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Morning Headlines
CNN spoke to several overseas citizens, all of whom were united in their unfavorable opinion of Putin – saying his regime was authoritarian, propagandist and abusing human rights. But they said they had mixed feelings on the utility of voting when there is no real viable alternative.
The Guardian: Ten years on from Russia’s annexation, with all-out war making its dominance vulnerable, authorities are increasing a crackdown on pro-Ukrainian voices – while others simply want to live their lives.
ISW: The Russian forces apparently reconstituting in the Avdiivka area can serve as operational reserves and let Russian forces prevent the culmination of their offensive operation and intensify efforts to push further west of Avdiivka, if or when the Russian command chooses to do so.
More News
Reuters: Austria has declared two diplomats from the Russian embassy personae non gratae for actions "incompatible with their diplomatic status," ordering them to leave the country within a week, Austria's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The Guardian: A group of congressional Democrats including the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and armed services veterans urged the current Republican speaker, Mike Johnson, to “lead, follow or get out of the way” of more military support for Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.
Reuters: European Union countries agreed on Wednesday to provide 5 billion euros for military aid for Ukraine as part of a revamp of an EU-run assistance fund, handing Kyiv a timely boost as its forces struggle against Russia's invasion.
POLITICO: There's a historical parallel between Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and Putin, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda warned on Wednesday. “Just as Czechoslovakia did not satisfy Hitler, Ukraine would not satisfy Putin," Nausėda said.
Reuters: Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo on Wednesday said she hoped Russian athletes would be banned from taking part in the Paris Olympics and their opening ceremony.
BBC News: A new Russian school textbook has been produced that distorts the history of the war against Ukraine and encourages students to join the army. It has been designed for a new subject entitled "Fundamentals of Security and Defence of the Motherland". The lesson is compulsory for high school students aged 15 to 18 in Russia and occupied territories in Ukraine.
AFP: Ukraine's army chief said Wednesday the situation on the battlefield was "difficult" and that Russian forces could be poised to strike deep into Ukrainian lines in the eastern Donetsk region.
Reuters: Outgunned Ukrainian troops fighting Russian forces will start to receive artillery rounds under a Czech-led initiative to boost supplies by June at the latest, a senior Czech official said on Wednesday.
Dow Jones Newswires: Ukrainian strikes against Russia's energy infrastructure have damaged facilities accounting for more than 10% of the Kremlin's oil-processing capacity over the past two days, according to DNB Markets' estimates.
The Moscow Times: Anti-Kremlin militia groups fighting on the side of Ukraine have urged civilians in western Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions to evacuate, saying they were preparing to launch attacks on Russian “military positions” across the two regions.
Reuters: Polish farmers increased the number of trucks they let through the Dorohusk border crossing with Ukraine on Wednesday but backpedalled on a promise to unblock it completely, state news agency PAP reported on Wednesday.
Reuters: Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Wednesday Russia was gearing up for a "long conflict with the West" and he asked for more spending and coordination on European defence.
Reuters: Lithuania blamed Moscow on Wednesday for an overnight attack by a hammer-wielding assailant on an exiled top aide to late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny outside the aide's home in Vilnius.
CNN: Ukraine has launched drone attacks on at least three oil refineries deep inside Russia, as Kyiv intensifies its cross-border strikes days before Putin’s anticipated re-election. A Ukrainian defense source told CNN on Wednesday that Ukraine is “implementing a well-planned strategy to decrease Russian economic potential.”
NYTimes: Once dependent on Europe for trade, Russia has been forging new routes that will allow it to skirt Western restrictions. A planned railway through Iran could be key for those ambitions (archive).
Bloomberg: Olaf Scholz’s top coalition partners are pushing the German chancellor to drop his opposition to supplying long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine (archive).
Reuters: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to meet in Berlin on Friday for hastily arranged talks on aid for Ukraine.
Meduza: A Russian prisoner-turned-soldier, convicted of murder and accused of raping minors, teaches children about patriotism.
worth mentioning
Sowing discord: How Russia engages in African revolts to cement its influence
Warsaw coughs up €30M for bomb shelters with eye on aggressive Putin
Forever Putinism. The Russian autocrat’s answer to the problem of succession
Sanctioned Russian cargo plane visited Pyongyang, say media reports
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