For now, links to reports from Tass, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. NOTE: The Agence France-Presse website that furnishes news advisories has been “under maintenance” beginning sometime on Feb. 28 or 29. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Russian troops pound Ukrainian military-industrial sites in precision strikes over week. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops delivered 23 combined strikes by precision weapons against Ukrainian military-industrial sites, army and mercenaries’ deployment sites over the past week in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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The French president raised the prospect of Western troops in Ukraine. What was he thinking? by Silvie Corbet | AP  PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron appeared isolated on the European stage this week after saying the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine could not be ruled out. French officials later sought to clarify . . .READ MORE . . .

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France rules out sending troops to Ukraine — foreign minister. From Tass. PARIS — France does not intend to send its troops to Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on the radio station France Inter. “The French will not die for Ukraine. We will not send troops,” he said. On Feb. 26 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Dutch PM Rutte signs Dutch-Ukrainian long-term security agreement in Kharkiv. From the Kyiv Independent. President Volodymyr Zelensky and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signed a 10-year agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands in Kharkiv, Zelensky announced today. “The document,” Zelensky said, “includes . . . READ MORE . . .

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Western allies slam Scholz for foot-in-mouth comment about UK, French troops in Ukraine, by Leo Chiu | Kyiv Post  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz came under harsh criticism after suggesting that UK and French troops having been deployed in Ukraine to assist the latter with firing the long-range missiles they have supplied. Scholz had said . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 29  Ukraine says it identified 511 war crime suspects, convicted 81, by Max Hunder | Reuters  KYIV — Ukraine has identified 511 people suspected of war crimes since Russia’s Feb. 2022 invasion and has already handed down 81 convictions, its prosecutor general said in Kyiv on Thursday. Andriy Kostin was speaking at a war crimes conference alongside . . . READ MORE . . .

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A link to a report by a Substack writer; others are accessible by clicking on his address below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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The general who would not be silenced, by Seymour M. Hersh | SeymourHersh.Substack.com  James C. Pfautz had what seemed to be the perfect résumé when I first called on him, in late 1985 at his home in suburban Washington. He had retired a month or so earlier from the Air Force as a two-star general after what was . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters, and to an interview from El Pass; others are accessible by clicking on their initials or names below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a HERSH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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The death toll in Gaza hits a grim new milestone, Reported by A Martínez and Aya Batrawy | NPR  The health ministry says soon the death toll will reach 30,000 people — many of them women and children. But officials say the actual number is much higher. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Strike on Palestinians waiting for aid kills 70, Gaza officials say, taking war’s toll past 30,000, by Wafaa Shurafa and Kareem Chehaeb | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — A strike early today on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza City killed at least 70 people, bringing the death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas war to more than 30,000, health officials said. Gaza City and the surrounding . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel appropriates 650 acres of West Bank land near big settlement. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israel appropriated several tracts of land abutting a major Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank today, but a source briefed on the decision told Reuters there was currently no plan for construction there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist government . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Palestinian Authority receives $114 mln from Israel, Norway says. From Reuters. OSLO — The Palestinian Authority has received 407 million shekel ($114 million) from Israel, with more funds on the way in the coming days, following an agreement earlier this month to release frozen tax funds, the Norwegian government said today. Norway on Feb. 18 said it had agreed to assist . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 27  The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority has resigned. What comes next? Reported by Fatma Tanis | NPR  The Palestinian prime minister in the occupied West Bank has announced that he is resigning, as pressure mounts for the moribund leadership to reform and possibly take charge of Gaza after the war. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 28  Why the Palestinian prime minister and his government resigned. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative about the resignation of the Palestinian Authority’s prime minister and his government. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Borrell: ‘Trump has not won yet, just as Putin has not won yet, but Europe has to wake up.’ Claudi Pérez of El País talks with Josep Borrell, foreign minister of the European Union. From Pérez’s introduction: “One war in Europe has just entered its third year: Ukraine. Another in the Middle East — Gaza — is . . .” READ MORE . . .  Click HERE to read in Spanish.

For today, links to reports from the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, Reuters, Tass, and National Public Radio, to commentary from MintPress News via Consortium News, and to an interview from El País; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a HERSH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Putin sends message of defiance to West in state of nation address. From the Moscow Times. President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual State of the Nation address today, accusing the West of instigating the war in Ukraine, and also highlighting state social support programs and the Russian economy’s resilience against Western sanctions. “The West . . . READ MORE . . .

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Congress reaches deal to avert government shutdown with no plans for Ukraine aid, by Olena Goncharova | The Ukraine Independent  U.S. congressional leaders announced on Wednesday a tentative agreement to avert a government shutdown, but there is currently no immediate plan in place to approve the $95 billion emergency national security funds intended for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian air force downs three more Russian fighter-bombers, bringing total to 12 in 13 days, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) brought down three more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers today, totaling 12 Su planes brought down in the last 13 days and 13 Russian planes overall including . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it has shot down three more Russian warplanes. From Reuters.  KYIV — Ukraine’s military said today it had shot down three more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers, the latest successes it has reported against Moscow’s air force. The Ukrainian military said last week that Russia had lost six warplanes in three days. Since receiving . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kiev loses over 490 troops in Avdeyevka area in past day — Russia’s top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian military lost over 490 troops and 7 tanks near Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a general briefing on the special military operation in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian spec ops disaster: 20 reported killed by ambush in small boat landing in Crimea, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Russian shore defenders in the occupied territory Crimea scored a victory today, ambushing and killing nearly two dozen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s most highly-trained and skilled special operations troops. The early morning engagement . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 28  Congressional leaders hope to avoid a shutdown. But Ukraine aid is still unclear. Reported by Tamara Keith and Eric McDaniel | NPR  Congressional leaders emerged from an Oval Office meeting on Tuesday saying they were optimistic that they could reach a deal before a Friday deadline to avert a partial government shutdown. But . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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‘Shock therapy’: War in Ukraine attracts foreigners to see scars of Russia’s invasion, by Dominic Culverwell | The Ukraine Independent  Ukraine’s tourism industry predictably plummeted after Russia’s invasion. Even the initial flurry of journalists and political delegations who came to the country following the invasion has waned. But as tourists gradually begin to return, the sector has adapted by offering war tourism opportunities. READ MORE . . .

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Worthy & unworthy victims: Navalny & Lira, by Alan MacLeod | MintPress News / Consortium News  MintPress conducted a quantitative analysis of the media coverage of the two political figures who recently died in prison: Alexey Navalny this month in Russia’s Siberia and Gonzalo Lira in January in Ukraine. Both died under suspicious . . . READ MORE . . .

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Borrell: ‘Trump has not won yet, just as Putin has not won yet, but Europe has to wake up.’ Claudi Pérez of El País talks with Josep Borrell, foreign minister of the European Union. From Pérez’s introduction: “One war in Europe has just entered its third year: Ukraine. Another in the Middle East — Gaza — is . . .” READ MORE . . .  Click HERE to read in Spanish.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse, and, via Global Research, to a link to commentary initially published last Oct. 27 and again on Feb. 24; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.)  — MCM

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Hamas raises stakes in Gaza truce talks with Ramadan call, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Jana Choukeir | Reuters  Hamas today urged Palestinians to march to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque at the start of Ramadan next month, raising the stakes in negotiations for a truce in Gaza, which U.S. President Joe Biden hopes will be in place by then. The call by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh . . . READ MORE  . . .

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VIDEO  Families of hostages held in Gaza, supporters, launch 4-day march from southern  Israel. Video by Alon Bernstein for AP. Families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters launched a four day march today from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free. Click HERE for video.

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Israel presses on with settlement plans despite U.S. criticism. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pledged to continue expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, defying international pressure on Israel to stop building on land Palestinians see as the core of a future independent state. Late on Tuesday . . . READ MORE . . .

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Palestinian FM believes Hamas supports formation of a ‘technocratic’ government. From AFP. Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki said today he believes Hamas understands the need to form a new technocratic government in the Palestinian territories rather than a coalition including the Islamist movement. READ MORE . . .

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British lawmakers fear for their safety after threats and abuse over Gaza, by Elizabeth Piper and Andrew Macaskill | Reuters After the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza, more than 10 British politicians spoken to by Reuters said the abuse directed at them had become more intense. The conflict in the Palestinian enclave has . . . READ MORE . . .

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What the mass media needs to cover on Israel/Gaza conflict, by Ralph Nader | nader.org / Global Research  Last Oct. 27, I suggested subjects the mainstream media needed to cover relating to the saturation bombing of Gaza and its defenseless civilian families and infrastructure. Four months later, despite massive reporting, the attention to these subjects is still thin and more deserving of reporting than ever. 1. How did Hamas, with tiny Gaza surrounded . . .  READ MORE . . . Click HERE for article as it first appeared.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Zelenskyy co-hosts a summit in Albania seeking more war support from southeastern Europe, by Llazar Semini | AP  TIRANA — Ukrainian Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy co-hosted a summit with Albania’s government today that is meant to encourage further support for Kyiv by southeastern European countries, as signs of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine withdraws from 2 more villages near Avdiivka, down 2 Russian warplanes in single day. From the Kyiv Independent. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Ucraine’s Tavria Group said the Armed Forces withdrew from the Stepove and Severne villages near Avdiivka, and the Air Force said Ukrainian forces shot down  two Russian Su-34 attack planes in a single day. READ MORE . . .

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A top EU official calls for a new defense industry strategy with locally made arms at its heart, by Lorne Cook | AP  BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today called for a new defense industry strategy to respond to security challenges posed by Russia’s war on Ukraine with the purchase of weapons and ammunition made in Europe at its heart. The Russian invasion . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin allies tell Macron: Any French troops you send to Ukraine will suffer fate of Napoleon’s army, by Andrew Osborn | Reuters  Allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin today warned French President Emmanuel Macron that any troops he sends to Ukraine would meet the same end as Napoleon Bonaparte‘s Grande Armee whose 1812 invasion of Russia . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine needs $3 bln in financial aid per month in 2024, Kyiv says. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine needs about $3 billion in foreign financial aid on a monthly basis to get through 2024, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said today. He said Ukraine’s macroeconomic stability . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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NEWER  A deal between Israel and Hamas appears to be taking shape. What would it look like? by Samy Magdy and Tia Goldenberg | AP  CAIRO — Israel and Hamas are inching toward a new deal that would free some of the roughly 130 hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a weekslong pause in the war, now in its fifth month. U.S. President Joe Biden says . . . READ MORE . . .

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Warring sides still cautious after Biden says Gaza truce is close, by Samia Nakhoul, Jeff Mason and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  DUBAI / WASHINGTON / CAIRO — Israel, Hamas and Qatari mediators all expressed caution today about progress towards a truce in Gaza, after U.S. President Joe Biden said  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Inside the Democratic rebellion against Biden over the Gaza war, byAndrea Shalal, Nandita Bose and Kat Stafford | Reuters  DEARBORN, Michigan — The depth of Democratic Party anger over President Joe Biden’s handling of the Gaza war has caught his campaign off guard and could depress support in November’s election, according to Reuters interviews with more than a dozen senior party and campaign officials and five dozen voters and activists. READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Biden says Israel is willing to halt war during Ramadan if a hostage deal is reached. From AP.  President Joe Biden says Israel would be willing to halt its war on Hamas in Gaza during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some of the hostages held by the militants. Negotiators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar . . . READ MORE . . .

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VIDEO  Israeli airstrike in Rafah claims dozens of lives including women and children. From AP. Women and children were among the dead brought out from the wreckage of a building in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Tuesday after an Israeli airstrike on the city. (AP video by Mohammad Jahjouh was apparently withdrawn.)

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NEWER — VIDEO  Hundreds gather in the beach southern Gaza Strip trying to get aid airdropped in the enclave. Hundreds gathered at the beach in the southern Gaza Strip, trying to get their hands on a box of the aid that was airdropped onto the enclave. Click HERE to try to view AP video by Abdel Kareem Hana.

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Without enough aid reaching Gaza, a young Palestinian baby dies of hunger. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  A baby in Gaza City died after going days without milk, a civil defense team says, as aid agencies warn of the risk of famine unless Israel permits much more aid to enter the besieged territory. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, and a MEDIA entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Kremlin warns of conflict with NATO if alliance troops fight in Ukraine, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — The Kremlin warned today that conflict between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would be inevitable if European members of NATO sent troops to fight in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron opened the door on Monday to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine welcomes West’s discussion of direct intervention, Russia warns against it. From Reuters. KYIV — A senior Ukrainian official today welcomed talk of European nations sending troops to Ukraine, but the Kremlin said a conflict between Russia and NATO would become inevitable if European members of the alliance sent in troops to fight. “This shows, firstly, an . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. will not send troops to fight in Ukraine, White House says. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — The United States will not send troops to fight in Ukraine, the White House said today. “President Biden has been clear,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said as . . . READ MORE . . .

‘No plans for NATO combat troops in Ukraine’: official. From AFP. NATO has no plans to send ground troops to Ukraine, an alliance official said today, after French President Emmanuel Macron said the idea could not be ruled out. “NATO and allies are providing unprecedented military support to Ukraine,” the official said. “But . . . READ MORE . . .

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Madrid says against deploying EU troops to Ukraine. From AFP. “As to whether we are in favour of deploying European troops to Ukraine, we’ve already made our position clear and we do not agree,” said government spokeswoman Pilar Alegria. French President Emmanuel Macron triggered a shockwave late on Monday by refusing to rule out . . .READ MORE . . .

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Italy says Ukraine support does not include ground troops. From AFP.  Italy said today international support for Ukraine does not include the presence of ground troops, warning against giving the impression of being “at war with Russia.” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government was responding to comments by French President Emmanuel Macron after a conference . . . READ MORE . . .

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UK says no plans for ‘large scale’ troop deployment to Ukraine. From AFP. Britain has no plans to deploy soldiers to Ukraine in large numbers, a government spokesman said today after French President Emmanuel Macron, after a conference of European leaders Monday, refused to rule out sending Western troops there. READ MORE . . .

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Lavrov downplays significance of EU conferences on Ukraine in Paris. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called not to attach too much significance to EU conferences on Ukraine in Paris. “The number of Western conferences is obviously growing. They are trying to offset . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces destroy U.S.-made Abrams tank in Avdeyevka area, top brass reports. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces destroyed a U.S.-made Abrams tank of the Ukrainian army in the Avdeyevka area, eliminating roughly 485 enemy troops over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a general briefing. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. official works with American businesses and allies to help Ukraine rebuild. A Martínez of NPR speaks with Penny Pritzker, the special representative for Ukraine Reconstruction and Economic Recovery, about U.S. assistance for rebuilding war-ravaged Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

Links to commentary from ScheerPost and to an interview from the Real News Network, followed by links to segments of a January 2023 report from the Columbia Journalism Review; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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How dare Tucker Carlson let Putin talk! by Max Jones | ScheerPost  In the aftermath of Tucker Carlson’s recent interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin, some corporate journalists offered relatively detailed analysis of the interview, while many did anything but. Most often, they dissuaded audiences from watching the interview by assuring them that “nothing new” occurred, painting Carlson . . . READ MORE . . .

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The collapse of U.S. media is accelerating our political crisis. Chris Hedges of The Real News Network interviews journalist Gretchen Morgenson about her book These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs — and Wrecks — America. Among other topics, they discuss a new wave of media layoffs at major news outlets including CNN, the LA Times, Vox, Business Insider, CNBC, and Gannett — and mention the January 2023 Columbia Journalism Review report linked just below. Click HERE to watch and listen, and read transcript.

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The press versus the president, part one: ‘I realized early on I had two jobs,’ by Jeff Gerth | Columbia Journalism Review  The end of the long inquiry into whether Donald Trump was colluding with Russia came in July 2019, when Robert Mueller III, the special counsel, took . . . READ MORE . . .

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The press versus the president, part two: The origins of fake news, by Jeff Gerth | CJR  In a windowless conference room at Trump Tower, on Jan. 6, 2017, Comey briefed the president-elect about the dossier about him and Russia. Trump had heard, from aides, media “rumblings” about Russia, but . . . READ MORE . . .

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The press versus the president, part three: A contested Pulitzer, by Jeff Gerth | CJR  Trump’s firing of Comey on May 9 was nothing like his hit TV show, The Apprentice. The boss couldn’t move on to the next episode, nor would . . . READ MORE . . .

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The press versus the president, part four: Helsinki and the $3,000 Russian disinformation campaign, by Jeff Gerth | CJR  Trump, in July 2018, finally had a summit meeting with Vladimir Putin, the man . . . READ MORE . . .

A link to commentary from Substack, via ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. NOTE: The writer is the author of The End of the Megamachine: A Brief History of a Failing Civilization. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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The show trial against Julian Assange, by Fabian Scheidler | Substack / ScheerPost  “Those who tell the truth need a fast horse,” says an Armenian proverb. Or they need a society that protects the truth and its messengers. But this protection, which our democracies claim to offer, is in danger. As a journalist, Julian Assange has . . . READ MORE . . .

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