For today, links to seven reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, the Kyiv Post, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.)

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy dominates Asia security conference as China, Taiwan trade barbs, by Xinghui Kok and Fanny Potkin | Reuters  SINGAPORE — Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskiy today asked governments at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore for support and participation at a summit in Switzerland later this month aimed at bringing peace to his war-ravaged nation. READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy accuses China of pressuring other countries not to attend upcoming Ukraine peace talks, by David Rising and Ken Moritsugu | AP   SINGAPORE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused China today of helping Russia to disrupt an upcoming Swiss-organized peace conference on the war in Ukraine. Speaking at Asia’s premier security conference . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia claims capture of Umanske village in Donetsk Oblast, by Chris York and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Russia’s Defense Ministry today claimed its forces captured the village of Umanske in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Oblast, and the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said Russian forces were “trying to advance” in the direction of Sokil, a village around 10 kilometers to the north. READ MORE . . .

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Russian air defenses down two Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft in past day — Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian air defenses downed two Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft in the past day, in addition to destroying 50 Ukrainian drones, 23 HIMARS rockets, two Tochka U missiles, a Neptune missile and three French-made Hammer air bombs, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. READ MORE . . .

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Ukhta oil refinery in Russia rocked by explosions and fire, casualties reported. From Kyiv Post. In Ukhta, in the Russian Republic of Komi, a fire broke out at a local oil refinery owned by Lukoil, following a series of explosions, as reported by the Russian Telegram channels. Russian media reported that the possibility of a UAV attack is not being considered. READ MORE . . .

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Bookstores have come under attack in Ukraine. But interest in reading is only growing. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR After the missile strike, the Factor Druk printing factory looked like a crime scene. Firefighters hosed down piles of burning books and there was blood on the wall. Seven people died. Most of the thousands of destroyed novels, textbooks and children’s books in the Ukrainian language came from . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JUNE 1  China’s defence minister, Zelenskiy dominate Shangri-La Dialogue’s last day, by Gerry Doyle | Reuters  SINGAPORE — Chinese defence chief Dong Jun will discuss global security in an address at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday that is often the highlight of the summit’s last day, but may be overshadowed by the presence of Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskiy. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to 10 reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Tass, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Hostage families call for a cease-fire deal pushed by Biden. Israel says conditions must be met, by Sam Mednick | AP  TEL AVIV — Families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas called for all parties to immediately accept a proposal detailed by U.S. President Joe Biden to end the nearly 8-month-long war and bring their relatives home, but Israel’s government said conditions for a cease-fire still must be met. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  President Biden announces details of Israeli cease-fire proposal. Reported by Asma Khalid | NPR  Biden announced at the White House that Israel offered a “comprehensive new proposal” that offers a “roadmap to an enduring cease-fire and the release of all hostages.” Click HERE to listen and read.

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Israel ready to continue talks on releasing hostages with Hamas – embassy in Russia. From Tass. MOSCOW — Israel has confirmed its resolve to continue negotiations with Hamas toward releasing hostages, according to Deputy Israeli Ambassador to Russia Yulia Rachinsky-Spivakov. READ MORE . . .

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Israel’s Netanyahu says there cannot be permanent Gaza ceasefire until Hamas destroyed. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today there would be no permanent ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas’ military and governing capabilities were destroyed. READ MORE . . .

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Biden has introduced a plan to end the Israel-Gaza war. Either side has yet to agree. Reported by Asma Khalid and Scott Simon | NPR  President Joe Biden has announced a multi-phase plan to bring the war in Gaza to an end. The Israelis and Hamas have yet to agree to it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 31  Biden details Gaza truce proposal, Hamas responds positively, by Steve Holland and James Mackenzie | Reuters  WASHINGTON / JERUSALEM  — U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday laid out what he described as a three-phase Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza in return for the release of Israeli hostages. The first phase involves . . . READ MORE . . .

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Thousands rally near U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to protest Israeli bombardment of Gaza. From AA. Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters amassed in front of the US Embassy in the Indonesian capital Jakarta today to condemn Israel’s ongoing violation of international law amid heavy bombardment of the Rafah refugee camp. The protest . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  EU to dispurse $17.3m to UN agency for Palestinian refugees. From Middle East Monitor.  The European Union decided on Friday to disburse €16 million ($17.3 million) to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Anadolu Agency reports. This new payment to UNRWA brings to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel maintains a shadowy hospital in the desert for Gaza detainees. Critics allege mistreatment, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — Eight months into the Israel-Hamas war, accusations of inhumane treatment at the Sde Teiman military field hospital are on the rise, and the Israeli government is under growing pressure to shut it down.  READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  Resentment against U.S. grows in Egypt’s defence establishment as Rafah heats up, by Sean Mathews | From Middle East Eye  The Biden administration’s near unconditional support for Israel’s war on Gaza is stoking resentment towards the U.S. among Egypt’s powerful defence establishment, complicating the administration’s bid to revive ties between Cairo and Israel to reach a Gaza ceasefire. READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to nine reports from Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, Tass, the Kyiv Post, National Public Radio, and the Kyiv Independent, and to analysis from Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russian missiles and drones target Ukrainian energy sites. From AFP.  Russia fired a combined 100 missiles and drones at Ukraine overnight, in a barrage that targeted energy sites across the country, Ukrainian officials said today. READ MORE . . .

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At least 19 injured as Russia hits Ukraine’s power grid with fresh barrage. From AP. KYIV — Russia pummeled Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with a large-scale drone and missile attack today, injuring at least 19 people, local officials said. The strikes were part of a series of sustained attacks by Russia against Ukraine’s power grid, which has been ongoing since March. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  Ukrainian drone attack sparks oil depot fire in southern Russia. From the Moscow Times. An overnight Ukrainian drone strike in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region sparked a large fire and injured at least two workers at an oil depot, regional authorities said Friday. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian attacks in Russian-held east kill 5.  From AFP. Ukrainian shelling attacks killed five people in Russian-occupied areas of the eastern Donetsk region on Friday, Moscow installed authorities said. READ MORE . . .

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Russian air defenses down 62 Ukrainian drones, 14 HIMARS rockets, three Hammer bombs — Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian air defense forces downed 62 Ukrainian drones, 14 U.S.-supplied HIMARS multiple launch rockets and three French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs in the past day, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a report. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine signs security agreements with 3 Nordic states. From Kyiv Post. President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky signed bilateral security agreements in Stockholm yesterday with Sweden, Norway and Iceland. He met . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  Kharkiv residents welcome green light to use U.S. weapons on Russian targets. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Beleaguered residents of Kharkiv, Ukraine, welcome the United States’ green light to hit Russian targets with American weapons. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 31  Ukraine stabilizes Kharkiv front after brutal Russian offensive, by Francis Farrell | The Kyiv Independent  KHARKIV OBLAST – In battles fought under a sky swarming with enemy drones, even . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  NATO ministers meet in Prague as allies ease restrictions on Ukraine’s use of their weapons, by Matthew Lee and Karel Janicek | AP  PRAGUE — NATO foreign ministers were meeting in the Czech capital Friday to prepare for this summer’s leaders’ summit as the alliance boosts support for Ukraine and countries one-by-one remove restrictions on how Kyiv can use western-supplied weaponry to combat Russia’s invasion. READ MORE . . .

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Biden tip-toes deeper into Ukraine conflict with arms decision, by Phil Stewart, Jonathan Landay and Max Hunder | Reuters  WASHINGTON / KYIV — President Joe Biden’s decision to relax some restrictions on Ukraine’s use of U.S. weaponry inside Russia is a small but significant step deeper into the two-year-old war that experts say could help blunt Russia’s cross-border Kharkiv offensive. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to seven reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, and Middle East Eye, and to an editorial from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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12 killed today in airstrikes in central Gaza as strikes targeting Houthi rebels kill 16. From AP. At least a dozen people were killed in two airstrikes today in central Gaza. Two children and four women were among the dead. Palestinians in the border city of Rafah have reported heavy fighting in recent days as Israel’s military widened its offensive in the south, seizing control of the entire length of Gaza’s border with Egypt. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli military says combat in part of north Gaza is over. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israeli forces have ended combat operations in the Jabalia area of north Gaza after destroying more than 10 kilometres of tunnels during days of intense fighting that included over 200 air strikes, the military said today. At the south end of Gaza . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  Israeli airstrike on Rafah kills 12 Palestinians, Gaza medics say, by Dan Williams | Reuters  Israeli forces killed at least 12 Palestinian civilians in a dawn air strike on Rafah in southern Gaza on Thursday and fighting raged in several other areas of the coastal enclave, Gaza medics said. They said an unspecified number of others were wounded in another Israeli air strike in the centre of Rafah as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Palestinians report blowing up 3 Israeli Merkava tanks in Gaza, Hamas fighters claim. From Tass. BEIRUT — Members of Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said they had blown up three Merkava tanks while repelling Israeli assaults in the south of the Gaza Strip, the movement said. “Our . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  Israel could have used smaller weapons against Hamas to avoid deaths in Gaza tent fire, experts say, by Tara Copp and Josef Federman | AP  WASHINGTON — Defense experts who have reviewed debris images from an Israeli airstrike that ignited a deadly fire in a camp for displaced Palestinians on Sunday questioned why Israel did not use smaller, more precise weapons when so many civilians were nearby. They said the bombs used were likely U.S.-made. READ MORE . . .

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Taylor Swift is urged to end Capital One deal over Israeli arms link, by Imran Mulla | Middle East Eye  Taylor Swift is facing calls from some of her fans to sever ties with banking giant Capital One, the main sponsor of the U.S. leg of her music tour, over loans it provided to Israel‘s largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems. Using the hashtag #SwiftiesForPalestine . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why Jabalia? From Middle East Monitor  For 20 days now, the occupation army has been committing massacres that have caught the attention of the entire world in Jabalia and the city’s refugee camp. Everyone is asking what makes this small spot the subject of this continuous destruction. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to nine reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Tass, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Moscow Times, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine can now strike military targets in Russia using some Western weapons. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and A Martínez | NPR  The Biden administration has given Ukraine permission to use certain U.S. weapons to strike inside of Russia near Kharkiv for “counter-fire purposes,” according to two U.S. officials. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 30  Biden partially lifts ban on Ukraine using U.S. arms in strikes on Russian territory, U.S. officials say, by Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller | AP  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to use American weaponry to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the matter. READ MORE . . .

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Berlin lets Ukraine use German weapons against targets in Russia after the U.S. also eases its stance, by Illia Novikov, Matthew Lee and Karel Janicek | AP  KYIV — Germany joined the United States today in authorizing Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying — a significant policy change that comes as depleted Ukrainian troops are losing ground in the war. READ MORE . . .

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Germany says use of its weapons by Ukraine doesn’t make it party to conflict. From Tass. BERLIN — “It has always been clear,” said Germany’s deputy government spokesperson, Wolfgang Buchner, “that we don’t become a party [to the conflict] and a warring party by supplying Ukraine with weapons.” READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says Ukraine has already tried striking Russian territory with U.S. arms. From Reuters. MOSCOW — The Kremlin said today it was already aware of attempts by Ukraine to strike targets on Russian territory with weapons provided by the United States. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Army claims sweeping battlefield gains so far in 2024. From AFP. Russian forces are advancing on all fronts in Ukraine and have seized some 880 square kilometers of territory this year alone, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said today. If confirmed, Russia would have made more gains in the past five months than in all of 2023, when . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia, Ukraine swap 150 POWs with UAE mediation. From the Moscow Times. Moscow and Kyiv have traded 150 prisoners of war with the help of mediators from the United Arab Emirates, Russia’s Defense Ministryannounced today, the first such exchange after months of stalled talks between the two warring sides. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  Russia-linked hackers’ phishing campaign against Ukraine is disrupted. Reported by Jenna McLaughlin | NPR  Hackers with ties to Russia planned to launch a massive phishing campaign against Ukraine, taking advantage of the recently lifted moratorium on evictions in the country. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukraine, Norway sign long-term security agreement, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere today signed a bilateral security agreement between the two countries in Stockholm. Oslo pledges to . . . READ MORE . . .

There are eight links in this entry. They are to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio and to commentary from Capitol Hill Citizen and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel says it’s taken control of key area of Gaza’s border with Egypt awash in smuggling tunnels, by Tia Goldenberg, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel’s military said Wednesday it seized control of a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt to cut off smuggling tunnels as it tries to destroy the militant Hamas group in a war now in its eighth month. READ MORE . . .

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Israel reopens Gaza food sales as Rafah raid chokes aid, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, John Davison, Emma Farge and Ali Sawafta | Reuters  The Israeli military has lifted a ban on the sale of food to Gaza from Israel and the occupied West Bank as its battlefield offensive chokes international aid, according to Palestinian officials, businessmen and international aid workers. Army authorities . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel seizes Gaza’s entire border with Egypt, presses with raids into Rafah, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO – Israeli forces have taken control of a buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the country’s military said Wednesday, giving Israel effective authority over the Palestinian territory’s entire land border. Israel also continued deadly raids on Rafah in southern Gaza despite . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 29  The latest in Israel’s expanding military operations in Rafah. Reported by Greg Myre and Daniel Estrin | NPR  Israel’s military continues to expand operations in Rafah. The Biden administration continues to warn Israel against a “major operation” in the city. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 29  Palestinian prime minister visits Madrid after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognize Palestinian State, by Joe Wilson | AP  BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and leading officials from several Middle Eastern countries in Madrid on Wednesday after Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized a Palestinian state. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 29  A family fled Rafah as the war closed in. Now they’re living in a bombed-out school. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  The UN says about a million people have fled the southern city of Rafah since Israeli forces invaded there earlier this month. People are running out of options for where to go. One family is trying to make a bombed out classroom inhabitable. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY-JUNE 2024  Citizens push back against AIPAC dominance, by Russell Mokhiber | Capitol Hill Citizen  In April Congress overwhelmingly passed and President Biden signed a military aid bill that provides $95 billion in war aid—including $61 billion to Ukraine, $8 billion to Taiwan and $26 billion to Israel—in effect a genocide tax on the American people. Only a handful of House and Senate members . . . READ MORE, a lot more with subscription . . .

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Instead of recognising ‘Palestine’, countries should withdraw recognition of Israel, by Joseph Massad | Middle East Eye  On Tuesday, three additional European states officially recognised a non-existent Palestinian state. Ireland, Spain, and Norway are the latest to join more than 140 other United Nations members in recognising this phantom entity. The Palestinian Authority, which was set up in 1993 to aid Israel in . . . READ MORE . . .

 

There are 10 links in this entry. They are to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, Le Monde, Agence France-Presse, and the Kyiv Post, and to commentary from the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine army head says Russia augmenting its troops in critical Kharkiv region, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia conducted an array of aerial attacks on Ukraine with cruise missiles, drones and ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s air force said today, while the chief of the army said Russia is increasing its troop concentration in the Kharkiv region where Moscow’s forces have made significant advances in a spring offensive. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Russia confirms reports of France preparing to send troops to Ukraine. From Tass. MOSCOW — Reports about France preparing to send troops to Ukraine have been confirmed, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a briefing. “We announced such reports on April 3. Even though Paris . . . READ MORE . . .

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Macron wants to form a European coalition of military instructors in Ukraine, by Philippe Ricard and Cédric Pietralunga | Le Monde  Nothing has yet been finalized, but it could be a matter of weeks, or even days, before French and European instructors are sent to Ukraine. Le Monde has learned that the French authorities are looking to set up a coalition . . . READ MORE . . . Lire en français ICI.

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War lobbyists sabotage implementation of Istanbul agreements — Erdogan. From Tass. ANKARA — The Istanbul agreements between Russia and Ukraine were sabotaged by circles lobbying for the continuation of the war, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says. “Next to us, the war between our Black Sea neighbors, Russia and Ukraine, is . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says destroyed Ukrainian drones, missiles near Crimea. From AFP. Russia’s Defense Ministry said today it downed 13 Ukrainian drones in the southern Krasnodar region and areas close to the annexed Crimean peninsula. This morning, “five Ukrainian aerial drones were shot down by anti-aircraft defense systems in the Krasnodar . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 29  U.S.Treasury official visits Ukraine to discuss sanctions on Moscow and seizing Russian assets, by Fatima Hussein and Samya Kullab | AP  WASHINGTON — A senior U.S. Treasury official has met with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv to discuss U.S. financial support, enforcing sanctions on Russia and using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s benefit in the war with Moscow. The visit this week by . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 29  What have Ukraine’s allies said about striking Russia with Western weapons? From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine has urged its allies to allow Kyiv to use Western-supplied arms to conduct strikes inside Russia and abandon an official position some have held throughout Russia’s 27-month-old full-scale invasion. Several have shifted their rhetoric. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians run gauntlet returning to homes in occupied territories, by Sergii Kostezh | Kyiv Post  Right after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, in some regions many fleeing Ukrainians were unable to safeguard their property or evacuate relatives from the war zone. It’s now common for Ukrainians to travel back to the occupied territories by various means and for diverse reasons — some go . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 29  Ukraine urges allies to lift Western arms ban on hitting targets inside Russia. Will they? by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Following a new Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine is increasingly raising pressure on its allies, urging them to lift restrictions on the use of Western-provided weapons against military targets inside Russia. Months before . . . READ MORE . . .

There are six links in this entry. They are to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Tricontinental Institute for Social Research via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel says Gaza war likely to last another seven months as tanks probe Rafah, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israel sent tanks on raids into Rafah today and predicted its war on Hamas in Gaza would continue all year, after Washington said the Rafah assault did not amount to a major ground operation that would trigger a change in U.S. policy. READ MORE . . .

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A senior Israeli official offers a grim prediction for the war as fighting rages in Gaza’s Rafah, by Melanie Lidman, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy| AP  TEL AVIV — Israel’s war with Hamas is likely to last through the end of the year, a top Israeli official said today, a grim prediction for a war already in its eighth month that has killed tens of thousands, deepened Israel’s global isolation and brought the region repeatedly to the brink of a wider conflagration. READ MORE . . .

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Brazil president withdraws his country’s ambassador to Israel after criticizing the war in Gaza, by Eleanore Hughes and David Biller | AP  RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva withdrew his ambassador to Israel today after months of tensions between the two countries over the war in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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Erdogan accuses West of complicity in Israel’s atrocities in Gaza.  From Tass. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the U.S. and Western countries of being complicit in the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip — and the UN of inaction. “No state will be safe until Israel abides by international law and considers itself bound . . . READ MORE . . .

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Where is the Biden administration’s red line when it comes Palestinian deaths in Gaza? Leila Fadel of NPR talks with Aaron Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on whether an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp near Rafah crossed a red line with the Biden administration. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 2  Three evils, by Vijay Prashad | Tricontinental Institute for Social Research / Consortium News  In a chapter from Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks (1952), called “The Fact of Blackness,” Fanon writes about the despair that racism produces, the immense anxiety about living in a world that has decided that certain people . . . READ MORE . . .

There are 12 links in this entry. They are to reports from Tass, Reuters, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Post, the Moscow Times, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from the Kyiv Independent and Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Lavrov urges countries of Global South not to attend Swiss meeting on Ukraine. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on the countries of the global majority to reject participation in the Swiss conference on Ukraine on June 15-16 and not to succumb to Western pressure on this issue, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. READ MORE . . .

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Life on Ukraine’s front line: ‘Worse than hell’ as Russia advances, by Mari Saito | Reuters  “They’re constantly firing, constantly probing,” says Viktor, an infantryman.“We have to survive somehow and we have to hold the line.” It is the start of another draining day on. . . READ MORE . .  .

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FROM MAY 28  Ukraine gets more military aid from Europe but Putin warns of consequences if Russian soil is hit, by Raf Casert and Barry Hatton | AP  LISBON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a second $1 billion promise of military aid in as many days Tuesday during a whirlwind tour of three European Union countries, while President Vladimir Putin warned that hitting Russian soil with Western-supplied weapons could set the war on a dangerous new path. READ MORE . . .

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France’s Macron urges a green light for Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia with Western weapons. From AP.  Western countries should let Ukraine strike military bases inside Russia with the sophisticated long-range weapons they are providing to Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron said, pressuring his allies in the most recent sign of a potentially significant policy shift that could help change the complexion of the war. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine urges allies to lift Western arms ban on hitting targets inside Russia. Will they? by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Following a new Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine is increasingly raising pressure on its allies, urging them to lift restrictions on the use of Western-provided weapons against military targets inside Russia. Months before . . . READ MORE . . .

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Off target: Are Kyiv’s GPS-aided weapons susceptible to Kremlin EW jamming? by Leo Chiu and Christopher Stewart | Kyiv Post  Despite early battlefield successes, U.S.-made weapons augmented by Global Positioning System satellites for position updates in Ukraine are now susceptible to Russian electronic warfare (EW) jamming, reported the New York Times and the Washington Post, but it is unclear whether other factors are involved. READ MORE . . .

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Raiffeisen’s Russian division to end outgoing U.S. dollar payments. From the Moscow Times. The Russian division of Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank will stop processing outgoing payments in U.S. dollars starting on June 10, the bank announced today, citing “changed requirements of correspondent banks.” “This change affects . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops destroy first French-made TRF1 howitzer in Ukraine operation. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops destroyed the first French-made TRF1 towed howitzer of the Ukrainian army over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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Examining the success of sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with David Wessel about the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions against Russia. Wessel is director of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institution. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukraine urges allies to lift Western arms ban on hitting targets inside Russia. Will they? by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Following a new Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine is increasingly raising pressure on its allies, urging them to lift restrictions on the use of Western-provided weapons against military targets inside Russia. Months before . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 28  U.S. endgame in Ukraine — war without bnd, amen, by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  The American propaganda machine has begun preparing the public for a wider war that is to extend, as a matter of policy and military strategy, into Russian territory. This effort began with . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for the referenced May 24 report from Reuters.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press, and to commentary from the Middle East Eye and the Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Tanks reach Rafah’s centre as Israel presses assault, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah for the first time today, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground operation in the southern Gaza city that has sparked global condemnation. . . . READ MORE . . .

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Airstrike on Rafah leads to international outcry and condemnation of Israel. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Michel Martin | NPR  Fallout continues from an Israeli airstrike on Rafah that killed at least 45 Palestinians in a makeshift encampment for displaced people. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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As Israel attacks Rafah, Palestinians are living in tents and searching for food, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Lee Keath | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip —  Over the past three weeks, Israel’s offensive in Rafah has sent nearly a million Palestinians fleeing the southern Gaza city and scattering across a wide area. Most have already been displaced multiple times during . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 27  Israeli strike kills dozens 45 in an area of Rafah that didn’t get evacuation orders. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  An airstrike in Rafah on Sunday killed at least 45 people and injured dozens. This comes just days after the International Court of Justice ordered an immediate halt to the Israeli operation in Rafah. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel’s increasing savagery against Palestinians is a sign of its defeat, by Fareed Taamallah | Middle East Eye  Four recent developments on the international scene will likely lead to the cornering of Israel and the removal of the false mask it has always displayed to the world. The first . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why is a global superpower under the influence of the tiny Zionist state? by Yvonne Ridley | Middle East Monitor  On the world stage, the United States of America is the only country that fulfils the criteria to be considered a superpower, although . . . READ MORE . . .