First, links to reports heard on National Public Radio and from Reuters and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. Then, an appeal from Joe Lauria, editor of Consortium News. Next, via CN, a link to a Common Dreams article on a Climate Action Tracker study that shows governments are ignoring “a massive opportunity” to change energy policy to address the realities of climate change. — MCM
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As Russia pushes deeper into eastern Ukraine, some flee on medical evacuation train. Reported by A Martínez and Nathan Rott | National Public Radio President Biden has announced another $1 billion in weaponry for Ukraine, including anti-ship missile launchers, longer range artillery and rounds for mobile rocket launching platforms. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.
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Ukraine finds itself outnumbered as Russia advances in the Donbas. Reported by Steve Inskeep | NPR “The math problem is very difficult for the Ukrainians,” Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an interview Wednesday with NPR’s Morning Edition. An army gains an advantage when it concentrates more forces at a decisive point than its enemy does. In the war’s early weeks, Russia scattered its forces, attacking multiple objectives at once and failing to capture Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. Russia then refocused, withdrawing some forces and placing heavier emphasis on the eastern Donbas region. Milley, President Biden’s top military adviser, told NPR that Russia has massed greater numbers of combat units, as well as more artillery, than the local defenders have. At the time of the interview . . . Click HERE to listen and read.
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EU leaders criticised for tepid support bring ‘message of unity’ to Ukraine, by Natalia Zinets | Reuters * Arms needed to fend off Russian advances in south and east * Ukrainian troops, civilians holed up in Sievierodonetsk plant | KYIV — The leaders of Germany, France and Italy – all criticised in the past by Kyiv for support viewed as too cautious – made a joint visit to Ukraine today, touring a town devastated by Russia’s invasion. “It’s an important moment. It’s a message of unity we’re sending to the Ukrainians,” French President Emmanuel Macron said after pulling into Kyiv on an overnight train along with Germany’s Olaf Scholz and Italy’s Mario Draghi. They were also joined by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. READ MORE . . .
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Germany steps up calls to save energy as Russia reduces gas. From the Associated Press BERLIN — Germany’s vice chancellor is stepping up an appeal for the country’s residents to save energy after Russia’s Gazprom announced significant cuts in natural gas deliveries through a key pipeline. State-owned Gazprom announced on Tuesday that it was cutting gas flows through the undersea Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany by 40%, then, a day later, announced a further cutthat brings the overall reduction to about 60%. In both cases . . . READ MORE . . .
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CN Spring Fund Drive is wrapping up. Joe Lauria of Consortium News writes on the final day of the drive that it “began with PayPal permanently suspending us in an effort to choke off an avenue for donations. Then we responded to NewsGuard’s charge that CN has published ‘false content’ on Ukraine. This was followed by word that the former head of the U.S. Disinformation Governance Board thinks Consortium News is a bunch of ‘useful idiots.’ Our loyal readers and viewers . . .” Click HERE to read more and, possibly, donate.
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Study Finds Fossil Fuel Gold Rush After War in Ukraine, by Kenny Stancil | Common Dreams Progressives have been urging governments to embark on an accelerated global clean energy transition since Russia’s late-February invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing Western sanctions unleashed chaos in energy markets around the world, but policymakers have opted instead to expand fossil fuel infrastructure. That’s according to researchers from Climate Action Tracker, which released a new report last week warning that this reaction . . . READ MORE . . .
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TO BE CONTINUED