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☆ Champagne and cheers: The Wall Street Journal fought for Evan Gershkovich’s release for 16 months. It finally paid off
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

When official word made its way to The Wall Street Journal newsroom that Evan Gershkovich had been released from Russian custody Thursday, unadulterated elation washed over the journalists who had taken part in a 16-month-long pressure campaign to seek his freedom. Meanwhile, The Journal labored behind the scenes with President Joe Biden and his administration on efforts to secure Gershkovich’s release. The Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker reacts to the news of Evan Gershkovich’s release. Chase Gaewski/The Wall Street JournalRobert Thomson, chief executive of News Corporation, which owns The Journal, offered his “sincere gratitude” to the U.S. government for its efforts. “Unfortunately, many journalists remain unjustly imprisoned in Russia and around the world.”Throughout it all, Gershkovich never lost his spirit as a journalist.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, “, ” Emma Tucker, Gershkovich, Vladimir Putin’s, Alexey Navalny, Alsu Kurmasheva, Gershkovich’s, Joe Biden, Emma Tucker, Evan Gershkovich’s, Chase Gaewski, Robert Thomson, Thomson, Rupert, Lachlan Murdoch, ”, Tucker, Biden, Evan, Almar Latour, Putin Organizations: CNN, Wall Street Journal, New York, American Radio Free, Radio Liberty, U.S, Street, News Corporation Locations: York, Russian, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Russia, American Radio Free Europe, Gershkovich

☆ What a historic prisoner swap means for Vladimir Putin’s Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Among those headed back to Russia are convicted hackers and several Russian nationals detained in the West for spying. And the biggest prize for Russia was the return of Vadim Krasikov, a convicted hitman whose release had been publicly sought by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Anna Chapman, one of 10 Russian sleeper agents deported from the US in a 2010 prisoner swap, was also feted on her return to Russia. Britain blamed the poisoning on Russia; Russia has consistently denied involvement, although Putin referred to Skripal as a “scumbag” and a “traitor,” his contempt suggesting that Skripal had gotten his just desserts. The release of Russians in the swap means that Russia’s political climate is no less repressive.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, John le, Vadim Krasikov, Vladimir Putin, Krasikov, Zelimkhan, Tucker Carlson, Putin, Khangoshvili, ” Krasikov, Viktor Bout, Brittney, US Department of Justice –, Bout, Anna Chapman, Chapman, ”, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia, Novichok, Frank Augstein, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoi, Dmitri Kovtun –, Lugovoi, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Roman Abramovich, Hillary Clinton, Murza –, –, Alexandra Skochilenko Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, Russia, Berlin Police, US Department of Justice, Hollywood, St ., Economic, Russian, Kremlin, European, of Human Rights Locations: American, Ukraine, Russia, Chechen, Berlin, Russian, St, St . Petersburg, United Kingdom, English, Salisbury, Britain, England, British, Moscow, Washington, United States

☆ Opinion | The Joyful Release of Evan Gershkovich Came at a High Price
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Serge Schmemann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That more than a dozen people unjustly incarcerated in Russia have been released is obviously great news. As a journalist who spent a decade reporting from Moscow, I am particularly elated to know that Evan Gershkovich, a fine reporter for The Wall Street Journal, does not have to spend another day in Russian detention. Any independent information, especially critical information, is considered an attack on their authoritarian rule. Putin came to power after the domestic and foreign press had thrown off the muzzles of the Soviet era, and he proceeded, especially since the invasion of Ukraine, to deliberately crush it. Many foreign journalists now try to report from outside Russia; Gershkovich tried valiantly to report from within and paid a heavy price.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Putin’s, Gershkovich, Putin Organizations: Wall Street, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Moscow, American, Ukraine

☆ Evan Gershkovich’s Conviction in Russia Won’t Stop Journalists From Seeking the Truth - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The only surprise in the guilty verdict against Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent who was arrested in Russia last year on phony charges of espionage, was that it came so quickly. No evidence was ever made public, the hearings were held in secret, and Mr. Gershkovich’s lawyers were barred from saying anything in public about the case. Mr. Gershkovich’s arrest, trial and conviction all serve President Vladimir Putin’s goal of silencing any honest reporting from inside Russia about the invasion of Ukraine and of making Russians even warier of speaking with any foreigner about the war. Independent Russian news outlets have been almost entirely shut down and their journalists imprisoned or forced to leave the country, so foreign correspondents are among the few remaining sources of independent reporting from inside Russia. Mr. Gershkovich’s last published article before his arrest, on March 29, 2023, was headlined “Russia’s Economy Is Starting to Come Undone” — just the sort of vital independent journalism that challenges Mr. Putin’s claims of a strong and vibrant Russia fighting a just war.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin’s, Gershkovich Organizations: Street Journal, Independent Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Independent Russian, Washington, Russian, Yekaterinburg

CNN —Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen was sentenced to eight years in prison by a Moscow court Monday for criticizing the Russian military, becoming the latest target of a crackdown on critics of the Kremlin. Gessen was convicted in absentia on charges of disseminating “false information” about the Russian armed forces, according to the Moscow court statement. My statements are based on data collected during my journalistic work,” Gessen said, highlighting a series of interviews they conducted in Bucha, Irpin, Kyiv, and Kryvyi Rih in 2022, as well as their previous journalistic work in Chechnya. While the Russian military has conducted its invasion, the Kremlin has sought to stifle criticism of its strategy at home. “I am outside the Russian Federation, so the so-called court can ‘consider’ my case, ‘arrest,’ and ‘sentence’ me only in absentia.

Persons: Masha Gessen, Gessen, ” Gessen, Vladimir Putin’s, “, Yuri, Kryvyi, ”, Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, The New York Times, Facebook, YouTube, “, Russian Armed Forces, Criminal Court, ICC, Russian Federation, Wall Street, CIA, WSJ, US State Department Locations: American, Moscow, Russian, Russia, United States, Ukraine, Bucha, Irpin, Kyiv, Chechnya, Sverdlovsk, Yekaterinburg

The NATO official said they had observed “an unprecedented escalation and spread of Russia’s hybrid warfare” over the past six months, which included “physical sabotage” on the supply line of NATO weapons intended for Ukraine. “It is everything from point of production and origin, to storage, to those who are making decisions, to the actual delivery,” the senior NATO official said. Recent high-profile arrests have revealed the ad-hoc, clumsy nature of how the Kremlin’s intelligence operations have evolved since the start of the war in Ukraine. Russia is big enough to have resources to fight a war against Ukraine and also maintain its security operations against European countries… against us. There are people who take part in the war against Ukraine, and then they are rotated to some other region or area.

Persons: Blunt, ”, Donald Tusk, Dariusz Borowicz, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Maxim, Andrzej, Jaroslaw, “, Don’t, ” Andrzej, I’d, Wagner, Volodymyr Zelensky, Sean Gallup, Paris Charles de, Vladimir Putin’s, Harrys Organizations: CNN, NATO, Polish, Reuters, Ukraine, Getty, London’s Metropolitan Police Service, Kremlin, EU, Estonian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, “, Reuters Russia, Washington , DC, Moscow, Poland, Russian, Lublin, Medyka, Ukrainian, Biala Podlaska, Warsaw, Polish, surveilling Rzeszow Jasionka, Kyiv, Berlin, Germany, Russian Ukrainian, Paris Charles, Paris Charles de Gaulle, East London, Estonia, Russia’s

☆ Key lines from CNN’s presidential debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

CNN —In CNN’s presidential debate, President Joe Biden was halting and, at times, trailed off and confused words, feeding a nagging narrative about his fitness for the presidency. Trump said Biden couldn’t drive a golf ball 50 yards, and Biden challenged Trump to a golf match but only if Trump carries his own clubs. We’ve got to take a look at what I was left when I became president, what Mr. Trump left me. -TrumpBiden said Trump deserves blame for watching the riot at the Capitol unfold for hours without doing anything to intervene. They’ve had meetings and they voted who’s the worst president in American history.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, overinflated, Trump, Biden, ” Trump, “, …, Trump’s, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, We’ve, Biden Trump, Trump Trump, We’d, I’ve, –, ”, Roe, Wade, You’ve, It’s, Trump Biden, ” Biden, Beau, John Kelly, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Volodymyr, Zelensky, There’s, Gaza Biden, Israel, “ I’ve, Tapper, we’re, We’re, Hunter, Joe, you’re, Biden Biden, E, Jean Carroll, Daniels, ” –, reimbursements, Hitler Biden, Hitler’s, flabbergast Biden, They’ve, That’s Organizations: CNN, Trump Biden, Trump, Medicare, Social Security, Republicans, Trump Trump, Biden, Democrats, White House, Ukraine Trump, Ukraine, Hamas, Bash Locations: Atlanta, freefall, Iraq, France, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, United States, New York, Charlottesville , Virginia, “

☆ Biden aims to paint Trump as a man whose foreign policy makes him too dangerous to be in the Oval Office
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Mj Lee | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump’s foreign policy positions have sometimes seemed like an afterthought in an election with domestic concerns at its heart. One campaign official told CNN that if and when foreign policy issues come up Thursday night, the contrast that Biden will try to paint could not be starker. “President Biden stands up to dictators and defends freedom – Trump is a loser who is too dangerous and reckless to ever be anywhere close to the Oval Office again,” the official said. One potential difficulty for Biden and his advisers might be identifying Trump’s positions on several foreign policy areas. And on Trump, Biden is expected to deploy a broad accusation: That Trump abandoned US allies, cozied up to dictators and generally made the world less safe.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s, –, Trump, Biden, Jake Sullivan, David, “, – Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin’s, Kim Jong, Donald Trump, ”, he’s, Netanyahu, Volodymyr Zelensky, ‘ Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, Republican, Democratic, CNN, Oval, North, Trump, ”, NATO, Republican Party, Ukrainian, Group Locations: Atlanta, Europe, Gaza, Ukraine, China, Beijing, North Korean, ” Russia, “, Israel, Kyiv, Italy, United States

☆ 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

☆ UK’s Nigel Farage sparks outrage from political opponents after saying West ‘provoked’ Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Rosa Rahimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Nigel Farage, a figurehead of the UK’s populist right, has sparked outrage from political opponents after saying the West “provoked” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We’ve provoked this war – of course it’s his fault – he’s used what we’ve done as an excuse,” he said. Farage – a former EU parliamentarian – claimed to be “the only person in British politics” to predict the invasion of Ukraine. “I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war with Russia,” he wrote. He added that Farage has “shown that he would rather lick Vladimir Putin’s boot than stand up for the people of Ukraine.”

Persons: Nigel Farage, ”, Farage –, Brexit –, Farage, Putin, Nick Robinson, “ We’ve, –, “, “ Putin, Rishi Sunak, ” James, Ben Wallace, John Healey, Vladimir Organizations: CNN, BBC, NATO, European Union, ”, Conservative, Labour Locations: Ukraine, Brexit, EU, Russia, ”

☆ US sounds alarm over Chinese and North Korean support for Russia’s war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But the reality is that China’s fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II,” Stoltenberg said at The Wilson Center. The idea of an anti-US front among Russia, China, North Korea and Iran has long preoccupied foreign policy experts in Washington. In March, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told Congress that Russia’s need to replenish its military supplies had forced it to grant “long-sought concessions” to North Korea. “What is Russia going to provide in exchange to North Korea, hard currency? So, we know that they are using DPRK ammunition to threaten Ukraine and kill Ukrainians,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, Zelensky, Xi Jinping, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, “, Xi, ” Stoltenberg, Putin, Kremlin, Kim Jong Un, of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Kurt Campbell, Kim, ” Campbell, Matthew Miller, John Kirby, ” Kirby, “ We’re, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Washington, “ Publicly, The Wilson, “, of National Intelligence, Stimson, ”, House Locations: Ukraine, Russian, China, Ukrainian, Italy, Russia, Beijing, Moscow, Europe, North Korea, Iran, Washington, Pyongyang, Korea, Northeast Asia, Korean, North

☆ On board the Russian warship visiting Cuba
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Patrick Oppmann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But now I was in a line for something unexpected: to board a Russian warship docked in Havana’s harbor. When a Russian diplomat told me that starting on Thursday, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate would offer tours to the public for three days, I was somewhat skeptical. People line up to visit Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov (not pictured) docked in Havana's bay, Cuba, June 13, 2024. I noticed one of the Russian sailors taking in the blue skies and calm waters around us. For a Russian sailor, Cuba could be as good as it gets these days.

Persons: Admiral, Vladimir Putin’s, “, ”, Donald Trump, Gorshkov, Alexandre Meneghini Organizations: Havana CNN —, Cuba’s Ministry of Defense, Cuban Navy, Reuters, Pentagon, US Navy Base Locations: Havana, Cuba, Russian, Havana’s harbor, Kazan, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Cuban, Reuters Russian, York, Russia, Guantanamo Bay

☆ With shake-up at defense ministry, ‘Putin’s chef’ gets his wish from beyond the grave
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Sebastian Shukla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Berlin CNN —Removing a long-time defense minister from his post is nothing out of the ordinary. Arresting five of his senior staff, however, is clearly more than just a search for fresh blood — especially in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Analysts who spoke to CNN described the defense ministry as one of the most corrupt in the country. Putin was likely awaiting his reelection by the Russian people in March before making moving in on the defense ministry. The defense ministry is central to how that war ends.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, ”, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Kazakov, Stanovaya, Andrey Belousov, – Shamarin, Ivanov Mikhail Komin, Vadim Shamarin, General Vadim Shamarin, Reuters Shamarin, Ria Novosti, Timur Ivanov, Ivanov, Alexey Navalny, —, Turar Kazangapov, Oleg Savelyev, ” Komin, Prigozhin’s, Gerasimov, ” Stanovaya, Komin, “ it’s Organizations: Berlin CNN, CNN, West ., Reuters, Sputnik, Kremlin, Getty, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Putin, European Council of Foreign Affairs, Main, Russian Armed Forces, “, Russian Defence Ministry . Russian Defence Ministry, Ria, Benz, Corruption Foundation, Russian, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Staff, Armed Forces Locations: Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Ukraine, Russia, Kharkiv, Donbas, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Russian, AFP, Vienna, Courchevel, France, Astana, Kazakhstan

☆ Is the US decision on Ukraine weapons a game-changer?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The story of the past 27 months since Russia invaded Ukraine has been one of crumbling taboos. Despite securing more weapons from the United States last month, Ukraine has not been able to use them as it pleases. Red lines fadeThe US is joining the United Kingdom, France, Germany and several others in removing restrictions on how Ukraine uses the weapons it is given. Before Biden gave the green light, Putin had made veiled nuclear threats to countries considering allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with their weapons. In both cases, Russia had warned Ukraine and its Western allies not to cross its red line.

Persons: Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Valentyn Ogirenko, Adam Kinzinger, Ben Hodges, ”, Vladimir Putin’s, Kateryna, Narciso Contreras, Franz, Stefan Gady, Ukraine “, Mathieu Boulegue, “, Putin, ” Stepanenko Organizations: CNN, Russian, Firefighters, Reuters, Institute for, Anadolu, Getty, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Kharkhiv, Center for, United, Russia Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, United States, Moscow, Kharkiv, Washington, “, Prague, Czech, pummel Kharkiv, Russian, Kharkiv Oblast, Vovchansk, Kharkiv region, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Crimea, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia

CNN —European allies of former US President Donald Trump have rallied around him in support following his historic conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The conviction – which has been heralded as a somber moment for America with wide-reaching implications – has been painted by Trump’s allies in Europe as political persecution, aimed at derailing his bid to return to White House. Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called Trump’s conviction “judicial harassment” in a post on X, while Hungarian President Viktor Orban urged him to “keep on fighting” for the presidency. Meanwhile, Russia suggested there was a political conspiracy at play, despite Trump being convicted by a jury. “This is visible to the whole world with the naked eye.”Other countries, sticking to protocol, declined to comment on Trump’s conviction.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump’s, Matteo Salvini, Viktor Orban, “, ”, Trump, Salvini, Orbán, ” “, Vladimir Putin’s, Dmitry Peskov, Rishi Sunak, Christian Wagner Organizations: CNN, White, Trump, America, British Locations: –, Europe, Manhattan, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Italy, Russia

☆ Opinion | Do Not Allow Putin to Capture Another Pawn in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Serge Schmemann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The law has drawn stiff rebukes from the United States and Europe. The State Department has announced visa restrictions on officials behind the foreign-agent law and Congress has threatened further sanctions. The clash over the foreign-agent law in a small country nestled in the Caucasus Mountains has been largely overshadowed by Russia’s war on Ukraine. Georgia, in fact, was the first neighboring country invaded by Russia post-Soviet Union, in 2008, to block its westward drift. Now the ruling party, Georgian Dream, seems to share Russia’s goal, though it has generally avoided openly siding with Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili —, Russia —, Ivanishvili Organizations: Russian, The State Department, European Union Locations: Republic of Georgia, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, United States, Europe, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Soviet Union, Georgian, Tbilisi, ”

☆ Russia-Ukraine war: Putin signals he’s open to peace talks, but Ukraine is right to be wary
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Eastern Ukraine CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin’s signaling this week that he is open to peace talks should be viewed with vast, overshadowing caveats, and the weight of Ukraine’s - and the West’s - past experience of Russian diplomacy. Putin questioned the legitimacy of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who Moscow has repeatedly assailed, after Kyiv had to delay elections because of the very war Putin started. Zelensky has said he hopes China - Russia’s most potent ally but only partial supporter in the Ukraine war - will attend. Putin may be talking peace now to suggest to Beijing to not be involved in diplomacy about Russia without Russia present. Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersUkraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said Friday that Putin’s hints at peace talks were directly aimed at sabotaging the summit.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Moscow’s, Alexander Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelensky, Viktor Yanukovich, Russian Yanukovich, Lukashenko, Tatyana Makeyeva, –, Zelensky, Valentyn Ogirenko, Dmytro Kuleba, “ Putin, Ukraine ”, MAGA, Dmitri Peskov, Donald Trump, ferociously Organizations: Eastern, Eastern Ukraine CNN —, Reuters, Belarus ’, Kremlin, Kyiv, European Union, NATO, Kharkiv, Reuters Ukraine’s Foreign, Ukraine, American, MAGA Republicans, Congress Locations: Eastern Ukraine, Moscow, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Istanbul, Kyiv, Donetsk, Belarus, Russian, Syria, Debaltseve, Switzerland, China, Beijing, Valentyn, West, Europe, United States, France, Baltic

☆ Bob Menendez: Trump circus overshadows senator’s corruption trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

So it goes for Menendez, who is likely pleased to have his legal drama playing out in relative obscurity. More recently, Fetterman mocked the senator’s defense, which relies in part on pointing the finger of blame on Nadine Menendez, his wife. Republicans in Washington, as they’ve done during these first two weeks of the Menendez trial in New York, have been consistently deferential to the New Jersey Democrat. Rep. Andy Kim, a popular Democrat from South Jersey, is expected to win the nomination to succeed Menendez. Andrew Giuliani, pressed for a thought on the senator’s trial or the allegations against him, shrugged.

Persons: New York CNN — Andrew Giuliani, Donald, ”, Rudy Giuliani squinted, “, ” He’s, Sen, Bob Menendez’s, –, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Menendez, Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Ronny Jackson, Bob Costello, Pam Bondi, Missouri Sen, Eric Schmitt, Matt Whitaker, Sebastian Gorka, Gov, Dan Patrick, Jackson, María Elvira Salazar, Troy Nehls, Dale Strong, Daniel Webster of, Vladimir Putin’s, Cory Booker, Chuck Schumer, John Fetterman, George Santos, Fetterman, Nadine Menendez, ” Fetterman, Jake Tapper, Mitch McConnell, ” North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, he’s, Andy Kim, Andrew Giuliani, haven’t, ” CNN’s Sabrina Souza Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York, Manhattan Criminal, Court, Republican, Democrat, The New, The New Jersey Democrat, Foreign Relations, Trump, Democratic, Manhattan, Attorney, Texas, Dale Strong of, Pennsylvania Democrat, New York Rep, “, Union, ”, Republicans, New Jersey Democrat, Democrats, GOP, ” North, Politico Locations: New York, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, The, The New Jersey, Menendez’s, Florida, Sebastian Gorka , Texas, María Elvira Salazar of Florida, Texas, Dale Strong of Alabama, Daniel Webster of Florida, North Korea, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, Egypt, ”, “ State, Israel, ” North Dakota, South Jersey, New York City

☆ Trump removes video referencing ‘unified Reich,’ but his Nazi allusions are long-standing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Donald Trump dabbles in Nazi allusions too often for it to be a coincidence. But the term “Reich,” which means a kind of empire, is also synonymous with the later Third Reich of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Some of Trump’s rhetoric suggests an ignorance of history and his own self-obsession. Some of Trump’s rhetoric seems designed to get a rise from his opponents and the media. And as extreme as a second Trump term might be, the Nazi Germany comparison feels extreme.

Persons: Donald Trump dabbles, Reich, Adolf Hitler’s, Trump, Joe Biden, Hitler, Mein, hasn’t, Donald Trump’s, Donald J, Trump Trump, John Kelly, CNN’s Jim Sciutto, Powers, ” Kelly, “, ’, ” Sciutto, Kelly, Steven Cheung, John Bolton, He’s, Biden, ”, Viktor Orbán, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Truth, White House, Nazi, Baby Boomers Locations: Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Gestapo, United States, Charlottesville , Virginia, Boston, Nazi Germany, Hungarian, Russian, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Eastern Europe, Nazi, Normandy

☆ Opinion: Hardened like diamonds, these Gen Z protesters fight for a European future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Opinion Will Cathcart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They snatch protesters from the crowd and drag them back into a mass of black uniforms. Will Cathcart Will CathcartHundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Georgia in recent weeks to protest the government’s adoption of a Kremlin-inspired “foreign agents” bill. As with the foreign agents law, the bill’s authors claim it promotes transparency, an absurd notion. The foreign agents bill is a symptom of a deeper issue – money. The pressures of authoritarian intimidation and systematic violence have hardened Georgia’s young protestors like diamonds.

Persons: Will Cathcart, Mikheil Saakashvili, Cathcart Will Cathcart, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Hans Gutbrod, ”, Salome Zourabichvili, aren’t, Gen Z, Europe –, Giorgi Arjevanidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Party ” –, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Shalva Papuashvili, – “, “, James O’Brien’s, Ivanishvili, Zviad Organizations: CNN, Tbilisi CNN — Riot, Georgian, Ilia State University, European Union, Getty, Global, Party, Georgian Orthodox Church, US, State, Eurasian Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, NATO, Special Forces Exchange Locations: American, Tbilisi, Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Europe, AFP, Georgian, Soviet, Russian, United States, Brussels, Washington, Moscow, EU

☆ Opinion: Credibility is the key at Trump trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

The idea that Cohen talked to Trump about Daniels on that call “was a lie,” Blanche alleged. Moreover, my experience has been that juries don’t decide based upon one moment — they base their judgment on an overall view.”There were allegedly three parties aware of the scheme to conceal the real reason Trump paid Cohen more than $400,000 in supposed legal fees: Trump, Cohen and Allen Weisselberg, then-chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. “Weisselberg could be the linchpin to validate Cohen’s claims about Trump agreeing to reimburse him through Trump Organization, as a business expense,” wrote attorney Stacy Schneider. Trump seems to be tempted to go mano a mano and show that he is better fit to be commander-in-chief. The new requirement for GOP politicians wanting to demonstrate their loyalty to Trump seems to be visiting the Manhattan courthouse where he’s on trial.

Persons: CNN —, ” Mark Twain, “, Twain, ” Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, —, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Todd Blanche, Cohen, Norm Eisen, Blanche, ”, pummeled Cohen, Robert Mueller, Nick Anderson, Agency Cohen, Keith Schiller, Daniels, ” Blanche, ” Eisen, don’t, Allen Weisselberg, Stacy Schneider, Weisselberg, David Zurawik, “ I’ve, Sen, Robert Menendez, He’s, George Santos ., CNN “ It’s, he’s, ‘, Henry Cuellar, ” Cupp, Drew Sheneman, Georgia —, Vladimir Putin’s, Frida Ghitis, ” Ghitis, Joe Biden’s, ” Dana Summers, “ Biden, ” Julian Zelizer, mano, Biden, ” Bill Bramhall, Stephanie Griffith, Howard Tucker, Gayle Fleming, Michael Ventura Gayle Fleming, Biden —, ” Tom Brady’s, Kara Alaimo, Tom Brady “, Kevin Hart, Gisele Bündchen, Brady, Benjamin, Vivian, ’ Brady, ’, Alaimo, Brady didn’t, Nafees Syed, Kamel El Hilali, Andrew Borene, freakout Scott Stantis, Jeff Yang, … ” Brown, Keith Magee, Brown, backpedaling, Forget, Doug Burgum, Scott Jennings, Burgum’s, Bill Bramhall, Content Agency Clarence Thomas Washington, Clarence Thomas ’, Dean Obeidallah, Thomas, Harlan Crow, ” Clay Jones, John Oliver’s, Steve Vladeck, “ Thomas, ” Don’t, Clayton Swope, Dan Perry, Netanyahu, Jill Filipovic, Miss Teen USA Mary Ziegler, Bob Kolasky, Megan L, Ranney, Karen Tang, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, Jonathan Yeo, King Charles III, Aaron Chown, Holly Thomas, King Organizations: CNN, Trump, Tribune, Agency, Trump Organization, Twitter, Facebook, DC, Robert Menendez of New, GOP, ” Texas, White, Europe, Russia, Kyiv, Biden, ABC, Democratic Party, Netflix, Garden State, Content Agency, Capitol, Consumer Financial, Board, Fifth Circuit, ICC, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Buckingham Palace, Royal Locations: New York, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Russian, Ukraine, Slovakia, Georgia, Soviet Republic, United States, Cleveland, “, Manhattan, North, . North Dakota, ” That’s, Louisiana , Mississippi, Texas, Florida’s, Buckingham

CNN —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wants to work with countries like China with “influence on Russia” as his country faces a renewed Moscow offensive, urging Beijing to attend peace talks next month. Ahead of expected peace talks in Switzerland next month, Xi has called for negotiations that take both sides’ positions into account. Engaging global players like China is crucial because “they have influence on Russia, and the more such countries we have on our side… the more Russia will have to move and [more countries] to reckon with,” Zelensky said. Zelensky said he would like to see China at the international talks in Switzerland next month, aimed at paving the way for a peace process in Ukraine. Russia has not been represented at any of the four rounds of closed-door international peace talks that have taken place so far, and will not be at this one.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia ”, Zelensky, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin’s, Russia’s, Xi, ” Zelensky, Viola Amherd, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylov, Switzerland Wang Shihting, Emmanuel Macron, Emmanuel Organizations: CNN, Beijing, AFP, Reuters, of, Getty, French Locations: China, Russia, Moscow, Beijing, Switzerland, Zelensky, Ukraine, Tiananmen, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Paris

☆ 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

For the Ukrainian border town of Vovchansk, they’re getting worse. Locals in the town lived through occupation and liberation for seven grueling months in 2022. The Russian military claims the action has left close to a dozen villages under its control. Maria, 85, evacuates the Ukrainian town of Vovchansk. The Russians held our boys there.” There has been widespread reporting of mistreatment of Ukrainian civilians under Russian occupation, allegations the Kremlin has typically dismissed as fake.

Persons: they’re, Vladimir Putin’s, Mykola, –, “, ”, Maksim, Maria, haltingly, Inna, they’ve, Vovchansk Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Locals, CNN, Russian Locations: Vovchansk, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow, Kyiv, Russia, Kharkiv

This week, Xi is welcoming him to China for a two-day state visit — their fourth in-person meeting since Russia’s onslaught in Ukraine began. China has repeatedly defended its trade with Russia as part of normal bilateral relations. Russia has also become China’s main oil supplier, overtaking Saudi Arabia, according to official Chinese trade data. Governments warn against support for Russia’s war effortThe wartime surge in trade, and growing purchases of oil, have sparked criticism in the West that China was helping to fund Russia’s war. It mirrors Xi’s state visit to Russia in March 2023, which was the Chinese leader’s first overseas trip after starting a norm-shattering third term as president.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Xi, Putin, Antony Blinken, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, ’, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, European Union, International Monetary Fund, —, EU, White, European Commission Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, United States, Saudi Arabia, India, West, Beijing, France, Chinese

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