For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below, Next, via Consortium News, an analysis from Declassified UK. Finally for today, two news stories and commentary from the past few days concerning the U.S. journalist arrested in Russia, from AP, antiwar.com, and the Washington Post. — MCM
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Finland joins NATO, dealing blow to Russia for Ukraine war, by Lorne Cook and Matthew Lee | AP BRUSSELS — Finland joined the NATO military alliance today, dealing a major blow to Russia with a historic realignment of the continent triggered by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Nordic country’s membership doubles Russia’s border with the world’s biggest security alliance and represents . . . READ MORE . . .
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Finland joins NATO, Russia warns of counter-measures, by Anne Kauranen and Andrew Gray | Reuters HELSINKI / BRUSSELS — Finland formally joined the NATO military alliance today in a historic policy shift brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drawing a threat from Moscow of “countermeasures”. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto completed the accession process by handing over an official document to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at NATO . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russian forces come almost right next to Artyomovsk train station – DPR head. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukrainian forces retreating to the Western part of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), Acting DPR Head Denis Pushilin said today. The city is on the Kiev-controlled part of the Donetsk People’s Republic and was a major transportation hub for the Ukrainian army’s supplies army’s in Donbass. Fierce fighting is . . . READ MORE . . .
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‘Significant portion’ of UK lethal aid for Ukraine stays secret, by Matt Kennard | Declassified UK “A significant proportion of our lethal aid [for Ukraine] is procured overseas and for both operational and commercial reasons, the detail of these contracts will not be published,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has told Parliament. The announcement . . . READ MORE . . .
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U.S. urges release of WSJ reporter, Russia sees politicization, by Humeyra Pamuk, Arshad Mohammed and Mark Trevelyan | Reuters WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who Russia accuses of spying, in a call on Sunday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said Washington should not politicize the case. Russia’s FSB security service said on Thursday it had arrested . . . READ MORE . . .
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Blinken, Lavrov discuss WSJ reporter detained in Russia, by Dave DeCamp | antiwar.com Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday held a call with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to discuss Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and U.S. citizen who was detained in Russia last week over spying allegations. According to a State Department readout of the call, Blinken expressed the U.S.’s “grave concern over Russia’s unacceptable detention of a U.S. citizen journalist” and called for his “immediate release.” According to the Russian side, Lavrov told Blinken . . . READ MORE . . .
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American journalist arrested by Russia is not an ‘alleged spy,’ by Jason Rezaian | The Washington Post In arresting Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the state he controls are sending a very clear message to the international community, and the United States in particular: Journalism in Russia is dead, and foreign correspondents are not welcome. Putin didn’t simply move to expel foreign journalists as a group. He instead . . . READ MORE . . .