The essay beginning with the ten paragraphs below appears in its entirety on the Consortium News website, HERE, where it is probably more  legible. — MCM

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Phase Three in Ukraine

By Scott Ridder | Consortium News

Russia’s “Special Military Operation”, which began on Feb. 24, is entering its fourth month. Despite stiffer than expected Ukrainian resistance (bolstered by billions of dollars of western military assistance and accurate, real-time battlefield intelligence by the U.S. and other NATO members) Russia is winning the war on the ground, and in a big way

After more than ninety days of incessant Ukrainian propaganda, echoed mindlessly by a complicit western mainstream media that extolls the battlefield successes of the Ukrainian armed forces and the alleged incompetence of the Russian military, the Russians are on the cusp of achieving the stated goal of its operation, namely the liberation of the newly independent Donbass Republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, which Russia recognized two days before its invasion.

The Russian victory in Donbass comes after weeks of intensive combat that saw the Russian military shift gears away from what has become known as Phase One. That was the month-long opening act which, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his Feb. 24 address, was tasked with taking “actions throughout the territory of Ukraine with the implementation of measures for its demilitarization and denazification.”

Putin said the purpose was to restore “the DPR [Donetsk People’s Republic] and the LPR [Lugansk People’s Republic] within the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which is enshrined in the constitutions of the republics.”

On March 25, the head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, declared that “the main objectives of the first phase of the operation have been achieved. The combat capabilities of Ukraine’s Armed Forces have been significantly reduced, which allows us, once again, to concentrate our main efforts on achieving the main goal – the liberation of Donbass.”

According to Rudskoy, Phase One’s objectives were to cause:

“Such damage to military infrastructure, equipment, personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the results of which allow not only to shackle their forces and do not give them the opportunity to strengthen their grouping in the Donbass, but also will not allow them to do so until the Russian army completely liberates the territories of the DPR and LPR. All 24 formations of the Land Forces that existed before the start of the operation suffered significant losses. Ukraine has no organized reserves left.”

Russia has completed Phase One despite the efforts of the U.S., NATO, and the E.U. to supply Ukraine with a significant amount of lethal military assistance, primarily in the form of light anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. “We consider it a vast mistake,” Rudskoy concluded, “for Western countries to supply weapons to Kiev. This delays the conflict, increases the number of victims and will not be able to influence the outcome of the operation.”

‘Extremely Bad’

The history of the conflict so far has proven Rudskoy correct — no amount of western military aid has been able to prevent Russia from achieving its military objective of liberating the entire territories of both Lugansk and Donetsk.

As Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba admitted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, “I don’t want anyone to get the feeling that the war is more or less OK. The situation in Donbass is extremely bad.”

Gone are the bold pronouncements . . . READ MORE . . .

The article blow, which appeared in today’s Springfield (MA) Republican, contains a lot of good general information. But notice how neither the question nor the physician’s answer addresses the matter of whether the rapidly-approved pharmaceuticals promoted as protecting people from coronavirus should be injected into children, or whether they are vaccines at all. Among the article’s broader implications may be that online social media posts in general are suspect and need fact checking while establishment organizations, as repositories of truth, don’t need fact checking. Not all people opposed to mass injections for coronavirus are “anti-vaxxers.” (Perhaps some of these things have been tackled in previous articles from the American Academy of Pediatrics.) — MCM

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Do children need all these vaccines?

By Dr. Whitney Casares | Am. Academy of Pediatrics

Q. I read a lot online about vaccines. Do kids really need so many vaccines?

A: Childhood vaccination has been one of modern medicine’s biggest success stories. In fact, vaccines for children have been so successful that we no longer see many of the diseases that used to cause severe illnesses and lasting disabilities.

Thanks to vaccines, most children will never get whooping cough, tetanus, polio or meningitis—so we rarely see how serious these diseases can be. As a result, parents may wonder if their child needs all of the vaccinations on the recommended immunization schedule. The schedule is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and five other health care organizations. It is based on a review of the most recent scientific data for each vaccine. To be on the recommended schedule, the vaccines must be licensed by the Food and Drug Administration.

Perhaps you’ve wondered about vaccines and done Google searches. These days, it’s easy to search online and find answers that support a belief about the risks of vaccines. But the bulk of these claims are inaccurate and unproven. A lot of this information is not just scary, it has caused parents to second-guess the facts they hear from their pediatrician and other trusted sources. And it scares people away from a vaccine that could save their child’s life.

You may be surprised to know that much of the “anti-vaccine” content on social media platforms about kids and vaccines originates from a tiny group of just 12 people. In a 2021 analysis, the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that this tiny group of influencers—it nicknamed the “disinformation dozen”—was the original source of about two-thirds of the anti-vaccine posts and messages. These 12 individuals wanted to draw more traffic to their own websites.

Just like other rumors that go viral on social media platforms, these anti-vaccine posts . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to summaries of the war from the Associated Press, Reuters, Newsweek, and National Public Radio; click on the news organizations’ names for links to some of their other stories. Then, via Global Research, links to two articles relating a continued war to global food availability and possibly additional naval warfare. — MCM

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Russian troops entering Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, by Yuras Karmnau and Elena Becatoros | The Associated Press KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — The Russian-battered eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk appeared to be on the brink of becoming another Mariupol today as the mayor told The Associated Press that Russian troops have entered, power and communications have been cut and “the city has been completely ruined.” Moscow seeks to capture all of Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region, and Sievierodonetsk is key to that. Fierce street fighting is underway in the city as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Heavy fighting as Russian troops enter outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, by Max Hunder and Pavel Polityuk | Reuters KYIV — Russian troops have entered the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, the regional governor said today, describing “very fierce” fighting in the ruins of a city that has become the focus of Moscow’s offensive. Russia has concentrated its firepower on the last major population centre still held by Ukrainian forces in the eastern Luhansk province, in a push to achieve one of President Vladimir Putin’s stated objectives after three months of war. Incessant shelling has left Ukrainian forces defending ruins in Sievierodonetsk, but . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia Warns Long-Range U.S. Missiles at Ukraine Border ‘Intolerable,‘ by Xander Landen | Newsweek Reacting to news reports that the U.S. is planning to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, a top Russian diplomat on Saturday called for an “end to the senseless and extremely risky pumping of weapons into the country.” On Friday, news outlets reported that the Biden administration is expected to send multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to the Eastern European nation. Ukrainian officials have requested the weapons to attack Russians at longer ranges and threaten Russian logistics hubs and . . . READ MORE . . .

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A former president of Estonia predicted Russia would invade Ukraine. Reported by Jenna McLaughlin | National Public Radio Former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who shepherded Estonia into the EU and NATO in the early 2000s, hopes the world is finally waking up to the dangers Russia poses. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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A missing Ukrainian woman’s family wants to know if she was forcibly taken to Russia. NPR spoke to five Ukrainian civilians who were detained, deported and subject to what human rights advocates call enforced disappearance. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Because of the War in Ukraine, We Are Heading for a Global Food Catastrophe, by Marc Vandepitte | Global Research The invasion of Ukraine is a horror and has already cost thousands of lives. But this conflict may also destroy millions of lives far from the battlefield. The war is particularly detrimental to the global food system, which has already been weakened by Covid-19, by climate change and by high energy prices. If this war continues, we will be heading for a real food catastrophe. On May 18, António Guterres, the UN Secretary General, sounded . . . READ MORE . . .

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Retired U.S. General Calls for ‘Coalition of the Willing’ for Naval Conflict with Russia, by Andre Damon | WSWS / Global Research The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and other NATO members are preparing a major new stage of the US-NATO war against Russia by using their warships to break the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports, creating the conditions for a direct shooting war between NATO and Russian naval forces. . . . Retired four-star General Jack Keane, chairman of the Institute for the Study of War and chairman of AM General, the maker of the Humvee military vehicle . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

The war has vanished from prominence in American newspapers,  replaced by copious coverage of the Buffalo and Uvalde massacres. A related shift was noticeable at a St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church service this morning (HERE soon) in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a good deal of which was given over to “gun violence in the United States.” There was no acknowledgement of the possibility that a good chunk might be fueled by violence in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine and elsewhere, of which U.S. war policy has been an indispensable part. Below, links to reports from and about the Ukraine war follow a link to a 2018 version of a litany read in hundreds of Episcopal churches today. — MCM 

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Litany in the Wake of a Mass Shooting, by Bishops United Against Gun Violence, “a group of more than 100 Episcopal bishops working to curtail the epidemic of gun violence in the United States” | God of peace, we remember all those who have died in incidents of mass gun violence in this nation’s public and private spaces. Click HERE for the original November 2018 version, now updated and lengthened to include U.S. mass shootings up to and including the Buffalo and Uvalde massacres.

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Russian troops storm city amid eastern Ukraine bombardments, by Elena Becatoros and Ricardo Mazalan | The Associated Press POKROVSK, Ukraine — Russian and Ukrainian troops engaged in close-quarter combat in an eastern Ukraine city today as Moscow’s soldiers, supported by intense shelling, attempted to gain strategic footholds in the region while facing fierce Ukrainian resistance. Ukrainian regional officials reported that Russian forces were “storming” the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, where the fighting has knocked out power and cellphone services and terrorized civilians who haven’t fled. Sievierodonetsk, a manufacturing center . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine receives missiles, howitzers, Zelensky expects good news on arms supplies. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine has started receiving Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Denmark and self-propelled howitzers from the United States, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday. He said the arms would bolster forces fighting Russia’s invasion. “The coastal defence of our country will not only be strengthened by Harpoon missiles – they will be used by trained Ukrainian teams,” Reznikov wrote on his Facebook page. He said Harpoon shore-to-ship missiles would be operated alongside Ukrainian Neptune missiles in the defence of the country’s coast  . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, teleSUR. and the Washington Post; click on news organizations’ names below to see other stories. Then, from Consortium News, a link to commentary by a blogger calling attention to the Washington Post report showing challenges for some soldiers on the Ukrainian government’s side of the war. Finally, a link to commentary for today from the Center for Action and Contemplation by a CAC cofounder who was last heard from in this blog HERE. — MCM

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Russia takes small cities, aims to widen east Ukraine battle, by Yuras Karmanau and Elena Becatoros | The Associated Press KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Russia asserted today that its troops and separatist fighters had captured a key railway junction in eastern Ukraine, the second small city to fall to Moscow’s forces this week as they fought to seize all of the country’s contested Donbas region. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the city of Lyman had been “completely liberated” by a joint force of Russian soldiers and the Kremlin-backed separatists. . . . Lyman . . . serves as a regional railway hub. Ukraine’s train system . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s former President blocked from leaving the country. From  Reuters. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was prevented from leaving Ukraine to take part in a meeting of a NATO body in Lithuania, his party’s parliamentary faction said today. Poroshenko was stopped twice at a border crossing with Poland while he was on his way to the meeting of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly, a consultative interparliamentary organization, the statement said. Ukrainian media reported . . . READ MORE . . .

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Orthodox Church in Ukraine has decided to cut ties with Russia, by Julian Hayda | National Public Radio Followers of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine broke with its Moscow leadership. The Russian patriarch has supported the war and called opponents “forces of evil.” Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow or Monday, read.

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Putin Says Ukraine Should Open Its Ports ASAP. From teleSUR. During a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and  Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, the Russian leader said that Ukrainian forces should clear the mined area near its ports as soon as possible. According to the Kremlin press service, “at the request of the Austrian chancellor, the Russian president assessed the situation in the context of the ongoing special military operation to defend Donbass and informed him about the efforts to ensure safe navigation in the Black and Azov Seas. . . . In this context, it was stressed that the Ukrainian side should demine its ports as soon as possible to ensure free passage of the blocked ships.” READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian volunteer fighters in the east feel abandoned, by Sudarsan Raghavan | The Washington Post DRUZHKIVKA, Ukraine Stuck in their trenches, the Ukrainian volunteers lived off a potato per day as Russian forces pounded them with artillery and Grad rockets on a key eastern front line. Outnumbered, untrained and clutching only light weapons, the men prayed for the barrage to end — and for their own tanks to stop targeting the Russians.“[The Russians] already know where we are, and when the Ukrainian tank shoots from our side . . . READ MORE . . .

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WaPo’s Glimpse of the Battlefield, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com The Washington Post has published [linked just above] an acknowledgement that Ukraine’s war against Russia has not been nearly the cakewalk that much of the public has been led to believe. . . . WaPo reports that contrary to the triumphant narratives the Western world is being spoon fed . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Shining Word ‘And.’ Richard Rohr of CAC offers a contemplative practice of embracing “and.” We encourage you to read these words slowly, allowing for a “both-and” space to emerge within: “And” teaches us to say yes. “And” allows us to be both-and. “And” keeps us from either-or. “And” teaches . . . Click HERE and scroll down to Saturday to read the rest.

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to Reuters and Associated Press reports; click on the news services’ names below for links to other stories. Then, links to several National Public Radio reports, and a video on Javelin missiles. — MCM

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U.S. and Ukraine discuss danger of escalation as new arms extend Kyiv’s reach, by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali | Reuters As the United States and its allies provide Ukraine with increasingly sophisticated arms, Washington has held discussions with Kyiv https://www.reuters.com/about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, U.S. and diplomatic officials tell Reuters. The behind-the-scenes discussions, which are highly sensitive and have not been previously reported, do not put explicit geographic restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukrainian forces. But the conversations . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Relentless’: Russia squeezes Ukrainian strongholds in east, by Yuras Karmanau and Elena Becatoros | The Associated Press KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Russia-backed separatists claimed they captured a railway hub city in eastern Ukraine as Moscow’s forces pushed to gain more ground Friday by pounding another Ukrainian-held area where authorities say 1,500 people have died since the start of the war. With Russia’s offensive in Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region showing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine claims victory in Kharkiv, but some nearby areas face relentless attacks. Reported by Jason Beaubien | NPR Even as conditions improve in Ukraine’s second largest city, some people just outside Kharkiv continue living in basement bomb shelters. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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A cyberwar is already happening in Ukraine, Microsoft analysts say. Reported by Jenna  McLaughlin | National Public Radio Microsoft’s global ubiquity gives its cybersecurity experts a unique window into the Russian cyberwar against Ukraine. The software giant is involved in both monitoring and combatting attacks. Click HERE to listen and read.

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How much could it cost to rebuild Ukraine — and who would pay for it? Reported by Ashish Valentine | NPR Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already destroyed billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure, blocked exports from key Black Sea ports, and displaced more than 12 million people. The World Bank predicts the war will cause Ukraine’s economy to shrink by 45% this year. And as Russian forces now . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Javelin missiles are in short supply and restocking them won’t be easy. Reported by Frank Morris| NPR Ukrainian fighters have destroyed Russian fighting vehicles with U.S. supplied Javelins. But replacing the thousands of missiles could take years, largely because of a crimp in the supply chain.  Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read. A May 3 NPR report on Javelins is HERE.

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Javelin Missile: Made by the U.S., Wielded by Ukraine, Feared by Russia. From nasticgrana.blogspot.com Among the most noticeable weapons credited with standing up to overwhelming waves of Russian tanks has been a state-of-the-art, infantry-operated guided missile. The Americans who produced it call it the FGM-148 AAWS-M (for “Advanced Antitank Weapon System-Medium”), but many of its current users have come to call it “Saint Javelin, Protector of Ukraine.” Video is HERE.

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to  an Associated Press summary and a Reuters economic analysis; click on the news services’ names for other stories. Then, via Global Research, a link to a report on Henry Kissinger’s advice to Ukraine and the West. Next, via Consortium News, link to a post by Chris Hedges. Then, from Popular Resistance, a link to a John V. Walsh piece on changes at the New York Times regarding the war. Finally, from The Nation, a link to a column by the  magazine’s Katrina vanden Heuvel, carried in the Washington Post and other dailies. — MCM

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As Ukraine war grinds, world pushes for way to get grain out. From the Associated Press. KYIV — Russia pressed today for the West to lift sanctions imposed because of its war in Ukraine, claiming without proof that the punitive measures are preventing millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products from leaving Ukrainian ports, exacerbating a global food crisis. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the war, including a Russian blockade of its ports, has prevented . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia Prepares To Seize Western Firms Looking To Leave. From Reuters. * Moscow eyes sweeping powers to shield jobs, local industry * Exodus of western companies, sanctions roil Russia * New laws would allow seizure of firms | Russia is advancing a new law allowing it to take control of the local businesses of western companies that decide to leave in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, raising the stakes for multinationals trying to exit. The law, which could . . . READ MORE . . .

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Henry Kissinger Says Ukraine Should Cede Territory for Peace with Russia, by Zero Hedge | Global Research  Veteran U.S. statesman Henry Kissinger has urged the West to stop trying to inflict a crushing defeat on Russian forces in Ukraine, warning that it would have disastrous consequences for the long term stability of Europe.“I hope the Ukrainians will match the heroism they have shown with wisdom,” Kissinger warned an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, adding with his famous sense of realpolitik that the proper role for the country is to be a neutral buffer state rather than the frontier of Europe. READ MORE . . .

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No Way Out But War, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost.com The United States, as the near unanimous vote to provide nearly $40 billion in aid to Ukraine illustrates, is trapped in the death spiral of unchecked militarism. . . . The permanent war economy, implanted since the end of World War II, has destroyed the private economy, bankrupted the nation, and squandered trillions of dollars of taxpayer money. The monopolization of capital by the military has driven the U.S. debt to $30 trillion, $6 trillion more than the U.S. GDP of $24 trillion. Servicing this debt costs $300 billion a year. We spent more on the military, $813 billion for fiscal year 2023, than the next nine countries, including China and Russia, combined. We . . . READ MORE . . .

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New York Times Repudiates Drive for ‘Decisive Military Victory’ in Ukraine, by John V. Walsh | Popular Resistance A week ago, we made note of a May 11 New York Times news article, documenting that all was not going well for the U.S. in Ukraine, and a companion opinion piece hinting that a shift in direction might be in order. Now on May 19, “THE EDITORIAL BOARD,” the full Magisterium of the Times, has moved from hints to a clarion call for a change in direction in an editorial uninformatively titled, “The War Is Getting Complicated, and America Isn’t Ready.”  From atop the Opinion page the Editorial Board has declared that “total victory” over Russia is not possible and that Ukraine will have to negotiate a peace in a way that reflects a “realistic assessment” and the “limits” of U.S. commitment.  The Times serves . . . READ MORE . . .

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We Need a Real Debate About the Ukraine War, by Katrina vanden Heuvel | The Nation What we have in the media and political establishment is, for the most part, a one-sided, even nonexistent, public discussion and debate. It’s as if we live with what journalist Matt Taibbi has dubbed an “intellectual no-fly zone.” Those who have departed from the orthodox line on Ukraine are regularly excluded from or marginalized—certainly rarely seen—on big corporate media. The result is that alternative and countervailing views and voices seem nonexistent. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to today’s reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and TeleSUR. Then, links to two longer accounts from Agence France-Presse, made available in April and early this month, the first on discovering the remains of civilians in Bucha, the second comparing the war in Ukraine with the one three decades ago in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Finally, via Consortium News, a link to a video of CN editor Joe Lauria interviewing Ukrainian poet Irina Starovoyt on May 13 at the annual conference of PEN International’s Writers for Peace Committee. — MCM

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Scars of war seem to be everywhere in Ukraine after 3 months, by Elena Becatoros and Yuras Karmanau | The Associated Press KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Piano music wafted from an apartment block on a recent spring evening in Kramatorsk, blending with distant artillery fire for a surreal soundtrack to a bomb-scarred neighborhood in the eastern Ukrainian city. No matter where they live, the 3-month-old war never seems to be far away. Those in towns and villages near the front lines hide in basements from constant shelling, struggling to survive with no electricity or gas — and often no running water. But even in regions . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia launches new assault on eastern Ukraine towns, by Pavel Polityuk and Max Hunder | Reuters KYIV/KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Russian forces launched offensives on towns in eastern Ukraine today, with constant mortar bombardment destroying several houses and killing civilians, Ukrainian officials said, as Russia focuses its attack on the industrial Donbas region. . . . In the easternmost part of the Ukrainian-held Donbas pocket, the city of Sievierodonetsk on the east bank of the Siverskiy Donets River and its twin Lysychansk, on the west bank, have become a pivotal battlefield. Russian forces were advancing from three directions to encircle them. READ MORE . . .

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The U.S. Recruits Terrorists to Fight in Ukraine, Russia Says. From TeleSUR. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) says the United States is actively recruiting members of international terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State (ISIS), as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. In April, about 60 ISIS militants aged 20-25 were released from prisons controlled by the Syrian Kurds with the participation of U.S. intelligence services, the SVR said in a recent statement. They were “transferred to the U.S. military base Al-Tanf, located in Syria near the border with Jordan and Iraq, for combat training with a view to subsequent delivery to Ukraine.” READ MORE . . .

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Bucha: A street filled with bodies, by  Danny Kemp | Agence France-Presse An AFP team were the first journalists to discover the horrors of Bucha, a quiet commuter town near Kyiv, occupied by the Russian army for over a month, where Russian troops are accused of massacring hundreds of civilians. This is Danny Kemp’s account of what they saw that day. Some may find it distressing. // BUCHA, Ukraine — We saw three of them at first, lying in the dirt like piles of rags. That alone would have been bad enough. “Bodies,” someone in the car said, because it was all that could be said. Our driver screeched to a halt and we jumped out . . . READ MORE . . .*

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Welcome (back) to Hell: war in Ukraine reopens Sarajevo’s scars, by Sonia Bakaric | AFP The invasion of Ukraine has brought back painful memories for those who lived through the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the bloodiest in Europe since World War II. Thirty years on, the trauma is still raw, writes Sonia Bakaric, who covered the conflict for AFP // PARIS — Thirty years have passed since the start of the war in Bosnia, but I can never forget its brutality. The memories have come alive again with the war in Ukraine, where civilians are suffering in the same ways they did back then in the most murderous of the conflicts that followed the collapse of the former Yugoslavia. Kyiv is not much more than an hour’s flight from Sarajevo . . . READ MORE . . .**

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An Exchange With a Ukrainian Poet on the War, introduced by Joe Lauria of CN Live! Irina Starovoyt spoke with CN Live! during PEN International’s annual writers’ meeting in Bled, Slovenia on Russia’s motives, the role of neo-Nazis and the 2014 events in Ukraine.Starovoyt, a Ukrainian poet from the western city of Lvov, the epicenter of Ukraine’s far-right nationalism, is not a political scientist or a geo-strategist. She is a writer and a teacher. She traveled 36 hours by bus from Ukraine to Slovenia to speak at the PEN conference. She is living through the war. CN Live! sat down with her on May 13 to get her perspective. The interview shows what an educated Ukrainian writer is being told about the war. Her views are hers alone. Watch and listen to the interview HERE.

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* Click HERE or HERE for article in French or Spanish.

** Click HERE or  HERE for article in French or Spanish.

*** PEN International website is HERE.

To begin, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and TeleSUR; click on the news agencies’ names below for other stories. Then, links to two commentaries by Caitlin Johnstone. — MCM

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After 3 months, Russia still bogged down in Ukraine war. From the Associated Press. When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, it had hoped to overtake the country in a blitz lasting only days or a few weeks. Many Western analysts thought so, too. As the conflict marked its third month today, however, Moscow appears to be bogged down in what increasingly looks like a war of attrition, with no end in sight and few successes on the battlefield. READ MORE . . .

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Russia launches all-out assault to encircle Ukraine troops in east, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters KYIV/SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Russian forces were launching an all-out assault to encircle Ukrainian troops in twin cities straddling a river in eastern Ukraine today, a battle which could determine the success or failure of Moscow’s main campaign in the east. . . . [A]uthorities in the second-largest city Kharkiv were expected to open the underground metro, where thousands of civilians had sheltered for months under relentless bombardment. The reopening is a symbol of Ukraine’s biggest military success over the past few weeks. . . . But the decisive battles of the war’s latest phase are still raging further south, where Moscow is attempting to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia Shoots Down Three Ukrainian Fighter Jets. From TeleSUR. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed Monday that Russian forces shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets and 13 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight. While two Ukrainian SU-25 fighters were shot down in the Kherson region, one of them went down near Kharkov, he said. “Russian forces also destroyed a .  .  . READ MORE . . .

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Peaceful Life Returning to Mariupol — City Head. From TeleSUR. Peaceful life is being established to Mariupol after it was completely liberated from Ukrainian forces, Konstantin Ivashchenko, the city head, told reporters on Saturday. [Ivananschenko has been the city’s de facto mayor since April 6, following its capture by the Donetsk People’s Republic and Russian troops, according to Wikipedia.]  Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said Friday that Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had informed President Vladimir Putin about the end of the operation to liberate completely the Azovstal plant and Mariupol from Ukrainian militants. READ MORE . . .

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Russian Warns of Mounting Threats to Its Security. From TeleSUR. By the end of this year, Russia will establish 12 new military units in the Western Military District to face the growing threat from the NATO and the United States, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said. At a meeting of the National Defense Management Center in Moscow on Friday, he said the United States and NATO have gradually increased their activities along Russia’s western borders over the past few years and tensions continue to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Sergey Lavrov: Russia Is Under a Hybrid War from the West. From TeleSUR. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that currently those who want to carry out an independent foreign policy are under pressure from Washington. In particular, he alluded to the European Union (EU) which in security matters “is gradually merging with NATO”. He denounced . . . that all countries capable of carrying out an independent policy are currently under attack by the United States. . . . Lavrov also indicated that Moscow was the target of a “total hybrid war” by the West, but would resist sanctions by forging deeper alliances with China, India, and others. “The collective West has declared a total hybrid war on us . . . the consequences will be felt by all, without exception,” he . . . READ MORE . . .

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A battlefield assessment — three months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Reported by Leila Fadeland Greg Myre | National Public Radio When Ukraine was invaded, many expected quick Russian victory. The war is three months old, with both sides digging in and no end in sight. Many analysts say the trends now favor Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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U.S. National Guardsmen trained Ukrainian soldiers and it seems to have paid off. Reported by Jay Price | NPR Behind some of the success of the Ukrainian military against Russia is a little-known U.S. initiative, one built around state national guards. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Twitter to Ramp Up Censorship of ‘Misinformation’ about the Ukraine War, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com Twitter has published what it calls a “crisis misinformation policy” announcing that it will be actively reducing the visibility of content found to be false which pertains to “situations of armed conflict, public health emergencies, and large-scale natural disasters.” If you’ve been paying attention to the dramatic escalations in online censorship we’ve been seeing in 2022, it will not . . . READ MORE . . .

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MSM Is Empire Fanfic for Children: Notes From the Edge of the Narrative Matrix, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com It’s often a long, awkward process learning that literally everyone in both mainstream political factions serves the oligarchic empire. For most people you have to get your hopes dashed over and over again by your heroes before learning this lesson, and even then many don’t. It runs counter to everything . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports by the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio; click on news agencies’ names below for other stories. Then, two essays by Edward Curtin, one on the prospect of “nuclear annihilation” in an imminent World War III, the other on anti-Russian propaganda among “progressives.” Next, via Popular Resistance, links to Margaret Kimberly writing on “liberals” and censorship, and to a Scheer Intelligence podcast on the news media’s excluding critics of the U.S./Western policies and actions regarding the war in Ukraine. Finally, links to a song Scheer uses to introduce and end his podcasts, and to a brief Wikipedia entry about the singer. — MCM

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Russian soldier sentenced to life at Kyiv war crimes trial, by Elena Becatoros, Oleksandr Stashevskyi and Ricardo Mazalan | The Associated Press KYIV — A Ukrainian court sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison today for killing a Ukrainian civilian, in the first war crimes trial since Russia’s invasion. Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin was accused of shooting a Ukrainian civilian in the head in a village in the northeastern Sumy region in the early days of the war. He pleaded guilty and testified that he shot the man after being ordered to do so. He told the court that an officer insisted that the Ukrainian man, who was speaking on his cellphone, could pinpoint their location to the Ukrainian forces. During the trial, Shishimarin asked the widow of the victim to forgive . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it has held off the latest Russian assault in the east, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters * Russian mine clearers sweeping captured Azovstal plant * Ukraine says its forces repel latest Russian assault on Sievierodonetsk * Russia forces control largely unbroken swathe of east and south | KYIV/MARIUPOL, Ukraine — Ukraine said today it had held off the latest assault on an eastern city that has become the main target of Moscow’s offensive since Russian forces finally seized Mariupol last week. Russian forces tried to storm Sievierodonetsk, but were unsuccessful and retreated, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said. The city, on the banks of the . . . READ MORE . . .

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Millions of Ukrainians rushed to leave — the line to return home stretches for miles. Ari Shapiro of National Public Radio visits a border crossing between Poland and Ukraine to chronicle the journeys of Ukrainians returning to their homeland. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Russia’s war in Ukraine is threatening an outpost of cooperation in space. Reported by Geoff Brumfiel and Alina Selyukh | NPR On the ground, tensions between the U.S. and Russia are running high. Russian President Vladimir Putin falsely claims the U.S. is working with Nazis in Ukraine, while President Biden calls Putin a “war criminal.” Aboard the jointly controlled International Space Station (ISS), however, the tone is very different: American astronauts live side-by-side with Russian cosmonauts; they regularly . . . Click HERE to read more and listen.

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The national average price for diesel is up 75% from a year ago. Reported by Brittany Cronin | NPR It now costs more than $5.50 to buy diesel. The surging price of the fuel is making everything even more expensive, and that’s posing a major threat to the economy. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Average U.S. gasoline price jumps 33 cents to $4.71 per gallon. From AP. CAMARILLO, Calif. — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline spiked 33 cents over the past two weeks to $4.71 per gallon. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that the price jump comes amid higher crude oil costs and tight gasoline supplies. The average price at the . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian judge hands down a sentence in the first war crimes trial in that conflict. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Greg Myre | NPR  The court gave a life sentence to a 21-year-old Russian army sergeant for shooting and killing an unarmed Ukrainian man during the first days of the war. Its the first war crimes trial of the war. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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It’s About Time, by Edward Curtin | Behind the Curtain Isn’t it always. With the start of World War III by the United States “declaring” war against Russia by its actions in Ukraine, we have entered a time when the end of time has become very possible.  I am speaking of nuclear annihilation.  . . . This is not uplifting, but it’s true.  The nuclear weapons are primed and ready to fly.  The U.S. insists on its first-strike right to launch them.  It openly declares it is seeking the overthrow of the Russian government.  Russia says it will use nuclear weapons only if its existence is threatened, which has . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Subtleties of Anti-Russia Leftist Rhetoric, by Edward Curtin | Behind the Curtain While the so-called liberal and conservative corporate mainstream media . . . pour forth the most blatant propaganda about Russia and Ukraine that is so conspicuous that it is comedic if it weren’t so dangerous, the self-depicted cognoscenti also ingest subtler messages, often from the alternative media. [Reading something recommended] about the war in Ukraine . . . got me thinking again about why people so often miss the untruths lying within articles that are in many parts truthful and accurate. I notice this constantly. They are like little seeds slipped in as if no one will notice; they work their magic nearly unconsciously.  Few do notice them, for they are often . . . READ MORE . . .

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Liberals Drive State Censorship, by Margaret Kimberley | Black Agenda Report Liberals are the force behind censorship efforts. They defend the state and seek to silence anyone who questions its narratives. Twice in the month of April Barack Obama spoke about “disinformation.” First at the University of Chicago and then at Stanford University he claimed that democracy is at risk because of social media. Democracy is certainly at risk but not because of anyone’s tweets. His words were really meant to frighten Americans into accepting censorship should anyone dare to present a narrative that differs from the state’s. Of course, that isn’t what Obama said. He spoke . . . READ MORE . . .

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It’s scoundrel time in the good ol’ U.S.A. Podcast hosted by Robert Scheer | Scheer Intelligence. Critics of the West’s role in the Ukraine war, such as CIA veterans Ray McGovern and John Kiriakou, are being ostracized from the American media landscape. Click HERE to listen.

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‘Rien de rien.’ Song by lyricist Charles Dumont and composer Michel Vaucaire popularized by Edith Piaf. Snatches of it are heard beginning and ending Scheer Intelligence podcasts. Words are HERE. Piaf singing it is HERE and HERE. A bio of Piaf is HERE.