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☆ Russia’s Latest Sanctions on U.S. Officials Turn to Trump Enemies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia has expanded its list of sanctioned Americans in a tit-for-tat retaliation for the latest curbs imposed by the United States. But what is particularly striking is how much President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is adopting perceived enemies of former President Donald J. Trump as his own. Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state of Georgia who rebuffed Mr. Trump’s pressure to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election, also made the list. None of those three has anything to do with Russia policy and the only reason they would have come to Moscow’s attention is because Mr. Trump has publicly assailed them. He also refused to commit to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia if he is elected president again, saying instead he would seek to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow.

☆ Zelensky Lands in Japan for G7 Summit, Seeking Military Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( David E. Sanger | Natalia Yermak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, President Biden told the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, that he could not have American precision missile systems. Washington’s pattern of saying no before saying yes has repeated itself enough times over the past 15 months that Ukrainian officials say they now know to ignore the first answer and keep pressing. White House officials insist this reflects not indecision, but changing circumstances — and changing assumptions about the risks involved. And after China’s leader, Xi Jinping, explicitly warned late last year against threatening the use of nuclear weapons, Mr. Putin has quieted down. Some experts warn that Mr. Putin hasn’t dropped his nuclear threats; just delayed them.

At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, President Biden told the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, that he could not have American precision missile systems. It all raises the question: Are there any conventional weapons in the American or NATO arsenals that the president would not, eventually, provide to Ukraine? Washington’s pattern of saying no before saying yes has repeated itself enough times over the past 15 months that Ukrainian officials say they now know to ignore the first answer and keep pressing. And after China’s leader, Xi Jinping, explicitly warned late last year against threatening the use of nuclear weapons, Mr. Putin has quieted down. Some experts warn that Mr. Putin hasn’t dropped his nuclear threats; just delayed them.

At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, President Biden told the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, that he could not have American precision missile systems. Washington’s pattern of saying no before saying yes has repeated itself enough times over the past 15 months that Ukrainian officials say they now know to ignore the first answer and keep pressing. But White House officials say the shifting positions reflect not indecision, but changing circumstances — and changing assumptions about the risks involved. And after China’s leader, Xi Jinping, explicitly warned late last year against threatening the use of nuclear weapons, Mr. Putin has quieted down. Some experts warn that Mr. Putin hasn’t dropped his nuclear threats; just delayed them.

☆ Pope asks Italian cardinal to carry out Ukraine peace mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Cardinal Matteo Zuppi attends the opening of the inter-religious meeting "The Cry of Peace" in Rome, Italy, October 23, 2022. REUTERS/Remo CasilliVATICAN CITY, May 20 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops' conference, to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine, the Vatican said on Saturday. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2019 and he was elected head of the Italian Episcopal Conference last year. Zelenskiy met Pope Francis at the Vatican last Saturday but afterwards appeared to downplay the possibility of a papal mediation. "With all due respect for His Holiness, we do not need mediators, we need a just peace ... Putin only kills.

☆ Biden Pays Silent Tribute to Victims of Hiroshima Bomb
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden was 2 years old when the nuclear era opened with a blast of devastation unlike any the world had ever seen. Seventy-eight years later, he came on Friday to ground zero of the first atomic bomb used in warfare to pay tribute to the dead. Mr. Biden and other world leaders met privately with a survivor, toured a museum, laid wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planted a tree. The president stared solemnly at the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims as the city’s mayor described the monument. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has hinted ominously that he may yet unleash nuclear weapons to salvage his flailing invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Pope hopes to send peace envoys to Kyiv, Moscow - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, May 18 (Reuters) - Pope Francis hopes to send personal peace envoys to the Ukrainian and Russian presidents to try to broker a ceasefire in the war, a Catholic website reported on Thursday. Il Sismografo, which specialises in Vatican news and has a good track record, said this is the "mission" Francis spoke of cryptically when he was returning from Hungary last month. It said both presidents had agreed to meet with the papal envoys, without citing sources or giving details. Zelenskiy met Pope Francis at the Vatican last Saturday but in comments afterwards he appeared to downplay the possibility of a papal mediation. "With all due respect for His Holiness, we do not need mediators, we need a just peace ... Putin only kills.

☆ Revealed: Vladimir Putin's secret Black Sea bunker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Anastasiia Carrier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

You would think that the architects who designed Vladimir Putin's palace thought of everything. They failed to hide plans showing two elaborate tunnels running beneath the palace complex — plans that any competent state-security apparatus would fight tooth-and-nail to keep secret. The underground complex beneath Putin's palace consists of two separate tunnels connected by an elevator that descends roughly 50 meters below the surface. Gelendzhik is the town closest to the palace complex, a five-hour drive from the resort city of Sochi. "With the war in Ukraine," Kimmage said, "there's speechmaking, there's propaganda, there's exaggeration — there's this performative aspect that plays to Russia's domestic politics.

☆ As Ukrainian Attack Looms, Putin Faces Setbacks and Disunity in Russian Forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Paul Sonne | Anton Troianovski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russian military aircraft are crashing before they even reach Ukrainian airspace. A Russian mercenary boss is releasing one profanity-laced tirade after another, claiming that corrupt Russian generals who “all reek of expensive perfume” are sending soldiers to their deaths. These would seem to be bad weeks for President Vladimir V. Putin, a time when the problems that have plagued his 15-month war since its beginning are only worsening: stretched resources, disorganized defenses and disunity in the ranks. Those problems are now threatening to derail what just weeks ago had seemed finally to be a rare military success in Russia’s grasp: victory in the long-running, bloody battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Russian forces, while still fighting fiercely within the city limits, have retreated from positions on the edges of Bakhmut and according to the Russian Defense Ministry lost two colonels to combat there.

He represents a coalition of six opposition parties that have come together to challenge Mr. Erdogan. Recent polls showed Mr. Kilicdaroglu holding a slight lead, despite Mr. Erdogan’s tapping of state resources in an effort to tilt the contest. Mr. Erdogan, 69, is viewed as a problematic and often unpredictable partner of the West. Mr. Erdogan has also vexed fellow NATO leaders by hampering the alliance’s efforts to expand, stalling Finland’s membership and still refusing to endorse Sweden’s inclusion. Mr. Kilicdaroglu, 74, has vowed to improve relations with the West if he is elected and make policy more institutional and less personal.

☆ Footage shows massive explosions and fireballs after a wave of Russian drones targeted a city in western Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Footage circulating on social media shows a massive explosion in the city of Khmelnytskyi. The Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration confirmed "critical infrastructure" had been hit. The Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration confirmed on Telegram that "critical infrastructure" had been hit in the attack on Friday night. A wave of 21 attack drones were fired at the city, according to reports. Local news outlets reported at least 21 civilians were injured, citing the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration.

☆ Opinion: What Trump gets right on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Opinion Daniel R. Depetris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For many political pundits and politicians, his observations on the war in Ukraine were no exception. Asa Hutchinson, who is challenging Trump for the 2024 nomination, declared that “Trump reminded everyone tonight of his support of Russia and his willingness to sell out Ukraine. The major difference between the Biden administration and Trump on the Ukraine question seems to be not whether talks should happen, but when. Another point Trump gets right is the vast disparity between the US and its European allies on the issue of assistance to Ukraine, even if his grossly exaggerates the amount of US aid. Join us on Twitter and FacebookTo be clear, some of what Trump said at the town hall about Ukraine was incorrect.

☆ An Erdogan Loss in Turkey Would Stir Relief in the West and Anxiety in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Steven Erlanger | Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More broadly, for the European Union and Washington there is the strong feeling that Turkey under Mr. Erdogan has moved farther away from European values and norms like the rule of law and freedom of the press. Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister, said in an interview that NATO and the European Union viewed the election differently. It is a defense alliance, she said, and “Turkey is one of the allies that has great military capacities” to help NATO in a key part of the world. In Washington, Mr. Erdogan’s drift toward authoritarianism, his ties to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and his disputes with NATO have exasperated officials — and even led some members of Congress to suggest that Turkey should be banished from the NATO alliance. While the United States, the European Union and, to a lesser extent, NATO stand to gain from an opposition victory, Mr. Putin almost certainly will be seen as the loser if Mr. Erdogan is ousted.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Putin's 'one-tank' parade prompts questions; more calls for Wagner Group to be labeled terrorist group
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian soldiers march during a rehearsal of the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, on May 7, 2023. The Covid-19 pandemic and now the ongoing war with Ukraine have sorely affected annual commemorations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Despite being one of the most important dates in Russia's calendar, Victory Day in Russia has not been what it was for a number of years now. Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers parade through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2022. "The potential for protests and discontent over the Ukraine war are also likely to have influenced the calculus of the Russian leadership."

☆ Putin Condemns Western Support for Ukraine as Russia’s Battlefield Losses Mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow. Photo: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/APRussian President Vladimir Putin fired a rhetorical broadside at Washington and the West on Tuesday, condemning allied military support for Ukraine as Moscow faces mounting battlefield losses more than a year after invading its smaller neighbor. Speaking to a crowd on Moscow’s Red Square at the country’s annual Victory Day parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Mr. Putin declared: “An actual war has once again been unleashed against our Motherland,” saying the West sought Russia’s “disintegration and destruction.”

☆ Ukraine vs. the Axis of Illegitimacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Journal Editorial Report: Xi meets Putin in Moscow to cement ties. Images: Shutterstock/Handout via Reuters Composite: Mark KellyChurchill’s “bodyguard of lies” will have been working overtime in the runup to Ukraine’s anticipated spring offensive. Contrary to the justifications of Vladimir Putin and his Western echo chamber, Mr. Putin shows by his behavior he knows NATO is no threat to Russia. He denudes his ultra-vulnerable Kaliningrad sector—surrounded by NATO on four sides—of forces to send them to Ukraine. He is blasé about Finland joining the alliance, though it extends by 830 miles the border he must defend against NATO.

☆ On Muted War Holiday, Putin Tries to Justify Invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Vladimir V. Putin on Tuesday used a scaled-down commemoration of triumph in World War II as a platform to denounce the West and make fictitious claims about Ukraine, equating his war of choice against that country with the Soviet Union’s fight for survival against Nazi Germany. With Russia struggling on the battlefield, the annual celebration of Victory Day, Russia’s most important and deeply emotional secular holiday, was far more muted than in the past. But Mr. Putin tried to seize on his nation’s proud memory of what it calls the Great Patriotic War to rally support for the war he launched against Ukraine last year, explicitly comparing the two. “A real war has been unleashed against our motherland again,” Mr. Putin said in a 10-minute speech in Moscow’s Red Square, whose themes were quickly repeated by state media. But his rhetoric has shifted from talk of a limited war — in his telling, one of self-defense — to drawing direct parallels to the colossal fight against Nazism.

Victory Day, celebrating the Soviet Union’s vanquishing of Nazi Germany in 1945, is Russia’s most important secular holiday, although it is toned down this year as the war in Ukraine drags on. More than 20 cities, some thousands of miles from the battle lines, said they would forgo military parades, and organizers canceled a popular nationwide march honoring veterans. Here’s a look at the significance the holiday has taken on during President Vladimir V. Putin’s two decades in power. Why does Victory Day matter so much? Mr. Putin has helped transform Victory Day — meant to honor the 27 million Soviets who died in World War II — into one of the most important holidays on the Russian calendar, a nostalgic ritual that buttresses national pride and unifies a sometimes divided society.

☆ Opinion | We Forget Nuclear Powers Have Lost Wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Timothy Snyder | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During both conflicts, people in the West worried, understandably, about nuclear war. In the West today, unlike during the Cold War, these are discussed in psychological rather than in strategic terms. In nearly 15 months of war, despite Russian nuclear propaganda and Western anxiety, there has been no use of nuclear weapons. Those who predicted “escalation” if Ukrainians resisted, if the West supplied weapons or if Russia suffered defeat have thus far been wrong. Strategic thinkers point to deterrence, and note that nuclear use would not in fact bring a Russian victory.

More recently, he has tried to wrap Ukraine into that narrative, falsely depicting it as a Nazi redoubt. Image Smoke rising above a fuel depot in the Russian village of Volna, near the bridge linking Crimea to Russia, last Wednesday. In Russia, various regional governors have cited security concerns in canceling Victory Day events. “No neo-Nazi scum will be able to mar the great Victory Day. The Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov said the march was canceled as a “precautionary measure” against possible attacks.

☆ Moscow holds Victory Day military parade as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kate Sammer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMoscow holds Victory Day military parade as Russia intensifies attacks on UkraineRussia's annual Victory Day parade was scaled back this year due to "security concerns" after an alleged drone strike targeted the Kremlin last week. At the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech praising Russian soldiers for fighting in Ukraine and condemned the West for unleashing "a real war" against Russia. Putin's remarks came just hours after Russia fired the latest missile barrage at Ukraine.

Russian service members rehearsing last week for the military parade in Moscow on Tuesday, when Russia celebrates the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. More recently, he has tried to wrap Ukraine into that narrative, falsely depicting it as a Nazi redoubt. The parade is likely to be subjected to closer scrutiny than usual, both inside Russia and beyond its borders. This year, the jets have skipped their usual practice runs over Moscow, raising questions about whether they will participate. Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the march was canceled as a “precautionary measure” against possible attacks.

☆ Is Putin’s Russia Worse Than the Soviet State? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Serge Schmemann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

That, in fact, may be one major reason many decent Russians feel that Mr. Putin’s Russia — their Russia — is worse than the Soviet state whose demise he laments. They had thought their nation free of the horrible tyranny of its past, and Mr. Putin is not only reviving that but also bringing shame and alienation to their nation. The Soviet Union that these Russians hark back to is the one in its final years, not Stalin’s hell. In their time, the 1970s and early 1980s, the Soviet Union was still a repressive police state that maintained a jealous and iron control on information, art, enterprise and just about every other human endeavor. No old Soviet dissident would deny that the physical quality of life in Russia is far higher than it was in those Spartan times.

More recently, he has tried to wrap Ukraine into that narrative, falsely depicting it as a Nazi redoubt. Credit... ReutersUkraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, staked his nation’s own claim to the holiday, with an address on Monday drawing a parallel between World War II and the current war against Russian invaders. In Russia, various regional governors have cited security concerns in canceling Victory Day events. Igor Artamonov, the governor of the Lipetsk region, which is also near Ukraine, said his decision should not be misinterpreted. “No neo-Nazi scum will be able to mar the great Victory Day.

☆ Fearing Attacks and Perhaps Unrest, Russia Plans Muted Victory Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The war in Ukraine has prompted officials across Russia to scale back annual celebrations of Victory Day, the country’s most important national holiday, with more than 20 cities forgoing military parades and organizers calling off a popular nationwide march to honor veterans. Security concerns were most often cited for the rash of cancellations of Tuesday’s events, but some analysts suggested that the unease had as much to do with fears about domestic disturbances. It is an unprecedented step in a country where the parades, which commemorate the triumph of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in World War II, have become a signature event for President Vladimir V. Putin. Over the years, he has cast the day not just as celebration of a historic victory but also of Russia’s present-day need to thwart the Western forces he says are still trying to destroy it. More recently, he has tried to wrap Ukraine into that narrative, falsely depicting it as a Nazi redoubt.

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