MTQ News

According to information published on the website of "Star and Stripes", on June 1, 2022, the President of the United States Joe Biden announced a new aid of $700 million packages of military equipment to Ukraine including the delivery of HIMARS weapon system able to launch guided rockets and long-range tactical missile. The aim of this new aid is to increase the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army against the Russian armed forces' invasion of the country. Read full Defense News at this link ... The HIMARS is able to launch a long-range tactical missile at a range of up to 300 km and guided rockets that can reach a target at a maximum firing range of 70 km. (Picture source U.S. DoD) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/X364Vw5 via IFTTT

  SKY News: Ukraine war: Russians now control 'around 70%' of key city of Severodonetsk as governor says life is 'hell' for people of Luhansk   In an interview with Sky News, the regional governor of Luhansk Oblast said the fall of Severodonetsk would be a big morale boost for Russia but played down the military significance.  Russian forces are now in control of around 70% of Severodonetsk and heavy fighting is ongoing in the eastern Ukrainian city, the regional governor has told Sky News.  Speaking from a secret location inside the Luhansk Oblast, Serhiy Hayday admitted victory in the city would be a big morale boost for Russia, but he played down the wider military importance.   Read more ....     The Ukraine City Of Severodonetsk Is About To Fall To Russian Forces  Most of Sievierodonetsk has fallen to Russia, says governor of Luhansk -- The Guardian   Sievierodonetsk mayor says Russian forces seize half of city -- AP   Russian, Ukrainian troops fight

  WNU Editor: General Milley tries to give the impression in this interview that the U.S. is not really involved in the Russia - Ukraine war. That the U.S. is an outside power observing the situation. A neutral party. Even saying that this conflict may end up as a stalemate, and if not, be ready to step up to make sure it does not escalate.  I am not buying anything that the General is trying to sell.  General Milley knows exactly what is going on in Ukraine right now. After receiving billions in US arms  the Donbas is turning into a disaster for the Ukraine military, and the only thing that the Pentagon can advise right now is to send even more arms into that conflict, thereby escalating it even further. Update: A regular clock is right two times a day .... With food crisis looming, Milley says using military to end Russian blockade would be ‘high risk’ (Defense News). from War News Updates https://ift.tt/scFRUNY via IFTTT

President Tsai Ing-wen (right) made the comments during a meeting in Taipei with Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Taiwan Presidential Office via AP   FOX News: Taiwan military announces 'cooperation' deal with US National Guard   Sen. Tammy Duckworth visited Taiwan Tuesday, when Taiwan's president made the announcement   The U.S. National Guard is planning a "cooperation" program with the Taiwanese military, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced Tuesday.  Tsai has not offered details regarding the upcoming cooperation, but previous reports suggest the Taiwan military may link with the Hawaii National Guard.  Tsai made the announcement during a meeting in Taipei with Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.   Read more ....  Update #1: Tsai says U.S. National Guard planning 'cooperation' with Taiwan military (Reuters)   Update #2: Taiwan hails ‘cooperation’ between US National Guard, country’s military (NYPost)   WNU Editor: No comment yet from China on this ne

  CNBC : Russia hits back at the EU’s partial oil embargo, says it will find other importers for its crude   * The European Union on Monday agreed to ban most Russian oil imports by the end of the year as part of new measures designed to punish the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine.  * Responding to the measures, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, said the oil ban reflects negatively on the bloc.  * “As she rightly said yesterday, #Russia will find other importers,” Ulyanov said via Twitter, referring specifically to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.  Moscow has pledged to find other importers for its oil shortly after the world’s largest trading bloc agreed to impose a partial embargo on Russian crude.  The European Union on Monday decided to ban most Russian oil imports by the end of the year as part of new measures designed to punish the Kremlin over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.  The move

United States Senator Tammy Duckworth (center) and her delegation are welcomed by Deputy Foreign Minister Harry Tseng (曾厚仁, third right) and MOFA's head of the Department of North American Affairs Douglas Hsu (徐佑典, third left). Photo courtesy of MOFA    CNN: US congressional delegation makes surprise visit to Taiwan   (CNN)A US delegation led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, arrived in Taipei on Monday in a previously unannounced visit, Taiwan's foreign ministry said.  The delegation will meet with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday, where they will discuss "regional security, economic and trade cooperation, and all issues related to US-Taiwan bilateral relations," presidential spokesperson Xavier Chang said.  During their visit, the delegation will also meet Premier Su Tseng-chang and Economic Affairs Minister Wang Mei-hua, before departing on Wednesday.   Read more ....   Update: U.S. Senator Duckworth arrives in Taiwan for three-

Reuters : Taiwan jets scramble as China air force enters air defence zone   TAIPEI, May 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan on Monday reported the largest incursion since January by China's air force in its air defence zone, with the island's defence ministry saying Taiwanese fighters scrambled to warn away 30 aircraft in the latest uptick in tensions.  Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past two years or so of repeated missions by China's air force near the democratically governed island, often in the southwestern part of its air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.  Taiwan calls China's repeated nearby military activities "grey zone" warfare, designed to both wear out Taiwan's forces by making them repeatedly scramble, and also to test Taiwan's responses.  The latest Chinese mission included 22 fighters, as well as electronic warfare, early warning and antisubmarine aircraft,

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Teak Net  An Air Force Air Force MC-130J Commando II, left, and a New Zealand air force C-130H Hercules fly in a dissimilar formation during Teak Net, a bilateral exercise, over New Zealand, May 13, 2022. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/L5p4rQe via IFTTT

Daily Mail: IS Ukraine LOSING the war in Donbas? Defenders fall back to avoid capture as Russians advance after blasting towns to wastelands while Boris Johnson offers fresh support to Ukrainian president Zelensky   * Withdrawal from the Luhansk region likely, admits Ukraine in new war blow  * Area is hugely significant and one of main aims of Putin and Russia's invasion  * President Zelensky said Ukraine was protecting Luhansk as best it could   * Putin had launched invasion under the aims of capturing Luhansk and Donetsk  * Boris Johnson offered renewed support for Ukraine in a phone call with Zelensky  Ukraine has admitted it may have to retreat from its last post in the Luhansk region as Russian forces continue their relentless march.  Putin's forces - now into their fourth month of the invasion - have concentrated on the east of the country in recent weeks.  Ukrainian soldiers leaving Luhansk will be a blow to the country, due to its symbolic significance in the

  Washington Post: Putin’s war grinds on, with dissent from Russian hawks and peace-seekers   Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear that he will not tolerate criticism of his assault on Ukraine.  Russians who describe his “special military operation” as an invasion may be imprisoned for up to 15 years, and dissenters have been punished for speaking out.  But as the war enters its fourth month, disapproval is increasingly bubbling to the surface — from war hawks who argue the Kremlin has been insufficiently aggressive to officials who don’t want to be part of the bloodshed.   Read more ....  WNU Editor: Short answer to the above title to this post is no .... for now the anti-war movement in Russia is (unfortunately) not making a difference. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/pvabyki via IFTTT

According to a video published on the Facebook account of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on May 29, 2022, the Ukrainian soldiers successfully used captured Russian-made BMP-3 tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle that they have completely repaired and refurbished. Read News Russia - Ukraine War 2022 at this link ... Ukrainian soldiers successfully use Russian captured BMP-3 tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle during combat operations after repairs and refurbishing. (Picture source Ukraine armed forces) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/D3xtcsE via IFTTT

According to a Tweet published by "TVP World" on May 25, 2022, Poland will purchase six more American Patriot air defense missile systems. This is the second phase of the Polish army's WISLA air defense modernization program. Read full Defense News at this link ... U.S. soldiers from 357th Air and Missile Defense Detachment, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, ALPHA Battery conduct drills on the Patriot Missile systems in Morag, Poland. (Picture source U.S. DoD) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/BPUjukp via IFTTT

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According to information published By the Russian Press agency TASS, on May 28, 2022, the Russian armed forces deployed the TOS-2 Tosochka during combat operations in Ukraine. The TOS-2 is the latest generation of thermobaric rocket launcher systems based on truck chassis instead of the tracked armored chassis as the TOS-1A. Read News Russia - Ukraine War 2022 at this link ... The TOS-2 is the latest generation of Russian-made mobile flamethrower Thermobaric rocket launcher system based on a truck chassis. (Picture source ROSTEC) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/cICof8V via IFTTT

According to information published on May 29, 2022, the AS21 Redback tracked armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), developed by the South Korean company Hanwha Defense, has demonstrated its outstanding performance during a media invitation event held on May 27, 2022, at an Army unit in South Korea. Read full Defense News at this link ... South Korean Hanwha Defense AS-21 Redback tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle in the live demonstration. (Picture source Hanwha Defense) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/d2VAn9M via IFTTT

Turkey seeks concrete action from Sweden, Finland for NATO bids - Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022   Euronews: Turkey's talks with Sweden, Finland made little progress on NATO concerns -sources   ANKARA -Talks between Turkish officials and delegations from Sweden and Finland have made little headway overcoming Ankara’s objections to their NATO membership bids, and it is not clear when further discussions will take place, according to two sources.  Swedish and Finnish diplomats met in Turkey on Wednesday in an attempt to appease the NATO member and reach a deal that would allow for a historic enlargement of the Western alliance in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  The two Nordic states formally applied to join NATO last week to boost their security. All 30 NATO members must approve enlargement plans.   Read more ....  Update : Turkey Sets Conditions For Backing Swedish, Finnish NATO Membership (RFE)   Update #2: Report: Turkey’s Talks With Sweden, Finland on NATO

  Reuters: Russia shows off Zircon hypersonic cruise missile in test-launch at sea   (Reuters) - Russia successfully test-fired a hypersonic Zircon cruise missile over a distance of about 1,000 km (625 miles), the defence ministry said on Saturday.  The missile was fired from the Barents Sea and hit a target in the White Sea, it said.  Video released by the ministry showed the missile being fired from a ship and blazing into the sky on a steep trajectory.  President Vladimir Putin has described the Zircon as part of a new generation of unrivalled arms systems. Hypersonic weapons can travel at nine times the speed of sound, and Russia has conducted previous test-launches of the Zircon from warships and submarines in the past year.   Read more ....   Update #1: Russia test-fires its latest hypersonic Zircon missile (AP)   Update #2: Russia Conducts Hypersonic Missile Test Near Finland & Sweden (Zero Hedge)   WNU Editor : Russia, China, and the U.S. are the countries t

National Security Council chairman Eyal Hulata (L) and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in front of the White House on October 5, 2021. (Jake Sullivan/Twitter)   Times of Israel: Israel’s top security aide said set to visit US for talks focused on Saudi Arabia   National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata to be briefed on Biden administration officials’ trip to Riyadh in contacts that may help promote normalization between Israelis and Saudis  Israel’s National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata is due to meet with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan in Washington next week for talks that will include potential steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to a report Thursday.  Citing three Israeli officials, the Axios news site said Hulata will be briefed by a pair of senior Biden administration officials on their trip to Riyadh, which included meetings to finalize Egypt’s transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.   Read more ....   Update:  Key Is

The town of Djibo in Burkina Faso has been at the epicentre of the violence linked to al-Qaeda and the ISIL group that has killed thousands and displaced nearly two million people [File: Sam Mednick/AP Photo]  Al Jazeera/AP : ‘We don’t have food’: Africa’s growing humanitarian crisis   Leaders urge increased mobilisation to resolve a crisis that has left more than 280 million suffering from malnourishment.   African leaders gathered for a summit Friday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, to address growing humanitarian needs on the continent, which is also facing increased violent activity, climate change challenges and a run of military coups.   Leaders called for increased mobilisation to resolve a humanitarian crisis that has left millions displaced and more than 280 million suffering from malnourishment.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: Just in the Sahel region of Africa millions are facing starvation .... 18 million in Africa’s Sahel on ‘the brink of starvation’ (UN News). The R

Russian Central Bank @Reuters   Reuters: Brussels says about $24 bln of Russian central bank assets frozen in EU, less than expected   BRUSSELS, May 25 (Reuters) - European Union states have reported the freezing of about 23 billion euros ($24.5 billion) of assets of the Russian Central Bank, a top EU official said on Wednesday, revealing for the first time a figure that was expected to be much higher.  Russia has publicly said that Western sanctions led to the freezing of about $300 billion of its central bank's assets globally.  Of these frozen assets, only less than one-tenth is in the EU, according to information that the European Commission has collected from the 27 EU governments, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders told a news conference. He said that about 23 billion euros had been frozen in the EU since the start of the war in Ukraine in February, a figure that is dwarfed by the $100 billion frozen by the United States.   Read more . ...   WNU Editor : This is

  The Guardian : Deal proposed by China would dramatically expand security influence in Pacific   Leaked copy of draft shows Beijing wants more involvement in policing, cybersecurity and marine mapping  China is pursuing a sweeping regional economic security deal with Pacific nations that would dramatically expand its influence and reach into those countries, in a pact that has western countries and some Pacific leaders deeply worried.  The wide-ranging deal lays out China’s vision for a much closer relationship with the Pacific, especially on security matters, with China proposing it would be involved in training police, cybersecurity, sensitive marine mapping and gaining greater access to natural resources.   Read more ....  China's Foreign Minister In South Pacific Offering Financial And Security Proposals To Island Nations   China Signs MOU on Civil Air Transport With Solomon Islands -- Reuters  Beijing's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin says China 'f

To their bewilderment, they spotted a SLBM emerging from the sea below their previously intended flight path!! PLAN Missile Submarine launch with very little regard to Commercial Air Traffic in the area!! That would’ve been me on the ‘delivery end’ of that Missile 30 years ago! — Captain Overnight (@jchovernut) May 24, 2022 Warzone/The Drive : Mysterious South China Sea Missile Launch Claimed To Be Caught By Airliner (Updated)   Video taken from an airliner appears to show the launch of a missile from a ship or a submarine in the South China Sea.  Video has emerged on social media that is said to show an apparent launch of a missile, possibly from a submarine, as viewed from a Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 flying over the South China Sea. Unseen individuals can be heard in the clip talking about whether it is heading their way.  Twitter user @jchovernut, a pilot for U.S.-based airline Allegiant Air and a veteran of the U.S. Navy's submarine community, posted the video, seen bel

Social Media  Maritime Executive: Iran's IRGC Turns a Panamax Boxship Into a Warship   Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operates its own naval division, and while it is known best for its small armed speedboats, it is about to begin operating a far larger class of warship.  Open-source intelligence analysts have obtained a photo of what appears to be a new IRGC "base ship" in shipyard at Bandar Abbas. The newly-renamed Shahid Mahdavi wears a coat of haze gray, and she has new gun emplacements on the stern, but open-source intelligence analysts have noticed that her lines are otherwise identical to the Iranian-flagged container ship Sarvin.   Read more ....   Update #1: Ship expands Iran Revolutionary Guard’s reach to new waters (AP)   Update #2:   Iran Follows US In Refitting Container Ship As Operations Base (Iran International)   WNU Editor : The IRGC wants to extend their naval reach. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/Xyd

#BREAKING A second Greek-flagged oil tanker, Prudent Warrior, has also been seized by the Iranian military, according to @LloydsList . The seizure of the two vessels comes in response to Greece's move to seize an Iranian tanker and letting the US confiscate its crude oil. pic.twitter.com/R2THAMo1d4 — Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 27, 2022 RFE: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Confirms Seizure Of Two Greek Oil Tankers In Persian Gulf Iran's  Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has seized two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.  The vessels were seized a day after Athens assisted the United States in seizing an Iranian oil tanker over alleged sanctions violations.  The press service of the IRGC said on May 27 that it had seized the Greek ships “due to violations” that were not specified, according to the Tasnim news agency.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: Iran is responding to this .... US Seizes 600,000 Barrels Of Smuggled Iranian Cr

 According to information published by Hurriyet Daily News on May 27, 2022, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is preparing for talks to buy Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. Read full news at this link Qatari Bayraktar TB2 UCAV (Picture source: Hurriyet) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/dH01ypv via IFTTT

Members of the United Nations Security Council gather during a meeting about the situation in Venezuela, in New York, US, February 26, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton   The Hill: US effort to impose tougher UN sanctions on North Korea blocked by China, Russia   China and Russia on Thursday blocked an effort to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea at the United Nations Security Council that was led by the U.S. after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un conducted a spate of missile tests this year, including the launch of several intercontinental ballistic missiles.  Both China and Russia hold veto powers at the U.N. Security Council, which they exercised after the introduction of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) — North Korea’s official name — for the tests with more restrictive sanctions.   Read more ....   Update #1: China, Russia veto U.S. push for more U.N. sanctions on North Korea (Reuters)   Update #2: China and Russia veto new UN sanctions on North Kore

In this File photo from 2020, a US soldier sits at a Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) after an artillery live fire event by the US Army Europe's 41st Field Artillery Brigade in Germany.   CNN: US preparing to approve advanced long-range rocket system for Ukraine   Washington (CNN)The Biden administration is preparing to step up the kind of weaponry it is offering Ukraine by sending advanced, long-range rocket systems that are now the top request from Ukrainian officials, multiple officials say.  The administration is leaning toward sending the systems as part of a larger package of military and security assistance to Ukraine, which could be announced as soon as next week.  Senior Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have pleaded in recent weeks for the US and its allies to provide the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS. The US-made weapon systems can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of kilometers — much farther than any of the systems Ukraine

  Daily Mail : 'US does NOT support Taiwan independence': Blinken cleans up Biden's comments in speech saying America doesn't want 'another Cold War' with Beijing and slamming Xi Jinping for cooperating with Putin and being more 'aggressive' abroad  * Sec. of State Antony Blinken issued a stark warning Thursday about China's rise  * Said Beijing's cooperation with Putin 'raises alarm bells' after Ukraine invasion  * Claims Xi Jinping is now 'more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad'  * Cleaned up Biden's Taiwan comments by saying US doesn't back independence  * Insisted U.S. Taiwan policy has not changed in decades, but he did warn against China trying to undermine the status quo  Sec. of State Antony Blinken issued a stark warning Thursday morning that the threat of China will 'test U.S. diplomacy like nothing we've ever seen before' - but insisted America does not want another Cold War and do

U.S. Marines load an M777 towed 155 mm howitzer into the cargo hold of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport plane, to be delivered in Europe for Ukrainian forces, at March Air Reserve Base, California, U.S. April 21, 2022. Picture taken April 21, 2022. U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Austin Fraley/Handout via REUTERS.   Reuters: Exclusive-U.S. and Ukraine Discuss Danger of Escalation as New Arms Extend Kyiv's Reach   WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the United States and its allies provide Ukraine with increasingly sophisticated arms, Washington has held discussions with Kyiv about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, U.S. and diplomatic officials tell Reuters.  The behind-the-scenes discussions, which are highly sensitive and have not been previously reported, do not put explicit geographic restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukrainian forces.  But the conversations have sought to reach a shared understanding of the risk of escalation, three U.S.

OilPrice.com: Here's How Russian Crude Is Finding Its Way To Customers   * Refinitiv Eikon: Greece has emerged as a new hub for Russian oil via ship-to-ship (STS) loadings.  * Vortexa: Russia has been increasing fuel exports to Greece, with shipments set to jump to about 2.5 million barrels.  * Trading Russian crude and oil products remain legal for now.  Small tankers and ship-to-ship transfers are being used to keep the flow of Russian oil to China steady, Bloomberg reported this week, citing sources from the brokering industry. Typically, the report notes, Russian ESPO crude is shipped directly to China. But lately, buyers are opting for loading the crude on small tankers and shipping it to South Korean waters, from where it is loaded onto supertankers and then taken to China.  According to Bloomberg’s sources, the change is a result of reprioritization among buyers as shipowners avoid loading Russian oil because of Western sanctions. Currently, almost all of the ESPO av

Saudi oil production hit 10.3 million barrels in April. Photo credit should read MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP   Rigzone/Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia Making $1B From Oil Exports Every Day   Saudi Arabia’s oil exports reached $30 billion in March, the highest in at least six years, driven by a rally in oil prices and rising production.  The value of crude exports, now almost $1 billion a day, increased by 123% year on year, the kingdom’s statistics office said.  Saudi Arabia’s crude production rose to 10.3 million barrels a day in March, with Brent oil prices averaging $112 a barrel. Prices have jumped almost 50% this year, mostly due to the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  The higher revenues helped the kingdom post a 57.5 billion riyal ($15 billion) budget surplus between January and March. It will be one of the fastest-growing large economies in the world this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.  Read more ....   Update #1: Saudi Arabia oil exports soared to the

  Axios: Scoop: Israel rejects U.S. request to approve missile transfer to Ukraine   Israel turned down a U.S. request to allow Berlin to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles produced in Germany with Israeli technology under an Israeli license, two U.S. and Israeli officials said.  Why it matters: The issue of weapons supply is one of the last policy differences between the U.S. and Israel when it comes to the war.  Under pressure from the Biden administration, Israel has adjusted its policy toward Moscow and gradually taken a more pro-Ukraine position than it did when Russia began its invasion. But it has so far not supplied advanced weaponry to Ukraine.  Driving the news: Amir Eshel, director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, visited Washington two weeks ago for talks with Pentagon officials on security cooperation between the U.S. and Israel.   Read more ....   WNU Editor : Russia lets Israel do what they want in Syria. It looks like Israel does not want to j

The Hill: Zelensky calls for ‘total help’ as Russia advances in Ukraine’s east   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday called for “total help” from other countries as Russian forces continue to advance in the eastern region of Ukraine amid Moscow’s ongoing invasion of the country.  In an address, Zelensky stressed Ukraine’s need for aid from other countries, saying that Russian forces have significantly more equipment and soldiers than Ukraine in some places and adding that Moscow’s “desire to fight still remains.”  “The Armed Forces of Ukraine, our intelligence and all those who defend the state are resisting the extremely fierce offensive of Russian troops in the east.  In some areas, the enemy is substantially superior in terms of equipment, number of soldiers,” Zelensky said. “The Russian authorities have made an illustrative decision — they have allowed to hire older people for contract service. That is, they no longer have enough young people, but the desire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pictured on May 18. Photo by Office of the President of Ukraine   The Hill: Zelensky rips Kissinger over suggestion Ukraine cede territory to Russia   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday slammed former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for suggesting earlier this week that Ukraine cede some territory to Russia in the name of peace.  In a Wednesday address, Zelensky said Kissinger “emerges from the deep past and says that a piece of Ukraine should be given to Russia” and that Kissinger’s “calendar is not 2022, but 1938” — a reference to the Munich Agreement, which allowed for Nazi Germany to annex land in western Czechoslovakia.  “Behind all these geopolitical speculations of those who advise Ukraine to give away something to Russia, ‘great geopoliticians’ are always unwilling to see ordinary people,” Zelensky said. “Millions of those who actually live in the territory they propose to exchange for the illusion of peac

Russia claimed full control of the Kherson region in mid-March, and also holds parts of the Zaporizhzhia region [File: Olexandr Chornyi/AP Photo]   Reuters : Russia offers fast-track citizenship to residents of occupied Ukraine   Russian forces launched offensives on towns in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, with constant mortar bombardment destroying several houses and killing civilians. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday simplifying the process for residents of Ukraine's Russian-occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to acquire Russian citizenship and passports.  The decree extends a scheme available since 2019 to residents of areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.   Read more ....   WNU Editor : This is what the Kremlin is laying the groundwork to do .... Russian senator hints at possible annexation of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions (Ukrayinska Pravda).  The response from Kyiv has been swift ...