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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.

Ukraine, 5-8-22

For now, the sole link below should suffice for regular visitors to this blog. There’s a lot to chew on. I may add another segment or three but recommend spending some time on this one. — MCM

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No Such Thing as Dissent in the Age of Big Tech. Consortium News editor Joe Lauria chats with Robert Scheer of ScheerPost about how Internet companies including PayPal, YouTube and Facebook are quashing non-mainstream reporting and opinions on Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and to read the transcript and at least 41 comments.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 5-7-22

A seasoned observer’s look at Russia’s military condition in advance of an important event in Moscow is linked below, readable only for Berkshire Eagle subscribers. Second and third, Associated Press and Reuters summaries made available at about 4 this afternoon EDT. — MCM

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Russia’s Potemkin army to parade on Red Square, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle  During my eight years in Moscow, the annual May 9 Victory over Nazism Parade was a huge, nationally televised extravaganza. Journalists parsed President Vladimir Putin’s speech. Military attaches from Western embassies studied new armaments with binoculars. Hours before the big day, Russian Air Force planes “seeded” chemical substance in clouds to prevent rain. Now, all eyes and ears are on Putin’s speech. Will he declare “victory” in Ukraine’s Donbas, a . . . Berkshire Eagle subscribers may click HERE to read more.

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Ukraine evacuates civilians from steel plant under siege, by Elena Becatoros and Jon Gambrell | The Associated Press ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Saturday and bombarded a besieged steel mill in Mariupol, hoping to complete their conquest of the port in time for Victory Day celebrations. Ukraine announced that all women, children and older adults had been evacuated from the mill, a key Russian war objective. In a sign of the unexpectedly effective defense that has sustained the fighting into its 11th week, Ukraine’s military flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that was captured in the war’s first days and has become a symbol of resistance. Western military analysts also said a . . . READ. MORE . . .

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Ukraine says all women, children now evacuated from Mariupol steel mill, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters * Women, children and elderly evacuated, deputy PM says * Not clear if other civilians remain * Russian forces try to storm Azovstal, Ukraine military says * CIA director says Putin ‘doubling down’ on conflict * WHO documents 200 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine | KYIV — All women, children and elderly civilians have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said today, despite what military officers said was an ongoing Russian assault at the plant. “This part of the . . . READ. MORE . . .

TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 5-6-22

First, links to versions of Associated Press reports used in two western Massachusetts daily newspapers today, and to a Reuters mid-morning summary. Then, via Yahoo! News, a link to a New York Times look at some “restraint” on Russia’s part in the war. Next, links to two National Public Radio reports. — MCM

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New effort races to rescue civilians from Mariupol plant, by Elena Becatoros and Jon Gambrell | The Associated Press ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — A new international effort raced today to rescue more civilians from the tunnels under a besieged steel plant in Mariupol and the city at large, even as fighters holed up at the sprawling complex made their last stand to prevent Moscow’s complete takeover of the strategic port. The fight . . . appeared increasingly desperate amid growing speculation that President Vladimir Putin wants to finish the battle for Mariupol so he can present a triumph to the Russian people in time for Monday’s Victory Day, the biggest patriotic . . . READ MORE . . . 

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Official: US gave intel before Ukraine sank Russian warship, by Aamer Madhani, Norman Merchant and Lolita C. Baldor | AP WASHINGTON — The U.S. says it shared intelligence with Ukraine about the location of the Russian missile cruiser Moskva prior to the strike that sank the warship, an incident that was a high-profile failure for Russia’s military. An American official said Thursday that Ukraine alone decided to target and sink the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet using its own anti-ship missiles. But given Russia’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says new Mariupol evacuation has begun, despite reports of fighting, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters * Civilians trapped in steel works under Russian siege * Russian-back fighter says defenders have ‘little left’ * Kremlin: Time for feting Victory Day in Mariupol will come * 400 medical centres destroyed, damaged, Zelenskiy says * EU to tweak sanctions plan to win over eastern states | KYIV — Ukraine said a new attempt had begun on Friday to evacuate scores of civilians trapped in a ruined steel works in the city of Mariupol, after bloody fighting with Russian forces thwarted efforts to bring them to safety the previous day. Mariupol, a strategic southern port on the Azov Sea, has endured the most destructive siege of the 10-week-old war, and the sprawling Soviet-era Azovstal steel plant is the last part of the city still in the hands of holdout Ukrainian . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s War Has Been Brutal, but Putin Has Shown Some Restraint. Why?, by Anton Troianovski and Julian E. Barnes | The New York Times Russia’s war against Ukraine has leveled cities, killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions of others from their homes. But quietly, some military analysts and Western officials are asking why the onslaught has not been even worse. Russia could be going after Ukrainian railways, roads and bridges more aggressively to try to stanch . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russians wreak havoc on Ukrainian farms, mining fields and stealing equipment. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | National Public Radio BILKA, Ukraine — For Ukrainian farmer Anatolii Kulibaba, this year’s planting season comes with anguish. Kulibaba is among many who were forced to flee their land as Russian forces moved in with their tanks. In the first few days of the war, Russian soldiers delivered an even crueler blow: They killed Kulibaba’s son, Oleksandr, as he was traveling to their village of Bilka, 25 miles from the Russian border. “He was just 45. He had . . . Click HERE to listen and read the rest.

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The European Union is taking aim at Russia’s main revenue source: oil. Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR With the European Union countries vowing to stop buying Russian oil, India and China might get some more crude for a discount, but it is not going to make up the lost profits for Russia. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 5-5-22

To begin, the top reports from the Associated Press and Reuters websites at about 9 a.m. EDT. Then, an AP report featured this morning in many U.S. dailies. Next, four segments from National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.” Then, via Global Research and the Center for Action and Contemplation, considerations from Pope Francis and a less-known Roman Catholic leader. — MCM

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The AP Interview: Belarus admits Russia’s war ‘drugs on,’ by Ian Phillips | The Associated Press MINSK, Belarus — Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in an interview today with The Associated Press, but he said he didn’t expect the 10-week-old conflict to “drag on this way.” He also spoke out against the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine but wouldn’t say if Russian President Vladimir Putin had plans to launch such a strike. Lukashenko said Moscow . . . READ MORE . . .

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Love letter, ID card point to Russian units that terrorize Bucha, by Mari Saito | Reuters BUCHA, Ukraine — At the end of March, when Russian troops retreated from Bucha, a leafy suburb near Ukraine’s capital, they left reminders of their deadly occupation for all the world to see. Bodies were strewn in the streets. Quaint houses were reduced to rubble. A field near the town’s church had become a mass grave. Now, as Ukrainian and international prosecutors begin the work of identifying those responsible for the alleged atrocities, Reuters has examined the aftermath of Russia’s hasty retreat – and found vital clues to the identities of individual Russian soldiers and military units present . . . . Reuters journalists spent three weeks in Bucha interviewing more than 90 residents, reviewing photographic and video evidence . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine: Russia using ‘missile terrorism’ in wide attacks, by Jon Gambrell and Cara Anna | AP LVIV, UKRAINE Complaining that the West is “stuffing Ukraine with weapons,” Russia bombarded railroad stations and other supply-line targets across the country, as the European Union moved to further punish Moscow for the war Wednesday by proposing a ban on oil imports. Heavy fighting also raged at the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol that represented the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the ruined southern port city, according to the mayor. A Russian official denied that Moscow’s troops were storming the plant, but the commander of the main Ukrainian military unit inside said Russian troops had broken into the mill’s territory. The Russian military also said it used sea- and air-launched missiles to destroy electric . . . READ MORE . . .

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Attacks persist on Ukrainian steel plant, where some people managed to flee. NPR’s Leila Fadel speaks with Chris Hanger of the International Committee of the Red Cross about efforts to escort civilians out of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Logistics plays an important role in Ukraine getting weapons from the U.S. Reported by Tom Bowman | NPR The United States continues to send weapons and machinery to Ukraine to help in its war against Russia. The increase in shipments includes much needed howitzers from a U.S. base in Delaware. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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A complex operation is involved as the U.S. sends weapons to Ukraine. NPR’s Leila Fadel talks to Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, head of the U.S. Transportation Command, about the massive task of shipping weapons to Ukraine to help in the fight against Russia. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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The Russia-Ukraine war is taking a dramatic toll on children. Reported by Brian Mann | NPR Children in Ukraine are among the most at risk as Russia’s army continues to attack with ground troops and artillery. We hear from young people living near the front lines. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Pope Francis Suggests that NATO’s ‘Barking’ Provoked Russia’s Military Op in Ukraine, by Paul Antonopoulos | Global Research Pope Francis has suggested to Italian daily Corriere Della Sera that the “barking of NATO at the door of Russia” provoked the military operation in Ukraine and alluded that countries should not supply Ukraine with more arms. Specifically, the Pope said that Russia has “an anger that I don’t know whether it was provoked but was perhaps facilitated” by NATO’s unrelenting expansion towards the Eurasian Giant. Although Pope Francis denounced . . . READ MORE . . .

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War Is a Spiritual Problem, by Father Richard Rohr | Center for Action and Contemplation The nuclear myth, with its false promises of deterrence and security, gets us off almost all the hooks that the Divine Fisherman uses to draw us to deeper levels of spirituality and consciousness: our powerlessness, our essential insecurity, the desire to give one’s life for something bigger than oneself, our fear of death, our capacity for faith, trust, and forgiveness, our restless hearts that long to be united. Once we squelch spiritual energy in the name of hard-headed intellect and will, three not-so-obvious demons will move in to take the place of Spirit: expedience, law, and propriety. I see many . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 5-4-22

To start, two reports that led the Reuters and Associated Press websites for “breaking news” early this afternoon EDT: a Reuters summary and an Associated Press investigative report. Then, four recent reports from National Public Radio. Finally, via Global Research, a brief segment and two longer essays on some context in which the writers place the war in Ukraine and onlookers’ perceptions.  — MCM

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EU targets Russian oil, banks as Ukraine says Russian offensive intensifies, by Natalia Zinets and Francesco Guarascio | Reuters * EU proposes toughest sanctions yet on Russia * Ukraine keeps wary eye on Belarusian army drills * Russia says NATO arms supplies to Ukraine are target * More evacuees leave on buses from Mariupol | KYIV/BRUSSELS — The European Union proposed its toughest sanctions yet against Russia on today, including a phased oil embargo, as Kyiv said Moscow was intensifying an offensive in eastern Ukraine and close Russian ally Belarus announced large-scale army drills. Nearly 10 weeks into a war that has killed thousands of people, uprooted millions and flattened Ukrainian cities, Russia was intensifying its . . . READ MORE . . .

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AP evidence points to 600 dead in Mariupol theater air strike, by Lori Hinnant, Mstyslav Chernov and Vasilisa Stepanenko | The Associated Press LVIV, Ukraine — She stood in just her bathrobe in the freezing basement of the Mariupol theater, coated in white plaster dust shaken loose by the explosion. Her husband tugged at her to leave and begged her to cover her eyes. But she couldn’t help it — Oksana Syomina looked. And to this day, she wishes she hadn’t. Bodies were strewn everywhere, including those of children. By the main exit, a little girl lay still on the floor. Syomina had to step on the dead to escape the building that had served as the Ukrainian city’s main bomb shelter for more than a week. The wounded . . . READ MORE . . .

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EU proposes a ban on Russian oil imports. National Public Radio’s Leila Fadel speaks with Ben Cahill at the Center for Strategic and International Studies about a European Union proposal to phase out imports of Russian oil and refined products. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Evacuees who were holed up in a street plant hope the others can get out, by Joanna Kakissis | NPR Evacuation efforts continue in Mariupol — even as Russian forces continue to shell the besieged Ukrainian city. Roughly 100 evacuees have now arrived in the city of Zaporizhzhia. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Israel slams Russia’s foreign minister for comparing Zelenskyy to Hitler. Reported by Rachel Treisman | NPR Israeli officials are castigating Russia and demanding an apology for comments its foreign minister made about Nazism over the weekend. It’s the strongest condemnation of Russia by Israel since the war in Ukraine began in February. It all started on Sunday . . . Click HERE to listen and to read more.

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Angelina Jolie met with refugees and volunteers during a surprise visit to Lviv. Reported by Rachel Treisman | NPR American actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie made a surprise visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv over the weekend, where she met with people displaced by the war and visited some of the facilities and organizations that are busy helping them. Jolie has been . . . Click HERE to listen and to read more.

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As Biden Asks for $33 Billion, Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff Surface in Ukraine Meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, By Sundance | The Last Refuge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a quietly organized trip with a small group of senior House Democrats, including Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) to Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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These Countries Are Willing to Risk U.S. Ire over Russia-Ukraine, by Stephen Kinzer | Responsible Statecraft Americans are fervently cheering for Ukraine in a war that many believe is a decisive struggle for human freedom. The intensity of our infatuation makes it easy to assume that everyone in the world shares it. They don’t. The impassioned American reaction is matched only in Europe, Canada, and the handful of U.S. allies in East Asia. For many people in the rest of the world, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is just another pointless Western war in which they have no stake. The two biggest countries in Latin America, Mexico and Brazil . . . READ MORE . . .

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Reality vs. Illusion. People Have Been Robbed of Their Ability to ‘Decipher between Fact and Fiction,’ by Dustin Broadbery | Global Research CIA Director William Casey is reputed to have said to Ronald Reagan “We’ll know our disinformation is complete when everything the American public believes is false.” Fast forward thirty years, and there’s no piece of fiction the masses will not swallow. From Woke to COVID to the war in Ukraine, people no longer make their own ideological pilgrimages to the truth – the truth is served oven-ready by their political betters. Nowadays, there’s little distinction between the two hemispheres: reality and illusion. It’s not so much . . . READ MORE . . .

Audio

Ukraine, 5-3-22

For the first time in months the Associated Press’s homepage, which features a collection of AP news stories of the day, did not lead off today with something related to the war in Ukraine, but rather with THIS STORY about the leaked Supreme Court draft suggesting the likelihood that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, illustrated with a photo of demonstrators outside the justices’ offices last night. That may or may not indicate that Americans and citizens of other NATO member countries are increasingly souring on U.S.-led war’s continuation and Washington’s desire for regime change in Russia and that it’s time to de-emphasize coverage. The same alteration has occurred at Reuters, which also led its homepage with the Supreme Court news.

Below, please find an AP news brief from around 10:25 a.m. EDT, linked to other Ukraine war-related stories from the news service; AP (but not this blog) will update it constantly. At about 11, the Reuters news related to the war began with just a few words, owing to some kind of electronic interference, but was added to later. Next, via Popular Resistance, are the beginnings of offerings from Scheer Post and the LA Progressive, by Chris Hedges and Tim Duff. Finally,  two National Public Radio reports from “Morning Edition.” — MCM

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Putin: Russia ready for talks with Ukraine. From The Associated Press.  MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has told French President Emmanuel Macron that Moscow is ready for talks with Ukraine. The Kremlin said in its readout of Tuesday’s call that “despite Kyiv’s inconsistency and its lack of readiness for serious work, the Russian side is still ready for dialogue.” The Kremlin added that Putin also informed Macron about the course of Russia’s “special military operation.” It added that the two leaders also discussed the global food security and Putin underlined that Western sanctions have exacerbated the situation.

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Putin puts West on notice: Russia can terminate exports and deals, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  * Putin begins Russia’s bite-back over Ukraine sanctions * Gives wide powers to cut raw material, produce exports * Forbids transactions with sanctioned entities * Retaliatory moves could wreak chaos across markets * Who will be on sanctions lists will now be key | LONDON — Russian President Vladimir Putin put the West on notice today that he could terminate exports and deals, the Kremlin’s toughest response yet to the sanctions burden imposed by the United States and allies over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Putin, Russia’s paramount leader since 1999, signed . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Age of Self-Delusion, by Chris Hedges | Scheer Post /Educate! Blinded by what Barbara Tuchman calls “the bellicose frivolity of senile empires,” we are marching ominously towards war with Russia. How else might we explain Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s public declaration that the US goal is to “weaken Russia” and Joe Biden’s request for another $33 billion in “emergency” military and economic aid (half of what Russia spent on its military in 2021) for Ukraine? The same cabal of generals and politicians that drained the state of trillions . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine: The American Tyranny of Power, by Tim Duff | LA Progressive/Educate! The history of the U.S. intelligence operations goes back to World War II. Stephen Bandera was released from prison by OSS officers in 1944. Bandera was a Nazi operative whose militia slaughtered Poles, Jews and communist workers on the eastern front. The OSS/CIA recruited . . . READ MORE . . .

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Rep. Adam Schiff was among the U.S. lawmakers who met with Ukraine’s president. NPR’s Rachel Martin spoke with House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who was in the delegation led by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that conferred with the leaders of Ukraine and Poland. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, to read.

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In the war on Ukraine, rape has been used as a weapon. NPR’s Leila Fadel talks with British lawmaker Armika Helic about how rape and sexual violence are being used as weapons in Russia’s war on Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, to read.

 

Ukraine, 5-2-22

To start, an item from Consortium News that may or may not be related to the war in Ukraine, concerning PayPal’s cancelation of the Consortium News account just as it was beginning its spring fund drive; readers are invited to visit recent entries in this blog with Consortium News contributions. Next, links to two Associated Press and Reuters reports related to the war, both linked to other Reuters and AP stories. Then, three National Public Readio reports from “Morning Edition.” — MCM

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PayPal Cancels CN Account; May Seize Balance, by Joe Lauria | Consortium News PayPaL has canceled Consortiium News’ account without any prior notice or due process and with virtually no explanation. As Consortium News is today launching its Spring Fund Drive, it has lost one of its most important ways for its viewers and readers to show their support through donations.  Clicking on the yellow PayPal donate button on our home page now yields this message: “This organization is currently ineligible to receive donations.” PayPal has sent an email to CN that says: “You can’t use PayPal anymore. … We noticed activity in your account . . . READ MORE . . .

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First civilians leave Mariupol steel plant; hundreds remain, by Cara Anna and Inna Varenytsia | The Associated Press ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — People fleeing besieged Mariupol described weeks of bombardments and deprivation as they arrived today in Ukrainian-held territory, where officials and relief workers anxiously awaited the first group of civilians freed from a steel plant that is the last redoubt of Ukrainian fighters in the devastated port city. Video posted online Sunday by Ukrainian forces showed elderly women and mothers with small children climbing over a steep pile of rubble from the sprawling Azovstal steel plant and eventually boarding a bus. . . . The evacuation, if successful, would represent rare progress in easing the human cost of the almost 10-week . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian evacuee recounts terror in the bunkers of Azovstal. From Reuters. BEZIMENNE, Ukraine — Cowering in the labyrinth of Soviet-era bunkers far beneath the vast Azovstal steel works, Natalia Usmanova felt her heart would stop she was so terrified as Russian bombs rained down on Mariupol, sprinkling her with concrete dust. Usmanova, 37, spoke to Reuters on Sunday after being evacuated from the plant, a sprawling complex founded under Josef Stalin and designed with a subterranean network of bunkers and tunnels to withstand attack.”I feared that the bunker would not withstand it . . . READ MORE . . .

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Many ex-Soviet republics do not want Russian troops operating in their country. Reported by Greg Myre | National Public Radio The focus is Ukraine, but Russian troops have been in five former Soviet republics this year — a reflection of Vladimir Putin’s desire to maintain a “sphere of influence” beyond Russia’s borders. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, to read.

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While a hundred people escaped a Ukrainian steel plant, more are still trapped. Reported by Rachel Martin and Tim Mak | NPR Reports say as soon as evacuations started from the plant, Russian shelling resumed. Also, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic lawmakers in Kyiv. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, to read.

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Where is the U.S. military aid heading to Ukraine making the most difference? NPR’s Rachel Martin talks to Barry Pavel of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, about the mechanics of military aid to Ukraine and the prospect of a long conflict. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, to read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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Ukraine, 5-1-22

First and second, links to Reuters and Associated Press reports from early afternoon EDT, both linked to the news services’ related stories. Then, via Popular Resistance, an assessment by Moon of Alabama. Next, from TeleSUR, a report on the Kremlin response to a U.S. State Department statement on possible additional sanctions. — MCM

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CIvilians evacuated from Mariupol; U.S. Speaker Pelosi visits Kyiv. From Reuters. * U.N. confirms ‘safe passage’ operation under way from Mariupol * Pelosi says U.S. stands with Ukraine after meeting Zelenskiy * Russia says it destroyed weapons supplied by Western nations * Moscow steps up assault in Ukraine’s south, eastern Donbas * Kharkiv residents warned to stay in bomb shelters today | KYIV/BEZIMENNE, Ukraine — Around 100 Ukrainian civilians were being evacuated from a ruined steelworks in the city of Mariupol today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, after the United Nations had confirmed a “safe passage operation” was in progress there. Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Azov Sea, has endured . . . READ MORE . . .

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Evacuations underway in Mariupol; Pelosi visits Ukraine, by Cara Anna and Yesica Fisch | The Associated Press ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — A long-awaited effort to evacuate people from a steel plant in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was underway today, the United Nations said, while U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed she visited Ukraine’s president to show unflinching American support for the country’s defense against Russian aggression. . . . As many as 100,000 people are believed to still be in blockaded Mariupol, including up to 1,000 civilians who were hunkered down with an estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters beneath the Soviet-era steel plant — the only part of the city not occupied by the Russians. Like other evacuations . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine — Doubling Down, by Moon of Alabama | Educate! The Russian side is making some progress in the war In Ukraine. While the differences on the map look small, the repositioning of forces that had threatened Kiev is finished and the Russian military is now seriously degrading and grinding down the Ukrainian forces in Donbas. According to the daily reports of Russia’s Ministry of Defense the Ukraine is losing several hundred soldiers and some 30 armored vehicles per day, most of them to artillery. . . .  “Western” propagandists are noting that their side is losing. . . . The typical U.S. reaction to losing is to double down. This can be done financially . . . Most of above sums will go the U.S. arms industry to deliver weapons for which the Ukraine has little use or which never will reach the frontline. The rest will be pilfered by Ukrainian oligarchs. . . . . There is also the possibility of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia: US Bill on Frozen Assets Is a Distortion of Int´l Law. From TeleSUR. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that Washington is considering the possibility of seizing the sanctioned assets of the Russian government and using them in projects to help Ukraine. Moscow views the U.S. bill allowing the transfer of the seized Russian assets to Ukraine as a “flagrant” distortion of the law, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. According to Peskov, such legislation is nothing but “expropriation of private property”. “This clearly . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 4-30-22

First, links to Associated Press and Reuters reports from late morning EDT, both linked to the news services’ other stories. Next, via Consortium News, the beginnings of two pieces that underscore differences in Ukraine before and after the February 2014 coup d’état. — MCM

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Ukrainians plead for Mariupol rescue; Russian advance crawls, by Mstyslav Chernov and Yesica Fisch | The Associated Press KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces fought today to hold off a Russian advance aimed at capturing an eastern industrial region along with Ukraine’s last holdout in the southern city of Mariupol, where fighters and civilians hiding under a heavily damaged steel mill endure agonizing conditions. The United Nations continued trying to broker an evacuation of civilians from the sprawling Soviet-era plant and other bombed-out ruins of Mariupol . . . . The Russians put the number of Ukrainian soldiers at the plant at about 2,000. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says Russia pounding Donbas, failing to take targets, by Natalia Zinets | Reuters * Russia continues assault on eastern Ukraine * Ukraine says Russians ‘not succeeding’ in taking targets * Russia’s Lavrov: lifting sanctions is part of peace talks * U.S. Congress to pass Ukraine aid and weapons package soon | KYIV — Russian forces pounded Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region today but failed to capture three target areas, Ukraine’s military said, while Moscow said Western sanctions on Russia and arms shipments to Ukraine were impeding peace negotiations. . . . Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in remarks . . . READ MORE . . .

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Curfew for Anniversary of Odessa Massacre That Sparked Rebellion, by Joe Lauria | Consortium News Authorities in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa have set a 24-hour curfew from May 1-3 to prevent protests commemorating the burning alive on May 2, 2014, of 48 people who had rejected the U.S.-backed coup in Kiev earlier that year. The city, which is  “[under the control of Ukrainian troops], announced the introduction of a ‘curfew’ in the city from 22-00 on May 1 to 5-00 on May 3. For the duration of the ‘curfew’ Odessans are not allowed to leave their homes,” said the group Repression of the Left and Dissenters in Ukraine in a Telegram post. “Obviously, this decision of the authorities is due to the fact that May 2 is a very important date for the inhabitants of Odessa.” On that day eight years ago . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Real Zelensky, by Natylie Baldwin | The Grayzone A comedic actor who rose to Ukraine’s highest office in 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky was virtually unknown to the average American, except perhaps as a bit player in former U.S. President Donald Trump’s impeachment theater. American news consumers were bombarded with images of a man who appeared overcome by the tragic events, possibly in over his head, but ultimately sympathetic.  It didn’t take long for that image to evolve into the khaki-clad, tireless hero governing over a scrappy little democracy and single-handedly staving off the barbarians of autocracy from the east. . . . Ukrainian academic Olga Baysha, author of Democracy, Populism, and Neoliberalism in Ukraine: On the Fringes of the Virtual and the Real, has studied Zelensky’s rise to power and how he has wielded that power . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED