100 Years of Diplomatic Relations Between the Baltic States & the USA

(Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

“Conference Celebrating the centenary of Diplomatic Relations between the Baltic States and the the United States of America. Keynote by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvDdckKFspc

Commemorative Stamp Marks 100 Years of Official U.S.-Estonian Relations

(Vaba Eesti Sõna)

“With a print run of 20,000 and a nominal value of 1.90 euros, the stamp can be used for international mail, as well as domestically.”

https://www.vabaeestisona.com/ves-nr-24-3789-commemorative-stamp-marks-100-years-of-official-u-s-estonian-relations-over-half-of-the-70000-ukrainian-refugees-in-estonia-wish-to-stay-magnitude-2-3-earthquake-detected-off-es/

 

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Cover photo:

http://www.loodusemees.ee/et/galeriid/lehekuu#&&c=160526aa0134

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Friday 17. June

USA on leidnud Eestisse uue suursaadiku kandidaadi

(ERR)

"USA järgmise suursaadiku valimise ja kinnitamise protsess käib. Kandidaat on leitud ning hetkel toimub tema kaalumine Valges Majas," ütles saatkonna pressiesindaja Mark Naylor reedel ERR-ile. Ameerika Ühendriikidel ei ole suursaadikut Eestis olnud 2018. aasta suvest, kui tollane saadik James D. Melville Jr teatas juuni lõpus, et astub ametist tagasi, tuues põhjusena tollase presidendi Donald Trumpi vastuolulised avaldused NATO ja Euroopa liitlaste aadressil.”

https://www.err.ee/1608632998/usa-on-leidnud-eestisse-uue-suursaadiku-kandidaadi

“Candidate for US ambassador to Estonia undergoing confirmation process.” - ERR

Tallinna opositsioonierakonnad soovivad punamonumentide eemaldamist

(ERR)

"Venemaa võimude tegevust ja nende rahastatud mõjutustegevust arvestades tuleb nii Tallinnas kui üle kogu Eesti leida okupatsiooniikoonidele sobiv koht. Soovitavalt muuseumis, et kurjus oleks varustatud ülevaatega, mida need kipspead ja -plaadid Eesti ja vaba maailma rahvaste jaoks ajaloos õigupoolest tähendasid," ütles volikogu Reformierakonna fraktsiooni esimees Kristen Michal.”

https://www.err.ee/1608631297/tallinna-opositsioonierakonnad-soovivad-punamonumentide-eemaldamist

Mereväelaste sõnul tegutsesid nende Vene kolleegid BALTOPSi ajal tavapäraselt

(Postimees)

“Vene mereväelased on BALTOPSi ajal alati väljas olnud, aga on ajakirjanduslik liialdus öelda, justkui teinuks nad tänavu midagi erilist, rääkis NATO 1. alalise miinitõrjegrupi ülem kaptenleitnant Ott Laanemets. … “Kusagilt Eesti ajakirjandusest lugesin, et venelased tegid ka suurõppuse. No ei teinud suurõppust,» kinnitas Laanemets eile Postimehele. “Tegelikult nad tegid oma õppust natuke teistel aladel, aga kuna see meid väga ei puudutanud, siis ma ei oska selle kohta midagi täpsemalt öelda.”

https://maailm.postimees.ee/7546810/merevaelaste-sonul-tegutsesid-nende-vene-kolleegid-baltopsi-ajal-tavaparaselt

Riigikaitselaagrite uuenduse üle nurisevad nii õpilased kui ka õpetajad

(ERR)

“Tallinna Jakob Westholmi 10. klassi õpilasel Kärt Plaki ootused enne riigikaitselaagrit olid kõrgel, abituriendid kirjeldasid kolmepäevast laagrit ägedana, kus kõik kannavad vormi ja on võimalik päris relvadest lasta. Tegelikkus kujunes hoopis teistsuguseks.

 "Ma ootasin, et meil oleks rohkem tegevust ja toimuks rohkem asju, sest see venis. Paljud, kes ei ole riigikaitse suunast, ei pidanud seda vajalikuks ja mõtlesid, miks nad seal on. Meil ei olnud vorme ka ja see tundus rohkem nagu matkavärk, kõik olid oma riietega metsas. Meil oli eraldi riigikaitse suund, mis oli kurb, et me ei saanud vorme. Ma loodan, et järgmised kümnendikud saavad paremini.”

https://www.err.ee/1608633241/riigikaitselaagrite-uuenduse-ule-nurisevad-nii-opilased-kui-ka-opetajad

Meedia: Venemaa kasutab riigisiseses veenmistöös patuoina-narratiivi

(Novaator)

"Vene meedia on teinud väga head tööd oma inimeste veenmises. See on nende jaoks suur võitlus, et enda jaoks sobivat narratiivi kinnistada, kuigi see ei ole lihtne, sest rahvusvaheline meedia jõuab ka Venemaale."

https://novaator.err.ee/1608624442/meediauurija-venemaa-kasutab-riigisiseses-veenmistoos-patuoina-narratiivi

“As Result of Kremlin Propaganda, Russians don’t View Putin’s Aggression in Ukraine as a War.” - Paul Goble

NATO lubab vastuseks Vene agressioonile uut väemudelit

(Postimees)

“Nagu ka eilsel pressikonverentsil vihjati, ei pruugi aga sugugi mitte kõik liitlased – näiteks Baltimaad – olla rahul sellega, et kõik abiväed ei ole nende juures füüsiliselt kohal, vaid püsivad kusagil kaugemal ootel.”

https://maailm.postimees.ee/7546830/nato-lubab-vastuseks-vene-agressioonile-uut-vaemudelit

“NATO readies fresh eastern flank defenses.” - Politico Europe

“Vladimir Putin: maailmakord on pöördumatult muutunud.” - ERR

“Real Peace in Europe Won’t Be Possible Until There is Regime Change in Russia.” - Paul Goble

“The West must remove Putin from power.” - The Telegraph

Gaas kallines ühe nädalaga 70 %

(Postimees)

“Järsu hinnamuutuse põhjus on eelkõige Gazpromi seatud piirangud Vene-Saksa gaasitoru Nord Stream 1 gaasimahtudele,” selgitas energiakaupleja Energy Partners juhatuse liige Marko ­Allikson.”

https://majandus.postimees.ee/7546833/hinnasokk-gaas-kallines-uhe-nadalaga-70-protsenti

“Kuidas kütuste hinnad erinevates riikides nädalaga muutusid.” - Postimees

“Estonians Face Hard Winter With Energy Turmoil, Premier Says.” - Bloomberg

Kaliningrad’s Final Farewell to the Gains of the Past

By: Sergey Sukhankin, Jamestown Org.

“Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the ensuing international sanctions have particularly harmed Kaliningrad Oblast, a coastal exclave that is physically separated from Russia … For instance, average inflation for construction materials has reached 70 percent (compared to the second quarter of 2021), while prices in some categories increased by 266 percent. Similarly, in terms of foodstuffs, prices increased by 12.8 percent.”

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“… the Russian Baltic exclave, reportedly, can neither promptly export raw materials (including peat and wooden pallets) nor import strategically important materials and commodities. Instead of using the Polish railway network, as before, local businesses have to send their goods out via Belarus, which adds additional transportation costs. Similarly, local sources note that hundreds of railway cars must wait two or more months if they plan on going through Lithuania. Furthermore, the maritime route is, at least for now, hardly a solution: local businesses are shocked at the additional costs (30 percent) and wait times (several months) …”

https://jamestown.org/program/russias-war-in-ukraine-and-kaliningrads-final-farewell-to-the-gains-of-the-past/

Russia Urges To Cancel Recognition Of Independence Of Ukraine, Latvia And Estonia

(Ukrainian News)

“Member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the United Russia party Dmitry Fedorov called for the abolition of recognition of the independence of Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia due to alleged violations of the secession of these countries from the USSR. … "We just started with Lithuania. And it is clear why - Lithuania is more dangerous for the Russian Federation in terms of the situation related to Kaliningrad region and in the confrontation with NATO and the United States. And after the mechanism is worked out, we will work it out in other NATO territories. And not only NATO. Ukraine, for example, also illegally withdrew from the USSR.”

https://ukranews.com/en/news/862963-russia-urges-to-cancel-recognition-of-independence-of-ukraine-latvia-and-estonia

“State Duma may weigh repealing Russia's recognition of Estonia's, Latvia's independence.” - Baltic Times

“Russia's law to uncreate Lithuania: laugh or cry?” - EU Observer

“Should Lithuania ring alarm bells about Russia ‘revoking’ its independence?” - BNN

Lavrov: Russia is not squeaky clean and not ashamed

By Steve Rosenberg, BBC Moscow

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov looked me in the eye and told me things were not as they seemed. "We didn't invade Ukraine," he claimed. “Rather than invading Ukraine we declared a special military operation because we had absolutely no other way of explaining to the West that dragging Ukraine into Nato was a criminal act.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61825525

And:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/da5e42d0-ee13-11ec-8821-d2e916a7eab3?shareToken=6007e3039a293d71f7de4483b96d0486

Thursday 16. June

Arvamus: Kelle kodu on Eesti, selle keel olgu samuti eesti

Ignar Fjuk, Postimees

“Vene poliitikud nagu Yana Toom lähtuvad NSVLi aegsest vene keele ülemuslikkuse nõudest, jättes vene noored ilma võimalusest Eesti ühiskonnas toime tulla, kirjutab endine poliitik Ignar Fjuk.”

https://arvamus.postimees.ee/7546863/ignar-fjuk-kelle-kodu-on-eesti-selle-keel-olgu-samuti-eesti

“Axel Jagau: eesti keel on suurkeel.” - ERR

“Tartu’s five Russian schools to switch to Estonian-language education.” - Estonian World

“What is wrong with the concept of “Estonian Russian”? - Estonian World

Kagupiiri esimese etapi ehitus sai valmis

(ERR | Postimees)

“Kagupiiri esimese etapi ehitus kulges 23,5 kilomeetri pikkusel piirilõigul Võrumaal, alates Eesti, Läti, Venemaa kolmikpunktist kuni Luhamaa piiripunktini. Kui ehituse alguses planeeriti PPA eelarves piirilõigu ehituseks kuni 20 miljonit eurot, siis lõplik hind kujunes ligi miljoni euro võrra väiksemaks. Juba käib ka ehitus teisel piirilõigul …”

https://www.postimees.ee/7546494/kagupiiri-esimese-etapi-ehitus-sai-valmis

—

https://www.err.ee/1608632251/fotod-kagupiiri-esimese-etapi-tood-said-valmis

Estonia Continues to Strongly Support Ukrainian Refugees

(SchengenVisaInfo)

“Estonia has accepted more than 40,000 Ukrainian refugees since May 24, while the state has also granted temporary protection for each of them. Refugees from Ukraine have also been offered initial accommodation, but arranging permanent housing has been challenging across the country. The Baltic State has also provided security-based needs of up to 900 euros and state-owned affordable housing …”

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/estonia-continues-to-strongly-support-ukrainian-refugees/

“Leedus napib Ukraina põgenikele majutust.” - Postimees

Baltic States Need More NATO Forces to Deter a Russian Invasion

(USNI)

“Speaking at a Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment event, Kusti Salm said that even given Moscow’s rising number of casualties, destruction of armored forces and depletion of precision-guided weapons, the Kremlin can still mass fires as it is showing in fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine. He called NATO’s “trip-wire” strategy and even its “forward presence” in limited numbers obsolete in light of Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.”

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“Deterrence by denial … cannot be achieved by a battalion of NATO troops in his country or any other Baltic member of the alliance. He called it “a joke” that “the second largest nuclear nation would be deterred by a battalion.” The presence “has to be at the divisional level” to “be able to project power across the Russian border.”

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/16/baltic-states-need-more-nato-forces-to-deter-a-russian-invasion-says-estonian-official

“More Western troops going to Estonia and Lithuania.” - EU Observer

Finland's last Lenin monument removed from streets of Kotka

(Yle)

“The statue of Lenin, sculpted by Estonian artist Matti Varikin, was presented as a gift in 1979 by Kotka's twin city Tallinn, which at the time was still part of the Soviet Union.”

https://yle.fi/news/3-12492284

Turkey rejected Nato initiative to hold three-way talks with Finland and Sweden on their applications.

(Yle)

“Turkey “awaits written response” from Finland and Sweden. … Ankara accuses Sweden and Finland of harbouring suspected members of the Kurdish militant group PKK, and has also condemned the countries' past decisions to ban arms exports to Turkey due to its involvement in the Syrian war.”

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“Nato is not desperate or panicked after Turkey's refusal. The establishment of Finnish and Swedish memberships is still "within the framework of diplomatic options," the source told the paper.”

https://yle.fi/news/3-12495782

“Secretary general of Estonian ForMin discusses NATO enlargement in Turkey.” - Baltic Times

“NATO Secretary General: Sweden and Finland’s security matters.” - NATO

Wednesday 15. June

Edetabel: põllumaa suuromanike seas on põllumehi vähe

Ülle Harju, Postimees

“Värsketel andmetel kuulub põllumaad kõige rohkem Eesti riigile. Suuremate maaomanike hulgas on veel pensionifondid, metsa- ja valdusfirmad, kuid vaid üksikud põllumajandusega tegelejad. Eestis on haritavat maad maakatastri aasta alguse andmetel 1,046,468 hektarit.”

https://jarvateataja.postimees.ee/7543613/edetabel-pollumaa-suuromanike-seas-on-pollumehi-vahe

Pro-Kremlin provocateur Ramil Usmanov expelled from Estonia

(ERR)

“Usmanov, a former head of the South Estonian branch of a society for veterans of the Soviet-Afghanistan war of 1979-1989 and an activist in a union of Russian citizens society in Tartu, was deported Tuesday, which, the ISS noted on its social media page, was poignant given it was the 81st anniversary of the mass deportation of Estonians by the occupying Soviet authorities on June 14 1941.”

https://news.err.ee/1608630025/pro-kremlin-provocateur-expelled-from-estonia

Magnitude 2.3 earthquake detected off Estonia's northwest coast

(ERR)

“Historically, the northwest of Estonia is the country's most seismically active region. Just 20 kilometers from Monday's tremor, is the epicenter of the largest tremor recorded in Estonia, a 4.5 magnitude mild earthquake, which occurred near the island of Osmusaar on October 25, 1976. In recent decades, Estonia has recorded around one earth tremor every two years. Prior to Monday, the most recent tremor was detected in Väike-Maarja on March 14, 2020, with a magnitude of 1.3.”

https://news.err.ee/1608629116/magnitude-2-3-earthquake-detected-off-estonia-s-northwest-coast

“Eestis väriseb maa iga päev, aga mitte maavärinate pärast.” - Postimees

The Baltic states want more NATO. 

They may not get all they seek

By Robin Emmott and Andrius Sytas, Reuters

“Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been calling for their region to receive the biggest build-up of combat-ready NATO forces in Europe since the end of the Cold War, to be agreed at a summit on June 28-30 in Madrid.”

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“Since Russia invaded, the U.S. Congress has approved extra funds and the Pentagon sent F-35 stealth fighters, as well as attack helicopters, to Estonia; Britain doubled its force presence at Estonia's Tapa military base to around 1,700 personnel.”

—

“Many members, including Britain and the United States, do not favour permanent new bases in the Baltics, three of the diplomats told Reuters. They said it would cost billions and be hard to sustain: The states may not have enough troops and weaponry, and a permanent presence would be highly provocative for Moscow.”

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"The Baltic states will not each get enough NATO troops to create a division," a NATO diplomat said, referring to their request for up to 15,000 troops across the region, as well as more on stand-by in allied countries to complement national forces. "Whatever is decided must be sustainable.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/baltic-states-want-more-nato-they-wont-get-all-they-seek-2022-06-15/

Or

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-06-15/the-baltic-states-want-more-nato-they-wont-get-all-they-seek

Putin Invokes Peter the Great as Russia Prepares for Long War

(National Interest)

“Peter the Great waged the Great Northern War for 21 years. It would seem that he was at war with Sweden, he took something from them. He did not take anything from them, he returned (what was Russia’s),” Putin said in remarks delivered after the event. “Yes, that’s exactly how it is … when he established the new capital [in St. Petersburg], none of the European countries recognized this territory as Russian, they recognized it as part of Sweden. However, from time immemorial, the Slavs lived there along with the Finno-Ugric peoples, and this territory was under Russia’s control. The same is true of the western direction, Narva and his first campaigns. Why would he go there? He was returning and reinforcing, that is what he was doing.”

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“The Great Northern War did, in fact, result in Russia’s undisputed dominance over the Baltics and propelled the Empire to great power status, but it dragged on for twenty-one years and was marked by a slate of early battlefield setbacks for the Russian forces. To the extent that he deliberately singled out the Northern War as an apt analogy for the current moment, Putin is telling Russians to strap in for a prolonged conflict.”

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/putin-invokes-peter-great-russia-prepares-long-war-202961

Would Russia Attack The West?

By Dr. Alexander Motyl, 19fortyfive

“Russia’s television personalities, propagandists, and dime-novelists are a different matter. They imagine nuclear Armageddon with glee, fantasize about the destruction of Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic states, and spin tales of endless struggle against godless Western liberalism. To what degree their unhinged imaginings reflect the views of policymakers is unclear. Certainly, they have their imprimatur, perhaps to prepare the population for possible end-of-the-world scenarios, perhaps to test the waters, perhaps to terrify the West. In any case, official statements tend to be far more grounded in reality than propagandist fantasies. (Or so one hopes.).”

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“Except when they aren’t. … a desperate Russian elite could decide that firing a missile at Warsaw or invading northeast Estonia might be a convenient way of acting tough at home and abroad, testing NATO’s resolve to follow through on Article 5, and thereby enhancing the Kremlin’s deteriorating legitimacy. The West need not cross any objectively recognizable red line for such a dire scenario to happen. Dictators are by nature unpredictable, and irrational sociopaths … are especially unpredictable.”

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/06/would-russia-attack-the-west/

Tuesday 14. June

Estonia remembers Soviet deportations

(Estonian World)

“On 14 June 1941, the Soviet Union forcibly deported over 10,000 people from Estonia to Siberia – over 7,000 were women, children, and elderly people; the date is now observed as a day of mourning.”

https://estonianworld.com/life/estonia-remembers-the-soviet-deportations/

“Flags at half-mast nationwide marked June 1941 deportations.” - ERR

“Gallery: Deported Estonians in Siberia.” - Estonian World

Tallinn installs first public emergency shelter signs by Ministry of Defense

(ERR)

“The plaques are orange, feature a blue triangle and the phrase "Avalik varjumiskoht" (public shelter). They are the first such signs installed in Estonia. The signs were hung on Tallinn's Vabaduse väljak (Freedom Square) and direct residents to the underground parking lot below.”

https://news.err.ee/1608628453/gallery-estonia-installs-first-public-emergency-shelter-signs-in-tallinn

“Rescue Board has started to designate public shelters.” - Postimees

NATO: Sweden prepared to address Turkey's security concerns

(Deutsche Welle)

“Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said her country takes Turkey's concerns "very seriously" when "it comes to the fight against terrorism." She added that Sweden's "ambition is that we should have these matters resolved.” … Stockholm is modifying its anti-terrorism legislation.”

https://beta.dw.com/en/nato-sweden-prepared-to-address-turkeys-security-concerns/a-62118496

“Former Kurdish rebel, turned Swedish lawmaker, has key role in Sweden’s NATO bid.” - AP

Mystery of Black Death’s origins solved, say researchers

(The Guardian)

“Researchers believe they have solved the nearly 700-year-old mystery of the origins of the Black Death, the deadliest pandemic in recorded history, which swept through Europe, Asia and north Africa in the mid-14th century. … “We have basically located the origin in time and space, which is really remarkable,” said Prof Johannes Krause at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. “We found not only the ancestor of the Black Death, but the ancestor of the majority of the plague strains that are circulating in the world today.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/15/mystery-black-death-origins-solved-plague-pandemic

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Putin’s War

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment: 16. June 2022

(ISW)

“The leaders of Germany, France, Italy, and Romania committed to Ukrainian officials that the West would not demand any concessions from Ukraine to appease Russia and will support Ukraine to the end of the war …”

—

”The Belarusian Armed Forces began a command-staff exercise focused on testing command and control capabilities on June 14. However, Belarus remains unlikely to join the war in Ukraine on behalf of Russia. … Western officials announced additional military aid for Ukraine on June 15.”

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-16

Estonian leader urges faster help for Ukraine amid signs of war fatigue

(Washington Post)

“Kallas, who has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken proponents of a robust response to the Russian invasion, said it is vital for Europe and the United States to remain focused on helping Ukraine to win, despite waning public attention on the four-month-old war, which seems set to drag on for many more months.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/16/estonia-kallas-ukraine-allies-aid/

‘It was worse than hell’: life in Mariupol under Russian occupation

(The Guardian)

“Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian mayor of Mariupol, recently estimated that 22,000 died in the two months of fighting, while a person coordinating burials in the city told the Guardian that the number could be closer to 50,000. While pro-Russian separatists have pledged to rebuild the city into a “resort”, the economy appears to be at a standstill with long queues for food and humanitarian help everywhere.”

—

“Think about the end of the Soviet Union, but five times worse,” said 54-year-old Tatiana, who left Mariupol in April but has been in touch with her sister and mother who are still there. Soon after the pro-Russian separatists came, Tatiana said the “occupiers” promised locals that their outstanding pensions would be paid out, but Tatiana and others said that very few in the city had received any payments.” Instead, she said, pro-Russian officials ordered that only those who had traded their Ukrainian passports for Russian ones could apply for benefits.”

—

“A never-ending stream of pain,” is how Anna Chasovnikova, the psychologist at the help centre, described her therapy sessions with those who have left Mariupol. “One of the biggest problems is that people are struggling to accept that their past lives are gone forever. They can’t look forward anymore,” said Chasovnikova, who herself left the city at the very beginning of the war. She admitted that, despite being an experienced psychologist, she often found it hard to help her patients, who were coming to her with stories that “were unimaginable for the 21st century”.”

—

“What do you say when a girl tells you how her father was blown up in front of her during his own birthday celebration?”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/16/ukraine-life-in-mariupol-under-russian-occupation?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

“Donbassi asulad on iga päev Vene raketitule all.” - ERR Ukrainas

“Moscow says babies born in occupied Kherson will automatically get Russian citizenship.” - New York Times

"Nato to deploy more combat troops and weapons to eastern Europe." - Telegraph

“Putin’s Advocate for Child Welfare Is Straight-Up Stealing Kids in Ukraine, U.K. Says.” - The Daily Beast

“Severodonetskis püütakse kokku leppida evakuatsioonikoridor.” - ERR

“Civilians stranded as Russia destroys every bridge out of Severodonetsk.”

“Sievierodonetsk evacuation continues despite loss of main bridges.” - The Guardian

“Ordinary citizens in cities like Mariupol and Melitopol have launched a “partisan resistance” to derail the Kremlin’s takeover.” - Daily Beast

“Amid rain and rockets, Ukrainian farmers keep working the soil.” - Christian Science Monitor

“Lithuanian Foreign Minister: Russia Might Not Lose.” - Foreign Policy

“Russia’s War Created a Global Hunger Disaster.” - Mother Jones

“Anti-war stance in Russia leads to denunciations and arrests.” - DW

“In Ukraine, Youth Has Ended.” - By Anna Nemtsova, - The Atlantic

“NATO calls for 'more heavy weapons' for Ukraine.” - DW

“Putin is Not ‘a Rational Scoundrel’.” - Paul Goble

“Russia bans 29 UK journalists.” - The Guardian

“How Russia Turned Its War Around.” - Slate

‘Putin the Great’ and his budget empire can only deliver a fake victory

By Mark Galeotti, The Times

“Vladimir Putin likens himself to Peter the Great, saying they shared a desire to recover lands that belonged to Russia.”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/23525116-e8ec-11ec-9c30-501fb7a77d48?shareToken=c655a19506178a89d8c16e0a7698eabf

“Hailing Peter the Great, Putin draws parallel with mission to 'return' Russian lands.” - Reuters

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