Ukraine, 3-8-24

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, and Tass, and to commentary from Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Turkey where Erdogan is expected to press for negotiations to end Russia war, by Ayse Wieting and Suzan Fraser | AP  ISTANBUL — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Istanbul today for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During the talks in Istanbul, Erdogan was expected . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Top Chinese envoy visits Kyiv, meets Ukrainian officials, by Kateryna Denisova and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, visited Kyiv on Thursday for a meeting with Ukrainian officials, the Ukrainian President’s Office reported. His arrival was part of his second tour to Europe to promote a political settlement of . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Macron ready to send troops to Ukraine if Russia approaches Kyiv or Odesa. From Kyiv Post. French President Emmanuel Macron met with parliamentary parties on Thursday and said he was open to the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, according to French newspaper L’Indépendant. Fabien Roussel, a representative of the French Communist Party, said afterwards that “Macron . . . READ MORE . . . .  L’Indépendent article in French is HERE.

   

Allies collect funding to purchase 800,000 shells for Ukraine, Czech president says. From the Kyiv Independent. Czech President Petr Pavel said on Thursday that after Norway had joined the Czech-led initiative on purchasing 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, the required funds were collected, Czech outlet CT24 reported. As . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Ukrainian forces lose up to 2,000 troops on Donetsk direction in 7 days — Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — In the past 7 days, the Russian Armed Forces advanced their forward position on the Donetsk direction and repelled 8 enemy counterattacks, while the Ukrainian army lost almost 2,000 servicemen, 103 vehicles and 10 field depots, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Details of this and . . .READ MORE . . .

   

FROM MARCH 5  The minds of desperate men, by Scott Ritter | Consortium News  French President Emmanuel Macron was hosting a crisis meeting last week, convened to discuss the deteriorating conditions on the battlefield in Ukraine and attended by senior representatives from NATO member states. “We should not exclude,” he said at a press conferencence, “that there might be a need for . . . READ MORE . . .