The Kremlin Plan for a Forcible Annexation of the Land where Warfights are Raging in Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhhia

The Kremlin plans to declare the land where battles are raging in all four regions to be Russian territory and to assert that it is defending, not attacking, in the war in Ukraine — and so it is justified to use any military means necessary, a thinly veiled nuclear threat. Using annexing the provinces as a reason to draft Ukrainian men living there to help solve a shortage of troops in the Russia Army would be a good use for the idea.

Since launching their invasion of Ukraine in February, Russian forces have retreated from Kherson city. On Nov. 11, Ukrainian forces began moving into Kherson and were greeted by cheering residents.

Putin, however, attempted to claim that the referendums reflected the will of “millions” of people, despite reports from the ground suggesting that voting took place essentially – and in some cases, literally – at gunpoint.

I want the real masters of the West to hear me. For everyone to remember. People living in Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia are becoming citizens. During the ceremony Friday, the Russian president said that it would be forever.

The Russian president thinks the annexation was meant to fix a mistake he believes was made after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Putin delivered his comments days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor. The assembled audience included uniformed soldiers the Kremlin said had come directly from the frontlines of Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Russia will now, despite the widespread international condemnation, forge ahead with its plans to fly its flag over some 100,000 square kilometers (38,600 square miles) of Ukrainian territory – the largest forcible annexation of land in Europe since 1945.

Mr. Putin is expected to deliver a “voluminous” speech, his spokesman said. He is likely to downplay his military’s struggles in Ukraine and rising domestic dissent. He will probably ignore the worldwide denunciation of referendums that were held in occupied Ukranian to join Russia.

In a signing ceremony at the Kremlin, Putin said the people had made their choice. He said that the choice wouldn’t be betrayed by Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested on state television that the Ukrainians are not going to end the war in their country. Despite Putin’s comments, Moscow’s forces have kept attacking Ukraine — a sign that peace isn’t imminent.

Putin was joined by Kremlin-appointed officials from four regions and the leaders of the Moscow-backed rebel groups who were also watching.

The concert and rally were to take place outside of the Kremlin and banners said “Russia and the newly integrated territories are together forever.”

Sept. 27: Russia claimed that staged referendums in four occupied regions of Ukraine showed the people chose to join the Russian Federation. United Nations leaders and many countries called the process a sham and a violation of international law.

“The United States will never, never, never recognize Russia’s claims on Ukraine sovereign territory,” Biden said. This was a sham, and the results were manufactured in Moscow.

The decision was framed as a historical justice by Putin because the soviet union left the Russian speakers separated from the homeland of their forefathers, and the EU imposed its own rules.

Russia has accused the west of turning the conflict into a proxy war before. Iran acknowledged giving military drones to Russia.

In a reminder of the ongoing fighting, a missile in Zaporizhzhia struck a bus stop and checkpoint, killing 23 and injuring scores. Ukraine blamed the attack on Russia. Moscow’s proxies in the area said Ukrainian forces had launched several strikes in the area.

Trump is losing momentum in a war with Russia, and he is going to lose his touch: The case for a win-win, not the end game

Formal ratification of the territories into the Russian Federation will now move to Russia’s parliament and constitutional court — whose approval is widely seen as a foregone conclusion.

The Russian government’s annexation is unfolding as it tries to fortify its military campaign with 300,000 additional troops while a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has taken control of territory in the south and northeast of the country.

Russian officials have warned that the newly incorporated territories are entitled to protection under Russia’s nuclear umbrella.

Fiona Hill, who has advised three US Presidents on national security about Russia, also thinks Putin may be attempting an end game. “He feels a sense of acute urgency that he was losing momentum, and he’s now trying to exit the war in the same way that he entered it. With him being the person in charge and him framing the whole terms of any kind of negotiation. “

The recent drive to recruit 300,000 troops will not reverse Putin’s battlefield losses, as he is backfiring at home, running him up a dangerous political tab.

Putin argued it was good riddance, part of a “self-cleansing” of Russian society from traitors and spies. Russian officials have suggested stripping those who left the country of their passports. Russia can thrive if it has many of its best and brightest.

CNN is unable to verify the Russian figures, but the 40 kilometers (around 25 miles) traffic tailbacks at the border with Georgia, and the long lines at crossings into Kazakhstan and Finland, speak to the backlash and the strengthening perception that Putin is losing his fabled touch at reading Russia’s mood.

Kortunov says he doesn’t know what goes on in the Kremlin but that he understands the public mood over the huge costs and loss of life in the war. Many people would ask why we got into this mess. We lost a lot of people.

He used the same tactic as in annexing Crimea in the past, threatening to hit back if the Ukrainians try to take the annexed territories back.

Western leaders are in a fight with Putin. Last Sunday US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC’s “Meet the Press” Washington would respond decisively if Russia deployed nuclear weapons against Ukraine and has made clear to Moscow the “catastrophic consequences” it would face.

Moscow’s Nord Stream: Bounds on Russia, NATO, Europe, and the Problem of Next-Generation Uzbekistan

Both Danish and Swedish seismologists recorded explosive shockwaves from close to the seabed: the first, at around 2 a.m. local time, hitting 2.3 magnitude, then again, at around 7 p.m., registering 2.1.

Within hours, roiling patches of sea were discovered, the Danes and the Germans sent warships to secure the area, and Norway increased security around its oil and gas facilities.

The four leaks that have been found in Russia’sNord Stream are similar to boiling cauldrons, the largest one kilometer across, and collectively releasing toxic greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Brennan concludes that Russia is most likely behind the sabotage, and that it is a message to Europe that Putin can reach beyond the borders of his own country. So who knows what he might be planning next.”

Nord Stream 2 was never operational, and Nord Stream 1 had been throttled back by Putin as Europe raced to replenish gas reserves ahead of winter, while dialling back demands for Russian supplies and searching for replacement providers.

The coming weeks are therefore crucial both on the battlefield, as well as in Europe and around the globe, experts suggest. “As ever, where Putin goes next depends on how the rest of the world is responding,” Giles said. Western countries failed to confront and deter Russia.

If Russia is able to convince the West to talk about peace negotiations as a way out of war, it will bode well for Putin and his administration, experts say.

If Putin pitches France and Germany, they need to put pressure on the Ukrainians to end the war and protect their territories at all costs.

“We continue to monitor his nuclear capabilities, Kate, best we can. And what I can tell you today is that we just don’t see any indications that Mr. Putin has made a decision to use weapons of mass destruction or even nuclear weapons. Kirby said that there had been no evidence that would allow them to change their deterrent posture.

Russia has been increasing the number of forces on its border and inside Ukrainian territory since last year when it ordered some of the forces from a partial mobilization. Despite the increased numbers, Western allies have not seen enough changes to those forces to take and hold new territory.

Sept. 28: The officials in occupied areas of Ukranian made pleas for them to join the Russian Federation. A survey by the Levada Center found that Putin’s approval rating fell over the course of the year. The U.S. defense department’s announcement of additional security aid to Ukranian was made.

Oct. 2: Leaders of nine European countries made a joint statement in support of Ukraine joining NATO. And Pope Francis made a strong plea for Putin to end the war.

Past recaps are available here. You can find more of NPR’s coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR’s State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.

Two days after an explosion on a key bridge linking Russia and the Black Sea peninsula of Crimean, Russian President Putin will hold a Security Council meeting on Monday.

And while the agenda has not been made public, the meeting comes at a strategic crossroads for the Kremlin, which must make a series of unenviable choices after Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has faltered after a month of military setbacks.

Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the Kerch Bridge in Crimea-Kraksnodar-Krasii Revisited

Train and road traffic are back on the bridge. On Saturday, Russian deputy prime minister told reporters that repair works on the bridge would be carried out around the clock, with a damage survey to be completed the same day.

The first passenger services resumed travel across the bridge on Saturday, traveling from the Crimean Peninsula to Krasnodar Krai in southern Russia, Russia’s Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

Car traffic on the bridge has also restarted in two lanes, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Marat Khusnullin said on Sunday. He wrote in a Telegram post that traffic has been launched along two lanes on the bridge, as well as one lane being used for cars travel in alternate directions. Heavy trucks, vans and buses have been traveling by ferry since the blast.

Some background: The reference to the bridge pertains to an explosion that took place on the Kerch bridge — which connects Crimea to Russia — on Oct. 8, when a truck crossing it exploded and caused it to be partially destroyed. The Ukrainians have never claimed responsibility, but the Kremlin was quick to point fingers toward Kyiv. In the days following the bridge explosion, Putin said “further acts of terrorism on the territory of Russia will be harsh … have no doubt about that.” Last week, Putin appeared on the bridge while he was shown repairs, and then he drove a car across it.

Mykhailo Podolnak, an adviser to the Ukrainian President, said on Sunday that Putin needs to come back to reality. “Russia single-handedly attacked Ukraine and is killing citizens. Russia does not want negotiations, and tries to avoid responsibility. This is obvious, so we are moving to the Tribunal.”

The possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons in reprisal for the bridge explosion was rejected by the Kremlin spokesman, RIA Novosti reported.

Monday’s explosions in Kiev, Ukraine: President Joe Biden’s warning and the impact of the Cuban missile crisis on Ukraine’s infrastructure

Hayday acknowledged photographs of Ukrainian troops outside the Luhansk village of Stelmakhivka, less than 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of the crucial post of Svatove.

President Joe Biden’s visit to Ukraine on Monday was met with outrage and embarrassment by many of Russia’s military experts who were concerned about the future of the country.

“First time since the Cuban missile crisis, we have a direct threat of the use (of a) nuclear weapon if in fact things continue down the path they are going,” Biden warned during remarks at a Democratic fundraiser in New York on Friday.

Outside of the battlefields in the northeast, east and south where a powerful Ukrainian counter-offensive has freed towns and pushed Russian troops back, Monday’s explosions were heard across central and western Ukraine.

Russia launched a total of 84 cruise missiles against targets across Ukraine on Monday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a Facebook post.

The subway system in Kyiv had to be suspended for several hours on Monday. But the air raid alert in the city was lifted at midday, as rescue workers sought to pull people from the rubble caused by the strikes.

Demys Shmygal, Ukraine’s Prime Minister, said Monday that as of 11 a.m. local time, a total of 11 “crucial infrastructure facilities” in eight regions had been damaged.

According to the Ukrainian State Emergency Services, the electricity supply had been cut in some areas. Electricity was “partially disrupted” in the rest of the country.

A Russian-appointed head of an annexed Crimea has declared the Ukraine “successful” and “violating the will of the Ukrainian people”

The Russian-appointed head of annexed Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, said Monday he had good news, that Russia’s approaches to its special military operation in Ukraine have changed.

“I have been saying from the first day of the special military operation that if such actions to destroy the enemy’s infrastructure had been taken every day, we would have finished everything in May and the Kyiv regime would have been defeated,” he added.

The air raid sirens will continue regardless of whether or not it’s raining. Rockets continue to strike. The people are dead and wounded. Do you not leave your shelters? Stay safe and take care of your families. Zelensky told them to hang in there and be strong.

Following the strikes, Western allies doubled down on their support for Kyiv, with EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell having commented that additional military support from the EU is on its way.

“Again, Putin is massively terrorizing innocent civilians in Kyiv and other cities,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. The Netherlands condemns the actions of some people. The will of the Ukrainian people is not negotiable.

The Secretary-General called the attacks “another unacceptable of the war” and said that civilians are paying the highest price.

CNN Live coverage of the attacks on a Ukrainian nuclear power plant: the Kerch Straight bridge and the city of Zaporizhhia

Zelensky, a spokesman for the German chancellor’s office, said to CNN that he would speak to the video meeting of the G7 on Tuesday.

Editor’s Note: Michael Bociurkiw (@WorldAffairsPro) is a global affairs analyst. He is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, as well as a former spokesman for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He contributes to CNN Opinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN.

Despite the celebrations in the aftermath of the explosion at the Kerch Straight bridge over the weekend, there were fears of reprisals from the Kremlin.

Unverified video on social media showed hits near the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and close to Maidan Square, just a short stroll from the Presidential Office Building. Five people were killed as a result of strikes on the capital, according to Ukrainian officials.

As of midday local time, the area around my office in Odesa remained eerily quiet in between air raid sirens, with reports that three missiles and five kamikaze drones were shot down. Normally at this time of the day, nearby restaurants would be heaving with customers and chatter of upcoming weddings and parties.

Monday’s attacks also came just a few hours after Zaporizhzhia, a southeastern city close to the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, was hit by multiple strikes on apartment buildings, mostly while people slept. There were at least 17 deaths and many injuries.

The rockets at Nikopol damaged power lines, gas lines, and businesses across from the nuclear plant, Ukrainian officials said. Russian and Ukrainians have been accusing each other of firing at and surrounding the nuclear plant for months. The staff are pre-occupied Ukrainians and run it under Russian oversight.

Some media outlets in the city temporarily relocated their operations to underground bomb shelters in scenes reminiscent of the early days of the war. In one metro station serving as a shelter, large numbers of people took cover on platforms as a small group sang patriotic Ukrainian songs.

Indeed, millions of people in cities across Ukraine will be spending most of the day in bomb shelters, at the urging of officials, while businesses have been asked to shift work online as much as possible.

Just as many regions of Ukraine were starting to roar back to life, and with countless asylum seekers returning home, the attacks risk causing another blow to business confidence.

The 2018 Ukrainian Kerch Bridge Opening – How Putin Opens the Road Bridge and Builds Mariupol, Russia’s Next-Generation Nuclear Power

Hardwiring newly claimed territory with very expensive infrastructure projects seems to be a penchant of dictators. In 2018, Putin personally opened the Kerch bridge – Europe’s longest – by driving a truck across it. That same year, one of the first things Chinese President Xi Jinping did after Beijing reclaimed Macau and Hong Kong was to connect the former Portuguese and British territories with the world’s longest sea crossing bridge. The road bridge was opened after 2 years of delays.

The blast lit up the social media channels of Ukrainians, who were laughing at the explosion. Many people used text messages to share their jubilation.

Sitting still was not an option for Putin as he was consumed by self-interest. He responded in the only way he knows how, by unleashing more death and destruction, with the force that probably comes natural to a former KGB operative.

It was an act of desperation that Putin had been placed on thin ice because of the increased criticism at home.

Kamyshin has a ready supply of one-liners. He said that it was possible to get trains into Mariupol, a city being flattened by Russian bombardments. The government had contingency plans for war in the event of a Russian invasion, as he says it was not entirely unexpected. Ukrainian Railways always have a plan. The problem was, that plan was on paper. It was completely irrelevant.

Washington and other allies should use telephone diplomacy to convince China and India to resist the urge to use even more deadly weapons, since they still have leverage over Putin.

Against a man who probes for weakness and tends to exploit divisions, the most important thing for the West right now is to show unity and resolve. Western governments need to realize that sanctions have very little impact on Putin. They need to continue to arm Ukrainians and provide urgent training, even if it means sending military experts closer to the battlefield to speed up the integration of high technology weapons.

There are high tech defense systems that are needed to protect the country. With winter just around the corner, it’s important to protect heating systems.

The Time for Russia to come to the White House: John Kirby Explaining Putin’s Cold War with the Kremlin Report on Ukraine

The time has also come for the West to further isolate Russia with trade and travel restrictions – but for that to have sufficient impact, Turkey and Gulf states, which receive many Russian tourists, need to be pressured to come on board.

During the call, a White House statement said, Biden “expressed his condemnation of Russia’s missile strikes across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, and conveyed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured in these senseless attacks. The President pledged to giveUkraine more support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems.

A senior administration official said that the US will continue to give Ukraine short- and long-range air defense systems, even though they have not made any new announcements on that front.

As of a Department of Defense briefing in late September, the US had yet to deliver NASAMS to Ukraine. At the time, Brig. Two systems are expected to be delivered in the next two months, while the remaining six will arrive at an unknown date, according to the general.

All current thoughts about the war could be thrown off course if China supplies Putin’s army. But it is not just China that Mr. Zelensky is concerned about.

John Kirby said that there will probably be more support packages for Ukraine announced in the near future.

“It’s clear that he’s feeling the pressure both at home and overseas, and how he reacts to that only he can say,” Kirby told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on “Erin Burnett OutFront.”

Russian troops have been playing for the whistle – helping the Kremlin to evacuate residents in Vysokopillya, Ukraine

The attacks came as Russia’s war in Ukraine nears the eight-month mark. Despite a seven-week Ukrainian counteroffensive that has led Russian troops to retreat, the line around Bakhmut was held in fierce fighting where Russian forces claimed some gains.

The war is going towards a new phase not for the first time. Keir Giles is a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia programme and he said that this is the third war they’ve been observing.

It means that, as winter approaches, the stakes of the war have been raised once more. Giles said that Russia would like to keep it up. But the Ukrainian successes of recent weeks have sent a direct message to the Kremlin, too. Giles said that they are able to do things that surprise them, so let’s get used to it.

Russia is struggling on the ground and has failed to achieve supremacy in the air, but Monday’s attacks may have achieved one goal – sending a signal of strength towards the growing list of Putin’s internal critics.

Ukrainian troops hoist the country’s flag above a building in Vysokopillya, in the southern Kherson region, last month. Ukrainian officials say they have liberated hundreds of settlements since their counter-offensive began.

Russia said Thursday that it would help evacuate residents of Kherson, which was occupied by the Ukrainians. The announcement came shortly after the head of the Moscow-backed administration in Kherson appealed to the Kremlin for help moving residents out of harm’s way, in the latest indication that Russian forces were struggling in the face of Ukrainian advances.

The ground war in eastern and southern Ukraine has been defined by a series of counter-attacks by the Ukrainians that have pushed back Russian forces.

“The Russians are playing for the whistle – (hoping to) avoid a collapse in their frontline before the winter sets in,” Samir Puri, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the author of “Russia’s Road to War with Ukraine,” told CNN.

“If they can get to Christmas with the frontline looking roughly as it is, that’s a huge success for the Russians given how botched this has been since February.”

Ukrainian troops are focused primarily on pushing Russian forces eastwards, having crossed the Oskil River in late September, with Moscow likely preparing to defend the cities of Starobilsk and Svatove in the Luhansk region, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Landing a major blow in Donbas would send another powerful signal, and Ukraine will be eager to improve on its gains before temperatures plummet on the battlefield, and the full impact of rising energy prices is felt around Europe.

“There are so many reasons why there is an incentive for Ukraine to get things done quickly,” Giles said. “The winter energy crisis in Europe, and energy infrastructure and power being destroyed in Ukraine itself, is always going to be a test of resilience for Ukraine and its Western backers.”

In the aftermath of the Russian missile attacks on Monday and Tuesday, Ukrenergo says it is now able to provide power to the central and western regions of the country. The Prime Minister of the Ukranian said that there was a lot of work to be done to fix damaged equipment and that they needed to use less energy during peak hours.

US, UK and Ukrainian officials tell CNN that they’re skeptical that Moscow has enough people and resources to make gains as Russia launches a new offensive in eastern Ukraine. The senior US military official believes it is more ambitious than realistic.

Jeremy Fleming, the UK’s spy chief, said that Russian commanders on the ground know that their supplies are running out.

In its update on the conflict Monday, which was also used by the ISW, it was said that the strikeswasted some of Russias waning precision weapons against civilian targets as opposed to militarily significant targets.

As the war nears its first anniversary later this month, Ukraine is keeping up the pressure on western leaders to provide more advanced weaponry to defend and fight against Russia. In January the US, Britain, and Germany all agreed to send battle tanks, butUkraine wants fighter jets and long-range missiles.

“The barrage of missile strikes is going to be an occasional feature reserved for shows of extreme outrage, because the Russians don’t have the stocks of precision munitions to maintain that kind of high-tempo missile assault into the future,” Puri said.

In terms of manpower, the intervention would have limited impact, as Belarus has over a thousand active duty troops. It would threaten another assault on the northern flank of Ukranian.

“The reopening of a northern front would be another new challenge for Ukraine,” Giles said. It would provide Russia a new route into the Kharkiv oblast (region), which has been recaptured by Ukraine, should Putin prioritize an effort to reclaim that territory, he said.

One of the aims of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, is to show the Western allies of his country that their aid can help win the war.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that more missiles were needed forUkraine to better halt missile attacks.

“These air defense systems are making a difference because many of the incoming missiles [this week] were actually shot down by the Ukrainian air defense systems provided by NATO Allies,” he said.

The IRIS-T arrived this week from Germany and the NASAMS is expected from the United States. The person said,.

Russian Defense Minister Sergeyevich Zelenskyy during a Counterattack against the Ukrainians: A “Pawn” for the Russian Army?

“You could say that the majority of Russian people, although they are weary of the conflict, they still see this as an existential struggle between Russia and the West in which Ukraine is being played for a pawn,” he tells NPR’s Morning Edition.

That isn’t to say that mobilized forces won’t be used. The burden on remaining parts of the Russian professional army might be lessened if they are used in support roles. They could also put out more troops along the line of contact, which included man checkpoints in the rear. They are, however, unlikely to become a capable fighting force. There are signs of discipline issues among soldiers in Russian garrisons.

There are a number of key spots on the front line. Soledar and Bakhmut, where extremely heavy fighting continues,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address Sunday.

Lengthy prison sentences have been meted out to high profile opposition voices on charges of “discrediting” the Russian army by questioning its conduct or strategy.

Two Russian air bases more than 300 miles from the Ukrainian border were attacked by drones on Monday. The blame was laid on Ukraine, which didn’t claim responsibility.

The office of Zelenskyy said there was active hostilities in the southern Kherson region and that Moscow was shelling towns and villages in the east.

Russia opened an investigation into the shooting which left 11 people dead and 15 wounded, some of whom were from a former Soviet republic, when two men from that country killed themselves. The Defense Ministry of Russia called the incident a terrorist attack.

France confirmed it’s increasing military training for Ukraine and is promising air-defense missiles. French defense minister, Sébastien Lecornu, said in an interview that “Up to 2000 Ukrainian soldiers will be embedded with military units in France, rotating through for several weeks of combat training, specialized training in logistics and other needs, and training on equipment supplied by France.”

The Institute for the Study of War claims that Moscow may be guilty of ethnic cleansing by forcing the deportation of Ukrainians.

Some thousand children from a southern region of Moscow were put in rest homes and children’s camps in the middle of a Ukrainian counteroffensive, it said. The original remarks by Russia’s deputy prime minister, Marat Khusnullin, were reported by RIA Novosti on Friday.

The Russian government is operating a systematic network of at least 40 child custody centers for thousands of Ukrainian children, a potential war crime, a Yale University team reported.

The Ukrainian military accused the pro-Kremlin fighters of evicting civilians in occupied territories to house their officers in their homes, an act it termed a violation of international humanitarian law. It said there were evictions taking place in the eastern Luhansk region. It didn’t provide evidence for its claim.

Pro-Kremlin commentators said that a Russian commander wanted for his involvement in the downing of the Malaysian airliner in eastern Ukraine had been sent to the front. A Russian front-line unit has been assigned to someone who is known as Strelkov, according to posts by Maksim Fomin.

Girkin has been on an international wanted list over his alleged involvement in the downing of Kuala Lumpur-bound flight MH17, which killed 298 people. He’s been accused of murdering one person in a case in a Dutch court.

Recently, Girkin’s social media posts have lashed out at Moscow’s battlefield failures. Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency said Sunday it would offer a $100,000 reward to anyone who captures him.

Russian Embassy in Kiev, Russia: Security Council Action and the War on Nuclear Propagation During the March 1st U.S.-Embedded Collisions

NATO will hold nuclear deterrence exercises starting Monday. NATO has warned Russia not to use nuclear weapons on Ukraine but says the “Steadfast Noon” drills are a routine, annual training activity.

Russian agents rounded up eight people on suspicion of carrying out a large explosion on a bridge.

In a letter on Monday, Ukraine requested that Russia be stripped of its status as permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and excluded from the world body. Kuleba said they were prepared to expose the fraud and remove Russia’s status.

There were first convoys of nearly 9000 service members expected to arrive in Belarus as part of the “regional grouping” of forces supposedly to protect it from threats from the West.

The mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, appeared to be taking steps to give reassurances. “At present, no measures are being introduced to limit the normal rhythm of the city’s life,” Mr. Sobyanin wrote on his Telegram channel.

And despite the new power granted them by Mr. Putin, the regional governors of Kursk, Krasnodar and Voronezh said no entry or exit restrictions would be imposed.

But many Russians are sure to see a warning message in the martial law imposed in Ukraine, the first time that Moscow has declared martial law since World War II, analysts say.

The people were worried that the borders would be closed, and the siloviki, the men close to Mr. Putin, would do what they wanted.

On Tuesday, the newly appointed commander of the Russian invasion, Gen. Sergei Surovikin, acknowledged that his army’s position in Kherson was “already quite difficult” and appeared to suggest that a tactical retreat might be necessary. The general said he was ready to make difficult decisions on military deployment, but he didn’t say much about what those might be.

Russia, which has been a dominant military force in Syria since 2015 and helps maintain the government’s grip on power, still keeps a sizable presence there. Israel might rethink its stance toward the Ukrainian conflict if the balance of power shifts in Syria, as a consequence of the change.

Editor’s Note: David A. Andelman, a contributor to CNN, twice winner of the Deadline Club Award, is a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, author of “A Red Line in the Sand: Diplomacy, Strategy, and the History of Wars That Might Still Happen” and blogs at Andelman Unleashed. He formerly was a correspondent for The New York Times and CBS News in Europe and Asia. The views expressed in this commentary are of his own. CNN has more opinion.

First, he’s seeking to distract his nation from the blindingly obvious, namely that he is losing badly on the battlefield and utterly failing to achieve even the vastly scaled back objectives of his invasion.

Energy Price Caps During Putin’s War with Ukraine: Negotiations in the Light Of The European Union Summit and Conferences in Germany and Austria

This ability to keep going is dependent on a host of variables, including the availability of vital and affordable energy supplies for the upcoming winter, to the popular will in a broad range of nations with conflicting priorities.

European union powers agreed to a plan to control energy prices that have gone up in the wake of Russia’s embargoes on supplies of gas and diesel.

These include an emergency cap on the benchmark European gas trading hub – the Dutch Title Transfer Facility – and permission for EU gas companies to create a cartel to buy gas on the international market.

While praising the summit, where he said that it had maintained European unity, France’s leader conceded that there was only a clear mandate for the European Commission to start working on a gas cap mechanism.

Still, divisions remain, with Europe’s biggest economy, Germany, skeptical of any price caps. Now energy ministers must work out details with a Germany concerned such caps would encourage higher consumption – a further burden on restricted supplies.

The divisions are part of Putin’s dream. Europe has a lot in common with the Kremlin’s viewpoint that there are failing to agree on essentials.

Germany and France are already at loggerheads on many of these issues. Though in an effort to reach some accommodation, Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have scheduled a conference call for Wednesday.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/25/opinions/putin-prolonge-war-ukraine-winter-andelman/index.html

Italy’s first woman prime minister: Putin, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and the rest of the world are calling for an end to the Cold War

In Italy, a new government has taken power. Giorgia Meloni was sworn in Saturday as Italy’s first woman prime minister and has attempted to brush aside the post-fascist aura of her party. One of her far-right coalition partners meanwhile, has expressed deep appreciation for Putin.

Silvio Berlusconi, himself a four-time prime minister of Italy, was recorded at a gathering of his party loyalists, describing with glee the 20 bottles of vodka Putin sent to him together with “a very sweet letter” on his 86th birthday.

The other leading member of the ruling Italian coalition, Matteo Salvini, named Saturday as deputy prime minister, said during the campaign, “I would not want the sanctions [on Russia] to harm those who impose them more than those who are hit by them.”

Poland and Hungary, long allies against liberal policies of the EU that were meant to diminish their influence, have now disagreed over the issue of Ukraine. Poland has taken deep offense at the pro-Putin sentiments of Hungary’s populist leader Viktor Orban.

While it is possible for Biden to promise the US is with Kyiv for as long as it takes, he can’t guarantee it, as has been shown by the comments by other Republicans. It may be as important for Ukraine as it is for the United States.

The Congressional progressive caucus, which has 30 members and is influential, called on Vice President Biden to begin talks with Russia on ending the conflict, as its troops are still occupying vast stretches of the country and its missiles and drones are striking deep into the interior.

Hours later, Mia Jacob, the chair of the caucus, sent reporters a clarification of her comments in support of Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kulba to reiterate America’s support.

Indeed, while the US has proffered more than $60 billion in aid since Biden took office, when Congress authorized $40 billion for Ukraine last May, only Republicans voted against the latest aid package.

In regards to weaponry, materiel and now training, this support has been the basis for their remarkable battlefield successes against a weakened Russian military.

The actions point to an increasing desperation by Russia to be able to access necessary components for production of high tech weaponry that is held up by western sanctions and embargos.

Russian production of hypersonic missiles has all but ceased “due to the lack of necessary semi-conductors,” said the report. Aircraft are being cannibalized for spare parts, plants producing anti-aircraft systems have shut down, and “Russia has reverted to Soviet-era defense stocks” for replenishment. The Soviet era ended more than 30 years ago.

A day before this report, the US announced that it had seized the property of a Russian procurement agent and his agencies who were involved in procuring US-origin technologies for Russians.

The Justice Department also announced charges against individuals and companies seeking to smuggle high-tech equipment into Russia in violation of sanctions.

Russian Resummation of a Grain-Shift Trade Agreement in the Donetsk Region of the Russian-Federal-Japan War

The puppet leader of Russia’s Donetsk region, whose real goal was to convince Ukrainians, still is hardliners such as Gubarev. But if you don’t want to be convinced, we’ll kill you. We’ll kill as many as we have to: 1 million, 5 million, or exterminate all of you.”

Russia said on Wednesday that it was rejoining a deal that allows the shipment of grain from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea, easing days of uncertainty over the fate of an agreement that had offered hope to countries facing severe food shortages — and appearing to restore one of the few areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Analysts said that Moscow was trying to use its participation in the agreement as leverage. The Russian Defense Ministry said that it received assurances from Ukraine that the waters and ports of the grain ships wouldn’t be used in military operations against the Russian Federation.

“The Russian Federation believes that the guarantees received at the moment seem sufficient and is resuming the implementation of the agreement,” the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s assault on Ukrainian ports and its patrols of Black Sea halted Ukraine’s grain exports just after the war started, causing food prices to skyrocket. The head of the World Food Program, David Beasley, warned in May that the world was “marching toward starvation.”

Amir M. Abdulla, the United Nations’ coordinator for the initiative, said in a tweet that he welcomed Russia’ decision and was “grateful for Turkish facilitation.”

Moscow has also said that it wants to facilitate its own exports of grain and fertilizer and address the concerns of its trading partners who fear that, by dealing with Russia, they could violate Western sanctions. It was not immediately clear whether that Russian demand had been addressed.

Iran’s weapons program in the war in Ukraine: U.N. climate conference and the role of Saudi Arabia in nuclear and missile wars in the Middle East

Frida Ghitis is a former CNN producer and correspondent. She writes a weekly column for The Washington Post and she is a columnist for World Politics Review. The views expressed are not those of her employer. View more opinion on CNN.

A western country closely monitored Iran’s weapons programs has reported that Iran is about to send even more powerful weapons to Russia for the battle against Ukraine.

The Iran Nuclear deal was put on hold when the relationship between Iran and Moscow strengthened, but the renewed relationship has brought attention to it by Iran’s adversaries and enemies in the Middle East.

The war in Ukraine was a serious issue at the U.N. climate conference. The war has caused “ecocide” according to the Ukraine, while experts point out that the war is driving a push for fossil fuels.

If Russia is allowed to win, the war will mark the beginning of a new era of instability with less freedom, less peace and less prosperity for the world.

Much of what happens today far from the battlefields still has repercussions there. When oil-producing nations, led by Saudi Arabia, decided last month to slash production, the US accused the Saudis of helping Russia fund the war by boosting its oil revenues. The Saudis denied the accusation.

Syria’s airspace, bordering Israel, is controlled by Russian forces, which have allowed Israel to strike Iranian weapon flows to Hezbollah, a militia sworn to Israel’s destruction. Gantz has offered to help Ukraine develop defensive systems and it will reportedly provide new military communications systems, but no missile shields.

U.S. Secretary of State to the U.N. and Ukraine: The Rise and Fall of High-Energy Power Conferences in the Presidency of the Cold War

Family budgets and individual lives can be affected by higher prices. They pack a political punch when they have the powerful momentum. Political leaders are on the defensive in many countries because of inflation, worsened by the war.

And it’s not all on the fringes. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader who could become speaker of the House after next week’s US elections, suggested the GOP might choose to reduce aid to Ukraine. The letter called for negotiations was withdrawn by the progressive Democrats. Evelyn Farkas, a former Pentagon official, said they were all bringing a big smile to Putin.

The G-20 summit is in Indonesia where the Russia-Ukraine war looms large. On the sidelines Monday, President Biden discussed Ukraine among other issues with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Biden will meet the British Prime Minister on Wednesday.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield visited Kyiv, Nov. 8, to talk about world hunger and press for renewal of the grain deal, due to expire Nov. 19. The week before, Karen Donfried, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, had been to Ukranian.

Biden-Xi summit and the U.S. war on the warped colonies: Brittney Griner’s remarrying

U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was freed Dec. 8 after nearly 10 months in Russian detention and following months of negotiations. Her release came in exchange for the U.S. handing over convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner is back in the U.S. and reunited with her wife. Bout is reported to be a member of an ultranationalist party.

It was a good time for the West to have the Biden-Xi summit. China remains a major violator of human rights, a threat to Taiwan and a key rival of the United States. It is crucial to avoid a Cold War or conflict.

The talks were productive according to the reports. The Chinese people called them honest and constructive. Biden said that he would try to avoid a new Cold War by being very blunt with one another. The President said the two sides were not likely to start a war against each other.

A well- functioning democratic process in the US is likely not good news for the autocrats, who hope that deep divisions will weaken the country from within but also prove that democracy is disorganized and ineffectual. The President had a stronger hand with the result of the midterms.

This was the perfect moment for this to happen, because it was the United States and its democracy that were at stake.

Violation of the Geneva Convention and War Crime: Xi, Putin, and the Security Problem of the Free Kherson, Democratic Republic of Ukraine

As Biden and Xi were meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an emotional, triumphant return to the devastated, now liberated city of Kherson, the one provincial capital that Russian invaders had conquered.

Tellingly, Putin chose not to attend the G20 summit in Bali, avoiding confrontations with world leaders as he increasingly becomes a pariah on the global stage.

To be sure, Biden is not the only leader with a strong hand. Xi has just secured an unprecedented third term as China’s leader, and he can now effectively rule for as long as he wants. He does not have to worry about elections, a critical press, or an opposition party. He is the absolute ruler of a country that has been very powerful over time.

It is difficult to see how Xi faces a mountain of daunting problems. The economy has slowed down so much that China is reluctant to reveal economic data. China’s Covid-19 vaccine, once a tool of global diplomacy, is a disappointment. And partly because of that, China is imposing draconian lockdowns as the rest of the world gradually returns to normalcy after the pandemic.

In order to establish that democracy works and that wars of aggression won’t succeed, the two systems need to defeat the efforts of autocratic countries such as China and Russia.

Russian President Putin claimed that the special military operation inUkraine is taking longer than anticipated but said that his country’s nuclear weapons are keeping the conflict at bay.

The war in Syria that began with Russia’s invasion in February has killed more than 100,000 people and forced millions from their homes. Despite its length, he showed no signs of letting up, vowing to “consistently fight for our interests” and to “protect ourselves using all means available.” He said that for years, the West responded to Russia’s security demands with only spit in the face, and that he had no choice but to dispatch troops.

Speaking in a televised meeting in Russia with members of his Human Rights Council, Putin described the land gains as “a significant result for Russia,” noting that the Sea of Azov “has become Russia’s internal sea.” In one of his frequent historic references to a Russian leader he admires, he added that “Peter the Great fought to get access” to that body of water.

Putin: Ukraine was a fight against the West. And what did Putin (Russia) say about the invasion of Ukraine in February 2009? — Putin in Belgorod

“If it doesn’t use it first under any circumstances, it means that it won’t be the second to use it, either, because the possibility of using it in case of a nuclear strike on our territory will be sharply limited,” he said.

Putin said that the war in Ukraine was a fight against the West and didn’t affect the country’s economy. He also said he was suspending Russia’s participation in the New START arms control treaty.

We have not gone mad. Putin said they are fully aware of what nuclear weapons are. He noted that they are more advanced and state-of-the-art than what other nuclear power has.

There was no mention of Russia’s significant setbacks on the battlefield or its apparent failure in the very early days of the war to remove Ukraine’s elected government.

The governor of the region posted a photo of the new concrete anti-tank barriers in the open fields. The governor had stated Tuesday that a fire broke out at the airport after a drone strike. In neighboring Belgorod, workers were expanding anti-tank barriers and officials were organizing “self-defense units.” Belgorod has seen numerous fires and explosions, apparently from cross-border attacks, and its governor reported Wednesday that Russia’s air defenses have shot down incoming rockets.

Moscow responded with strikes by artillery, multiple rocket launchers, missiles, tanks and mortars at residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, worsening damage to the power grid. Private Ukrainian power utility Ukrenergo said temperatures in eastern areas where it was making repairs had dropped to as low as minus 17 degrees Celsius (near zero Fahrenheit).

The “Heroes of Russia” award ceremony: “It fails to wipe out the power of Ukraine”, and a reference to the Kursk airfield

Speaking after an awards ceremony for “Heroes of Russia” at the Kremlin, he addressed a group of soldiers receiving the awards, clutching a glass of champagne.

His remark came as Ukraine is being bombarded with rockets and missiles by Russia which is attempting to wipe out the country’s power as it enters its cold winter months.

The reference to Kursk appears to reference Russia’s announcement that an airfield in the Kursk region, which neighbors Ukraine, was targeted in a drone attack. The Defense Ministry of Ukraine did not comment on recent explosions, which are deep within Russia. Officially, the targets are well beyond the reach of the country’s declared drones.

He claimed that there was no mention of the water situation. “No one has said a word about it anywhere. At all! Complete silence ,” he said.

Donetsk shelling by Russian forces on Dec. 5: a French and Norwegian prime minister meets with Macron and Zelenskyy

Local Russian authorities in Donetsk — which Putin claimed to annex in defiance of international law — have reported frequent shelling of the city this week.

Ukrainian authorities have been stepping up raids on churches accused of links with Moscow and if Zelenskyy follows through on his threats to ban the Russian Orthodox Church in the country, many are watching.

French President Emmanuel Macron hosts European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store for a working dinner Monday in Paris.

Also in France, on Tuesday, the country is set to co-host a conference with Ukraine in support of Ukrainians through the winter, with a video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

New measures targeting Russian oil revenue took effect Dec. 5. A price cap and European Union embargo on most Russian oil imports are included.

Russian forces turned the city of Bakhmut into burned ruins, Zelenskyy said. Fighting has been fierce there as Russia attempts to advance in the city in the eastern Donbas region.

In the wake of the fighting in the east of the country, Ukrainian forces unleashed the biggest attack on the occupied region since 2014, according to the official.

He said Thursday that a key in the city’s intersection center had come under fire.

The Kherson military administration said that the city was hit 86 times with weapons in the past 24 hours.

A member of the rapid response team of the international organization was one of the victims. During the shelling, they were on the street, they were fatally wounded by fragments of enemy shells,” he added.

The Energy Security Project: Delivering Excavators to Kyiv’s Municipality, in the Light of the Kherson Military Administration and the Kremlin

The Kherson military administration said that the city was disconnected from power supplies because of the strikes.

The facility was hit by the enemy. In a Telegram video,Yanushevych said that there were damaged residential buildings and the location of the medical aid and humanitarian aid distribution point.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said the city “received machinery and generators from the U.S. Government to operate boiler houses and heat supply stations.”

The Energy Security Project, run by USAID, delivered four excavators and over 130 generators, Klitschko said on Telegram. All equipment was free.

As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its second year, Beijing is pushing harder for a negotiated end to the war. It has repeatedly suggested it would be willing to broker any cease-fire negotiations, a proposal Ukrainians are wary of because of China’s close ties with Moscow.

The Ukrainian side needs to take into account the realities that have evolved over the years, according to the Kremlin.

He said that there are new subjects in the Russian Federation, referring to four areas that Russia claimed to have annexed.

The Wartime Revolution Against Putin and Zelensky: A Fresh-Faced Hero in Kyiv Nightclub Under the Prevaint Putin

In Paris at the time, I witnessed how Zelensky pulled up to the Élysée Palace in a modest Renault, while Putin motored in with an ostentatious armored limousine. (The host, French President Emmanuel Macron, hugged Putin but chose only to shake hands with Zelensky).

Fast forward to 2022 and Zelensky is the instantly recognizable wartime president in trademark olive green; as adept at rallying his citizens and stirring the imaginations of folks worldwide, as naming and shaming allies dragging their feet in arming his military.

Failure to demonstrate progress on the battlefield with billions of dollars in military kit could cause unease in the Western world. It is a political death sentence to capitulate to Russia.

Zelensky’s upbringing in the rough and tumble neighborhoods of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine shaped him into a scrappy kid who learned how to respond to bullies.

“After the full-scale invasion, once he got into a position of being bullied by someone like Vladimir Putin he knew exactly what he needed to do because it was just his gut feeling,” Yevhen Hlibovytsky, former political journalist and founder of the Kyiv-based think tank and consultancy, pro.mova, told me.

This, after all, is the leader who when offered evacuation by the US as Russia launched its full-scale invasion, quipped: “I need ammunition, not a ride.”

It is perhaps easy to forget that Zelensky honed his political muscles earlier in his career standing up to another bully in 2019 – then-US President Donald Trump, who tried to bamboozle the novice politician in the quid pro quo scandal.

Amid the fog of war, it all seems a long, long way since the heady campaign celebration in a repurposed Kyiv nightclub where a fresh-faced Zelensky thanked his supporters for a landslide victory. He looked in disbelief when he walked onto the stage and saw that he had defeated Petro Poroshenko.

The war appears to have changed his ratings. Just days after the invasion, Zelensky’s ratings approval surged to 90%, and remain high to this day. Zelensky was seen by Americans as a more skillful leader of international affairs than US President Joe Biden.

He had a bubble with people from his previous job as a TV comedian. In the midst of the war a press conference was held on the platform of a metro station in April which had great lighting and a good camera angle to emphasize a wartime setting.

I remember well the solace he brought when his nightly televised addresses brought in the middle of air raid sirens and explosions in Lviv.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/19/opinions/volodomyr-zelensky-profile-ukraine-russia-bociurkiw/index.html

The Emerging Silicon Valley: Celebrating the 21st Century as an International Ambassador of the United States and the Prevalence of Special Relativity

“By wearing T-shirts and hoodies, the youthful, egalitarian uniform of Silicon Valley, rather than suits, Zelensky is projecting confidence and competence in a modern way, to a younger, global audience that recognizes it as such,” Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, a fashion historian and author of “Red, White, and Blue on the Runway: The 1968 White House Fashion Show and the Politics of American Style,” told NPR.

She said he was more comfortable than Putin on camera, both as an actor and a digital native. Zelensky is doing a better job balancing authority with accessibility, so I believe both of them want to come across as similar, not different.

Zelenska has shown herself to be a great ambassador in international fora when she journeyed to where her husband couldn’t. She met the King of England at the refugee assistance center at the Holy Family Cathedral in London. (Curiously, TIME magazine did not include Zelenska on the cover montage and gave only a passing reference in the supporting text).

There are indications that Zelensky’s international influence could be waning. For example, last week, in what analysts called a pivotal moment in geopolitics, the G7 imposed a $60 a barrel price cap on Russian crude – despite pleas from Zelensky that it should have been set at $30 in order to inflict more pain on the Kremlin.

As Zelensky said in a recent nightly video address: “No matter what the aggressor intends to do, when the world is truly united, it is then the world, not the aggressor, determines how events develop.”

There was some criticism of the trip from the Kremlin, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned from Washington.

Biden announced a half-billion dollars in new assistance, saying the package would include more military equipment, such as artillery ammunition, more javelins and Howitzers. And he said new sanctions would be imposed on Moscow later this week.

Vladimir Zelenskyy, the Kremlin, and the War in Ukraine: Why does the U.S. need a proxy war?

He thinks the U.S. is fighting a proxy war with Russia because there wasn’t any call for peace during Zelenskyy’s visit.

The Kremlin has also been selling that line to the Russian public, who is largely buying it, says Sergey Radchenko, a Russian history professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

“Patriots are a defensive weapons system that will help Ukraine defend itself as Russia sends missile after missile and drone after drone to try and destroy Ukrainian infrastructure and kill Ukrainian civilians,” she said. “If Russia doesn’t want their missiles shot down, Russia should stop sending them into Ukraine.”

A rare remark that referred to the war in Ukraine as a war was made on Saturday when Beijing’s top diplomat spoke at the Munich Security Conference.

He said that Russia would have to face prosecution for war crimes at the international court before being invited to the summit.

Kuleba also said he was “absolutely satisfied” with the results of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the U.S. last week, and he revealed that the U.S. government had made a special plan to get the Patriot missile battery ready to be operational in the country in less than six months. Usually, the training takes up to a year.

He predicted that Ukrainians would win the war this year, if Western weapons remained delivered on agreed timelines and their allies remained united.

United Nations – the key broker of peace talks for Ukraine and the United States: a rejoinder of Zelenskyy’s work in Bali

The UN would be the most natural broker for those talks, stated the Foreign Minister. “The United Nations could be the best venue for holding this summit, because this is not about making a favor to a certain country,” he said. This is about bringing everyone on board.

At the Group of 20 summit in Bali in November, Zelenskyy presented a 10-point peace formula that includes the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.

About Guterres’ role, Kuleba said: “He has proven himself to be an efficient mediator and an efficient negotiator, and most importantly, as a man of principle and integrity. So we would welcome his active participation.”

“They regularly say that they are ready for negotiations, which is not true, because everything they do on the battlefield proves the opposite,” he said.

Zelenskyy’s visit to the US was his first overseas trip since the beginning of the war. Kuleba was enamored with the significance of the visit and praised Washington’s efforts.

“This shows how important the United States is for Ukraine and how important the country is for the United States as well,” said Kuleba, who was in the delegation.

He said the program developed by the U.S. government to finish the training of the missile battery was unaffected by the use of the weapon on the battlefield.

While Kuleba didn’t mention a specific time frame, he said only that it will be “very much less than six months.” And he added that the training will be done “outside” Ukraine.

Kuleba has been second to Zelenskyy in carrying out the message of the Ukrainian government during Russia’s air war in that country.

Putin’s Foreign Ministry says the U.N. Security Council “fights against the Nazism” and the destruction of Ukraine’s territory

The Foreign Ministry says that Russian never went through the legal procedure for acquiring membership and taking the place of the USSR at the U.N. Security Council after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“Some forces might not want to see peace talks to materialize. They do not care about the fate of Ukrainians or the damage to Europe. They might have strategic goals larger than Ukraine itself. This warfare must not continue,” Wang said.

As has often been the case throughout the conflict, the vaguely conciliatory tone from Putin was quickly contradicted by a heavy-handed message from one of his key officials.

Sergey Lavrov, Putin’s foreign minister, said Monday that Ukraine must fulfill Russia’s demands for the “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukrainian-controlled territories, repeating Moscow’s well-worn and false accusation of Nazism against Ukraine, which it has used in an attempt to justify its invasion.

Alexander Rodnyansky, an economic adviser to President Zelensky, told CNN Tuesday that Putin’s comments were likely an effort to buy time in the conflict.

Any hypothetical momentum towards a deal could result in a reduction of Western military aid to Kyiv. And it would present a possible face-saving exit route for Putin, whose reputation would be severely diminished at home if he returned from a costly war without meaningful territorial gains.

Zelensky and his officials have said from the beginning that they will not raise hopes of a truce but will continue to sound out the possibility of negotiations.

Kuleba told the AP that every war ends in a diplomatic way. War ends as a result of actions taken on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.

The steps include a path to nuclear safety, food security, and a final peace treaty with Moscow. He wants G20 leaders to use their power to make Russia abandon nuclear threats and create a price cap for energy imported from Moscow.

The Russian War on Crime and Human Rights in the Light of Putin’s New Year’s Swing on the Battlefield — From the Cold War to the Aftermath of War

The New Year’s swing on the battlefield could have an effect on the situation, but both sides remain dug in to what could become a long and grinding conflict.

Zelensky said at the White House that just peace is not negotiable as he paybacks all the damages done by Russian aggression.

At the time, Putin insisted his forces were embarking on a “special military operation” — a term suggesting a limited campaign that would be over in a matter of weeks.

The post-Soviet period which the country pursued democratic reforms in order to get financial and dialogue with the West was destroyed by the war.

The military or leadership have been the subject of criticism since February. Over 20,000 people have been arrested and 45% of them are women, according to a leading independent monitoring group.

The repressions extend elsewhere: organizations and individuals are added weekly to a growing list of “foreign agents” and “non-desirable” organizations intended to damage their reputation among the Russian public.

Russia’s most revered human rights organization was forced to stop their activities because of alleged violations of the foreign agents law.

The state has also vastly expanded Russia’s already restrictive anti-LGBT laws, arguing the war in Ukraine reflects a wider attack on “traditional values.”

repressives are targeted for now. Some of the new laws are still unenforced. But few doubt the measures are intended to crush wider dissent — should the moment arise.

Some of the country’s leading independent media outlets were forced to shut down or relocate due to new “fake news” laws that criminalized disagreeing with the government line.

Restrictions extend to internet users as well. A ban was placed on American social media giants in March. Since the start of the conflict, more than 100,000 websites have been blocked by the internet regulators in the Kremlin.

Technical workarounds such as VPNs and Telegram still offer access to Russians seeking independent sources of information. But state media propaganda now blankets the airwaves favored by older Russians, with angry TV talk shows spreading conspiracies.

The Russian Exodus from the Cold Cold War and its Observations: Where Do We Stand? Why Do We Want to Go? How Do Russians Predict Their Economic Successes Now?

Thousands of perceived government opponents — many of them political activists, civil society workers and journalists — left in the war’s early days amid concerns of persecution.

Even though Russians remain a sensitive issue for some former soviet republics, some countries that have absorbed the Russian exodus predict their economies will grow.

Russia’s ruble currency plummeted in the early days of the invasion and the banking and trading markets were shaky. Global corporate brands, such as McDonald’s and ExxonMobil, all stopped their Russian operations completely.

Ultimately, President Putin is betting that when it comes to sanctions, Europe will blink first — pulling back on its support to Ukraine as Europeans grow angry over soaring energy costs at home. He said that there will be a ban on oil exports from countries that abide by the price cap.

The economic damage has already put an end to Putin’s two-decades strong reputation for providing “stability” — once a key basis for his support among Russians who remember the chaotic years that followed the collapse of the USSR.

When it comes to Russia’s military campaign, there’s no outward change in the government’s tone. Daily briefings from Russia’s Defense ministry detail endless successes on the ground. Everything is “going according to plan” according to Putin.

Russia underestimated the willingness of Ukrainians to resist, according to the sheer length of the war.

The number of Russian losses still remains a very taboo topic at home. Western estimates place the figure much higher.

Russian Military Campaign in Ukraine: Zelensky, Putin, Price, Podolyak, Price — Putin and the Security of a Region

The security of a region should not be achieved by changing the military structure. It said the legitimate security interests of all countries needs to be addressed properly and that the West was to blame for the war.

It would have been unthinkable for Soviet times to see longtime allies criticize Russia’s actions out of concern for their own sovereignty. India and China have eagerly purchased discounted Russian oil, but have stopped short of full-throated support for Russia’s military campaign.

The Kremlin repeatedly delayed and then canceled last year’s address because of bad news from the battlefield in Ukraine, but Putin’s speech in effect made good on an earlier commitment.

The December big press conference, which allows the Russian leader to handle questions from mainly pro-Kremlin media, was tabled until 23rd century.

The Kremlin has given no reason for the delays. After a decade of war and no sign of victory, many think that the Russian leader has run out of good news to share.

“Based on the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the combat areas, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the opportunity to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on the Day of the Nativity of Christ.”

But Ukrainian officials voiced skepticism about the temporary ceasefire, saying Moscow just wanted a pause to gather reserves, equipment and ammunition.

During his nightly address on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia aims to use Orthodox Christmas “as a cover” to resupply and stop Ukrainian advances in the eastern Donbas region.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to Putin’s move on Twitter by saying that Russia must leave “occupied territories” in Ukraine before any “temporary truce.”

Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, described it ascynical and that the US had little faith in Russia’s intentions.

The German Foreign Minister warned that the promise of a cease-fire would not bring either freedom or security to the people living under Moscow’s rule.

Kirill has been a vocal supporter of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and gave a sermon in September in which he said that “military duty washes away all sins.”

The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church was locked in a spat with Pope Francis who had accused the Russian government of being expansionist and imperious.

The Orthodox church of Ukraine decided in November that it would allow its churches to celebrate Christmas on December 25 instead of January 7.

In recent years a large part of the Orthodox community in Ukraine has moved away from Moscow, a movement accelerated by the conflict Russia stoked in eastern Ukraine beginning in 2014.

Pavlo Skotarenko is not anticipating much change in the southern region. People are killed in Kherson every day. And this temporary measure won’t change anything,” he said.

From the frontlines in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region, a Ukrainian soldier told CNN that the temporary ceasefire announcement looked like an effort to clean up Russia’s image.

“I do not think that this is done for some military tactical purpose, one day will not solve much,” the Ukrainian soldier, who goes by the call sign Archer, told CNN by phone.

“Perhaps this is done to make the image of the whole of Russia a little more human, because so many atrocities are constantly emerging, and this could earn them few points of support from the people,” the soldier said.

And in the capital Kyiv, where Russian attacks during New Year soured even the most modest celebrations, Halyna Hladka said she saw the temporary ceasefire as an attempt by Russians to win time.

“Russia has already shown active use of faith in numerous kinds of manipulations. Russia has not behaved in a way which is capable of adhering to the promises it made during the war.

Following Danilov’s comments, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said Wednesday that there a signs Russia is preparing for a renewed offensive in southern Ukraine.

“These will be defining months in the war,” Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told Sky News in an interview broadcast Tuesday.

“We are on the edge of a very active phase of hostilities, February and March will be very active,” Andriy Yusov, representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, said on national television.

Military representatives from both countries will plan the use of troops based on their experience in previous conflicts, the ministry said in a statement.

China will continue to work for stability and stability in the end of the Ukraine crisis, according to US President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise Europe tour, meeting leaders in London, Paris and Brussels, and reiterating his call for allies to send fighter jets to Ukraine.

The world marked one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. In the lead-up, President Biden made an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and later to Poland.

According to a senior British official, it is unlikely that Russian forces will be better organized and more successful than they are.

“They amassed enough manpower to take one or two small cities in Donbas, but that’s it,” a senior Ukrainian diplomat told CNN. It was overwhelming, compared to what they were trying to build in Ukraine.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday in Brussels that the US is not seeing Russia “massing its aircraft” ahead of an aerial operation against Ukraine.

Territorial and sovereignty integrity of all countries will be respected in China’s proposal, Wang said, adding that Beijing will continue to work for peace.

At the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Wang addressed a room of European officials as “dear friends” and touted China’s commitment to peace, while apparently attempting to drive a wedge between Europe and the US.

“We need more proof that China isn’t working with Russia, and we aren’t seeing that now,” European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen told CNN Saturday.

The policy document reiterates a number of Chinese talking points, including urging both sides to resume peace talks. China will play a constructive role, without offering details, in order to find a solution to the Ukraine crisis.

Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that the visit is the first of any Chinese official to Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. It is the first visit of China’s top diplomat since the Russian invasion.

As US President Joe Biden touched down in Ukraine to meet with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, China’s top diplomat was traveling in the opposite direction, on his way to Russia.

The optics of the two trips – taking place just days before the one-year anniversary of the brutal war on Friday – underscores the sharpening of geopolitical fault lines between the world’s two superpowers.

There would be a major escalation in China’s support for Russia if the US accusations are true.

Wang made a thinly veiled dig at the US, saying that they were not against reaping benefits from the crisis, but that they did not want to add fuel to the fire.

The Visit of the U.S. to Kiev for Deconflict Functions: The Case for a Peace-Building Strategy in the Horn of the Cold War

He asked European officials to think about what role should Europe have in bringing lasting peace to Europe.

But the vague mention of the proposal was met with suspicion from some Western leaders who are closely watching for any support China lends to its northern neighbor – especially assistance that could help Russia on the battlefield.

According to information we have, that they are considering giving lethal support and that would cause a serious problem for us and our relationship, so we have made very clear to them that that would be a problem.

The Foreign Ministry of China said that the US had blamed them for spreading false information and hadshoved responsibility.

“It is the US side, not the Chinese side, that supplies a steady stream of weapons to the battlefield. The US side is not qualified to lecture China, and we would never accept the US dictating or even coercing pressure on Sino-Russian relations,” a ministry spokesperson said at a regular news conference.

“Who is calling for dialogue and peace? And who is handing out knives and encouraging confrontation? The spokesman said that the international community could see clearly.

The officials would not give any details on what intelligence the US has seen suggesting a shift in China’s posture but said they have given the information to their allies and partners.

Previously, Beijing had carefully avoided actions that could trigger secondary sanctions, which would deal a devastating blow to an economy hampered by three years of costly zero-Covid policy.

And while Beijing’s pro-Russian rhetoric appears to have softened in recent months, its support for Moscow – when measured by its annual trade, diplomatic engagements and schedule of joint military exercises – has bolstered over the past year.

Jake Sullivan, a national security adviser to Biden, said the United States informed Russians of the plans to visit the Ukrainian capital for deconfliction purposes.

On Saturday evening, before he departed, Biden went out to dinner with his wife in Washington. After arriving in Kyiv on Monday morning, he wasn’t seen in public again.

Biden is traveling with a relatively small entourage, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon and personal aide Annie Tomasini.

The trip comes ahead of Biden’s planned two-day visit to Poland. The President will be in Warsaw on Tuesday to have a meeting with the Polish President.

Biden has been itching to visit Ukraine for months, particularly after several of his counterparts in Europe all endured lengthy train journeys to meet with Zelensky in Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have all made visits to the country to demonstrate their support.

Last year on Mother’s Day, Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, paid a visit to a small city in the far southwestern corner of Ukraine. She met with Zelenska at a former school that was converted into temporary housing for displaced Ukrainians, including 48 children.

As the war nears its one-year mark on February 24, Biden is hoping to demonstrate his commitment to Ukraine, even though it remains unclear how long US and western resolve can last.

The Kremlin is coming to the rescue: Putin’s special military operation fails to acknowledge the humiliation of Russia, a U.S. official tells reporters

There are indications that Beijing wants to give lethal military aid to Moscow without being caught and there are disturbing trends that the US has recently begun seeing, according to American officials.

The visit caused fury in Russian pro-military circles, as it upstaged Putin on the eve of a major address in which he is expected to tout the supposed achievements of what he calls a special military operation.

Biden was in Kyiv. Russian journalist Sergey Mardan wrote in his Telegram channel about the humiliation of Russia. It is possible that tales of hypersonics may be left for children. It is similar to spells about the holy war waged by the entire West.

Russian army veteran and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Igor Girkin meanwhile suggested that Biden could have visited the frontlines in eastern Ukraine and escaped unharmed.

If the grandfather comes to Bakhmut and is good for simple provocations, then nothing will happen to him.

Girkin is among a number of hardline military bloggers – some of whom have hundreds of thousands of followers and provide analysis of the conflict for large swaths of the Russian population – who have repeatedly criticized what they consider a “soft” approach on the battlefield by Putin’s generals.

Participants of what Russia refers to as its “special military operation” will be in attendance but foreign guests or representatives will not be invited, the Kremlin’s spokesperson told reporters Monday.

The U.N. General Assembly has a session on Ukraine on Wednesday. Russia requested the Security Council discuss the Nord Streampipeline. And Russia’s parliament will hold extraordinary meetings.

The President of Ukraine spoke from a video link to the attendees, which included the German Chancellor and the French President. The vice president said that Russia had committed crimes against humanity.

NATO defense ministers met in Brussels, where Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged a boost in ammunition to Ukraine, warning that the Kremlin is preparing for new offensives and attacks.

Russian presence in the Kremlin during the cold war: “The problem isn’t out there,” a remark on Russia’s failure of the START Arms Control Agreement

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia met with Wang Yi, China’s top foreign policy official, at the Kremlin on Wednesday, working to keep China in Russia’s corner amid a flurry of diplomacy across Europe by Beijing.

WARSAW — When President Vladimir V. Putin announced at the end of a 100-minute speech on Tuesday that he would suspend Russia’s participation in the New START treaty — the last surviving arms control agreement between the two largest nuclear-armed powers — it was one more indication that the era of formal arms control may be dying.

The agreement was put on hold in March 2020, so both sides could be sure that they weren’t cheating. Russia postponed talks to restart those inspections, as relations between Moscow and Washington continued to deteriorate over Ukraine.

But he made clear that the United States would not be inspecting Russian nuclear sites, a central element of verifying compliance with the treaty. He sounded like a leader that was done with arms control at a time of increased confrontation with the US and NATO.

If that attitude holds, whoever is sitting in the Oval Office when the treaty expires in a bit more than 1,000 days may face a new world that will look, at first glance, similar to the one of a half-century ago, when arms races were in full swing and nations could field as many nuclear weapons as they wanted.

The Ukrainians could launch further attacks because he wouldn’t let inspectors survey those facilities. He said it was a theater of the absurd. We know that the West is involved in the attempts of the regime to hit the bases.

The status quo doesn’t change much. During the Covid pandemic, inspectors on either side of the border could not get intoRUSSIA or the US. But over the past year, as travel restrictions lifted, Russians came up with reasons to deny inspections — and charged, as Mr. Putin did again on Tuesday, that the United States was not living up to its inspection requirements either.

There are many reasons. The two countries have no communication. The “strategic stability talks” that Mr. Biden and Mr. Putin agreed upon in June 2021, at their only face-to-face meeting as presidents, were suspended after the invasion of Ukraine.

The Treaty of Moscow and Washington is no longer relevant to most nuclear experts. According to the Pentagon, China could possibly have more than 1,500 weapons in the next 12 years. So an arms control treaty that left out one of the three major powers would be all but useless. And so far, China has showed no interest in joining negotiations — if there were any.

The secretary of State said the United States would be willing to talk about the nuclear situation with Russia if the top two nuclear powers were talking.

Putin called on the present and past to stand for a moment of silence in remembrance of the Russian losses during the war. The Russian leader also promised a range of social support packages for families of the fallen.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Security Council of the United States, as compared to the Soviet Union – Opening the New Start Campaign

Signed in 2010, New Start came into force in 2011, and was extended till 2026. Russia and the U.S. have the ability to deploy up to four strategic nuclear warheads. The two countries have the vast majority of all deployable warheads.

“The U.S. and NATO openly say their goal is to see Russia’s strategic defeat. And then, as if nothing happened, they say they’re prepared to visit our military bases, including our newest,” said the Russian leader.

If the U.S. tests more nuclear weapons, Putin instructed his military and atomic energy agency to do the same.

The list of grievances presented by Putin includes the moral and spiritual collapse of the West, which he said threatens the children of Russia. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarch Kirill, was seated front-row center in the hall.

The Russian leader again equated Ukraine’s “neo Nazi” government with Nazi Germany, and said Russia was defending itself just as the Soviet Union defended its territory during World War II.

Today’s address also kickstarts a series of connected and choreographed events: Russian lawmakers gather for an extraordinary session of both chambers of parliament Wednesday, when Putin will also address a mass rally at Moscow’s largest stadium.

Putin then assembled his National Security Council for a televised session to discuss the independence issue — now famous for the image of the Russian leader holding court across a vast hallway to consult with, in theory, his closest advisors.

“Putin thought the West was divided,” Biden said in Kyiv, alongside Zelenskyy. “As you know, Mr. President, I said at the beginning, he’s counting on us not sticking together.”

Biden will send a message back home that the U.S. needs to remain unified during his visit to the region.

Poland is a close NATO ally and has provided $3.8 billion in military and humanitarian assistance. Kirby said Biden will also use the opportunity to thank Poland for hosting U.S. forces.

This foreign policy picture is not a problem for people other than American diplomats. Rising challenges abroad as well, as the depletion of US and Western weapons stocks as arms are sent to Ukraine, pose questions about military capacity and whether current defense spending is sufficient. Key Republicans meanwhile are accusing Biden of snubbing voters facing economic and other problems, even as he tries to position Democrats as the protectors of working Americans as the 2024 campaign dawns.

The estrangement between Russia and the US is almost complete, as demonstrated by Biden’s trip.

Given that its economy is struggling, and its conventional forces are under extreme pressure, Russia also lacks resources to ignite a new nuclear arms race with Washington. But the collapse of one of the last building blocks of a post-Cold War thaw between Russia and the US exemplifies the almost total lack of communication between the rivals.

The Biden administration’s accusation last week that Russia has committed crimes against humanity ensures there will be no return to normality between Washington and Moscow even if the Ukraine war ends.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas- Greenfield warned on CNN Sunday that such a step could cross a US red line but did not specify what consequences would be.

The Chinese Perspective on China’s Cold War, and its Implications for the Economic Development of the Mideast and the Edge of the Cold War

China, which has its own economic problems, may be unwilling to risk US sanctions that could result from sending arms to Moscow. Beijing may believe that the US and its military resources can be diverted from Bidens efforts to respond to China in Asia by prolonging the war.

“Currently, the international situation is certainly grim and complex,” Mr. Wang told Mr. Putin, according to brief footage from the meeting that was shared by the Chinese news media. “But Chinese-Russian relations have withstood the test of international turbulence, and are mature and durable — as steadfast as Mount Tai,” he said, referring to a famed Chinese mountain.

According to Mr. Putin, the trade volume between Russia and China will likely go up to $200 billion this year, from last year’s $186 billion.

Mr. Putin said everything is moving forward, and that they are reaching new frontiers. “And above all, we are talking, of course, about economic issues.”

But the Chinese position paper also took several digs at the West for its approach to the war. It said that the abandonment of a so-called “cold war mentality” is needed.

Conflict and war do not benefit anyone. The paper said that all parties must stay rational and avoid fanning the flames in order to ensure that the crisis doesn’t spiral out of control.

Beijing has refused to acknowledge the nature of the war and it has also refrained from calling it an invasion.

Much of the language used in the document appears targeted at the West. In a thinly veiled criticism of the United States, the paper said, “Cold War mentality” should be abandoned.

It also appears to criticize the wide-ranging economic sanctions imposed by the US and other Western countries on Russia. “Unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue; they only create new problems,” it said. “Relevant countries should stop using long arm jurisdiction against other countries so as to help deescalating the Ukraine crisis.”

“My first reaction to it is that it could stop at point one, which is to respect the sovereignty of all nations,” Sullivan told CNN. Ukraine was not attacking Russia. NATO didn’t attack Russia. The United States wasn’t attacking Russia. The war of choice was waged by Putin.

“It was a magic day,” Putin said as he arrived in Kherson, Ukraine: The first train to the front line of the Russian army

Putin welcomed Wang with outstretched arms as he entered the meeting room and said relations between Russia and China were reaching a new milestone.

Changes need to be identified more and responded to more actively to further strengthen our strategic partnership, Wang said.

On November 11th, after the Russian troops retreated from Kherson, Alexander Kamyshin arrived in the city accompanied by Ukrainian special forces and railway workers. They arrived at the train station just before the regular army arrived to secure the city. The first train from Kyiv arrived in Kherson.

“It was a magic day,” Kamyshin says. “We saw the faces of the people seeing the train, crying, waving their hands. It was unforgettable and I can assure you it was. That’s one of the days to remember forever.”

Kamyshin and his colleague have worked hard to keep the trains running since Russia launched an assault on Ukraine a year ago today. They’ve moved 4 million refugees and more than 300,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid, sending trains right to the conflict’s front lines. With air travel all but impossible, Ukraine Railways has brought at least 300 foreign delegations into Kyiv in a program it calls “iron diplomacy.” Earlier this week, a train dubbed “Rail Force One” secretly carried US president Joe Biden to the Ukrainian capital for a symbolic visit.

It has taken place under constant attack. The Russians shell a wide range of objects, Kamyshin says. Over two hundred and fifty people died and over 800 were injured. That’s only railwaymen and women. That’s the price we paid in this war.”

In Mariupol, a port city on the Black Sea close to the Russian border that was bombarded relentlessly until resistance finally collapsed in May 2022, rail workers managed to get trains in and out several times before the tracks were destroyed. The stranded crews were able to evacuate by road, but two trains are still stuck there.

Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. Mr. Zelensky does not hesitate to ask Beijing about arming Russia

“Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis,” the 12-point position paper stated. Efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis must be supported.

There is not much leverage involved. The document lays out broad, general principles, but no real reason why you might want to cease and desist, right? There’s no big appeal that you’re getting something. Ian Chong is an associate professor of political science at National University of Singapore who says there is no cost if you don’t comply.

Not one to shrink from questions or to shy away from calling out even allies if he feels they could be doing more to help Ukraine, he nevertheless tread carefully when talking about China.

Mr. Zelensky did not question the report that Beijing was thinking about providing Moscow with lethal weapons. When it was raised a second time, he said that working to ensure China did not arm Russia was one of his top priorities.

Mr. Zelensky told the reporter that it was not about geography but basic principles when he asked the second translated question.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Alexei Zelensky and the darkest moments of the war for Ukraine, in Azerbaijan as asked by a Ukrainian journalist from Bucha

Does China believe that there should be no innocent deaths? The nuclear power plant shouldn’t be occupied. The respect for the nation’s sovereignty means the invader should leave.

He said that he was already beginning public diplomatic relations here and then switched to English to stress his openness to direct talks with China. We have many common issues, so we need to talk to each other.

Mr. Zelensky’s confidence in Ukraine’s victory is premised on the idea that Moscow will not find a way to quickly and robustly rebuild its battered military.

Iran is already providing attack drones to Russia, and the West has warned the Moscow is also seeking to acquire ballistic missiles. Mr. Zelensky was asked about Israel. He was asked why Israel andUkraine were not stronger allies.

He said that he understood Israel’s long and complex history with Russia but said that he had wished for Israel to take a firmer stance against it since the start of the war.

He had questions about potential internal conflicts in his government. There was also a journalist from Azerbaijan who simply wanted a selfie with the Ukrainian leader, for his son. (Mr. Zelensky obliged.)

The Ukrainian leader said the darkest moment of the war for him personally was when he saw the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers for the first time, in Bucha. He said it was horrible.

Over more than two and half hours, questions about how and when Ukraine could win the war, were the most frequent — even if that answer would only be determined on the battlefield.

Moldovan president Maia Sandu and the Russian saboteurs in the midst of political instability: a warning warning to Moscow on the emergence of an independent country

Moldova is a country at a crossroads between east and west. Its government and most of its citizens want closer ties to the EU, and the country achieved candidacy status last year. It is also home to a dissident group with Moscow eager to rile them up.

Both the Ukrainian President and Maia Sandu ofMoldova have warned of the dangers of Russian saboteurs trying to stoke unrest during a time of political instability.

Although there is no sign he has accepted her invite to visit, the White House did say he reaffirmed support for Moldova’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Sandu also claimed individuals disguised as “the so-called opposition” were going to try forcing a change of power in Chisinau through “violent actions.” CNN can’t independently verify the claims.

The Director of the Chisinau based Institute for European Policies and Reforms, Iulian Groza, told CNN that the threats from Russia and the desire to escalate the war are very high.

“Moldova is the most affected country after Ukraine (by) the war,” he said. The country is still small and has an under developed economy, which creates a lot of pressure.

During the last few years of the Cold War, the eastern bank of the Dniester River held a Russian military outpost. It declared itself a Soviet republic in 1990, opposing any attempt by Moldova to become an independent state or to merge with Romania after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

The conflict with theMoldovan forces ended in stalemate in 1992. Transnistria was not recognized internationally, even by Russia, but Moldovan forces left it a de facto breakaway state. Half a million people are trapped in limbo, because of the deadlock that has left Chisinau no control over it.

If Russia launches a spring offensive that centers on south of Ukraine it will be possible to connect up with Transnistria and create a land bridge through southern Ukraine that will take it even closer to NATO territory.

U.S. Sensitivity to the Ukrainian War: Sino-Russian Security Adviuncior for a State-Belize SCO Summit

Also Tuesday, U.S. lawmakers will attend hearings about the Ukraine war in both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House subcommittee on defense appropriations.

A Russian news outlet reported that at least 50 people were taken into custody at different protest protests in different cities where protesters lay flowers and wrote messages.

The United States warned China that it could be aiding Moscow in its assault on Ukraine, as China prepared to welcome Putin for a state visit.

Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese officials in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China’s Foreign Ministry announced Sunday.

After meeting on the sidelines of a SCO summit in Uzbekstan in September, the two leaders agreed to upgrade their countries’ ties to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership.

While burgeoning economic ties between China and Belarus are expected to be a key component of talks this week, the conflict in Ukraine will loom over discussions.

Since Russia invaded Ukrainian soil, no one has spoken with President Zelensky, though he has spoken with Putin a number of times.

In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua released ahead of his visit, Lukashenko is cited as saying the position paper was a testimony to China’s peaceful foreign policy and a new and original step that would have a far-reaching impact.

The European Union didn’t recognize the results of Lukashenko’s 2020 election win, which sparked a mass pro-democracy protests in the country, and were followed by a brutal government crackdown.

A decade after launch of the Belt and Road development initiative, trade between China and Belarus increased by more than 30% last year to $5 billion.

In a call between Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Belarussian counterpart Sergei Aleinik on Friday, Qin pledged that China would “support Belarus in its efforts to safeguard national stability and development,” and “oppose external interference in Belarus’s internal affairs and illegal unilateral sanctions against the country,” according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry readout.

No Serbians among the Mercenary Group’s Fighters in Bakhmut (Russia), after the last one left two months ago

Ukrainian forces are mostly holding their positions around the fiercely contested eastern city of Bakhmut, but at a high price, according to one commander.

Wagner update: Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said there are no Serbian nationals among the mercenary group’s fighters in Ukraine, after “the last one” left the area two months ago. After Serbian President is accused of trying to recruit Serbs to fight inUkraine, the comments came.