First, links to reports from the Moscow Times, the Associated Press, Tass, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, links to commentary and analysis from Consortium News, GlobalResearch, and Reuters. — MCM
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Putin sends warning to West on 80th anniversary of Battle of Stalingrad. From the Moscow Times. Speaking during a ceremony today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is once again being threatened by German tanks. “Those who expect to win on the battlefield apparently do not understand that a modern war with Russia will be utterly different . . . READ MORE . . .
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EU officials visit Kyiv as Russia strikes civilian target, by Susie Blann | AP KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Top European Union officials arrived in Kyiv on today for talks with the Ukrainian government as rescue crews dug through the rubble of an apartment building in eastern Ukraine that was struck by a Russian missile, killing at least three people and wounding 21 others. The scene of devastation in the eastern Donetsk provincial city of Kramatorsk, where emergency workers spent the night searching for survivors after the missile hit late Wednesday . . . READ MORE . . .
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How, not when: Lavrov lays out Russia’s priorities for ending Ukraine crisis. From Tass. MOSCOW — “All of us want this to be over,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today, “but what matters here is not the timing, but the essence and the quality of the outcome that we could secure for our nation, for those people who want to remain part of Russian culture and who have for years been deprived of all things Russian by the Kiev junta with Western connivance.” READ MORE . . .
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Moscow accuses West of aiming to destroy Russia. From AFP. MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today accused the West of wanting to inflict a lasting defeat against Moscow and lashed out against EU chief Ursula von der Leyen as she visited Kyiv. “Ursula von der Leyen . . . said that the outcome of the war should be . . . READ MORE . . .
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EU plans new Russia sanctions ahead of Ukraine war anniversary. From AFP. KYIV — The European Union plans to slap Russia with fresh sanctions by the anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says on a visit to Kyiv. “We will introduce with our G7 partners an additional price cap on Russian petroleum products, and by the 24th of February . . . READ MORE . . .
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Germany risks forgetting its history, by Scott Ritter | Consortium News Two days before Holocaust Remembrance Day last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, under heavy pressure from Washington and pro-war members of his own government, announced that Germany would send 14 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks to Ukraine. He declared: “It is right that we act closely with our international partners to support Ukraine — financially, with humanitarian aid, but also . . . READ MORE . . .
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A panicked empire tries to make Russia an ‘offer it can’t refuse,’ by Pepe Escobar | GlobalResearch Realizing NATO’s war with Russia will likely end unfavorably, the U.S. is test-driving an exit offer. But why should Moscow take indirect proposals seriously, especially on the eve of its new military advance and while it is in the winning seat? Those behind the Throne are never more dangerous than when they have their backs against the wall. Their power . . . READ MORE . . .
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Analysis: Ukraine’s new weapon will force a Russian shift, by Mike Stone and Max Hunder | Reuters WASHINGTON/KYIV — With the United States expected to send a new longer-range weapon to Ukraine, it has answered President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s plea for rockets that can strike deep behind the front lines of the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. Now Russian forces will need to adapt or face potentially catastrophic losses. The new weapon, the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), will . . . READ MORE . . .