First, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, Agence France-Presse, and Le Monde; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, via GlobalReserch and Consortium News, a link to commentary from Declassified UK. — MCM

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Ukraine appears to have started its next big move against Russia. Reported by Tom Bowman and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Pentagon officials met today with other nations supporting the war, and Kyiv says it’s steadfast in pushing Russia out of the country altogether. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ukraine harasses Russian border regions, Russia strikes Dnipro clinic, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russia’s southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine came under attack from Ukrainian artillery fire today, authorities said, hours after at least one nighttime blast rocked a Russian city in a region next to the annexed Crimea peninsula. The Kremlin’s forces, meanwhile, struck a clinic in Dnipro, in central Ukraine, killing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine shoots down 10 missiles in Russian attacks, oil depot hit, by Olena Harmash and Gleb Garanich | Reuters KYIV — Ukraine shot down 10 missiles and over 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on the capital Kyiv, the city of Dnipro and eastern regions, Ukrainian officials said today. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said a fire had broken out on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Kharkiv after an oil depot was hit twice, and that equipment for pumping oil products had been damaged. Russia has intensified . . . READ MORE . . .

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One killed, 15 wounded in Russian attack on Ukrainian clinic, Zelenskiy says. From Reuters. KYIV — At least one person was killed and 15 wounded in a Russian missile strike on a clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. He denounced the attack as a crime against humanity, and the Ukrainian Defence Ministry called it a serious war crime under the Geneva . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk said to wound civilians – DPR security forces. From Tass. DONETSK — Several civilians were wounded today when the Ukrainian military shelled the central Voroshilov district of Donetsk, the DPR security forces said. Earlier, a DPR mission said that at 11:15 Moscow time, Ukrainian troops launched a MLRS strike on the Voroshilovsky district of Donetsk, firing three rockets. Prior . . . READ MORE . . .

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Two drones damage buiidings in Russia’s Krasnodar city: Governor. From AFP. Two drones damaged buildings in the centre of the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, the regional governor said today, the latest in a spate of aerial attacks on regions near Ukraine. The announcement came after the governor of the western Belgorod said it was pummelled by attacks overnight . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian partisans triumph on return from Belgorod incursion, by Thomas d’Istria | Le Monde After taking part in an unprecedented military operation launched from Ukrainian territory and crossing into the Russian border region of Belgorod, the armed groups responsible – made up of Russians – are triumphant. “The Russian military command was not ready,” said . . . Click HERE to read in English, or HERE to read in French.

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Companies are finding it’s not so simple to leave Russia. Some are quietly staying put, by David Mchugh | AP  When Russia invaded Ukraine, global companies were quick to respond, some announcing they would get out of Russia immediately, others curtailing imports or new investment. Billions of dollars’ worth of factories, energy holdings and power plants were written off or put up for sale, accompanied by fierce condemnation of the war and expressions of solidarity with Ukraine. More than a year later . . . READ MORE . . .

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British warmongering is driving Europe towards catastrophe in Ukraine, by Jonathan Cook  | Declassified UK / GlobalResearch and Consortium News Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky made an unexpected trip to Britain last week on whistle-stop tour of European capitals, pleading for more powerful and longer-range weapons to use in his war against Russia. Last year, shortly after the start of the war, the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson, hurried to Kyiv – presumably . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from Tass, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, via Popular Resistance, commentary published yesterday by Pressenza. Finally for today, via Global Research, commentary published Monday by the Strategic Culture Foundation. — MCM

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Russian naval ship repels Ukrainian drone attack in Bosporus Strait waters – top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The crew of the Russian naval ship Ivan Khurs repelled an attack by Ukrainian surface drones in the Bosporus Strait waters within Turkey’s exclusive economic zone, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday. “All of the enemy’s boats . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky says Russia ‘terrorizing’ Ukraine as 36 drones downed. From AFP. President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of terrorising Ukrainians today, as his military announced it had shot down 36 Iranian-made attack drones deployed by Moscow’s forces. Russia subjected Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, says they stay under its control. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia and Belarus signed a deal today to formalise the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear missiles on Belarusian territory, a step Moscow said was driven by rising tensions with the West. “In the context. . . READ MORE . . .

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Chinese special envoy for Ukraine to visit Russia on Friday. From AFP. China’s Ukraine envoy Li Hui is due to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Friday, the Russian foreign ministry said. “On May 26 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Head of Russian private army Wagner says his forces are handing control of Bakhmut to Moscow, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — The head of the Russian private military contractor Wagner claimed today that his forces have started pulling out of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and handing over control to the Russian military, days after he said Wagner troops had captured the ruined city. Yevgeny Prigozhin . . . READ MORE . . .

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What are realistic expectations for Ukraine’s military offensive? Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  Major military operations are normally shrouded in secrecy. But Ukraine’s planned offensive against Russia has been part of a lively public debate for months. This has created a wide range of expectations. For all the public chatter about the offensive . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Putin’s war in Ukraine is headed toward a conclusion, while Biden’s war in Ukraine is just beginning to heat up, by Mark Lesseraux | Pressenza / Educate!  Fifteen months ago, I began writing a series of articles about what was taking place in Ukraine and what was likely to take place in the future there if a peace settlement was not reached. I’m sorry to say that most of the things that I and a small contingent of other outlier journalists warned were very likely to occur, have happened. This piece . . . READ MORE . . .

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The EU is over-invested in the Ukrainian war-project, by Alastair  Crooke | Strategic Culture Foundation Ukraine is not a stand-alone foreign policy issue, but rather the pivot around which Europe’s economic prospects will rotate. The European Union . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, links to two articles featuring the now-devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Finally, commentary published yesterday by Common Dreams and relayed today by Consortium News. — MCM

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Mercenary Prigozhin warns Russia could face revolution unless elite gets serious about war, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, warned that Russia could face a revolution similar to those of 1917 and lose the conflict in Ukraine unless the elite got serious about fighting the war. He said he did not believe a so-called optimistic view that the West would get tired of war and China would broker a peace deal. Instead, he said, Ukraine was preparing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Wagner boss says more than 20,000 of his troops died in Bakhmut battle, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — The head of the Russian private army Wagner says his force lost more than 20,000 fighters in the drawn-out battle for Bakhmut, with about 20% of the 50,000 Russian convicts he recruited to fight in the 15-month war dying in the eastern Ukrainian city. The figure was in stark contrast . . . READ MORE . . .

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China’s Xi offers Russia ‘firm support’ in ‘core interests.’ From AFP. Chinese President Xi Jinping today offered Beijing’s support on Moscow’s “core interests” at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic and diplomatic cooperation, growing even closer since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine despite Beijing’s insistence that it is neutral . . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin spokesman sees no prerequisites for Ukrainian peace process. From Tass. MOSCOW — It would be too early to speak about a peaceful solution of the Ukrainian conflict because no prerequisites for this scenario are currently in place, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told TASS in an interview when asked which one of various reconciliation plans, put forward by other countries, would be preferable for Russia. “Any negotiations with Russia are prohibited [in Ukraine].” READ MORE . . .

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Will Bakhmut prove to be Russia’s Pyrrhic victory? by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle As Russia braces for Ukraine’s expected summer counteroffensive, its military has been weakened by months of severe losses in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Realizing that Bakhmut was key to decimating Russia’s military, Ukrainian leaders adopted the slogan last winter: “Hold Bakhmut.” A provincial city of negligible strategic value . . . READ MORE . . .

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Bakhmut memories, by Yasha Levine | Substack News is that after about a year Russia has finally taken Bakhmut — with huge losses on both sides, possibly in the tens of thousands, and the near total destruction of the city itself. We’ll see if it holds. Looking at the photos of this annihilated town, I realized that I keep forgetting I visited Bakhmut once. It was nine years ago, in August 2014 — not long after the separatist militia backed up by Russia, was booted out of there. Back then . . . READ MORE . . .

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The war in Ukraine was provoked—and why that matters to achieve peace, by Jeffrey Sachs | Common Dreams The Biden team uses the word “unprovoked” incessantly. Mainstream media friendly to Biden parrot the White House. There were in fact two main U.S. provocations. The first was the U.S. intention to expand NATO to Ukraine and Georgia in order to surround Russia in the Black Sea region by NATO countries.* The second was the U.S. role in installing a Russophobic regime in Ukraine by the violent 2014 overthrow of Ukraine’s pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych. The shooting war . . . READ MORE . . .

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* See map from GlobalResearch HERE.

For today, links to reports from Sputnik Africa, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, Tass, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, via Popular Resistance and Oronoco Tribune, commentary from Sputnik Africa. — MCM

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Paris says ready to conclude agreements on providing security guarantees to Kiev. From Sputnik Africa. PARIS — France is ready to conclude agreements with Ukraine on providing it with security guarantees together with NATO partners, the French Foreign Ministry said today. On Monday, the American media reported that the United States, together with the UK, Germany and France would all become guarantors of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Civilians flee, Kremlin ‘concerned’ after Ukraine border clashes. From AFP. Moscow today voiced deep concern on the second day of the most serious armed incursion to date over its border with Ukraine, after explosive strikes forced civilians to flee. Russia said the Belgorod border region had come under sustained artillery and mortar ire during fighting with a group that it claimed had crossed from Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Russia says pushed back, ‘destroyed’ Ukraine border assault group. From AFP. Russia said today its armed forces had beaten back and then wiped out a group of militants and military hardware that were dispatched to its southern Belgorod region from Ukraine. The incursion was the most serious attack on Russian soil since the beginning of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, prompting . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia fights alleged incursion from Ukraine for second day, reports more drone attacks, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russian troops and security forces today fought for a second day against an alleged cross-border raid that Moscow blamed on Ukrainian military saboteurs but which Kyiv portrayed as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian . . . READ MORE . . .

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Pope’s Ukraine peace envoy blasts war as a ‘pandemic’ that affects everyone, by Nicole Winfield | AP  ROME — Pope Francis’ peace envoy for Ukraine, a veteran of the Catholic Church’s conflict-mediation efforts, today blasted war as a “pandemic” and said all Christians are called to be peacemakers. In his first public comments since being named Ukraine envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi called . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine reaches agreement with Norway for more NASAMS supplies. From Tass. A Ukrainian government delegation visiting Oslo has agreed with Norway on additional deliveries of units of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), “and other essential weapons,” Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada [parliament] Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said today. READ MORE . . .

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Jester or rebel? Mercenary Prigozhin lays bare the strains of Putin’s war, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — Yevgeny Prigozhin on Saturday delivered President Vladimir Putin one of the few battlefield victories of the president’s 15-month war in Ukraine. Even then, Russia’s most powerful mercenary could not resist breaking the taboos . . . READ MORE . . .

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African initiative on Ukraine settlement cements Africa’s new global role, by Muhammad Nooh Osman | Sputnik Africa  South African president Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed last week that Moscow and Kiev had agreed to receive a mission of African leaders with their peace initiative for the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later confirmed that the African mission was planning to visit Russia in mid-June or early July. The mission . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from Tass, Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Le Monde; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, via Popular Resistance, commentary on the battle for Bakhmut/Artyomovsk. Then, links to  French- and Spanish-language versions of reports from two news services.  — MCM

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President of Brazil proposes to hold UN summit on Ukraine. From Tass. HIROSHIMA, Japan — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said today he considers it necessary to hold a UN summit on the situation in Ukraine before September. “We could reschedule the General Assembly meeting, which usually takes place in September, to June or July to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it advances on Bakhmut’s flanks to entrap Russians, by  Olena Harmash | Reuters KYIV — Ukraine said its forces north and south of Bakhmut were advancing today, to entrap Russians inside the ruined city that Moscow says it captured over the weekend after Europe’s bloodiest battle for ground troops since World War Two. . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia claims eastern city of Bakhmut, but Ukrainian military leaders say battle isn’t over, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Although Russia claims it has won control of Ukraine’s eastern city of Bakhmut after a grinding nine-month conflict in which tens of thousands of fighters have died, top Ukrainian military leaders say the battle is not over. Ukrainian officials acknowledge they control only a small part of Bakhmut. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said today that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine ‘sabotage’ group crosses into Russia: Russian governor. From AFP. Russian troops and intelligence agents were seeking to “eliminate” a Ukrainian “sabotage” group that crossed the Russian border, a regional governor said today. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov added that troops and the FSB security service were “taking . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it is still fighting in Bakhmut, amid conflicting narratives. From Le Monde. Ukraine said it continued to fight for Bakhmut today, May 22, and still controlled a corner of the eastern city, as Russia’s paramilitary Wagner company said it would transfer control of the ruined hotspot to the Russian army by June 1. Both Wagner and the regular Russian army said over the weekend . . . READ MORE . . .

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Bakhmut has fallen; Artyomovsk has been liberated, by Moon of Alabama. The largest battle so far of the 21st century ended Sunday. Bakhmut has fallen. Artyomovsk (the Russian/Soviet name of the city) has been liberated. This was announced by the titular leader of the Wagner forces, Yevgeny Prigozhin. The destroyed city will continue to exist as an important logistical hub with several rail and road . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky dément la capture de Bakhmout revendiquée par la Russie. De AFP. L’armée ukrainienne affirme mener des contre-attaques dans la ville dévastée de Bakhmout, dont le président Volodymyr Zelensky a démenti la capture revendiquée par la Russie. Le chef du groupe paramilitaire russe Wagner, Evguéni Prigojine, dont les hommes sont en première ligne dans les combats . . . LIRE PLUS . . .

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Para Ucrania, el objetivo en Bájmut es mantener ocupadas a las fuerzas rusas hasta agotarlas, por Samya Kullab | AP  KIEV — La batalla de nueve meses por Bájmut ha destruido esa ciudad ucraniana de 400 años de antigüedad y dejado de miles de personas muertas, en una demostración mutuamente devastadora de la estrategia ucraniana de agotar a las fuerzas rusas. La neblina de guerra hizo imposible confirmar la situación en el terreno el domingo . . . LEA  MÁS . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

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

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Zelenskyy meets world leaders at G-7. Reported by Anthony Kuhn and Scott Detrow | NPR  Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy has joined President Biden and G-7 leaders in Hiroshima to talk about Russia’s war. The summit also includes discussion about China, North Korea and denuclearization. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Zelenskyy denies Ukrainian city of Bakhmut occupied by Russian forces, by Zeke Miller, Elise Morton and Susie Blann | AP  HIROSHIMA, Japan — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today that Russian forces weren’t occupying Bakhmut, casting doubt on Moscow’s insistence that the eastern Ukrainian city had fallen. “Bakhmut is not occupied by the Russian Federation as of today. . . . We are not throwing people [away] to die,” he said in Ukrainian through an interpreter. “People are . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine denies fall of Bakhmut, says advancing in suburbs. From AFP. Ukraine today denied Bakhmut had fallen to Russian troops in the longest battle of the war and said it was instead advancing around the suburbs, making it “very difficult” for Russian troops to stay in the devastated city. A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy’s recent diplomatic moves signal a new phase for the war in Ukraine. Reported by Ayesha Rascoe andJoanna Kakissis | NPR  A look at Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s diplomatic push and what it might mean for the the next phase of the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Germany’s supplies of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine not on agenda – Chancellor Scholz. From Tass. HIROSHIMA, Japan — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the participation of his country in a possible delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is not on the agenda. “First of all, everyone knows . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Tass, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, a link to a statement from the Eisenhower Media Network that was linked yesterday in commentary HERE from Consortium News. Then, a link to AP’s translation into Spanish of one of its reports below. — MCM

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Zelenskyy arrives at Arab League summit, as Saudi Arabia flexes diplomatic muscle. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  Following Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s tour of Europe last week, the Ukrainian leader spoke at the Arab summit as part of a broader pitch to firm up global support for his country against Russia’s almost 15-month-long invasion. And Syria’s return to the Arab League this year reflects . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Saudi surge of diplomacy brings Assad, Zelenskyy to Arab summit, by Bassem Mroue | AP  JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia hosted an Arab League summit on Friday in which Syrian President Bashar Assad was welcomed back after a 12-year suspension and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to rally support against Russia. The odd pairing of the two leaders in the same . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy arrives in Hiroshima for G7 summit as world leaders sanction Russia, by Foster Klug, Adam Schreck and Zeke Miller | AP   HIROSHIMA, Japan — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Japan today for talks with the leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies, a personal appearance meant to galvanize global attention as the nations ratcheted up pressure on Moscow for its 15-month invasion of Ukraine. Bolstering international support is . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why Ukraine’s spring offensive still hasn’t begun — with summer just weeks away, by Tara Copp | AP  WASHINGTON (AP) — For months, Western allies have shipped billions of dollars worth of weapons systems and ammunition to Ukraine with an urgency to get the supplies to Kyiv in time for an anticipated spring counteroffensive. Last week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it’s been delayed because his country lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties. Weather and training are . . . READ MORE   

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Russia to take into account West’s plan to send F-16 aircraft to Kiev – Senior diplomat. From Tass. MOSCOW — Western countries continue down the path of escalation and Moscow will take their plans to send F-16 aircraft to Ukraine into account, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said today. “We can see . . . READ MORE . . .

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Modi tells Zelensky India to do ‘whatever we can’ to resolve Ukraine crisis. From AFP. India will “do whatever we can” to resolve the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged today as he met President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since Russia’s invasion. “I understand your pain and the pain . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘The U.S. should be a force for peace in the world.’ From the Eisenhower Media Network. The Russia-Ukraine War has been an unmitigated disaster. Hundreds of thousands have been killed or wounded. Millions have been displaced. Environmental and economic destruction have been incalculable. Future devastation . . . READ MORE . . .

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Por qué Ucrania no ha iniciado su ofensiva de primavera, con el verano ya cerca, por Tara Copp | AP  WASHINGTON — Durante meses, los aliados occidentales han enviado a Ucrania sistemas de armas y municiones por un valor de miles de millones de dólares, con la urgencia de que los suministros arriben a tiempo a Kiev para una contraofensiva prevista para esta primavera boreal. La semana pasada, el presidente ucraniano Volodymyr Zelenskyy dijo que ha sido postergada porque su país carece de suficientes armas occidentales para alcanzar el éxito sin sufrir demasiadas bajas. El clima y el entrenamiento también . . . LEA MÁS  . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

Leading off in late morning, via Consortium News, a link to a piece of news and commentary from Common Dreams. Next, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Tass, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Finally for today, also via Consortium News, a link to commentary by a professor of international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. — MCM

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U.S. national security experts call for peace in Ukraine, by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies | Common Dreams  On Tuesday, The New York Times published a full-page advertisement signed by 15 U.S. national security experts about the war in Ukraine. It was headed “The U.S. Should Be a Force for Peace in the World,” and was drafted by the Eisenhower Media Network. While condemning Russia’s invasion, the statement provides a more objective . .  . READ MORE . . .

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The G-7 is tightening up economic sanctions on Russia for its war on Ukraine. Reported by Scott Detrow and Lexie Schapitl | NPR  The United States plans to blacklist about 70 companies and organizations for selling restricted U.S. products to Russia, part of a push by G-7 nations to try to exact more economic pain on Russia for its war on Ukraine. Each of the G-7 countries has actions planned, said a U.S. official. “This is going . . . Click HERE to listen and read. 

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Ukraine arrests its top judge amid growing concerns about corruption. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Ukraine’s top judge has been arrested after allegedly receiving nearly $3 million in bribes for favorable rulings, the latest crackdown on endemic graft as Ukraine seeks to join the European Union. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the G7 meeting in person. Reported by Leila Fadel and Anthony Kuhn | NPR  Zelenskyy’s expected appearance on Sunday comes as Western allies harden their resolve in support of Ukraine. Russia’s military aggression toward its neighbor is on top of the G-7 summit’s agenda . Click HERE to listen and, later, read.  

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$3 billion accounting error means the Pentagon can send more weapons to Ukraine, by Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor | AP  WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by at least $3 billion — an accounting error that could be a boon for the war effort because it will allow the Defense Department to send more weapons now without asking Congress for more money. The acknowledgment Thursday comes . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian arms, ammo depots with precision weapons. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces hit Kiev’s large foreign equipment and armament depots and army reserves with seaborne and air-launched precision weapons, destroying substantial weapon and ammunition stockpiles during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Thursday in a briefing. “Last night . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces in retreat near Bakhmut, Ukraine and Wagner say. From Reuters. The Ukrainian military and Russia’s Wagner private army both reported further Russian retreats on the outskirts of Bakhmut on Thursday, as Kyiv pressed on with its biggest advance in six months ahead of a planned counteroffensive. Ukrainian troops near the front line said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Poland asks China to ‘condemn China’s aggression’ in Ukraine. From AFP. WARSAW — Poland today asked Beijing to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticised Moscow’s nuclear “blackmail” during a meeting in Warsaw with China’s special Ukraine envoy Li Hui. Deputy Foreign Minister Wojciech Gerwel “expressed the hope . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. values, vertities & global failure, by Michael Brenner | Consortium News  Today’s Russia is viewed in Washington as the avatar of the Soviet Union, and China as posing an even more ominous danger than did Imperial Japan. Ignorance of far more subtle and complex realities is cultivated seemingly as an automatic preference for stereotypes that conveniently match . . . READ MORE . . .

 

 

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

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Russia fires 30 cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets; Ukraine says 29 were shot down, by Susue Blann | AP  KYIV — Russia fired 30 cruise missiles against different parts of Ukraine early today, killing one person and wounding two, in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defenses, which shot down 29 of them, officials said. Amid the recently intensified Russian air assaults, China said its special envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Ukraine grain deal is extended 2 months, helping ease the global food crisis, by Charles Maynes and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  An agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports to ship through the Black Sea to help ease global hunger has been extended for two months just a day before its expiration — overcoming Russia’s threats to pull out of the deal. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday announced . . . READ MORE . . .

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G7 to discuss sanctions on Russian diamonds: EU. From AFP. G7 leaders meeting in Japan will discuss sanctioning Russia’s billion-dollar diamond trade, an EU official said today, hoping to further starve Moscow of funds for its war in Ukraine. Russia exported almost $5 billion worth of diamonds in 2021, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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About eight railway cars derail in Crimea, authorities report. From Tass. SIMFEROPOL — Eight railway cars derailed in the Simferopol district of Crimea, Nikolay Lukashenko, Crimean transport minister, said today. Crimean . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kiev’s pilots not allowed to train on European F-16s amid Washington’s skepticism – NYT. From Tass. NEW YORK — Ukrainian pilots are not allowed to train on F-16 fighter jets owned by European countries, as Washington remains unconvinced that Kiev needs the expensive aircraft, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing a senior Ukrainian official. Despite . . . READ MORE . . .

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Traitor next door? Fear stalks Kherson after Russian occupation ends, by Elizabeth Piper | Reuters  Fear and suspicion stalk the streets of Kherson, a southern port that was occupied by Russian troops for over eight months before they were driven out by Ukrainian forces in November. The city is now the focus of relentless Russian bombardment. A district administrator said . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from Tass, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Finally for today, a link to an investigative report self-published by an investigative journalist on Substack. — MCM

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Ukrainian spymaster calls for establishing 100-km demilitarized zone with Russia. From Tass. MOSCOW — Top Ukrainian intelligence official Kirill Budanov has proposed creating a 100-km-long demilitarized zone between Ukraine and Russia. “The question of ending the war [involves] the creation of a demilitarized zone; this is our goal,” the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate said. Further elaborating . . . READ MORE . . .

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There are signs Ukraine’s spring counteroffensive may have already started. Reported by Leila Fadel and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Ukrainian forces claim they’ve made advances in the battle for Bakhmut — a city in the east that Russia has been trying to capture for more than 10 months. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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G-7 leaders likely to focus on the war in Ukraine and tensions in Asia at summit in Hiroshima, by Adam Schreck | AP  HIROSHIMA, Japan — The symbolism will be palpable when leaders of the world’s rich democracies sit down in Hiroshima, a city whose name evokes the tragedy of war, to tackle a host of challenges including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine denies Russia destroyed Patriot missile defence system. From Reuters. Ukraine denied today that a Russian hypersonic missile had destroyed a US-made Patriot missile defence system during an air strike on Kyiv. Russia’s defence ministry made the assertion Tuesday after an overnight air attack on the Ukrainian capital. Two US officials later said a Patriot system had probably suffered damage but . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia poised to decide if Ukraine’s grain deal survives. That’s a risk to global food security, by Jamey Keaten and Courtney Bonnell | AP  GENEVA — The United Nations is racing to extend a deal that has allowed shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger, helping ease a global food crisis exacerbated by the war Russia launched more than a year ago. The breakthrough accord . . . READ MORE . . .

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Can Ukraine use Patriot defense systems to knock out Russian hypersonic missiles? From Reuters. Ukraine said on Tuesday that it downed six Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in a single night, in what would be a major setback for Moscow’s efforts to develop an unstoppable next-generation weapon. Last week the U.S. military confirmed that Ukraine had shot down a Kinzhal missile using the U.S.-produced . . . READ MORE . . .

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How well prepared is Ukraine for its expected counteroffensive? Reported by Ailsa Chang, Elena Burnett and Christopher Intagliata | NPR  Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies talks about Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive and what it will take to be successful. Click HERE to listen and read.

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‘I only operate’: A Ukrainian trauma surgeon has an all-consuming task during Russia’s war, by Illia Novikov and Vasilisa Stepanenko | AP  KYIV — As the lead trauma surgeon at a military hospital in Ukraine’s capital, Petro Nikitin has his hands deep in a war churning hundreds of kilometers (miles) away. The 59-year-old doctor’s work . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Ukraine refugee question, by Seymour Hersh | Substack A driving force for the quiet European talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been the more than five million Ukrainians fleeing from the war who have crossed the country’s borders and have registered with its neighbors under an EU agreement for temporary protection that includes residency rights, access to the labor market, housing, social welfare assistance, and medical care. An assessment published by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that the estimate excludes roughly 3 million Ukrainian refugees who escaped from the war zone without a visa into . . . READ MORE . . .