First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Tass, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Moscow Times, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. NOTE: A Guardian report is linked in the Moscow Times article. — MCM

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Ukraine can’t falter in Bahkmut or Russia will ‘smell that we are weak,’ Zelenskyy says, by Julie Pace and Hanna Arhirova | AP  ON A TRAIN FROM SUMY TO KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned today that unless his nation wins a drawn-out battle in a key eastern city, Russia could begin building international support for a deal that could require Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises. He also invited the leader of China, long aligned with Russia, to visit. If Bakhmut fell to Russian forces,. . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces grinding down Ukrainian army in battle for Artyomovsk, says Wagner founder. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces are persistently grinding down the Ukrainian army with foreign mercenaries in the battle for Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine), Wagner private military company founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said today. “The battle for Bakhmut has practically destroyed the Ukrainian army today,” the Wagner press office quoted Prigozhin as saying on . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine hits Russian-held city deep behind front as talk of counteroffensive grows, by Olena Harmash | Reuters  * Melitopol is Russian logisitical hub in occupied south * UN nuclear watchdog chief to visit Zaporizhzhia plant * Number of Russian attacks declines sharply over past four weeks * Russia conducts exercises with its Yars missile system | KYIV Reuters) – Ukraine struck a railway depot and knocked out power in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol deep behind the front line today amid growing talk from Kyiv of a counterassault against Russian forces worn out by a failed winter offensive. Melitopol is the base of the occupation administration in Zaporizhzhia, one of five Ukrainian provinces Russia claims to have annexed. Ukraine’s exiled mayor of the city confirmed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin says sanctions could have ‘negative’ impact on Russia. From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that international sanctions imposed following Russia’s offensive in Ukraine could have “negative” consequences, after months of insisting Moscow was adapting to the new economic reality. “The sanctions imposed against the Russian economy in the medium term . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin forecasts ‘long war’ with ‘unfriendly countries.’ From the Moscow Times. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov predicted a long-lasting hybrid war against Russia’s Western adversaries today after a media report revealed he had urged colleagues three months ago to brace themselves for a “forever war.” According to the report published by The Guardian on Tuesday, he warned members of Russia’s cultural and political elite at a New Year’s Eve dinner that the war would “take a very, very long time.” When asked today . . . READ MORE . . .

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After a Russian girl drew an antiwar poster, her dad faces defamation charges. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  In a small Russian town, a father and daughter have been separated by the state after she drew an antiwar poster in school. He was convicted of defaming the military; she’s now in an orphanage. Click HERE to listen and read.

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The article beginning below, under the byline of Russsa’s foreign minister, appeared four days ago in the Russian magazine Razvedchik, two days ago in the Venezuela-based Oronoco Tribune, and was linked today in the daily Popular Resistance selection. — MCM

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Russian diplomacy in a changing world

By Sergey Lavrov

It is a privilege for me to submit this article to Razvedchik news magazine and share with its readers my understanding of the current international developments, as well as Russia’s foreign policy priorities.

We live at a time of historic geopolitical shifts. “The change of eras is a painful albeit natural and inevitable process. A future world arrangement is taking shape before our eyes,” President Vladimir Putin said.

Today, the emerging multipolarity constitutes a key trend in international affairs, as I have noted on multiple occasions. New centres of power in Eurasia, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America have achieved impressive results in various areas, guided by their commitment to self-reliance, state sovereignty, and their unique cultural and civilisational identities. They have an independent foreign policy, which prioritises their core national interests. This puts in place objective factors for the emergence of a new multipolar world order — a more resilient, just, and democratic framework reflecting the natural and inalienable right of every nation to determine its future, as well as choose its own internal and socioeconomic development models.

By the way, there are politicians in the West who are beginning to come to terms with this reality, even if reluctantly. For example, President of France Emmanuel Macron has talked about the end of the Western hegemony in international affairs on multiple occasions, even if, truth be told, all this happened before he joined the ranks of the pro-Ukrainian coalition engineered by Washington for countering Russia. It is a separate matter that a correct diagnosis may not necessarily translate into practice or reshape foreign policy thinking based on the principles of international law, equal and indivisible security. On the contrary, the U.S.-led so-called collective West is doing everything to revive the unipolar model, which has run its course. They want to force the world to live in a Western-centric rules-based order that they invented themselves, while seeking to punish those who disagree with these rules, even if no one has ever seen them and they are nowhere to be found.

We never had any illusions as to who we are dealing with. It was clear to us that after the Cold War ended, Washington and its NATO satellites sought total hegemony and wanted to resolve their own development challenges at the expense of others. In the Euro-Atlantic, NATO’s aggressive eastward expansion became an integral part of this selfish policy, carried out despite the political promises that were given to the Soviet leadership not to expand NATO, as well as contrary to the commitments approved at the highest level within the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] to refrain from seeking to reinforce one’s security at the expense of security of other states.

The OSCE and Russia-NATO summits adopted multiple resolutions proclaiming that no single group of states or organisation can bear primary responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the region, or to view any part of the region as its sphere of influence, but these documents have been trampled upon. All these years, NATO has been moving in an opposite direction.

For years, the West persisted in its efforts to penetrate the post-Soviet geopolitical space and to build the so-called axis of instability along the Russian border. The United States and NATO countries have always viewed Ukraine as one of the tools they could use against Russia. To complete the transformation of our neighbouring state into an anti-Russia, the Western . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Tass, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Russia says Ukraine used U.S.-suppled rocket propelled bomb. From AFP. Russia says it has downed in Ukraine a long-distance rocket-propelled bomb recently supplied to Kyiv by the United States — a weapon seen as vital for a planned Ukrainian counter-offensive. The Defense Ministry said its forces had downed what it called a GLSDB guided rocket in the conflict zone, referring to a ground-launched small-diameter bomb which has a range of up to 150 kilometers (90 miles).

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Russian air defenses intercept GLSDB guided bomb for first time in Ukraine operation. From Tass. MOSCOW — In the past 24 hours, Russian air defense forces intercepted a GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) smart munition for the first time during the special military operation in Ukraine, as well as 18 rockets of the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported today. In addition, Russian air defense systems destroyed 12 Ukrainian unmanned . . . READ MORE . . .

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Relief workers are trying to help people leave a ruined city in Ukraine. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR There are still some 10,000 civilians in the Ukrainian frontline city of Bakhmut. Many have left and some live in a shelter in a nearby town where they share stories of survival and loss. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Poland, EU seek to boost munitions production. From AP. WARSAW — Officials from Poland and the European Union on Monday discussed artillery munitions manufacturing as part of a new, 2 billion euro ($2.2 billion) program to supply Ukraine in its war against invading Russian forces and to replenish Europe’s dwindling stocks. Days ago, Brussels announced a program to reimburse countries offering artillery ammunition to Ukraine from a 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) fund. The program also . . . READ MORE . . .

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A Chinese drone for hobbyists plays a crucial role in the Russia-Ukraine war. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  The drones cost around $2,000 or less. They’re easy to fly, widely available online and in electronics stores, and are hugely popular worldwide among civilians who fly drones in the park for fun. They’re also a hot commodity for troops on both sides of the Ukraine war. Click HERE to listen and read more.

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Mark Hamill lends ‘Star Wars’ voice to Ukrainian air-raid app, by John Leicester | AP  The intrusion of Hollywood science-fiction fantasy into the grim daily realities of war in Ukraine is a consequence of Hamill’s decision to lend his famous voice to “Air Alert” — a downloadable app linked to Ukraine’s air defense system. When air raid sirens start howling, the app , , .  READ MORE . . .

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Facial recognition is helping Putin curb dissent with the aid of U.S. tech, by Lena Masri | Reuters Since at least 2017 the Russian government has used thousands of facial recognition cameras to keep an eye on citizens. Now a Reuters review of more than 2,000 court cases shows these cameras have played an important role in the arrests of hundreds of protesters, most of them in 2021 after they joined anti-government demonstrations, court records show. But after Russia invaded . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, a link to commentary from Bloomberg Opinion. — MCM

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Russian shelling of Ukraine city kills 2, wounds 29 people, by Karl Ritter | AP  KYIV — Two people were killed and 29 wounded today when Russian forces shelled the Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, local officials said. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as “terrorism.” Russia has . . . READ MORE . . .

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A steel plant ready for war shows hit to Ukraine’s economy, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — The damage to Ukraine’s metal industry has crippled a lucrative sector and key employer needed to support an economy cratered by war. Efforts to restore production and get goods moving again to customers worldwide will be crucial to helping the country rebuild. A pillar of the economy before the war, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine planning response as battle shifts to ‘post-apocalyptic’ Avdiivka, by Dan Peleschuk | Reuters  * NATO slams Putin for ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ rhetoric * EU urges Belarus not to host Russian nuclear weapons * Avdiivka becoming ‘post-apocalyptic’, city shuts down -official * Russia downs Ukrainian drone south of Moscow, 3 hurt -ministry | KYIV — Ukraine’s ground forces commander said on Monday Kyiv was planning its next move after Moscow shifted the focus of its offensive from a flagging assault on the eastern city of Bakhmut to another town further south, described as post-apocalyptic. The Ukrainian military aims . . . READ MORE . . .

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2 dead, 28 wounded in shelling of Sloviansk: official. From AFP. Russian shelling of the eastern Ukraine town of Sloviansk today killed at least two people and wounded more than two dozen others, authorities said. Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said “administrative and office buildings, five high-rise buildings and seven private houses were damaged” in the attack. He also said another town in Donetsk region, Druzhkivka, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine withdraws city workers from frontline town Avdivka. From AFP. A Ukrainian official in the battered frontline town of Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region said today municipal workers were being withdrawn, as Russian forces claim incremental gains nearby. “Avdiivka looks more and more like a scene from post-apocalyptic movies,” said the head of the town’s administration Vitalii Barabash. “Therefore, a difficult decision was made to evacuate … municipal workers, who . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian troops fire chaotically in frontline zone, not ready to advance – DPR official. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukraine’s armed forces are firing erratically in the Donetsk People’s Republic’s (DPR) frontline zone which indicates their lack of readiness to advance, Yan Gagin, an advisor to the DPR leader, said today. “The advance on Donetsk was announced, the advance on Crimea and Melitopol was announced but . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s survival ultimately could be decided by GOP, by Andreas Kluth | Bloomberg Opinion More than a year into Russia’s genocidal aggression against Ukraine, ask yourself two simple questions. How might events have unfolded if Donald Trump had still been US president, instead of Joe Biden? And, . . . READ MORE . . .

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For now, links reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Putin says will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbor and ally Belarus, bringing the arms to a country at the gates of the European Union. He also said he would deploy depleted uranium ammunition if Kyiv received . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine slams Putin plan to station Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, by Dan Peleschuk | Reuters KYIV — A top security adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today that Russian plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus would destabilise that country, which he said had been taken “hostage” by Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision on Saturday, sending  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia ‘largely stalled’ in Bakhmut, shifting focus, UK says. From AP.  KYIV — Britain’s Defense Ministry said in its latest intelligence update that “Russia’s assault on the Donbas town of Bakhmut has largely stalled. This is likely primarily a result of extreme attrition of the Russian force.” READ MORE . . .

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About 70 Ukrainian military surrender in DPR in past two weeks, says source. From Tass. DONETSK — About 70 servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces have laid down arms and surrendered to Russian forces in the past two weeks on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), an officer from a region’s security agency told TASS today. According to . . . READ MORE . . .

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New Russian campaign tries to entice men to fight in Ukraine, by Dasha Litvinova | AP  TALLINN, Estonia — Advertisements promise cash bonuses and enticing benefits. Recruiters are making cold calls to eligible men. Enlistment offices are working with universities and social service agencies to lure students and the unemployed. As fighting grinds on in Ukrainian battlegrounds like Bakhmut and . . . READ MORE . . .

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The ‘Ukrainian Banksy’ has remained in Kharkiv despite Russian attacks. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Kharkiv was attacked but did not fall to the Russians. Thousands of residents fled, but one street artist — called the “Ukrainian Banksy” — remained and continued his work. Click HERE to listen and later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from National Public Radio, Reuters, AFP, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, a link to commentary from the Berkshire Eagle’s foreign affairs writer. — MCM

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The IMF’s $15.6 billion loan to Ukraine will be its first to a country at war. Reported by Scott Simon | NPR  The IMF’s new loan to Ukraine will be its first to a country at war. Scott Simon of NPR speaks with Scheherazade Rehman, professor at George Washington University, about the agreement’s significance. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russia presses along Ukraine front after reports of Bakhmut slowdown, by Mike Collett-White | Reuters  * Fighting along Donbas front as Russia presses offensive * Kyiv says civilians killed in strike on shelter * Red Cross says civilians in Bakhmut at limits of survival * Biden and Trudeau reaffirm ‘steadfast’ support for Ukraine | NEAR KREMINNA, Ukraine — Russian forces attacked northern and southern stretches of the front in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region on Friday, even as Kyiv said Moscow’s assault was flagging near the city of Bakhmut. Click HERE for a summary of developments related to the war.

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Ukraine says ‘managing to stabilize’ battle for Bakhmut. From AFP. The frontline situation is “the toughest in the Bakhmut direction,” the head of Ukraine’s armed forces Valery Zaluzhny said late Friday. “Due to the tremendous efforts of the Defense Forces, we . . . READ MORE . . .

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Biden says China ‘hasn’t yet’ delivered arms to Russia. From AFP. U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said he believed China has not sent arms to Russia after President Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine. “I’ve been . . . READ MORE . . .

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Results of Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia matter, not Western reaction – Kremlin. From Tass. MOSCOW — It is the results of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia that matter, not the Western coverage that was predictably hostile, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday. “Undoubtedly, the most important . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia becomes China’s little brother, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle  For hundreds of years, Moscow surrounded itself with satellite countries run by obsequious rulers. From the Soviet days, think of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany. Now, . . . READ MORE . . .

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First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Inside Ukraine’s scramble for ‘game-changer’ drone fleet, by Max Hunder | Reuters  AeroDrone, which made crop-dusting drones prior to the war and now supplies Ukraine’s armed forces, makes unmanned aircraft that can carry up to 300 kilograms or fly up to several thousand kilometres in certain . . . READ MORE . . .

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Elderly Ukrainian helicopters pummel Russians from afar. From AP. DONETSK REGION, Ukraine — Each day, three Ukrainian Soviet-era attack helicopters might deploy three or four sorties to the front lines in the fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, says a commander. “We are carrying out . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia aware West putting pressure on countries who opted not to join sanctions – Kremlin. From Tass. MOSCOW — “It’s not news that the countries of the collective West headed by the U.S. are putting blatant, undue pressure on a slew of nations that choose not to join the illegal restrictions imposed against Russia,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today. “Those countries themselves . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, a link to analysis posted Tuesday by Moon of Alabama, which has garnered extensive comments. — MCM

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A look at the uranium-based ammo the UK will send to Ukraine, by Tara Copp | AP  WASHINGTON — Russia threatened to escalate attacks in Ukraine after the British government announced it would provide a type of munition to Ukraine that Moscow falsely claims has nuclear components. The British defense ministry on Monday confirmed it would provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says Russia’s Bakhmut assault loses steam, counterstrike coming soon, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters  * Russia ‘running out of steam’ in Bakhmut, Ukraine commander says * Wagner boss has sounded pessimistic lately * Battle for Bakhmut has been longest, bloodiest of war | KYIV — Ukrainian troops, on the defensive for four months, will launch a long-awaited counterassault “very soon” now that Russia’s huge winter offensive is losing steam without taking Bakhmut, Ukraine’s top ground forces commander said today. The remarks by Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi were the strongest indication yet from Kyiv that it is close to shifting tactics, having . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says ‘will take advantage’ of Russian fatigue in Bakhmut ’very soon.’ From AFP. A senior Ukrainian military commander said today that a counterattack could be launched soon against “exhausted” Russian forces near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the stage for the longest battle of Moscow’s invasion. “The aggressor has not given up hope of taking Bakhmut at all costs despite losses in manpower and equipment,” said the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrsky. “Russia’s main fighting force on this . . . READ MORE . . .

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Western sanctions aimed to make Russian people suffer, says PM Mishustin. From Tass. MOSCOW — The West tried to hit Russian citizens themselves with sanctions, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said today. “In the very beginning, the West tried to assure us that the sanctions were not aimed against our citizens. Now even a person far from global politics understands: the main target . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine SitRep – Avdiivka, by Moon of Alabama | moonofalabama.org (March 21) Bakhmut is encircled. All roads in and out of it are under Russian artillery fire. Over the last three days fighting has largely stopped there. Meanwhile other encirclement has taken place in Avdiivka: Avdiivka (Ukrainian: Авдіївка, IPA: [ɐu̯ˈd(j)ijiu̯kɐ]; is a city of regional significance in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The city is located in the center of the oblast, just north of the city of Donetsk. The large Avdiivka Coke Plant is . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

Forthwith, the beginning of an article by a Washington, D.C.-based investigative reporter following up on his Feb. 8 report on the pipeline explosions in the Baltic Sea last September that stopped the flow of natural gas from Russia to Germany. — MCM

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The coverup: The Biden Administration continues to conceal its responsibility for the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines

By Seymour Hersh

It’s been six weeks since I published a report, based on anonymous sourcing, naming President Joe Biden as the official who ordered the mysterious destruction last September of Nord Stream 2, a new $11-billion pipeline that was scheduled to double the volume of natural gas delivered from Russia to Germany. The story gained traction in Germany and Western Europe, but was subject to a near media blackout in the US. Two weeks ago, after a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Washington, US and German intelligence agencies attempted to add to the blackout by feeding the New York Times and the German weekly Die Zeit false cover stories to counter the report that Biden and US operatives were responsible for the pipelines’ destruction.

Press aides for the White House and Central Intelligence Agency have consistently denied that America was responsible for exploding the pipelines, and those pro forma denials were more than enough for the White House press corps. There is no evidence that any reporter assigned there has yet to ask the White House press secretary whether Biden had done what any serious leader would do: formally “task” the American intelligence community to conduct a deep investigation, with all of its assets, and find out just who had done the deed in the Baltic Sea. According to a source within the intelligence community, the president has not done so, nor will he. Why not? Because he knows the answer.

Sarah Miller—an energy expert and an editor at Energy Intelligence, which publishes leading trade journals—explained to me in an interview why the pipeline story has been big news in Germany and Western Europe. “The destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines in September led to a further surge of natural gas prices that were already six or more times pre-crisis levels,” she said. “Nord Stream was blown up in late September. German gas imports peaked a month later, in October, at 10 times pre-crisis levels. Electricity prices across Europe were pulled up, and governments spent as much as 800 billion euros, by some estimates, shielding households and businesses from the impact. Gas prices, reflecting the mild winter in Europe, have now fallen back to roughly a quarter of the October peak, but they are still between two and three times pre-crisis levels and are more than three times current US rates. Over the last year, German and other European manufacturers . . . READ MORE . . .