Author: xmawalker

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Ukraine, 5-18-22

To begin, reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio. Then, via Global Research, Popular Resistance and the New York Times, analysis, reporting and commentary. It should be kept in mind that the Times published the article and the op-ed two or three days before U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s telephone conversation with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on May 13 (recorded in this blog the following day). — MCM

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Interrogation, uncertainty for soldiers abandoning Mariupol, by Oleksandr Stashevskyi and Ciaran McQuillan | The Associated Press KYIV — Russia said today that nearly 1,000 Ukrainian troops at a giant steelworks in Mariupol have surrendered, abandoning their dogged defense of a site that became a symbol of their country’s resistance, as the battle in the strategic port city appeared all but over. Ukraine ordered the fighters to save their lives — and said their mission to tie up Russian forces is now complete — but has not called the column of soldiers walking out of the plant a surrender. The fighters face an uncertain fate, with Ukraine saying they hope for a prisoner swap but Russia vowing to try at least some of them for war crimes. READ MORE . . .

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Russia uses new generation of laser weapons in Ukraine, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters LONDON — Russia today said it was using a new generation of powerful laser weapons in Ukraine to burn up drones, deploying some of Moscow’s secret weapons to counter a flood of Western arms supplied to its former Soviet neighbor. President Vladimir Putin . . . mentioned one called Peresvet, named after a medieval Orthodox warrior monk Alexander Peresvet who perished in mortal combat. Yury Borisov, the deputy prime minister in charge of military development, told a conference in Moscow that Peresvet was already being widely deployed and it could blind satellites up to 1,500 km above Earth. He said, though, that . . . READ MORE . . .

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A lawmaker returned home to Ukraine’s south and formed his own reconnaissance team. Reported by Frank Langfitt | National Public Radio Col. Roman Kostenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker, has built a reconnaissance and sabotage team to target Russian forces. His ultimate goal: free his family village from Russian control. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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A Ukrainian refugee is still teaching her students, who are spread around the world. NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with Ukrainian refugee Daria Bietschasna about what life is like some two months after she fled Ukraine. “All what we get from life is opportunities,” she said, among other things. Listen HERE.  

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The significance of McDonald’s golden arches in Russia. NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Kristy Ironside, a Russia historian at McGill University, about the significance of McDonald’s leaving Russia. Listen HERE.

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Are the U.S. and Ukraine Winning? By Julian Macfarlane | Global Research As you may know, some organizations, including SouthFront are talking about UAF “successes” in the Karkhov region as the RF pulls back and re-positions to strengthen itself in the Izyum area. SouthFront has generally taken the position that the Russians are fighting with one hand tied behind their collective back, and need to devote more resources to the Ukraine — and just get it over with. Theirs is a more conventional military view than mine, although . . . READ MORE . . .

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N.Y. Times Shifts Pro-war Narrative, Documents Failure of U.S. in Ukraine, by John V. Walsh | Popular Resistance The New York Times has a job to do — and it has done that job spectacularly well over the past few months. The Times is a leader, in the opinion of this writer, THE leader in spelling out the U.S. narrative on the war in Ukraine, a tale designed to keep up morale, give the war a high moral purpose and justify the untold billions pouring from the taxpayers’ pockets into Joe Biden’s proxy war on Russia. Day in and day out in page after page of word and picture it has been instructing one and all, including politicians and lower level opinion shapers, exactly what to think about the war . . . . So, when the Times says that things are not going well for the U.S. and its man in Kiev, Volodymyr Zelensky, it . . . tells . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russians Hold Much of the East, Setbacks Aside, by Michael Schwirtz, Marc Santora and Michael Levenson | The New York Times Russia’s . . . invasion of neighboring Ukraine has been punctuated by flawed planning, poor intelligence, barbarity and wanton destruction. But obscured in the daily fighting is the geographic reality that Russia has made gains on the ground. The Russian Defense Ministry said [early last week] that its forces in eastern Ukraine had advanced to the border between Donetsk and Luhansk, the two Russian-speaking provinces where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukraine’s army for eight years. The ministry’s assertion, if confirmed, strengthens the prospect . . . READ MORE . . .

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America and Its Allies Want to Bleed Russia. They Really Shouldn’t. By Tom Stevenson | The New York Times The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase. . . . At first, the Western support for Ukraine was mainly designed to defend against the invasion. It is now set on a far grander ambition: to weaken Russia itself. Presented as a common-sense response to Russian aggression, the shift, in fact, amounts to a significant escalation. By expanding support to Ukraine across the board and shelving any diplomatic effort to stop the fighting, the United States and its allies have greatly increased the danger of an even larger conflict. They are taking a risk far out of step with any realistic strategic gain. READ MORE . . .

Ukraine, 5-17-22

First, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; click on the news services’ names for others. Next, links to two looks, both unfavorable, at a new federal government panel and its head. — MCM

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Ukraine working to pull last fighters from Mariupol mill, by Oleksandr Stashevskyi and Ciaran McQuillan | The Associated Press KYIV — Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters defending the last holdout in Mariupol were evacuated to areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists and officials worked today to get the rest out, signaling the beginning of the end of a siege that became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. Russia called the operation a mass surrender. The Ukrainians avoided using that word . . . . Other fighters . . . remain inside the Azovstal steelworks . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine will get worse for isolated Russia, analyst says on state TV, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters LONDON — One military analyst had a brutally frank message Monday night for viewers of Russian state television: The war in Ukraine will get much worse for Russia, which is facing a mass mobilization supported by the United States while Russia is almost totally isolated. READ MORE . . .

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How Disagreement Became ‘Disinformation,’ by Barton Swain | The Wall Street Journal The preoccupation with “misinformation” and “disinformation” on the part of America’s enlightened influencers last month reached the level of comedy. The Department of Homeland Security chose a partisan scold, Nina Jankowicz, to head its new Disinformation Governance Board despite her history of promoting false stories and repudiating valid ones—the sort of scenario only a team of bumblers or a gifted satirist could produce. Less funny but similarly paradoxical was Barack Obama’s April 21 address lamenting online disinformation, in which he propounded at least one easily disprovable assertion. Tech companies, the former president said, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Oh God It’s Going to Get SO Much Worse, by Caitlin Johnstone | Caitlin’s Newsletter Rightists have spent the last couple of days freaking out and invoking Orwell’s 1984 in response to something their political enemies are doing in America, and for once it’s for a pretty good reason. The Department of Homeland Security has secretly set up a “Disinformation Governance Board“, only informing the public about its plans for the institution after it had already been established. The disinformation board, which critics have understandably been calling . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

 

Ukraine, 5-16-22

This updated post first links to reports and photos from the Associated Press, Reuters and TeleSUR, then to several reports from Sunday’s and today’s “Morning Edition” on National Public Radio. — MCM

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In Ukraine and internationally, scenario darkens for Russia, by Oleksandr Stashevskiyi and Ciaran McQuillan | The Associated Press KYIV — Europe pushed today to sharpen and expand its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Sweden poised to follow Finland in seeking membership of NATO and European Union officials working to rescue proposed sanctions that would target the Russian oil exports helping finance the war. On the ground, Russia saw more setbacks in its offensive in the east, where Ukrainian defenders are fighting desperately against attempted advances and even successfully rolling back the front lines in some areas. . . . [A patrol of Ukrainian soldiers] recorded triumphant video of their push to the Russian border in the region of Kharkiv. Ukrainian forces have already driven Russian troops back from the region’s capital . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces fall back in northeast Ukraine, McDonald’s retreats from Moscow, by Jonathan Landay and Tom Balmforth |   Reuters* Ukraine says its forces have pushed through to Russian border * Russia warns of consequences over Finland, Sweden NATO move * NATO chief says Russian offensive not going to plan *  Situation still tough in south | RUSKA LOZOVA, Ukraine/KYIV — Ukrainian troops have pushed Russian forces back from the northeastern city of Kharkiv and some have advanced as far as the border with Russia, Ukrainian officials said today. The developments, if confirmed, would signal a further shift in momentum in favour of Ukraine . . . Sweden meanwhile was expected to take a formal decision on today to apply to join NATO following a similar move by Finland — a change in the Nordic countries’ long-standing policy of neutrality brought on by the Russian invasion and concern about President Vladimir Putin’s wider ambitions. . . . Moscow warned of “far-reaching consequences” should they should go ahead. And in another setback for Putin, McDonald’s Corp MCD.N, the world’s largest fast food chain, said it was pulling out of Russia because of the conflict. In Brussels, the European Union was working on a package of further economic sanctions on Russia . . . READ MORE . . .

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Surging natural gas prices squeeze U.S. industrial sector, by Marcy de Luna and Bianca Flowers |Reuters HOUSTON/CHICAGO — Skyrocketing natural gas prices have raised manufacturing and transportation costs across many U.S. industries, and the situation should persist as the United States exports more gas to Europe to make up for Russian supplies lost to sanctions. U.S. natural gas futures have doubled this year, far more than the increases in retail gasoline and diesel that have made Americans angry at the U.S. energy industry and the government. Many industrial company executives believe . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘No Other Nation Fosters Neo-nazism Like Ukraine’, Putin Warns. From TeleSUR. At the opening of a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) today, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the indifference of Western countries to the Ukrainian sponsoring of neo-Nazism. “There are extremists everywhere, but in no country other than Ukraine do the authorities encourage tribute to neo-nazis in mass marches with torches and fascist symbols,” Putin highlighted, stressing that this situation will eventually affect Western countries’ interests. OTSC countries condemned attempts to falsify historical events related to the fight against nazism. They also stressed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine makes advances in the northeast around Kharkiv. Reported by Jason Beaubien | National Public Radio Ukrainian troops are pushing Russian troops away from the country’s second largest city. That is allowing residents to move out of subway stations and try to resume something of a normal life. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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A Ukrainian band is this year’s Eurovision Song Contest winner.  Reported by NPR. The band Kalush Orchestra mixes traditional folk music with contemporary hip hop. Their song “Stefania” took the first-place prize. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Finland monitors Russia’s movements as it waits for acceptance into NATO. NPR’s Steve Inskeep talks to Mikko Hautala, Finnish ambassador to the United States, about his country’s bid to join NATO after decades of remaining neutral. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Volunteers in Ukraine risk their lives to distribute supplies under constant shelling. Reported by  | NPR In some Eastern Ukraine cities, volunteers risk their lives to deliver food and medicine to those afraid to leave their homes because of constant shelling. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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McConnell says the Senate will pass the largest Ukraine aid package yet on Wednesday. Reported by Deirdre Walsh | NPR. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who led a delegation of Senate Republicans to meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday said he expected the Senate to approve a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine on Wednesday. McConnell said he supported adding Russia to the list of state sponsors of terrorism and would back holding a vote on the issue, but urged President Biden to do it on his own. Speaking from Stockholm . . . Click HERE to read more and listen.

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McConnell heads to Kyiv and becomes the latest U.S. official to meet with Zelenskyy. Reported by Greg Myra | NPR. LVIV, Ukraine — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell joins a list of U.S. leaders who have visited Ukraine, heading a delegation of four Republican senators to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Zelenskyy described Saturday’s visit as “a strong signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine from the United States Congress.” Sens. Susan Collins, John Cornyn and John Barrasso joined McConnell on this trip, which came amid a hold-up in the Senate over a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine. McDonald’s is exiting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, pulling out of a market it’s been a part of for 32 years. The fast-food giant had previously paused its operations in Russia less than two weeks into the brutal conflict being waged over Ukraine’s future. Click here to listen and read.

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McDonald’s is leaving Russia, after more than 30 years. Reported by Bill Chappell | NPR. McDonald’s is exiting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, pulling out of a market it’s been a part of for 32 years. The fast-food giant had previously paused its operations in Russia less than two weeks into the brutal conflict being waged over Ukraine’s future. McDonald’s wants to sell its entire slate of restaurants in the country to a Russian buyer. To prepare for that sale, it will start “de-arching” , , , Click HERE to read more and listen.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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Ukraine, 5-15-22

Please find below and read Elizabeth Woodworth’s review of an essay by Michael David Morrissey entitled “War Madness.” Her review substitutes for what has become a daily selection of links to news service reports and commentary relating to the war in Ukraine. As with those, each link in her review and in Morrissey’s essay is worth exploring. Click on the titles to get to the originals. — MCM

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Ukraine: Avoiding Armageddon Is Simplicity Itself: Review of a Particularly Important Essay

Review by Elizabeth Woodworth

“War Madness,” by Michael David Morrissey (May, 2022)

Both Michael David Morrissey, the author of this insightful essay, and I lived through the Vietnam “war” (which was never declared as war by the U.S. Congress).

We remember the intense anti-Vietnam War movement (1964-1973), with its mass demonstrations, sit-ins, teach-ins, draft dodgers, and desertions and mutinies within the U.S. armed forces.

There was no Internet at that time. 

But at least there was still a functioning media, which helped to end the war by publishing the Pentagon Papers in 1971.

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Today, says Morrissey, Congress and the one-voice media are united in their drumbeat that “Putin, a.k.a ‘Hitler,’ launched an unprovoked aggressive war against plucky, freedom-loving Ukraine because he wants to recreate the Soviet Union and must be stopped by all means necessary.”

Accordingly, the U.S. and its obedient NATO allies are waging a proxy war against Russia — even to the extent of risking nuclear war.

For the general public, Morrissey writes, few alternative voices exist:

RussiaToday.com and SputnikNews.com and official Russian government websites (with transcripts of speeches and press conferences of government officials, in English!) have been banned in the US and in Europe. . . . Those who stray from the accepted doctrine . . . are being excluded not only from the MSM but also from social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and even PayPal with no explanation, much less justification.

There is no antiwar movement [now], just a few dissident voices on the internet that, with almost no exceptions (like Tucker Carlson), are banned from the major newspaper and television outlets. Unless you seek them out, you will not hear from people like John Mearsheimer, Stephen Cohen (RIP), Noam Chomsky, Michael Hudson, Ray McGovern, Scott Ritter, Max Blumenthal, Aaron Maté, Pepe Escobar, Jimmy Dore, Chris Hedges, Caitlin Johnstone, Dan Kovalik, Tulsi Gabbard, Rand Paul, Richard Medhurst, Eva Bartlett or websites like ConsortiumNews.com, TruthOut.org, AntiWar.com, OpEdNews.com, TheGrayZone.com, MintPressNews.com, Telesurtv.net, Multipolarista.com, OrinocoTribune.com, MoonofAlabama.org, TheSaker.is, et al.

As they are banned from Facebook and Twitter and YouTube, they migrate to new, smaller outlets like Substack.com, Telegram.org, and Rumble.com.

What, then, is the most important thing we are missing?

If these ethical voices were heard through a traditionally balanced fourth estate, the relatively young post-Vietnam and post-9/11 public would learn about

“the neo-Nazis in the Ukraine government and military, the eight years of Ukrainian terrorism against the Russian-speaking people of the Donbass resulting in 14 thousand deaths since 2014, the failure of the Ukrainians to implement the 2015 Minsk 2 agreement, the 32 years of NATO eastward expansion despite Russian protests and warnings, and now, bringing all this to a head, the continuing refusal of the US/NATO and Ukraine to commit themselves to excluding Ukraine from NATO.”

Yet we hear nothing of the context of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine.

Of over-riding importance is that in 1990, an international agreement between Germany and its four occupying powers during WWII (France, Soviet Union, UK, and U.S.) allowed for the reunification of Germany if NATO would not expand “one inch eastward.”

Nonetheless, Germany — the primary beneficiary of this agreement — has stood by and watched since 1990 as 14 countries, mostly to its east, joined NATO – including five on Russia’s borders.

On April 1, 2022, Morrissey notes, the Wall Street Journal reported, at the end of a long article, that German chancellor Olaf Scholz  “made one last push for a settlement between Moscow and Kyiv. He told Mr. Zelensky in Munich on Feb. 19 that Ukraine should renounce its NATO aspirations and declare neutrality as part of a wider European security deal between the West and Russia. The pact would be signed by Mr. Putin and Mr. Biden, who would jointly guarantee Ukraine’s security.”

However, Ukraine’s President Zelensky, saying that Putin could not be trusted to uphold such an agreement, had rejected it.

Morrissey interprets:

This “shows Scholz knew exactly what was needed to prevent the war. If the same proposal had been made to Zelensky by Joe Biden, it would not have been rejected. Ukraine would not have been able to fight the Russians effectively, and would not have wanted to, without American support.

However, lacking backbone, Chancellor Scholz did not allow the rejection to be reported in the German press for 40 days, until after it appeared in the WSJ.

Regarding Scholz’s “one last push,” Morrissey writes that in fact

This proposal had never been made, either to Zelensky or to the Russians, and if it had been – by the US – there would have been no invasion and no war, and everyone would have been happy except the fools and warmongers  in Washington who think the war will weaken Russia and bring about regime-change in Moscow – as well as fill the coffers of the arms industry.

A solution was there for the taking, given a little courage:

If Scholz had had the guts to announce to the world that he had made this offer to Zelensky instead of keeping it secret, Zelensky would not have been able to reject it out of hand and the US would have been forced to choose between supporting its NATO ally or supporting Zelensky…

If Scholz had accompanied his proposal by declaring formally that Germany, for one, would never allow Ukraine into NATO, that in itself might well have been enough for Russia to call off the invasion.

The astonishing simplicity of a solution the U.S. and its puppet Zelensky clearly do not welcome

Morrissey concludes:

All it would have taken, and all it would take now, is a simple No.

No to Ukraine ever joining NATO, no to nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and no to Ukraine’s refusal to implement the Minsk 2 agreement, and as Scholz quite reasonably proposed, a declaration of neutrality “as part of a wider European security deal between the West and Russia.”

I fail to see how any rational person can fail to see the common sense and utter simplicity of this, as an alternative to war.

Why is this simple solution so important?

As Oliver Stone has recently written, the failure to talk has brought us to the brink of Armageddon once again:

This disconnect between us and Russia is the most dangerous element in the world right now. By rejecting any such information under the catch-all, guilt-denying, feel-good misnomer of “Russian disinformation,” are we not allowing ourselves to be misled once again, as we were in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, etc., etc.?

Remember that, in the depths of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, it was the desperate last-minute attempts of John and Robert Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin to talk that prevented a possible nuclear apocalypse.

This is exactly what President Vladimir Putin has been waiting for.

Gallery

Ukraine, 5-14-22

Below are links to reports from the Associated Press, the Daily Mail, and Reuters. Then, via Consortium News, a link to Scott Ridder’s askance look at three American volunteers’ service in a Ukrainian Army auxiliary unit. — MCM

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Russians withdraw from around Kharkiv, batter east, by Oleksandr Stashevskyi and David Keaton | The Associated Press  KYIV — Russian troops are withdrawing from around Ukraine’s second-largest city after bombarding it for weeks, the Ukrainian military said today, as Kyiv and Moscow’s forces engaged in a grinding battle for the country’s eastern industrial heartland. Ukraine’s general staff said the Russians were pulling back from the northeastern city of Kharkiv and focusing on guarding supply routes, while launching mortar, artillery and airstrikes in the eastern Donetsk province in order to “deplete Ukrainian forces and destroy fortifications.” Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Ukraine was “entering a new – long-term – phase . . . READ MORE . . .

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demands immediate ceasefire during first call to Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, by Rob Crilly | Daily Mail U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin talked to his Russian counterpart by telephone on Friday for the first time since Moscow invaded Ukraine, and called for an immediate ceasefire. American officials had repeatedly expressed frustration at Russian refusals to maintain communications during the conflict. But on day 79 of the war, the Pentagon announced that Austin had spoken to Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu. ‘Secretary Austin urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication,’ said spokesman John Kirby. A senior U.S. defense official said the two had spoken for about an hour in a ‘professional’ call requested by Austin. ‘I won’t speak for the Russians,’ said the official, ‘but I think . . . the message was received with respect to keeping the lines open”. READ MORE . . .

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Turkey ‘not closing door’ to Sweden, Finland NATO entry, Erdogan advisor says, by Orhan Coskun, Jonathan Spicer and Can Sezer | Reuters * Finland wants to join NATO * Sweden expected to follow suit in bid to join alliance * Turkey wants its security concerns to be considered | ISTANBUL — Turkey has not shut the door to Sweden and Finland joining NATO but wants negotiations with the Nordic countries and a clampdown on what it sees as terrorist activities especially in Stockholm, President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said today. “We are not closing the door. But we are basically raising this issue as a matter of national security . . . READ MORE . . .

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Live-Action Role Play in Ukraine, by Scott Ridder | Consortium News Malcolm Nance, Dennis Diaz and Willy Joseph Cancel: Their experiences — one fatal — offer a sobering view of Americans in the International Legion of the Territorial Defense of Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 5-13-22

Reports from the Associated Press and Reuters are followed by two pieces passed along by Consortium News. In the first a public policy analyst laments the damage the war is doing to already insufficient worldwide efforts to combat global warming. In the other, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel looks at Washington’s addiction to “persistent warfare.” — MCM

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Ukraine puts Russian solider accused of war crime on trial, by Oleksandr Stashevskyi | The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — The trial of a Russian soldier accused of killing a Ukrainian civilian opened today, the first war crimes trial since Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor. Scores of journalists packed inside a small courtroom in the Ukrainian capital where the suspect appeared in a small glass cage . . . READ MORE . . .

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Rand Paul stalls quick Senate OK of $40B Ukraine package, by Alan Fram | AP WASHINGTON — Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul defied leaders of both parties Thursday and single-handedly delayed until next week Senate approval of an additional $40 billion to help Ukraine and its allies withstand Russia’s three-month old invasion. With the Senate poised to debate and . . . READ MORE . . .

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UK says new sanctions hit Putin’s network including ex-wife and cousins. From Reuters. LONDON — Britain said on Friday it had imposed its latest round of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s financial network, including his ex-wife and cousins. “We are exposing and targeting the shady network propping up Putin’s luxury lifestyle and tightening the vice on his inner circle,” foreign minister Liz Truss said in a statement. “We will keep going with sanctions on all those aiding and abetting Putin’s aggression until . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine: U.S. Gas & Europe’s Decarbonization Hit, by Michael Davies-Venn | International Politics and Society Links between global energy policy and the war in Ukraine are becoming increasingly clear. The connection is illustrated in as yet perhaps one of the most unfortunate geopolitical outcomes from the ongoing war. While the European Union’s decision to buy more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States may seem to solve short-term supply energy problems on the continent, it also consolidates the EU’s fossil fuel energy infrastructure. At the same time, it weakens that of renewable energy, creates a leadership vacuum on addressing global climate change, and may well undermine how the EU implements its European Green Deal. It’s important to bear in mind that methane, the main gas in LNG . . . READ MORE . . .

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Five Reasons for Washington’s War Addiction, by William J Astore | TomDispatch Why has the United States already become so heavily invested in the Russia-Ukraine war? And why has it so regularly gotten involved, in some fashion, in so many other wars on this planet since it invaded Afghanistan in 2001? Those with long memories might echo the conclusion reached more than a century ago by radical social critic Randolph Bourne that “war is the health of the state” or recall the ancient warnings of this country’s founders like James Madison that democracy dies not in darkness, but in the ghastly light thrown by too many bombs bursting in air for far too long. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 5-12-22

To begin, links to reports from The Associated Press, Reuters, TeleSUR, and National Public Radio, most linked to others. Then, via Popular Resistance, links to analyses by John Kiriakou and Moon of Alabama. — MCM

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Russia hits east Ukraine, Finland moves toward joining NATO, by Oleksandr Stashevskyi | The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces pounded areas in Ukraine’s east today, including the last pocket of resistance in besieged Mariupol, as a war that is redrawing Europe’s security map pushed Russia’s neighbor Finland closer to joining NATO. Even as the globe-shaking repercussions of the invasion spread, the conflict on the ground slogged on, with Ukraine’s military recapturing some towns and villages in the country’s northeast but acknowledging that Russian forces have seen “partial success” farther south in the eastern industrial heartland of the Donbas. Finland’s president and prime minister said today that the Nordic country should apply “without delay” for membership in the Western alliance, founded in part to counter the Soviet Union. The announcement means Finland is all but certain to apply to — and be accepted in — the military alliance . . . . Neighboring Sweden could do the same within . . . READ MORE . . .

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Finland, worried by Russian invasion of Ukraine, moves to join NATO; Kremlin warns of response, by Anne Kauranen and Essi Lehto | Reuters * Membership expected to happen quickly * Finnish public opinion turned over Ukraine war HELSINKI — Finland must apply to join the NATO military alliance “without delay”, its president and prime minister said today, in a historic policy shift triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine Shuts off Flow of Russian Gas to Europe at Donbas. From TeleSUR. Ukraine on Wednesday shut off the flow of natural gas exported from Russia to Europe from a station located in Donbas, now controlled by Russian forces. In a statement, the operator of the gas transmission system in Ukraine (GTSOU) announced its decision to suspend transit operations due to security reasons and “force majeure”. According to the note, the company blocks the flow of gas from the Sokhranivka connection point, located in the eastern Ukrainian region of Lugansk, in the conflict-ridden Donbas area, which is currently under the control of the Russian Army. Kiev has also demanded that Russia’s state-owned Gazprom — which holds a monopoly on gas pipelines and Russian gas sent to Europe — shift gas volumes to the transit point in the northern city of Sudzha, in territory that Ukraine controls. Russia’s Gazprom . . . maintains . . . such a reorganization would be “technically impossible” and [says] there is no reason for the interruption of the flow. [T]he European Commission considers that this cut may affect the transit of gas to European Union (EU) member countries [but] does not represent an immediate problem of security of supply. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian fighter trapped in Mariupol steel plant asks Elon Musk for help, by Natalia Zinets and Timothy Heritage | Reuters KYIV — One of the fighters holed up in a steelworks besieged by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has appealed to SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk to help evacuate them. Many civilians were rescued from the sprawling Azovstal plant last week under an agreement with Russia, but no deal has been reached with Moscow on allowing out hundreds of fighters, some of whom are wounded, after weeks of bombardment. READ MORE . . .

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As the EU tries to ban Russian oil imports, it has 1 major obstacle: Hungary. National Public Radio’s Steve Inskeep talks to András Simonyi of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Cente,, about Hungary being an obstacle to Europe’s aim of banning Russian energy imports. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Finnish government leaders say their country must join NATO without delay. Reported by Frank Langfitt | NPR Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland is on the brink of joining NATO. Finns have their own memories of Russian aggression. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Info-Warrior Malcolm Nance, by John Kiriakou | Consortium News / Educate! Malcolm Nance, the MSNBC talking head who bills himself as an “intelligence professional,” recently quit his media gig, signed on to the so-called International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine and left to battle the Russians. . . . There are so many things wrong with this story that I don’t know where to begin.  So, I guess the best place to begin is at the beginning. I met Malcolm Nance in the spring of 2001.  I had returned from an overseas assignment as a C.I.A. counterterrorism officer to take a course called “advanced counterterrorism operations.”  As part of the class, the participants were given about a dozen books related to the latest thinking on terrorism and how to combat it. . . . I put them on eBay for $50.  They sold a week later, and I got an email from the high bidder saying that he wanted to send me a check. . . . I told him that I lived in Arlington, Virginia, and he responded that he did, too.  It would be better for us just to meet . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine: Why the War Started and Failed Attempts on Snake Island, by Moon of Alabama | Educate! It is Victory Day. As Ernest Hemingway said: “Anyone who loves freedom owes such a debt to the Red Army that it can never be repaid.” The most important part of Vladimir Putin’s speech to the Victory Parade on the Red Square is the narrative that explains how the current war in Ukraine began. Putin is correct in seeing this as a NATO proxy war against Russia: “[D]espite all controversies in international relations, Russia has always advocated the establishment of an equal and indivisible security system which is critically needed for the entire international community. Last December . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 5-11-22

To begin, links to Associated Press, Reuters and National Public Radio reports. Then, via Global Research, a link to a report that in early April U.S. and British pressure on Ukraine effectively halted negotiations with Russia being held in Turkey. And via both Consortium News and Popular Resistance, a link to a column by Chris Hedges. — MCM

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US, Western Europe fret over uncertain Ukraine war endgame, by Matthew Lee | The Associated Press WASHINGTON — An interminable and unwinnable war in Europe? That’s what NATO leaders fear and are bracing for as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds into its third month with little sign of a decisive military victory for either side and no resolution in sight. The possibility of a stalemate is fueling concerns that Ukraine may remain a deadly European battlefield and a source of continental and global instability for months, or even years, to come. Energy and food security are the most immediate worries, but . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine claims battlefield successes, curbs Russian gas to Europe, by Pavel Polityuk and Jonathan Landay | Reuters * Ukraine redirecting Russia gas to Europe * Ukraine counter-offensive could shift war’s momentum * Ukrainian forces seeking to cut off Russian supply lines * U.S. concerned about future course of war | KYIV/VILHIVKA, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces reported battlefield gains today in a counterattack that could signal a shift in the momentum of the war, while Kyiv shut gas flows on a route through Russian-held territory, raising the spectre of an energy crisis in Europe.  . . . Following days of advances, Ukrainian forces were within several kilometres of the Russian border in the Kharkiv region this morning, one Ukrainian military source told Reuters. East of Vilhivka, Ukrainian forces seemed to be in control of the village of Rubizhne, on the banks of the Donets, after what appear to the be the fastest advances since April when . . . READ MORE . . .

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A big mystery of the war in Ukraine is Russia’s failure to gain control of the sky. Reported on NPR News. Russia has an air force more than 10 times larger than Ukraine’s. But Ukraine’s fighter pilots and air defense crews still control the air space over most of the country. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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How one city in southern Ukraine became a humanitarian hub. Reported by Tim Mak | NPR News It’s been too dangerous for many Ukrainians to leave their house — let alone make an escape. But some have found ways to cross the frontlines, navigating dangerous check points, to safer areas. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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UK and U.S. Governments Are Primary Obstacles to Peace Negotiations: Ukrainian News Outlet, by Abdul Rahman | Peoples Dispatch / Global Research A recent report in Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda, quoting officials from the Ukrainian president’s office, claimed that talks between Ukraine and Russia have stopped due to pressure exerted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his unannounced visit to Kiev on April 9. According to the report, Johnson came to Kiev on a surprise visit apparently to “express solidarity” and announce financial and military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. However, during his meeting with Zelensky, Johnson asked him not to continue with the talks which were going on in Turkey, asserting that Putin needs to be defeated. Zelensky’s public position on talks with Russia shifted dramatically following this visit. Only a few days prior . . . READ MORE . . .

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Jesus, Endless War & U.S. Fascism, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost.com The Democratic Party — which had 50 years to write Roe v. Wade into law with Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama in full control of the White House and Congress at the inception of their presidencies — is banking its electoral strategy around the expected Supreme Court decision to lift the judicial prohibition on the ability of states to enact laws restricting or banning abortions. I doubt it will work. The . . . party’s hypocrisy and duplicity is the fertilizer for Christian fascism.  . . . The Christian fascists have coalesced in cult-like fashion around Donald Trump. They are bankrolled by the most retrograde forces of capitalism. . . . No military budget is too big. No war waged by America is . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 5-10-22

To begin, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, TeleSUR, and National Public Radio. — MCM

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Ukraine pushes Russian troops back in counter-offensive in east, by Jonathan Landay | Reuters * Ukraine counter-offensive could shift war’s momentum * Ukrainian forces seeking to cut off Russian supply lines * Setback for Moscow at moment when Putin had aimed for victory | KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukraine said today its forces had recaptured villages from Russian troops, pressing a major counter-offensive in the northeast of the country that could signal a shift in the war’s momentum and jeopardise Russia’s main advance. READ MORE . . .

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Russia pounds vital port of Odesa, targeting supply lines, by Elena Becatoroes and Jon Gambrell | The Associated Press ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Russian troops pounded away at the vital port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said today, an apparent effort to disrupt the supply lines and weapons shipments that have been critical to Kyiv’s defense. Ukraine’s ability to stymie a larger, better armed Russian military has surprised many observers. READ MORE . . .

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Biden signs Ukraine bill, seeks $40B aid, in Putin rejoinder, by Zeke Miller and Lisa Mascaro | The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Washington sought to portray a united front against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan measure to reboot the World War II-era “lend-lease” program, which helped defeat Nazi Germany, to bolster Kyiv and Eastern European allies. The signing Monday came as the U.S. Congress is poised to unleash billions more to fight the war against Russia — with Democrats preparing $40 billion in military and humanitarian aid, larger than the $33 billion package Biden has requested. It all serves as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Our Military Operation in Ukraine Replies to NATO Menace: Putin. From TeleSUR. During the annual “Great Patriotic War Victory Day” parade on Monday, President Vladimir Putin assured that the Russian military operation in Ukraine is a preemptive response to threats from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) against its national security. . . . He recalled that his administration called on NATO to negotiate a security guarantee agreement in December 2021 that would prevent the expansion of this military alliance towards the Russian borders. “The call to dialogue, however, was all in vain” . . . READ MORE . . .

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Bono and The Edge performed in a subway station in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reported by Steve Inskeep | NPR. Two of the members of the Irish rock band U2 played in support of Ukraine on an invitation from President Zelenskyy. Click HERE to listen.

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The U.S. may soon export more gas to the EU, complicating climate goals. Reported by Halle Parker | WWNO / NPR To help wean Europe off Russian gas, the White House wants to increase natural gas exports. Critics say that’s at odds with climate goals. (Story first aired on All Things Considered on May 4, 2022.) Click HERE to listen and read. (Segment previously heard last Wednesday on “All Things Considered.)

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TO BE CONTINUED

Gallery

Ukraine, 5-9-22

To begin, links to Associated Press and Reuters reports and photos and National Public Radio reports. Then, links to two TeleSUR reports. All are linked to others related to the war in Ukraine. Then, via Consortium News, links to an essay comparing expenditures addressing global warming with military expenditures, and an update on PayPal’s banning of CN. Finally, from Mintpress News, which Wikipedia describes as “an American far-left news website,” a podcast on government funding of “independent” news outlets. (Mintpress appears to have been banned by PayPall as well.) — MCM

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No end in sight for Ukraine war as Putin hails Victory Day, by Elena Becatoros and Jon Gambrell | The Associated Press ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin used a major patriotic holiday today to again justify his war in Ukraine but did not declare even a limited victory or signal where the conflict was headed, as his forces continued to pummel targets across the country with few signs of significant progress. . . . But his much-anticipated speech offered no new insights to how he intended to salvage the grinding war — and instead stuck to allegations that Ukraine posed a threat to Russia, even though Moscow’s nuclear-armed forces are far superior in numbers and firepower.“The danger was rising by the day,” he said as he surveyed the troops. “Russia has given a pre-emptive response to aggression. It was a forced, timely and the only correct decision.” READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians report fierce fighting as Russia marks Soviet WW2 victory, by Alessandra Prentice | Reuters * Putin leads celebrations of Soviet victory in WW2 * 60 killed after Russian shell hits school in Ukraine’s east * Mariupol residents evacuate, soldiers hold out in steelworks | ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin told his armed forces today they were fighting for their country at a parade of Russian firepower in Moscow, while his troops stepped up their 10-week-old assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said heavy fighting was underway in eastern Ukraine and warned people to take cover from expected missile strikes as Moscow marked the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. READ MORE . . .

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The New York Times’ can’t shake the cloud over a 90-year-old Pulitzer Prize. By David Folkenflik | NPR The New York Times is looking to add to its list of 132 Pulitzer Prizes — by far the most of any news organization — when the 2022 recipients for journalism are announced today. Yet the war in Ukraine has renewed questions of whether the Times should return a Pulitzer awarded 90 years ago for work by Walter Duranty, its charismatic chief correspondent in the Soviet Union. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Finalists from Ukraine will compete virtually in an international science fair. NPR’s Leila Fadel speaks with students from Ukraine who are finalists in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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The war in Ukraine is exacerbating food insecurity in Afghanistan. Reported by Diaa Hadid | NPR The crisis in Ukraine is causing more food insecurity for people in Afghanistan, who are already going hungry in a country roiled by conflict, drought, pandemic and a freeze on national assets. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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First lady Jill Biden spent part of Mother’s Day in Ukraine. Reported by Scott Detrow | NPR First lady Jill Biden made an unannounced stop in Ukraine on Sunday during a tour of Eastern Europe. She met with Ukraine’s first lady, who made her first public appearance since the war began. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Russia: President Putin Sends Congratulations on Victory Day. From TeleSUR. On the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the victory against Nazi Germany, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the leaders and citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Donbas republics, as well as the peoples of Georgia and Ukraine. “In his congratulations, the Russian president specifically noted that on this day we pay tribute to gratitude and respect for the soldiers and frontline workers who crushed Nazism at the cost of countless victims and hardships,” a statement from the Kremlin press service said. READ MORE . . .

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Russia Completes Evacuation of Civilians from Azovstal Plant. From TeleSUR. The Russian National Defense Management Center reports the completion of the operation to evacuate civilians from Azovstal in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. “Thanks to the unprecedented measures of the leadership of the Russian Federation, with the active participation of the representatives of the United Nations Organization (UN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the humanitarian operation to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant was completed today [May 7],” the head of the aforementioned Russian Center, Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, said at a briefing on Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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Money for Weapons as the Planet Burns, by Vijay Prashad | Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research Two important reports were released last month, neither getting the kind of attention they deserve. On April 4, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Working Group III report was published, evoking a strong reaction from the United Nations’ Secretary General António Guterres. The report, he said, “is a litany of broken climate promises. It is a file of shame, cataloguing the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unlivable world.”  At COP26, the developed countries pledged to spend a modest $100 billion for the Adaptation Fund to assist developing countries adapt to climate change. Meanwhile, on April 25, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) issued its annual report, finding that the world’s military spending, for the first time, surpassed the $2 trillion mark. The five largest spenders . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Mistaken’ PayPal Email Means CN Is Permanently Banned, by Joe Lauria | Consortium News A PayPal customer service agent on Thursday told Consortium News that an email sent to CN on Tuesday saying steps could be taken to restore the account was a “mistake” and that CN is indeed permanently banned from using its services. The email on Tuesday said: “Access to your account will remain limited until you perform the steps required to lift the limitation.” The steps needed to be taken were never specified. Now PayPal says that information was sent in error and there is nothing Consortium News can do to restore its account. CN is unlikely to want to restore the account after its experience with PayPal. But an . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Non-Independence of Western-Funded “Independent Media” in Ukraine. Rapper and activist Lowkey talks with Mintpress journalist Alan MacLeod about how the media is covering the conflict, and the promotion of supposedly “independent” Ukrainian media outlets that are quietly being funded by Western governments. There’s no transcript of the talk, but to listen to it and read an introduction, click HERE.