, Pyongyang, Russian, Soviet, India, US, South China, Switzerland, Beijing, Kazan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Egypt, Malaysia, BRICS, “

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