OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine updaye:

"Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to travel to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter said. Plans for a visit follow China’s offer to broker a peace deal in Ukraine. Reuters reports. 

More than 1,100 Russian soldiers died in less than a week of battles near the city of Bakhmut, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy yesterday. He also said Russian forces had to remove 1,500 injured soldiers from the battlefield. Dozens of pieces of enemy equipment were also destroyed, as were more than 10 Russian ammunition depots. Reuters reports. 

Russian forces shot down four missiles over the Belgorod region today, leaving one person injured, said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Gladkov did not say who he thought had fired the missiles at the border region, but he has accused Ukrainian forces of similar attacks in the past. Reuters reports.

“Wagner assault units are advancing from several directions, trying to break through our troops’ defensive positions and move to the centre of the city. In fierce battles, our defenders are inflicting significant losses on the enemy,” the Ukrainian military said, referring to the Russian mercenary group that has claimed to be leading Moscow’s offensive.

Wagner, meanwhile, said: “The enemy is battling for every metre. The closer we are to the city centre, the harder the battles”.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says Ukraine will continue to fight in Bakhmut, comparing the Russians’ advance to a thief breaking into someone’s home and trying to “steal everything”.

The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, says the ongoing defence of Bakhmut is necessary to “buy time” for a planned counteroffensive.

Ukraine’s national police say Russia launched 48 attacks against civilians in the Donetsk region, targeting 15 cities and towns, including Bakhmut, Konstyantynivka, and Avdiivka.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War says Russia’s advance on Bakhmut seems to have stalled and while Wagner Group soldiers continued to fight, they did not seem to be making any progress."

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Chinese leader Xi Jinping plans to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since the start of the Ukraine war, according to people familiar with the matter. This reflects China’s stated ambition of playing a key role in securing peace between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking about Xi’s potential visit, President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said yesterday, “that would be a good thing because it would potentially bring more balance and perspective to the way that [China] is approaching this.” Keith Zhai reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Ukrainian officials have ordered the evacuation of Kupiansk, a city in northeastern Kharkiv, as the frontline is less than 5 miles away. Last week, Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of Kupiansk’s most vulnerable residents due to “constant” Russian shelling. Authorities say that they manage between 8 to 40 voluntary evacuations most days. 2,500 residents have remained in the city to date. Melissa Bell and Saskya Vandoorne, and Maria Avdeeva report for CNN.

The U.S. and U.K. are sowing deceptions that a pro-Ukrainian group blew up the Nord Stream pipelines last year, said Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. Russia still does not know who was behind the attack because it has not been included in an investigation of the blasts, Patrushev told the Argumenti i Fakti newspaper. Patrushev, one of President Vladimir Putin’s key allies, has previously accused “Anglo-Saxons” of sabotaging Nord Stream in what he has called a terrorist attack. Guy Faulconbridge reports for Reuters. "

The Kremlin says Russia’s goals in Ukraine could only be achieved by military force at the moment, and Kyiv needed to accept the “new realities” on the ground before a peaceful settlement could be reached.

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu ordered a top Russian arms manufacturer to double its production of high-precision rockets, the TASS news agency reported.

The situation around Bakhmut remains difficult, but Ukrainian forces are resisting Russian attempts to capture the city, according to the commander of Ukrainian ground forces, amid heavy casualties on both sides.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russian private military group Wagner, has described the Bakhmut battles as “tough, very tough”.

Ukraine’s future depends on the outcome of battles in key points in the east of the country, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding, “it is very tough in the east — very painful. We have to destroy the enemy’s military power. And we shall destroy it."

lousubcap

More Russia-Ukraine insights from today:

"Ukraine and Russia have a few growing disadvantages in common: Both are believed to be very low on ammunition, and both have lost nearly all of their experienced soldiers to 12 months of war. That's what allied and Ukrainian officials told the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, reporting Monday and Tuesday. Said one Ukrainian commander to the Post, "The most valuable thing in war is combat experience"; however, "[T]here are only a few soldiers with combat experience. Unfortunately, they are all already dead or wounded."
One British lawmaker said the war's next critical phase will span events leading into July and August. "This summer is incredibly important for Ukraine's military," Robert Seely said, according to the Journal. "If they cannot make progress by the end of it, the voices in the West either calling for a negotiated settlement, or arguing that we should not be supporting Ukraine at all, will grow."
Russian leader Putin again doubled down on his invasion, and called it "a task of the survival of Russian statehood" in remarks delivered Tuesday at an airplane factory. He also alleged Ukraine's supporters thought sanctions would bring down the Russian economy in two to three weeks, but that did not happen in part because "We have increased our economic sovereignty many times over," the autocratic leader said, according to Reuters."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A U.S. intelligence and surveillance drone has been struck by a Russian fighter jet, forcing the U.S. to bring the drone down in the Black Sea, the Department of Defence announced yesterday. James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said the Russian jet was operated in a “reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner” while the U.S. drone was conducting routine operations in international airspace. Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, has said the Russian air force did not come into contact with the drone and added, “the unacceptable actions of the United States military in the close proximity to our borders are cause for concern.” Reuters reports. 

The U.S. is taking measures to ensure the downed drone does not fall into the wrong hands, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said yesterday. Kirby confirmed that Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, had been summoned to the State Department where U.S. officials walked Antonov “through the very significant and very real concerns over this unsafe and unprofessional conduct by Russian pilots.” Betsy Klein reports for CNN.

E.U. ambassadors are today finalizing a €2 billion deal to jointly restock Ukraine’s dwindling ammunition supplies while refilling countries’ stocks, according to documents obtained by POLITICO. Under the plan, the E.U. will, firstly, spend €1 billion to partially reimburse countries that can immediately donate ammunition to Ukraine. Secondly, governments will jointly purchase €1 billion in new ammunition to reduce costs. Jacopo Barigazzi reports for POLITICO.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Nord Stream pipeline attack was carried out on a “state level” and dismissed as “complete nonsense” suggestions that an independent pro-Ukraine group was responsible. The German government has been careful about apportioning blame for the explosions. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said last week the blasts could have been a “false-flag operation to blame Ukraine.” Reuters reports. "

lousubcap

US -Russia drone collision article:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64975766?xtor=AL-72-[partner]-[gnl.newsletters]-[headline]-[news]-[bizdev]-[isapi]&xtor=ES-213-[BBC News Newsletter]-2023March16-[top+news+stories] 

Edit to add the following:

"Russia said yesterday that it would try to retrieve the remnants of the U.S. drone that crashed into the Black Sea. Russian security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev said on state television, “I don’t know whether we’ll be able to retrieve it or not, but it has to be done,” adding that the drone’s presence in the Black Sea was “confirmation” that the U.S. was directly involved in the war in Ukraine. National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said that if the U.S. failed to find the drone before Russia, “their ability to exploit useful intelligence will be highly minimized.” Antoinette Radford and Jonathan Beale report for BBC News. 

Defense ministers and military chiefs from the U.S. and Russia held rare telephone conversations yesterday following the downing of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea. Moscow’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that U.S. drone flights along Crimea’s coast “were provocative in nature” and could lead to “an escalation ... in the Black Sea zone.” Austin later restated that the U.S. intended to continue flying where international law allowed and demanded that Russian military aircraft operate safely and professionally. Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Olena Harmash report for Reuters. "

lousubcap

Thursday Russia - Ukraine update:

" Hackers with ties to the Russian government are preparing new cyberattacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and government offices, Microsoft said in a report published yesterday. The report also said Russia appears to be stepping up influence operations outside Ukraine in a bid to weaken U.S. and European support for the country. Russia’s influence operations will shift focus to the U.S. once the presidential election debates begin, said Clint Watts, the head of Microsoft’s Digital Threat Analysis Center. Julian E. Barnes, David E. Sanger, and Marc Santora report for the New York Times. 

The U.S. yesterday promised to “fully and quickly” give Ukraine weapons for a spring counteroffensive against Russia amid a global shortage of ammunition partly caused by the conflict. During a meeting with officials from over 50 countries supporting Kyiv, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “[we] must provide Ukraine with the full capabilities for the fight ahead.” As both Russia and Ukraine deplete their ammunition stockpiles, military analysts believe that the side that wins the race to rearm in the coming months will have an advantage on the battlefield in the next phases of the war. Marc Santora, Eric Schmitt, Valerie Hopkins, and Ivan Nechepurenko report for the New York Times.

A Chinese-made drone that was retrofitted and weaponized was shot down by Ukrainian soldiers in eastern Ukraine over the weekend. The commercial drone was made by Chinese manufacturer Mugin, which previously said it “condemns” the use of its platforms in military operations. The “crude, unsophisticated” technology adds more evidence to the theory that Russia is not the military superpower that the world expected, said Chris Lincoln-Jones, a retired British Army officer and specialist in drone warfare. Rebecca Wright, Ivan Watson, Olha Konovalova, and Tom Booth report for CNN.

Russian oil revenue dropped by nearly half in February compared to last year after an E.U. embargo and price caps went into effect, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency. However, it is unclear whether the price caps will significantly undermine Russia’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine, the report adds. Russia has continued to ship similar amounts of oil to the world market, indicating the punitive measures had not succeeded in disrupting global supply. Mary Ilyushina and Robyn Dixon report for the Washington Post. "

lousubcap

More related to Russia-Ukraine today:

New European polling results show strong support for Ukraine and the United States after a year of Russia invading Eastern Europe. The European Council on Foreign Relations released the new results Thursday after speaking with nearly 15,000 people across Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Estonia.

Three main points seem to be driving the changes in Europeans' mood: "Ukraine's success on the battlefield, the way the war has united both sides of the political spectrum, and the role of the US," according to the report. 

Compared to just two years ago, "Europeans [now] clearly see the US as stronger or at least as strong as they previously thought," the researchers write, and add that "The war in Ukraine has reminded Europeans of American military power, which has seemingly reassured them." Additional "results suggest that many Europeans feel part of a renewed, strong West, led by the US," the authors added. Denmark and Great Britain residents showed the strongest gains in terms of support for U.S.-led foreign policy. 

But notably, Europeans are expecting to live in a bipolar world "with rival camps led by the US and China, rather than a multipolar" world of some other configuration with Russia or European nations in a stronger position than they inhabit today. Much more in those findings, here. 

By the way: China's foreign minister says he spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Thursday. According to Kyiv's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, "we discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity," and Kuleba "underscored the importance of President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine," he wrote on Twitter. According to Beijing, "China hopes that all parties will remain calm, rational and restrained, and resume peace talks as soon as possible," Reuters reported Thursday. "

lousubcap

And to broaden my frictionless role here:

Insights, analysis and must reads from CNN's Fareed Zakaria and the Global Public Square team, compiled by Global Briefing editor Chris Good

What to Do About Banks "A brief series of midsize-bank collapses in the US, followed by a tense moment for Credit Suisse, have turned public discussion to banking oversight, as the Global Briefing has been covering this week. What can and should be done—to stabilize banks, ensure fairness and right the global economy—is a subject of great debate. Criticizing the US Congress’s 2018 move to ease the financial reforms it had enacted following the 2008 crisis, The Economist suggests reapplying the former regulatory scrutiny and cash requirements to midsized banks, which were exempted by the 2018 rollback. “The rescue of depositors in (Silicon Valley Bank) demonstrates that policymakers think such banks pose systemic risks,” The Economist writes. “If so, they should face the same accounting and liquidity rules as the megabanks—as they do in Europe—and be required to submit to the Fed plans for their orderly resolution if they fail. In effect, this would force them to increase their safety buffers.” Others disagree. On the small-government right in American politics, recently retired former US Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) argued to CNN’s Jake Tapper this week that annual Fed “stress tests” wouldn’t have predicted Silicon Valley Bank’s demise. As Toomey sees it, erstwhile Fed largesse (and government spending) caused this predicament by creating loose conditions that boosted deposits, which then receded, while incentivizing banks to take risks, including on bonds.    Regardless, another debate is unfolding over interest rates. Besides a run on Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which saw $42 billion withdrawn from among $209 billion in assets (as reported at the end of last year), SVB’s other problem was that it held too many long-term US Treasury bonds, a normally safe investment that nonetheless becomes less valuable, by market price, when the Fed raises interest rates. Some have argued that, because of the current banking turmoil, central banks must ease their ongoing interest-rate hikes, which have been rolled out over the last year to fight inflation. At Chatham House, Creon Butler argues both for more regulation and for central banks to be more “sensitive” to interest-rate vulnerabilities. Bloomberg, meanwhile, editorializes that “(r)aising interest rates is indeed risky,” for multiple reasons. “But failing to get inflation under firmer control is even riskier.” Is It Over?

The good od thing about the current banking fiasco, which some commentators have noted, is that contagion appears likely to be limited, unlike in 2008. Then, cross-bank exposure to mortgage-backed securities prefigured a cascade of problems throughout global finance; today, SVB’s collapse looks more like a bad coincidence of poor management, interest-rate hikes and depositor jitters producing a run. Still, at The New York Times, Matthew Goldstein and Emily Flitter examined how panic over SVB abetted the subsequent collapse of New York-based Signature Bank. " That's all I've got today, March 16, 2023.

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said yesterday that his country would transfer four MIG fighter jets to Ukraine “literally in the next few days.” The jets would be the first sent to Ukraine by a NATO member since Russia invaded last year. White House spokesperson John Kirby said of the shipment, “it doesn’t change our calculus with respect to F-16s.” The U.S. has said it will not send fighter jets to Ukraine now but has not ruled out doing so in the future. Andrew Higgins and Lara Jakes report for the New York Times. 

The government of Slovakia today said that it would send 13 MIG fighter jets to Ukraine, following Poland’s announcement. Such a move could mark a significant shift from NATO allies in increasing arms supplies for Kyiv. Slovakia’s prime minister, Eduard Heger, did not specify the timing of any delivery. Andrew Higgins, Matt Surman, and Lara Jakes report for the New York Times.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping plans to visit Moscow on Mar. 20-22 for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin confirmed today. The two leaders will discuss “topical issues of further development of the comprehensive partnership relations and strategic cooperation between Russia and China,” the Kremlin said, according to Russian state newswire TASS. The meeting will showcase the deepening relationship between Beijing and Moscow. Georgi Kantchev reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Chinese companies, including one connected to the government, have sent Russian entities 1,000 assault rifles, drone parts, and body armor, according to trade and customs data obtained by POLITICO. The data reveal that China is supplying Russian companies with previously unreported “dual-use” equipment — commercial items that could be used on the battlefield. Providing Russia with dual-use items could be a way for China to increase its assistance to the country while avoiding backlash from the U.S. and Europe. Erin Banco and Sarah Anne Aarup report for POLITICO. "

lousubcap

More on the upcoming China-Russia leader visit:

"The autocratic leaders of Russia and China will meet next week in Moscow, officials from both countries confirmed Friday. Russia's Vladimir Putin is eyeing a "comprehensive partnership and strategic co-operation," according to Russian officials; and China's Xi Jinping is looking to "play a constructive role in promoting talks for peace" when it comes to Putin's Ukraine invasion, which has been ongoing now for 387 days.

One year ago, the two men vowed their friendship had "no limits." This year, Moscow says they'll sign documents declaring their relationship is entering a "new era," Agence France-Pressereports. 

• Apropos of nothing: China's new artificial intelligence apps won't talk about the country's Communist Party leader, the Wall Street Journal learned this week as it tested four new AI-powered chatbots from Beijing. 

Remember that China recently released a 12-point "plan for peace" in Ukraine; but that plan very deliberately makes no mention of Ukraine's sovereignty or Russia withdrawing from occupied territories. From the United States perspective, a Chinese-brokered ceasefire now would be "effectively a ratification of Russian conquest," John Kirby of the White House's National Security Council said Friday in a phone call with reporters. "It would, in effect, recognize Russia's gains and its attempt to conquer its neighbor's territory by force…Russia would be free then to use a ceasefire to only further entrench their positions in Ukraine, to rebuild [and] refit," he warned. "

lousubcap

Monday China-Russia-Ukraine update:

"Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow today to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders will hold a closed meeting to discuss sensitive issues including international affairs, according to Russian officials. Tomorrow Xi will attend a meeting with Russia’s prime minister, participate in talks and attend a state dinner. Carly Olson reports for the New York Times. 

Putin visited the occupied Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Saturday, in his first trip to territory seized in the past year. Putin drove through the streets of Mariupol, which was captured by his forces in May, after arriving there by helicopter, the Kremlin said in a statement. The city holds special significance for Russia as a symbol of its goal to control eastern Ukraine and for Kyiv as an illustration of Russian atrocities. Matthew Luxmoore reports for the Wall Street Journal.

The U.N. brokered deal allowing Ukraine to export grain through its Black Sea ports despite Russia’s blockage has been extended. Ukraine said the agreement has been extended for 120 days. However, Moscow indicated that it had only agreed to a 60-day extension, adding that it was only willing to extend beyond the 60 days if there was “tangible progress” in unblocking flows of Russian food and fertilizer to world markets. The U.N. confirmed the deal had been rolled over but did not specify for how long, as did Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Ben Hall reports for the Financial Times. "

lousubcap

Tuesday China-Russia-Ukraine update:

"U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow amounted to “diplomatic cover” for Russian war crimes. He also said that any proposal by China to end the war in Ukraine, which did not include the removal of Russian forces from the country “would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest” as it would “allow President Putin to rest and refit his troops, and then restart the war at a time more advantageous to Russia.” Simone McCarthy reports for CNN. 

U.S. officials are not certain that Beijing will provide weapons to Moscow for use in Ukraine, White House spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday.Seeking to downplay the significance of the meeting between Xi and Putin, Kirby called the alliance a “marriage of convenience,” adding that arming the Russian military, he added, would run counter to Xi’s public pronouncements that the Chinese wanted a “peaceful” end to the invasion. Katie Rogers and Edward Wong report for the New York Times. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to travel to China later this year. The invitations come as the leaders hold talks in Moscow. Mishustin has already accepted Xi's invitation, the Russian prime minister's spokesperson was quoted saying by state news agency TASS. Duarte Mendonca and Anna Chernova report for CNN.

E.U. foreign and defense ministers have agreed to spend up to 2 billion euros ($2.14 billion) to supply Ukraine with artillery shells, replenish their own national stocks and ramp up Europe’s ammunition production. 17 of the bloc's 27 member states, plus Norway, have also agreed to work with a Brussels institution, the European Defense Agency, on joint ammunition procurement. Germany has also agreed to let other countries join in its contracts with German defense manufacturers in an effort to speed up the process. Steven Erlanger reports for the New York Times. "

lousubcap

Tuesday China-Russia leadership dance update:

During the first day of Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, the Chinese leader reportedly "offered a more reserved vision for Russian-Chinese relations than what [Russia's Vladimir] Putin was likely seeking," analysts at the Institute for the Study of War wrote Monday evening. What's more, "Xi's rhetoric suggests that he is not inclined to fully give Russia the economic and political support that Russia needs to reverse setbacks in Ukraine," according to ISW.

As for what may lie ahead for the Chinese-Russian relationship, ISW predicts Xi will "likely offer a more concrete proposal for a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine, although it remains unclear what his proposal will entail and how receptive the Kremlin will be to it." However, for one of the more pressing considerations from Kyiv's perspective, "The prospects of China supplying Russia with military equipment also remain unclear," ISW writes."

lousubcap

@Canugghead - I really don't GAF about your apply named dislikeoworts, knowing I am a favourite (nod) target of their game.  However, to dislike a China- Russia thread may imply their reading comprehension skills are severely lacking.  Why am I not surprised. 

Stay healthy and safe out there-Dislikeoworts as well. 

lousubcap

Wednesday China-Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping signed 14 agreements yesterday, during the second day of Xi’s state visit to Moscow. “We signed a statement on deepening the strategic partnership and bilateral ties, which are entering a new era,” Xi said, following talks with Putin in the Kremlin. However, Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, described the agreements as “pretty thin,” adding that they were mostly incremental updates to arrangements that both parties had agreed to before the summit. Valerie Hopkins reports for the New York Times.

The U.S. will send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine far more quickly than expected, with a number of them scheduled to arrive later this year. The tanks will come from the U.S. military’s existing inventory of older M1A1 Abrams and will be renovated before shipment to Kyiv, which is expected to take several months, the Pentagon said in a briefing to reporters. John Ismay reports for the New York Times. 

Ukrainian soldiers have learned how to operate the U.S. Patriot missile defense system faster than expected, U.S. officials have said. 65 Ukrainians arrived for training in Fort Sill in January, and are now just about ready to use the systems on the battlefield to protect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure from Russian attacks. Officials had previously cautioned that the training could take up to a year. Lara Seligman reports for POLITICO."

lousubcap

Thursday Putin-Russia-Ukraine update:

"Leaders of the International Criminal Court’s (I.C.C.) Assembly of States Parties have pushed back on Russian threats to prosecute the Court’s prosecutor and judges, and to launch missiles at the court from the North Sea. The Presidency of the Assembly “regrets these attempts to hinder international efforts to ensure accountability for acts that are prohibited under general international law,” and “reaffirms its unwavering support for” the Court, the Assembly said in a statement. ICC News reports. 

European countries should detain Russian President Vladimir Putin and turn him over to the I.C.C., U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers yesterday. “Anyone who is a party to the court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations,” Blinken said, in response to a question from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). However, in light of the I.C.C. arrest warrant, it is unlikely that Putin will visit hostile European countries anytime soon. John Hudson and Missy Ryan report for the Washington Post. 

E.U. leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit, which will cover continued E.U. support for Ukraine. This will include discussions of measures to increase “collective pressure” on Russia, and decisions to send more ammunition to Ukraine, with E.U. leaders set to endorse a deal aimed at sending 1 million rounds of artillery shells to the country within the next 12 months. Samuel Petrequin and Lorne Cook report for AP.

The president of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, said he expects Western support for Ukraine to decline over time, German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung quoted him as saying. “If support from the USA dwindles, support from a number of European countries will also dwindle. Ukraine must take that into account,” Pavel was quoted as saying.

China had declared that President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia this week was a “journey of friendship, cooperation and peace” and criticised Washington for providing military support to Ukraine. During his two-day visit, Xi barely mentioned the war in Ukraine beyond saying China had an “impartial position”.

State news in Turkey reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will hold a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming days to discuss the Black Sea grain export deal for Ukraine and Russia."

Edit for spelling. 

lousubcap

And this regarding US-Russia and Black Sea airspace:

"WASHINGTON — The Russian military on Wednesday warned the United States not to fly more drones over the Black Sea, where an American unmanned aircraft was harassed and damaged by Russian fighter jets and forced to crash.

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov cautioned the U.S. against conducting flights similar to the one that resulted in the MQ-9 Reaper crash into the sea more than a week ago. Moscow has claimed the American drone was flying through airspace now restricted because of the Russian war in Ukraine.

“The Americans demonstratively, cynically and in outright public form deny the legitimacy of [restricted Russian airspace] and state their intentions to continue actions of this kind,” Ryabkov said, according to Moscow’s state-run TASS news agency. “They are, as the saying goes, ‘asking for’ our countermeasures and we warn them against the attempts to play on nerves and test our patience. Russia’s security will be 100% ensured by all means available to us. And no American drones … can shake our determination.”

However, Pentagon officials have said the Reaper was not in Russian airspace and routine drone flights are ongoing despite the recent incident.

“We are continuing to conduct operations over the Black Sea, flying in international airspace in accordance with international law wherever it will allow us to do so,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, told reporters Tuesday."

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will travel next week to China for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.  During his visit, Sánchez intends to discuss China’s framework for negotiating a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Sánchez said he wants to “find out first hand” what Xi’s peace framework consists of and transmit the message that Ukraine must establish the conditions for talks. The proposed framework has received a frosty reception in the West, with the U.S. and other allies saying that the call for an immediate ceasefire would only help Russia consolidate its territorial gains. José Bautista reports for the New York Times. 

Russia is unable to honor its arms delivery commitments to India due to the war in Ukraine, the Indian Air Force has said. The admission is the first official confirmation by Indian authorities amid rumors and reports in local media suggesting shortcomings in Russian capacity. Russia’s failure to make the delivery could place a strain on New Delhi’s relationship with its largest defense supplier. Rheo Mogul reports for CNN.

Russian forces may have to advance as far as Kyiv or Lviv in Ukraine, Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev said. “Nothing can be ruled out here. If you need to get to Kyiv, then you need to go to Kyiv, if to Lviv, then you need to go to Lviv in order to destroy this infection,” Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

The Kremlin said it is essential to identify an object discovered next to one of the Nord Stream pipelines and the ongoing investigation into the blasts must be transparent.

Hungary said Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be arrested if he enters the country despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant against him on war crimes charges. Hungary signed and ratified the Rome Statute that created the ICC but Hungarian officials said the Rome Statute had not been built into the Hungarian legal system, so there was no basis on which to arrest Putin.

Any attempt to detain Putin under the International Criminal Court warrant would amount to a “declaration of war”, former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has dismissed Russian complaints over the UK’s provision of tank ammunition containing depleted uranium to Ukraine along with Challenger 2 tanks

Poland is seeking an additional 240 million euros ($261m) in EU funding to refinance military purchases for Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has spoken out against weakening sanctions against Russia, which Moscow has demanded in return for extending a deal that allows Ukraine to export grain across the Black Sea.

Slovakia’s defence ministry said the country has handed over the first four of its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine and the remainder of the 13 planes pledged are to be delivered in the coming weeks.

EU leaders have confirmed a plan to supply 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine over the next year."

JohnInCarolina

https://www.wired.com/story/us-authoritarian-movement-future/

On US authoritarianism.  

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update: (Edit to attempt to correct some spacing issues-no lock).

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, marking Moscow’s latest attempt to use the threat of a nuclear war to ramp up tensions with the U.S. and NATO over the invasion of Ukraine. Putin said Russia would not transfer control of the weapons to Belarus or violate its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. Putin said he made the decision after the U.K. announced earlier this week that it had supplied anti-tank rounds containing depleted uranium to Ukraine, which he framed as part of a nuclear escalation of the conflict. Max Seddon and Felicia Schwartz report for the Financial Times. 

The E.U. threatened sanctions against Belarus after Russia announced it would store tactical nuclear weapons in the Kremlin-aligned country. The E.U.’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, said the plan was a “threat to European security,” though European and U.S. officials played down any immediate risk. Borrell added that the E.U. “stands ready to respond with further sanctions [and that] Belarus can still stop it; it is their choice.” Bryan Pietsch and Jennifer Hassan report for the Washington Post. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine’s counter-offensive against Russia cannot start until Western allies send more weapons. Ukraine’s allies have promised more tanks, artillery, and longer-range missile systems. However, some countries struggle to deliver what they pledged, while others take more time than expected to get the equipment to Ukraine. James Landale reports for BBC News.

Russia “took Belarus as a nuclear hostage”, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, Oleksiy Danilov, has written on Twitter.

NATO has condemned the move, blasting it as “dangerous and irresponsible”.

The European Union has warned Belarus against hosting Russian nuclear weapons, saying it was an “irresponsible escalation and threat to European security”.

Germany has also condemned Putin’s decision, while Lithuania said it would call for new sanctions against Moscow and Minsk.

The United States, however, has reacted cautiously to Putin’s move, with a senior administration official saying Washington estimates there are no indications that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons.

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Saturday he will visit the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine next week to assess the serious situation there.

Fighting is still ongoing in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, but Kyiv’s top soldier, General Valerii Zaluzhniy, said the situation in the area was stabilising.

Separately, the UK defence ministry has also said Russia’s months-long assault on Bakhmut had stalled, mainly as a result of heavy troop losses.

Ukraine’s General Staff has said that its forces had repelled 85 Russian attacks over the past 24 hours in several parts of the eastern front, including the Bakhmut area.

Russia has reported a drone strike on the southern Russian town of Kireyevsk, saying three people were wounded in the attack. The TASS state news agency said the drone was a Ukrainian Tupolev Tu-141 Strizh packed with explosives."

lousubcap

Today's (Monday) Tom Nichols from The Atlantic comments on the CHEETO "praise me" rally on Waco:  Worth the read. 

The sad part is, You have been duped, You now know you have been duped but You will not admit it.  Choices have consequences. 

And I suspect the financial commitment makes the pain even more difficult. 

F 'me.

CHEETO makes Nixon look like a saint!

Tom Nichols STAFF WRITER

Every Day, Every Medium Donald Trump holds his hand over his heart during a 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023. (Suzanne Cordeiro / AFP / Getty Images) View in browser Almost 30 years after a cult leader caused a disaster in Waco, Trump rallied his own political cult—and the location cannot be a coincidence—in that same Texas city. The Waco tent revival featured the usual Trumpian cast of grifters, carnies, and misfits, including the fan favorites Mike Lindell and Ted Nugent. Most of the former president’s speech was, of course, about himself and his many grievances, and the crowd reportedly began to thin out somewhat early. And yet, in Waco—the first rally of Trump’s 2024 campaign—Trump proved he is still capable of doing shocking things that once would have been unthinkable. As the Associated Press reported: With a hand over his heart, Trump stood at attention when his rally opened with a song called “Justice for All” performed by a choir of people imprisoned for their roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Some footage from the insurrection was shown on big screens displayed at the rally site as the choir sang the national anthem and a recording played of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. In other words: A former president, a man once entrusted with the Constitution’s Article II powers as our chief magistrate and the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the world, an elected official who held our survival in his hands with the codes to our nuclear arsenal, considered it an honor to be serenaded by a group of violent insurrectionists who are sitting in jail for offenses against the government and people of the United States. Trump’s voice was not only featured on this song; he actually volunteeredto provide a recording for it. I know that many people, after years of this mad-king routine, simply do not want to process anything with the words Donald Trump in it. I don’t blame you. But let’s not look away: In Waco, Trump embraced a creepy mash-up of the national anthem, “USA” chants, and his own voice, and then proceeded for some 90 minutes to make clear that he is now irrevocably all in with the seditionists, the conspiracy theorists, the “Trump or death” fanatics, the Vladimir Putin fanboys—the whole appalling lot of them. And yet, a day later, the story of Trump standing at attention for the January 6 choir has begun to fade from coverage. How, you might wonder, is this not still on every news site, every broadcast? To be fair, the AP called it “an extraordinary display.” The New York Times called the playing of the song “a new twist.” Perhaps ironically, one of the most candid reactions came from Fox’s Brian Kilmeade, who called Trump’s use of January 6 footage at the rally “insane.” Many media outlets used a picture of Trump with his hand over his heart, as I have done here. None of that is enough. A thought experiment might help. Imagine if, say, Barack Obama held a rally and stood at attention as a group of anti-constitutional rioters—perhaps people who had called for attacking police officers and lynching top officials of the United States—used his voice as a motif while singing from prison to honor him. You know exactly what would happen: That one moment would dominate the news cycle until the last star in the galaxy burned out. It would define Obama for the rest of his life. (If you doubt this, remember that Obama was caught on a hot mic telling then–Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he’d have more flexibility to negotiate after the 2012 election—a completely ordinary if somewhat unwise thing to say—and we had to hear about it for years.) But we are worn out on Trump. We’ve simply packed all of his behavior into a barrel, labeled it as generic toxic waste, and pushed it to the side, hoping that someone will take it away and bury it far from civilization. There’s another reason, however, we’re not ringing more alarm bells. Too many people are afraid of “amplifying” Trump, including media members who still insist on treating a violent insurrectionist movement as if it’s a normal political party. I have consistently argued for amplifying every traitorous and unhinged thing Trump says, but others have their doubts: Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at NYU, cited the disinformation expert Whitney Phillips to caution me that “sunlight disinfects,” but “it can also make things grow.” I think this was a more pressing concern in 2016, when Trump was the beneficiary of the so-called “earned media” that can result from outrageous statements and stunts. I still think focusing on Trump and holding him accountable for his statements was the right thing to do, but I agree that too often during the 2016 campaign, he got away with being ridiculous, because he was not taken seriously enough as a threat to democracy. In 2023, however, Trump is no longer a novelty. The man is a former president and a top candidate for his old job. Merely fact-checking him or tut-tutting about his “extraordinary” behavior would, I agree, “normalize” him, so let’s not do that. Instead, both journalists and ordinary citizens should ensure that everyone knows exactly what Trump is doing and saying, in all of its fetid and vile detail. Moments like the Waco rally should be all over the news, for three reasons. First, Trump fatigue is real, but the personality cult around Trump avoids it by cherry-picking what Trump says and does. Putting Trump on blast isn’t going to convert new people; if anything, we learned from Trump’s COVID press conferences as president that he does a lot of damage to himself by talking too much. People in his own party tried to get him to stop doing those bizarre performances, and he finally listened to them. Second, Trump and his minions, especially elected Republicans, are experts at pretending that things didn’t happen the way we saw them. Ask a GOP official about Trump’s offensive statements, and you’ll likely get “I didn’t see that,” “I don’t read his tweets,” “I’ll have to check into that,” and other squirts of verbal helium. Media and citizens alike should hold those elected representatives and other officeholders to account. Ask them point-blank if they support what Trump said and if they will support him as the nominee of their party. Third, we need to confront the reality that Trump is now on track to winthe nomination yet again. In 2016 and 2020, I thought we were facing the most important elections in modern American history, but that was before Trump incited an insurrection and invited every violent kook in the nation to ride to his defense. Fine, I stand corrected: 2024 is epochally important. Trump has left no doubt that he is a violent authoritarian who intends to reject any election that does not restore him to power, that he will pardon scores of criminals, and that he will never willingly leave office. This should be said every day, in every medium. If we are to walk ourselves back into an authoritarian nightmare, let’s at least do it without any pretenses."

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The first shipment of Leopard 2 tanks from Germany has been sent to Ukraine, the German defense ministry said. 18 Leopard 2 tanks, regarded as among the best main battle tanks produced by NATO countries, were delivered after Ukrainian crews were trained to use them. Challenger 2 tanks from the U.K. have also arrived, according to reports from Ukraine. Adam Durbin reports for BBC News. 

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Mariano Grossi met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as fears of a potential release of radiation grow. Shelling and shooting have repeatedly damaged the plant and temporarily knocked out vital supporting equipment. Reports that Ukraine is planning a counteroffensive to retake southern territory, including the plant, have heightened fears of a disastrous strike. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times. 

Ukraine calls for the use of frozen Russian Central Bank assets to rebuild Ukraine following the World Bank assessment last week that the price of recovery and rebuilding had grown to $411 billion. Roughly $300 billion in Russian assets have been frozen in Western banks since the invasion began. The E.U. has already declared its desire to use the Kremlin’s bankroll to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine. However, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who visited Kyiv last month, reiterated her warnings of formidable legal obstacles to confiscation efforts. Patricia Cohen reports for the New York Times. 

Hungary ratified Finland’s NATO membership yesterday. Finland and Sweden had their NATO bids stalled primarily due to Turkey’s concern over Sweden. Hungary also held off on approving the two countries’ bids as Orbán sought to leverage his vote to unblock E.U. funds frozen over corruption allegations. Finland’s accession is now imminent, while Sweden’s remains stalled. Marton Dunai and Richard Milne report for the Financial Times. "

lousubcap

Update on Russia-Ukraine:

About a half dozen of Britain's Challenger 2 tanks have arrived in Ukraine, and Kyiv's military chief decided to take one for a spin and posted the video to social media afterward. "These fantastic machines will soon begin their combat missions," said Oleksii Reznikov on Twitter Tuesday. 

By the way: 18 Leopard tanks ​​and 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles from Germany recently arrived in Ukraine, Berlin's Defense Ministry announced Monday. "This time [German] deliveries were faster than promised by many other countries," Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas wrote on Twitter. 

"Along with Sweden and Portugal, we promised to supply enough tanks for a battlegroup," said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. "To keep this promise, Germany supplied four more tanks than originally promised," he said. "You can count on us!"

What might lie ahead: Ukrainian officials have been talking for weeks about a desired counteroffensive to push Russian invaders back, however incrementally, across the pre-invasion borders from 2014; that includes the Crimean peninsula, which seems like a very tall order at this stage. For Kyiv, "The offensives launched in the next few months will be heartbreakingly bloody, and may not be the final blow that destroys the Russian Army in Ukraine," former Australian army general Mick Ryan warned in an explanatory thread on Twitter Monday.

But, if the west holds its nerve, and the Ukrainians steadfastly apply their fighting power against the Russians while taking back large swathes of their land, the offensives may be the beginning of the end of this war," he said."

JohnInCarolina

Sounds like the Russian troops are about to find out some more. 

HeavyG

Can only hope that the newly arrived tanks will live up to the hype. I guess we'll also soon see if the Russian Kornet anti-tank missile lives up to its hype.

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The United States and Russia have stopped sharing biannual nuclear weapons data under the faltering New START arms control treaty.

The US says it had not seen any indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons in the Russian war on Ukraine, days after Putin said he was moving such weapons into Belarus.

Russia-backed separatist leader Denis Pushilin has said Russian troops are advancing in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and have almost taken full control of the city’s metals plant.

Russian soldiers continue to prioritise encircling the town of Avdiivka, despite heavy losses, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence said.

Ukrainian authorities said air defences shot down Russian drones near Kyiv and falling debris set a non-residential site ablaze, but no casualties were reported."

And directly related:

Huntsville, Ala. — The U.S. Army will boost production of 155mm artillery shells more than six-fold to 85,000 a month by fiscal 2028, according to Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo.

The goal is to replenish ammunition going to Ukraine in large numbers to aid its fight against the Russia and to ensure the service has the right levels in its own stockpiles, he said March 28.

The Army is spending $1.45 billion on capacity “to expand 155mm artillery production from 14,000 a month to over 24,000 later this year,” and 85,000 in five years, Camarillo said at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama."

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update and a para regarding the US journalist arrested in Russia:

"Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) today said it had detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, in the eastern city of Yekaterinburg for what it described as espionage. The FSB said that Gershkovich, “acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.” Daniel Michaels reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

Russia and Ukraine are ramping up their military forces near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant amid signs that the fighting may soon escalate, said Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, yesterday. The nearby city of Melitopol may be the site of the anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive. “It is obvious that military activity is increasing in this whole region, so every possible measure and precaution should be taken so that the plant is not attacked and can be protected,” Grossi said during an inspection of the power plant. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times. 

Russian senior security adviser Nikolai Patrushev met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday and “discussed matters of bilateral cooperation,” according to a statement from Russia’s Security Council. Neither side gave details of the talks. The discussion happened during a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Dehli and comes at a time when Moscow is seeking to separate India and China from the West. Sameer Yasir, Ivan Nechepurenko and James C. McKinley Jr. report for the New York Times. 

Russia’s security and intelligence services have achieved greater success in Ukraine than its army, according to a report by the Royal United Services Institute, a leading U.K. security think tank. Russian spy agencies began preparing for the invasion of Ukraine as far back as June 2021. “It is evident,” says the report, “that the Russian special services managed to recruit a large agent network in Ukraine prior to the invasion and that much of the support apparatus has remained viable after the invasion, providing a steady stream of human intelligence to Russian forces.” Frank Gardner reports for BBC News.

China said its military was willing to work together with the Russian military to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, the Chinese defense ministry said today. The two countries would work together to implement global security initiatives, said Tan Kefei, a spokesperson at the Chinese defense ministry. Tan added that China and Russia would organize more joint maritime and air patrols and joint exercises. Reutersreports. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to meet with him as China maneuvers itself as a potential peacemaker. Zelenskyy’s invitation tests China’s push to expand its influence on the global stage while maintaining Beijing’s claim of neutrality in the Ukraine war. Xi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week in a visit that reaffirmed the countries’ economic and political partnership. While Xi had been expected to call Zelenskyy following this visit, there has been no recent contact between the leaders. Jared Malsin and Austin Ramzy report for the Wall Street Journal."

JohnInCarolina

http://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1641545368772001792?s=20

HeavyG

NATO should kick out Turkey so Sweden can join in their place. Or at least threaten that to perhaps make Turkey stop being a d!ck in the matter.

lousubcap

Incoming at around 9:30 PM EDT-Thursday-

worth a serious read-

Tom Nichols

STAFF WRITER

"A grand jury has reportedly indicted Donald Trump on criminal charges stemming from his role in a hush-money payoff to the porn star Stormy Daniels. This historic event is a tragedy for the American republic not because of what it has revealed about Trump, but because of what it is revealing about us as voters and citizensAn American Tragedy

Former president Donald Trump claps during a Save America rally in Warren, Michigan on October 1, 2022 (Emily Elconin / Getty) View in browser Donald Trump is about to be charged with crimes in New York. I do not know if he is guilty of any of these charges—we don’t even know the exact accusations yet—and neither do you. That’s for a jury to decide, and both Trump and the state of New York will have their day in court. In that sense, this is a good day for America, because it shows, in the most direct way possible, that no one in this country is above the law. But this whole mess, no matter how it turns out, and no matter what other charges may come at Trump from elsewhere, is also an American tragedy. Trump’s status as a former president has not shielded him from answering for his alleged crimes. The indictment itself is shot through with tension, because Trump is, in fact, a former president and a current leading presidential candidate—which underscores the ghastly reality that no matter how much we learn about this crass sociopath, millions of people voted for him twice and are still hoping that he will return to power in the White House. Trump’s defenders will argue that the New York case is just a local political vendetta, and that the potential crimes involved are relatively minor. As my colleague David Graham has noted, “Falsifying records is a crime, and crime is bad,” but this is like trying to get Al Capone on tax evasion, especially because “the Manhattan case seems like perhaps both the least significant and the legally weakest case.” David also notes that even some Trump critics wish Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had waited for Trump to be indicted on more important potential charges. I’m not so sure. Trump has kept his supporters in a state of high tension over the past few weeks, first claiming that he’d be arrested on Tuesday, March 21, and then, in an appalling cultlike rally in Waco, bellowing that 2024 would be “the final battle” after previously warning that to indict him would be to court violence and civil unrest. Perhaps the New York charges have popped that bubble of tension; Trump can now go and whine about that while others prepare the case arguing that he has committed crimes against American democracy. But to focus on which indictment should come when is to ignore that Trump has already admitted to his awful behavior in the events around the case. Trump (who sometimes refers to Stormy Daniels as "Horse Face") denies that he had an affair with the porn actor, but no one contests that he authorized paying her off, nor does his legal team deny that he lied about that money while standing in Air Force One—part of their risible argument that she was being paid hush money to keep quiet about an affair that never happened. They’re simply saying that technically, he didn’t violate any namby-pamby laws about ledger entries and campaign funding. To our shame, we have too often let those kinds of arguments define the Trump legal saga. If Trump is brought to trial on the far more serious charge of attempting to strong-arm Georgia election officials, his defenders will claim that that indictment, too, is just local huckstering. They will find other excuses in the event that he somehow must answer for his role in trying to overturn our constitutional processes. And once again, even after looking at Trump’s own behavior, including his phone call to the Georgia secretary of state and the exhortation to the mob on January 6, too many Americans will focus on whether he committed an actual crime instead of coming to their senses and realizing that in any functional and healthy democracy, someone like Trump would have been shamed and forced into political and social exile years ago. Trump, like the Republican opportunists who cling to him like remoras under a shark, doesn’t care about shame—he cares about getting away with it. Indeed, rather than leaving the public arena, Trump has reveled in it all, rolling around in the garbage of his own life and grunting happily about how the rules don’t apply to the real elites like him. Forget about Richard Nixon, who publicly resigned; Trump isn’t even Spiro Agnew, a man who seethed with rage at the felony corruption charges against him but had the sense not to brag about them. (Agnew insisted on his innocence for two months and then took a plea of “no contest” to a single tax-evasion charge, after which he mostly vanished from public view.) No such luck this time. Win or lose in court, Trump is determined to bring us all into a summer-heat dumpster with him for as long as he can. And that leads to the last and most shocking thing about today’s news: Late this afternoon, New York local media reported that security was tightening up in certain areas of the city. That’s how we knew something was coming: The former president had already told us that he fully intended to trigger violence if the institutions of the law tried to touch him. Tomorrow, all NYPD officers have reportedly been ordered to be in full uniform and ready to deploy. And again, somehow, we’ve just accepted this as the new normal. We no longer even blink when New York, a city scarred by multiple terror attacks against its innocent citizens, has to go on alert just to charge Trump with a crime. That one fact, more than any other, tells you how far down the long slide into vice and venality—and violence—Trump has dragged this country. Every defendant, including Donald Trump, deserves the presumption of innocence. But when it comes to our civic and political innocence, Americans long ago lost whatever is left of ours."