A link to commentary by a British observer via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 22  Something changed in the Assange case, by Craig Murray | CraigMurray.org.uk / Consortium News  In the normal run of things, if a very senior judge instructs you to give an assurance to their Court, it would probably not be wise to avoid . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

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

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Israeli forces push deeper in Gaza’s north and south, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli forces killed 35 Palestinians in aerial and ground bombardments across the Gaza Strip today and battled in close combat with Hamas-led militants in areas of the southern city of Rafah, health officials and Hamas media said. Israeli tanks . . . READ MORE with subscription . . .

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How does this end? With Hamas holding firm and fighting back in Gaza, Israel faces only bad options, by Joseph Krauss | AP  JERUSALEM — Diminished but not deterred, Hamas is still putting up a fight after seven brutal months of war with Israel, regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities. Israel initially . . . READ MORE . . .

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Fatah’s view on the ICC prosecutor seeking arrest warrants for Israel-Hamas leaders. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Sabri Saidam, a senior official with Fatah, a rival political party of Hamas, who says he welcomes international scrutiny of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 22  In Rafah: More than 900,000 flee and UN halts delivery of food aid. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  The UN says more than 900,000 Palestinians have fled from Rafah, which was the last sheltering place for people in Gaza, and where the Israeli military is expanding its incursion. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 22  Spain, Norway and Ireland say they will recognize a Palestinian state. Reported by Miguel Macias and Willem Marx | NPR  LONDON — The leaders of Ireland, Spain and Norway announced on Wednesday that their countries would formally recognize Palestinian statehood in the coming days. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he would recall the country’s ambassadors from the three countries for consultations. Click HERE to listen and for related article.

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Who is Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority president — and why does he matter? From Middle East Eye. Mahmoud Abbas, a long-time politician and architect of diplomatic ties with Israel, has been the president of the Palestinian Authority for nearly two decades since the death of former leader Yasser Arafat. Before dominating Palestinian politics, Abbas . . . READ MORE . . .

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West divided over ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant. From Anadolu Agency. While the International Criminal Court arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant have elicited various responses from Western countries, criticism of the ICC by nations such as the U.S. and the UK indicates that the international community is facing a test of sincerity. READ MORE . . .

 

 

 

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

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Russia is practicing nuclear drills near the border with Ukraine. Reported by Charles Maynes and A Martinez | NPR  Russia is carrying out drills with tactical battlefield nuclear weapons near the border with Ukraine. European leaders stated recently that they may be open to a more direct role in the conflict. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russian missiles kill 7 in Ukraine’s second-largest city where Moscow’s troops are pressing, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russian missiles slammed into Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast of the country and killed at least seven civilians early today, officials said, as Kyiv’s army labored to hold off an intense cross-border offensive by the Kremlin’s larger and better-equipped forces. READ MORE . . .

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Seven dead in Russian strikes on Kharkiv as Kyiv pleads for weapons, by Max Hunder and Anastasiia Malenko | Reuters  KHARKIV, Ukraine — Russia pounded Kharkiv with missiles today, killing seven people inside a printing house, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy chided Ukraine’s western allies for not providing enough military support to rebuff Russian attacks. READ MORE with subscription . . .

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Syrskyi: Russia ‘completely bogged down’ in Vovchansk street fighting, deploys reserves, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  “Completely bogged down” in street battles for the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian troops have suffered “very heavy losses,” Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said today. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine counterattacks recapture lost ground in Kharkiv sector, U.S.-made Strykers in action, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Official and open-source reports said Wednesday that Ukrainian troops counterattacking in the northern Kharkiv sector recovered lost ground and captured Russian prisoners of war, but bitter fighting in the town of Vovchansk . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia claims capture of village in east Ukraine’s Donetsk Regrion. From AFP. Russia said today it had captured the village of Andriivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Kyiv’s forces are suffering manpower and ammunition shortages and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia downs Ukrainian drone in Republic of Tatarstan. From the Moscow Times. Russian air defense systems today shot down a Ukrainian drone flying over the republic of Tatarstan, more than 1,000 kilometers northeast of Russia’s border with Ukraine. The Defense Ministry said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Woman killed in drone strike on Russia’s Belgorod Region. From the Moscow Times. A woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on southwestern Russia’s Belgorod region, local authorities said today. Photos showed . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Eye and Anadolu Agency; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and an ASSANGE entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Norway, Ireland and Spain say they will recognize a Palestinian state, deepening Israel’s isolation, by Joseph Wilson, Melanie Lidman and Joseph Krauss | AP  TEL AVIV — Norway, Ireland and Spain said today they would recognize a Palestinian state. Israel immediately denounced the decisions and recalled its ambassadors to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli forces move deeper into Rafah in night of heavy battle, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters CAIRO — Israeli tanks advanced to the edge of a crowded district in the heart of Rafah today during one of the most intense nights of bombardment of the southern Gaza city since Israel launched its offensive there this month. Israel says it has no choice but to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Norway, along with Ireland and Spain, to recognize Palestinian state, by Nerijus Adomaitis and Gwladys Fouche | Reuters  Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said today that Ireland, Norway, and Spain were announcing they would recognize the state of Palestine and take steps to give effect to the decision. He said he was confident other countries would take a similar step, adding that Ireland was resolute in fully recognising . . .READ MORE . …

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Spain, Norway and Ireland will recognize an independent Palestinian state. Reported by Leila Fadel and Miguel Macias | NPR  Norway, Ireland and Spain recognized a Palestinian state today in a historic move that drew immediate condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. Slovenia and Malta may follow. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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How 2 debunked accounts of sexual violence on Oct. 7 fueled a global dispute over Israel-Hamas war, by Tia Goldenberg and Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — It turns out that what a member of a search and rescue organization thought had occurred at a home in the kibbutz ravaged by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack had not. But it took months for the organization to acknowledge that his and other mistaken accounts were wrong. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 21  Biden responds to the ICC seeking arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  President Biden called it outrageous that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and defense minister and three Hamas leaders. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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FROM MAY 21  Israeli authorities briefly seize the Associated Press’ broadcasting equipment. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  Israeli authorities have seized broadcasting equipment of the Associated Press. It had been used to create a live feed into Northern Gaza filmed from the Israeli border. Click HERE to listen and read.

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The ICC has suspended Israel’s licence to kill, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  For 76 years, Israelhad a narrative more robust as a protective shield than any Iron Dome. Self-determination for post-Holocaust Jewry was not merely a necessity, this narrative went, it was a moral imperative. Any state that emerged was immune . . . READ MORE . . .

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West divided over ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant. From Anadolu Agency. While the International Criminal Court arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant have elicited various responses from Western countries, criticism of the ICC by nations such as the US and the UK indicates . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Post, National Public Radio, and Tass, and to commentary from Indian Punchline and ScheerPost. (GAZA entry for this date and an ASSANGE entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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UK defence minister says intelligence has evidence of Chinese lethal aid to Russia. From Reuters.LONDON — British defence minister Grant Shapps accused China today of providing or preparing to provide Russia with lethal aid for use by Moscow in its war against Ukraine. Shapps said U.S. and British defence intelligence had evidence . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian army says recaptured village in Ukraine’s Luhansk. From AFP.  Russia said today its forces retook Klishchiivka, one of only a handful of villages on the eastern front that Ukraine regained during its counteroffensive last summer. READ MORE . . .

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Russian guided bombs hit residential area in Kharkiv, nine injured. From Reuters. A Russian air attack on Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv today injured at least nine people, at least one severely, and set fire to a residential building, local officials said. READ MORE . . .

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Russian attacks on Ukraine power grid touch Kyiv with blackouts ahead of peak demand, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced leaders of the war-ravaged country to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine army gunners now finding — some – shells to hit latest Russian assault, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Ukrainian gunners for the first time in months appear to have had enough artillery shells to take on big Russian ground attacks, but supplies . . . READ MORE . . .

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Former NATO secretary-general wants to see Ukraine admitted to the alliance quickly. Leila Fadel of NPR speaks with former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen about what it might mean if NATO invited Ukraine to join the alliance as soon as this year, Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russian drone kills Ukrainian police officer evacuating frontline village. From AFP.  A Russian drone attack killed a Ukrainian police officer who was evacuating civilians from the front line village of Vovchansk in the northeast Kharkiv region, Ukraine’s interior minister said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Kleshcheyevka community in Donetsk area over past day — top brass. From Tass.  MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the settlement of Kleshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 21  The ‘inside track’ of Putin-Xi Jinping talks, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The summit meeting at Beijing last Thursday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place at a momentous juncture when . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 21  Putin and Xi embrace in defiance of the West. Robert Scheer of ScheerPost “plays president” as he talks with CIA veteran Ray McGovern following last week’s summit meeting in Beijing between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Click HERE to watch and listen.

Links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press and Consortium News, and to commentary from ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 20  WikiLeaks founder allowed to appeal extradition from UK to U.S., by Michael Holden and Sam Tobin | Reuters  LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was given permission on Monday to appeal against extradition to the United States after arguing at London’s High Court that he might not be able to rely on his right to free speech in a U.S. court. The Australian-born Assange, 52, is . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 20  Timeline of the Assange legal saga over extradition to the US on espionage charges, by Sylvia Hui | AP  LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange won a key battle on Monday in his decade-and-a-half-long attempt to avoid extradition to the United States on espionage charges. Two judges at London’s High Court . . . READ MORE . . .

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Assange wins right to appeal on 1st Amendment issue, by Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  LONDON — The High Court in London on Monday granted Julian Assange the right to appeal the order to extradite him to the United States on the grounds that the U.S. did not satisfy the court that it would allow Assange a First Amendment defense in a U.S. court. READ MORE . . .

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The slow-motion execution of Julian Assange continues, by Chris Hedges | Original to ScheerPost  The decision by the High Court in London to grant Julian Assange the right to appeal the order to extradite him to the United States may prove to be a Pyrrhic victory. It does not mean Julian will elude extradition. It does not mean . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio and the Associated Press, and to commentary via ScheeerPost from System Update; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and an ASSANGE entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli troops push into Jabalia, airstrikes kill five in Rafah, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  Israeli forces thrust deeper into the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza today, laying waste to residential districts with tank and air bombardments, residents said, while Israeli air strikes killed at least five people in the southern city of Rafah. Simultaneous Israeli assaults on . . . READ MORE . . . 

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Israel tries to contain the fallout after some allies support ICC prosecutor’s request for warrants, by Tia Goldenberg | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel sought today to contain the fallout from a request by the chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, a move supported by three European countries, including key ally France. READ MORE . . .

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ICC prosecutor says Israel’s Netanyahu is responsible for crimes including starvation. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Daniel Estrin | NPR  The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague announced that he will seek arrest warrants for top leaders from both Israel and Hamas. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 20  The ICC is seeking arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders. Reported by Rob Schmitz | NPR  The International Criminal Court in The Hague has announced that it is seeking arrest warrants for leaders of both Hamas and Israel – including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Click HERE to listen and read.

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How is Israel responding to the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants? Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer about the ICC’s application for arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 20  President Biden’s ‘pathetic’ diplomacy and Israel’s war in Gaza. Glenn Greenwald of System Update talks with Professor Jeffrey Sachs about the U.S. temporary suspension of the transfer of some weapons to Israel and the crackdown on encampment protestors. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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

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ICC seeks arrest of Israel’s Netanyahu over war crimes in Gaza. From Middle East Eye. The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas, on the grounds of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the prosecutor’s office announced today. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli defense minister says the military will expand operations into Rafah. From AP. Israel’s defense minister said today the military would expand its operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, while the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced he’s seeking arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leaders in connection with their actions during the seven-month war. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 19  Israel’s growing isolation. Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR  Despite widespread condemnation, Israel appears intent on pushing further in Rafah. That’s raising questions of whether it’s slipping toward international isolation. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 19  Anger at Netanyahu cuts through a somber Tel Aviv rally to bring home the hostages. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  The families of the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack held a rally Saturday night. A number of Western ambassadors attended. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Int’l community extends one hand with aid to Gaza, other with weapons to bomb it, Al-Azhar says. From Middle East Monitor. The world is suffering from “schizophrenia”, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, said Sunday, adding that countries are providing aid to help Palestinians in Gaza while also providing Israel the weapons it is using to strike and kill civilians. READ MORE . . .

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Nakba commemoration is taking on a new meaning, by Amira Abo el-Fetouh | MEMO  We must never forget that 15 May, Nakba Day, is when the heart of the Arab people was torn away from us and our land in Palestine was stolen from us before the eyes of the entire world, which . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian liberal media isn’t telling the full story about Gaza, by Alexandra Lisogor | The Moscow Times  Hamas’ deadly October 7 attack against Israel and the subsequent assault on Gaza by the Israeli Defense Force has ostensibly divided the world into two adversarial camps. Russian liberal media have almost unanimously adopted a pro-Israeli stance, portraying . . . READ MORE . . .

 

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

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Assessing the Russia-Ukraine war since the latest offensive began around Kharkiv. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor about the impacts and strategies involving Russia’s latest offensive on northeastern Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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West to push for Ukraine deal on their terms, Russia won’t bend — Medvedev. From Tass. MOSCOW — The decision to make peace with Russia will be made not by the Ukrainian president but by the U.S. and its allies, who will try to get Moscow to sign an unfair deal, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev told TASS, assuring that Russia will never sign such a treaty. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 18  Zelensky: ‘Our partners fear that Russia will lose this war,‘ by Dinara Khalilova and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  President Volodymyr Zelensky believes Ukraine’s allies would like Kyiv “to win in such a way that Russia does not lose,” he said Saturday. He said allies “fear” Russia’s loss in the war because it would involve “unpredictable geopolitics.” READ MORE . . .