While Ukrainians train on Leopard tanks, West is still short on pledges
MUNSTER, Germany — Inside unassuming green containers on an army base in northwestern Germany, battles are being waged. Ukrainian tank gunners lock on to enemy targets that pop up on their monitors, quickly destroying them.
Those fights are just simulations, but the Ukrainians will soon train on real Leopard 2A6 tanks. And at the end of March, they will be back on the front line, facing off against Russian forces and trained on new equipment.
The training at a German military base near Munster is part of an effort across Europe to get Ukrainian forces acquainted with the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles they have been promised. But while Berlin had hoped to pull together two Leopard 2 battalions — totaling about 70 tanks — for Ukraine ahead of an anticipated Russian offensive this spring, the West is still short on contributions.
Read the full story here.
MUNSTER, Germany — Inside unassuming green containers on an army base in northwestern Germany, battles are being waged. Ukrainian tank gunners lock on to enemy targets that pop up on their monitors, quickly destroying them.
Those fights are just simulations, but the Ukrainians will soon train on real Leopard 2A6 tanks. And at the end of March, they will be back on the front line, facing off against Russian forces and trained on new equipment.
The training at a German military base near Munster is part of an effort across Europe to get Ukrainian forces acquainted with the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles they have been promised. But while Berlin had hoped to pull together two Leopard 2 battalions — totaling about 70 tanks — for Ukraine ahead of an anticipated Russian offensive this spring, the West is still short on contributions.
Read the full story here.
Analysis: Biden rallies the West, but what about the rest?
For this week, the geopolitical West can pat itself on the back. As the one-year mark of Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine nears, President Biden journeyed to Warsaw from Kyiv and delivered a speech exulting in Ukraine’s defiance and the transatlantic consensus that has sustained it.
“One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv,” Biden told a crowd of thousands, waving American, Polish and Ukrainian flags outside the Royal Castle in Warsaw. “Well, I’ve just come from a visit to Kyiv and I can report, Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall. And most important, it stands free.”
Read the full story here.
For this week, the geopolitical West can pat itself on the back. As the one-year mark of Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine nears, President Biden journeyed to Warsaw from Kyiv and delivered a speech exulting in Ukraine’s defiance and the transatlantic consensus that has sustained it.
“One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv,” Biden told a crowd of thousands, waving American, Polish and Ukrainian flags outside the Royal Castle in Warsaw. “Well, I’ve just come from a visit to Kyiv and I can report, Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall. And most important, it stands free.”
Read the full story here.
What are Articles 4 and 5 of NATO’s founding treaty and why do they matter?
Nearly a year into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Eastern European countries remain worried about their own security, while allies have warned Moscow that attacking NATO members would trigger a broader, global conflict.
The U.S. made a “sacred commitment” to Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, President Biden told leaders of countries on the alliance’s eastern flank, who gathered Wednesday in Warsaw to discuss concerns about Russian aggression.
The treaty article means that if Russian forces were to attack Poland, for instance, that move should be treated as an attack on the United States as well. Article 4 lays out another bedrock principle of the alliance: consultation among members if one of them is under threat.
Here’s what to know about Articles 4 and 5 of the NATO charter.
Nearly a year into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Eastern European countries remain worried about their own security, while allies have warned Moscow that attacking NATO members would trigger a broader, global conflict.
The U.S. made a “sacred commitment” to Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, President Biden told leaders of countries on the alliance’s eastern flank, who gathered Wednesday in Warsaw to discuss concerns about Russian aggression.
The treaty article means that if Russian forces were to attack Poland, for instance, that move should be treated as an attack on the United States as well. Article 4 lays out another bedrock principle of the alliance: consultation among members if one of them is under threat.
Here’s what to know about Articles 4 and 5 of the NATO charter.
Mitch McConnell tells U.S. to ‘wake up’ to threat of Russia on Ukraine war anniversary
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday urged the U.S. and its allies to renew their resolve to help Ukraine as it stands up to Russian “thuggery,” tacitly pushing back against members of his own party who’ve become loudly skeptical of Ukraine’s fight as the conflict passes the one-year mark.
“America and our friends need to finish waking up from our holiday from history, welcome Finland and Sweden into NATO ... and make significant investments in military modernization and our defense-industrial capacities that are commensurate with the major challenges we face,” McConnell said in a statement, shortly before appearing alongside President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki to support Finland’s bid to join NATO.
The message marked a stark contrast to the one pushed by former president Donald Trump and some congressional Republicans, who have called for ending or slowing aid to Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday urged the U.S. and its allies to renew their resolve to help Ukraine as it stands up to Russian “thuggery,” tacitly pushing back against members of his own party who’ve become loudly skeptical of Ukraine’s fight as the conflict passes the one-year mark.
“America and our friends need to finish waking up from our holiday from history, welcome Finland and Sweden into NATO ... and make significant investments in military modernization and our defense-industrial capacities that are commensurate with the major challenges we face,” McConnell said in a statement, shortly before appearing alongside President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki to support Finland’s bid to join NATO.
The message marked a stark contrast to the one pushed by former president Donald Trump and some congressional Republicans, who have called for ending or slowing aid to Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
With Russia’s Viagra supply cut off, authorities look to generics as backup
Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry said that it had taken steps to establish domestic production of generic forms of Viagra, the erectile dysfunction remedy, after the U.S. manufacturer of the drug halted supplies.
Medicines and medical equipment are not subject to the sweeping economic sanctions levied against Russia by the United States, Britain, the European Union and other backers of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
However, Western pharmaceutical companies have warned that supplies of their products to Russia could still be disrupted as a result of the sanctions that have severed Russian banks from the international financial system and have pushed major shipping companies to suspend their operations in Russia.
The U.S. pharmaceutical company Viatris, which manufactures Viagra, had informed the Russian government last year that it would stop selling the drug in tablet form.
Read the full story here.
Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry said that it had taken steps to establish domestic production of generic forms of Viagra, the erectile dysfunction remedy, after the U.S. manufacturer of the drug halted supplies.
Medicines and medical equipment are not subject to the sweeping economic sanctions levied against Russia by the United States, Britain, the European Union and other backers of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
However, Western pharmaceutical companies have warned that supplies of their products to Russia could still be disrupted as a result of the sanctions that have severed Russian banks from the international financial system and have pushed major shipping companies to suspend their operations in Russia.
The U.S. pharmaceutical company Viatris, which manufactures Viagra, had informed the Russian government last year that it would stop selling the drug in tablet form.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko will visit China next week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will make the trip at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the ministry said. U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have said China is considering sending artillery shells to Russia, but there is no evidence the weapons transfer has occurred.
- Biden said that Ukraine’s defense needs could change in the future, but that the U.S. military determined there currently is no rationale for sending fighter jets to Kyiv.
- An American soldier fighting in Ukraine was killed in action on Feb. 16, his family told The Post. Andrew Peters, 28, arrived in Ukraine in November to join the International Legion of Territorial Defence, said his father, John Peters. Andrew Peters served as a U.S. Army infantryman in Afghanistan from 2014 to 2016, his father told The Post.
More live updates here.
- Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko will visit China next week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will make the trip at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the ministry said. U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have said China is considering sending artillery shells to Russia, but there is no evidence the weapons transfer has occurred.
- Biden said that Ukraine’s defense needs could change in the future, but that the U.S. military determined there currently is no rationale for sending fighter jets to Kyiv.
- An American soldier fighting in Ukraine was killed in action on Feb. 16, his family told The Post. Andrew Peters, 28, arrived in Ukraine in November to join the International Legion of Territorial Defence, said his father, John Peters. Andrew Peters served as a U.S. Army infantryman in Afghanistan from 2014 to 2016, his father told The Post.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
—China is set to host Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko — a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — this week, amid increasing international scrutiny of Beijing’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine and warnings from Washington that it could be gearing up to supply Moscow with lethal aid.
— Chinese officials were notably silent as most attendees at a gathering of Group of 20 finance ministers in India agreed to a statement strongly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China and Russia refused to sign the document, which meant the summit ended without its usual communique.
— Russian forces are making “marginal territorial gains” around Bakhmut and Avdiivka, in the eastern Donetsk region, according to the latest battleground report by the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. think tank.
— The threat of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine remains high, according to the Ukrainian military.
More updates here.
—China is set to host Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko — a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — this week, amid increasing international scrutiny of Beijing’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine and warnings from Washington that it could be gearing up to supply Moscow with lethal aid.
— Chinese officials were notably silent as most attendees at a gathering of Group of 20 finance ministers in India agreed to a statement strongly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China and Russia refused to sign the document, which meant the summit ended without its usual communique.
— Russian forces are making “marginal territorial gains” around Bakhmut and Avdiivka, in the eastern Donetsk region, according to the latest battleground report by the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. think tank.
— The threat of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine remains high, according to the Ukrainian military.
More updates here.
Discreetly, and at peril, Russian volunteers help Ukrainian refugees
To avoid the authorities, thousands of displaced Ukrainians in Russia are relying on a discreet network of unofficial volunteers — a sort of Slavic echo of the Underground Railroad — working to bring war refugees through Russia to safety in Europe.
These volunteers are not linked to each other. Most of them will never see each other in person. The common denominator is the risk they face from the Russian security forces, who are suspicious of citizen initiatives and have cracked down on all manner of civil society groups.
The independent volunteers do all kinds of things. Some work from home processing help requests. Others help care for pets, gather food, clothing and medicine, or deliver to makeshift warehouses. Hosts who open their doors to Ukrainians or drivers who transport them across the Russian border face the steepest risk as they are ones interacting directly with refugees and the authorities.
Read the full story here.
To avoid the authorities, thousands of displaced Ukrainians in Russia are relying on a discreet network of unofficial volunteers — a sort of Slavic echo of the Underground Railroad — working to bring war refugees through Russia to safety in Europe.
These volunteers are not linked to each other. Most of them will never see each other in person. The common denominator is the risk they face from the Russian security forces, who are suspicious of citizen initiatives and have cracked down on all manner of civil society groups.
The independent volunteers do all kinds of things. Some work from home processing help requests. Others help care for pets, gather food, clothing and medicine, or deliver to makeshift warehouses. Hosts who open their doors to Ukrainians or drivers who transport them across the Russian border face the steepest risk as they are ones interacting directly with refugees and the authorities.
Read the full story here.
Married on the day of the invasion, one soldier marks two anniversaries
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine — On his 366th day of war, Sgt. Volodymyr Rusyn reached the most dangerous part of his route to the front lines: A 20-yard, don’t-slow-down, cratered stretch of road that is shelled regularly — sometimes hourly — by Russian batteries stationed less than two miles away.
He found it blocked by a military truck.
“This is the worst place to stop,” he muttered, tapping the steering wheel, eager to run the gantlet and get on with his mission. As the deputy commander of the Carpathian Sich 49th Infantry Battalion, Rusyn visits his front line trench fighters, tank drivers and medics every day. But this day is special; it’s an anniversary.
Not the first anniversary of the war that’s being marked from Kyiv to Washington. His wedding anniversary. On the morning of Feb. 24, 2022, he was married, hours after getting the early-morning phone call that Russia had invaded.
Read the full story here.
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine — On his 366th day of war, Sgt. Volodymyr Rusyn reached the most dangerous part of his route to the front lines: A 20-yard, don’t-slow-down, cratered stretch of road that is shelled regularly — sometimes hourly — by Russian batteries stationed less than two miles away.
He found it blocked by a military truck.
“This is the worst place to stop,” he muttered, tapping the steering wheel, eager to run the gantlet and get on with his mission. As the deputy commander of the Carpathian Sich 49th Infantry Battalion, Rusyn visits his front line trench fighters, tank drivers and medics every day. But this day is special; it’s an anniversary.
Not the first anniversary of the war that’s being marked from Kyiv to Washington. His wedding anniversary. On the morning of Feb. 24, 2022, he was married, hours after getting the early-morning phone call that Russia had invaded.
Read the full story here.
Analysis: Biden faces new pressures over U.S. support in Year 2 of Ukraine war
The war in Ukraine has entered its second year, and with that come fresh challenges for President Biden. Whether ensuring that Ukraine has the necessary equipment to fight off the Russian invasion or prodding Western allies to do more to hold together domestic public opinion, the longer the war goes on, the greater those challenges will be.
The president’s stealth trip to Ukraine and his later speech in Poland signaled anew his commitment to the cause.
The people of Ukraine have shown the world courage and resilience — and Ukraine’s military has demonstrated surprising skill on the battlefield.
For Biden, the domestic political implications so far have been generally favorable. As the 2024 presidential campaign unfolds, the debate over U.S. support and leadership is likely to become more pointed. The result could be more questions about the president’s handling of the effort.
Read the full story here.
The war in Ukraine has entered its second year, and with that come fresh challenges for President Biden. Whether ensuring that Ukraine has the necessary equipment to fight off the Russian invasion or prodding Western allies to do more to hold together domestic public opinion, the longer the war goes on, the greater those challenges will be.
The president’s stealth trip to Ukraine and his later speech in Poland signaled anew his commitment to the cause.
The people of Ukraine have shown the world courage and resilience — and Ukraine’s military has demonstrated surprising skill on the battlefield.
For Biden, the domestic political implications so far have been generally favorable. As the 2024 presidential campaign unfolds, the debate over U.S. support and leadership is likely to become more pointed. The result could be more questions about the president’s handling of the effort.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainians reflect on a year of loss, unity and fear
The war has torn families apart. Many have lost homes, relatives or friends. Others have lost their jobs and dreams. Everyone has been robbed of their sense of security.
Civilians have picked up arms to fight or volunteered to treat the wounded and deliver humanitarian aid. They have learned to survive and support each other under extreme circumstances, in bomb shelters and hospitals, destroyed apartment complexes and ruined marketplaces, under Russian occupation and in areas Ukraine still controls.
No one has been left untouched.
Read the full story here.
The war has torn families apart. Many have lost homes, relatives or friends. Others have lost their jobs and dreams. Everyone has been robbed of their sense of security.
Civilians have picked up arms to fight or volunteered to treat the wounded and deliver humanitarian aid. They have learned to survive and support each other under extreme circumstances, in bomb shelters and hospitals, destroyed apartment complexes and ruined marketplaces, under Russian occupation and in areas Ukraine still controls.
No one has been left untouched.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Putin claimed, again without giving evidence, that the West is trying to threaten the survival of the Russian nation, saying in an interview with the state-owned Rossiya 1 channel: “We are forced to respond to it.” Putin has increasingly framed the war in Ukraine as an existential battle between Russia and the West.
- Lukashenko is visiting China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. The visit will start Tuesday and end Thursday.
- The United States hopes to deter China from supplying Russia with lethal weaponry, CIA Director William J. Burns said in a television interview. “We’re confident that the Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment,” Burns told CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” adding that intelligence officials had not yet seen evidence of equipment being shipped and did not believe a final decision had been made.
More live updates here.
- Putin claimed, again without giving evidence, that the West is trying to threaten the survival of the Russian nation, saying in an interview with the state-owned Rossiya 1 channel: “We are forced to respond to it.” Putin has increasingly framed the war in Ukraine as an existential battle between Russia and the West.
- Lukashenko is visiting China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. The visit will start Tuesday and end Thursday.
- The United States hopes to deter China from supplying Russia with lethal weaponry, CIA Director William J. Burns said in a television interview. “We’re confident that the Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment,” Burns told CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” adding that intelligence officials had not yet seen evidence of equipment being shipped and did not believe a final decision had been made.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned China that there would be “real costs” if Beijing decides to provide military aid to Russia.
- CIA Director William J. Burns echoed concerns about China providing military aid to Russia, stating in a separate CNN interview that the U.S. is “confident” China is “considering the provision of lethal equipment,” but that it would be a “very risky and unwise bet.”
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed a senior military official without explanation, according to a one-line decree posted Sunday. Eduard Moskalyov, commander of Ukraine’s joint forces, was removed from his role just less than a year after he was appointed.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the West is trying to dismantle Russia. In an interview with the state-owned Rossiya 1 channel, he said of the United States: “They have one goal: to scatter the former Soviet Union and its main part, the Russian Federation.”
More live updates here.
- U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned China that there would be “real costs” if Beijing decides to provide military aid to Russia.
- CIA Director William J. Burns echoed concerns about China providing military aid to Russia, stating in a separate CNN interview that the U.S. is “confident” China is “considering the provision of lethal equipment,” but that it would be a “very risky and unwise bet.”
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed a senior military official without explanation, according to a one-line decree posted Sunday. Eduard Moskalyov, commander of Ukraine’s joint forces, was removed from his role just less than a year after he was appointed.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the West is trying to dismantle Russia. In an interview with the state-owned Rossiya 1 channel, he said of the United States: “They have one goal: to scatter the former Soviet Union and its main part, the Russian Federation.”
More live updates here.
After warnings, no evidence China is supplying arms to Russia, U.S. officials say
Top administration officials said Sunday there is no evidence that China has sent lethal military support to Russia, a step Beijing is said to be considering. One top U.S. official also said China has been surprised by the steadfast support demonstrated by Ukraine’s allies and Russia’s poor military performance on the battlefield over the past year.
The comments, by national security adviser Jake Sullivan and CIA Director William J. Burns, were made during separate appearances on news shows Sunday morning.
Sullivan said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Washington will continue to send “a strong message” to Beijing against giving military aid to Moscow “when they are using their weapons to bombard cities, kill civilians and commit atrocities.”
Read the full story here.
Top administration officials said Sunday there is no evidence that China has sent lethal military support to Russia, a step Beijing is said to be considering. One top U.S. official also said China has been surprised by the steadfast support demonstrated by Ukraine’s allies and Russia’s poor military performance on the battlefield over the past year.
The comments, by national security adviser Jake Sullivan and CIA Director William J. Burns, were made during separate appearances on news shows Sunday morning.
Sullivan said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Washington will continue to send “a strong message” to Beijing against giving military aid to Moscow “when they are using their weapons to bombard cities, kill civilians and commit atrocities.”
Read the full story here.
Bloodied Wagner fighters captured in Ukraine recount path from prison to war
The two men lay on the dirty tile floor of an empty office, still in their bloodied combat fatigues and bandages. One dozed without a pillow under a blanket; the other stretched out with a tourniquet strapped above the knee of his blood-soaked pants.
The men were two of three Russian fighters with the Wagner mercenary group who had been captured a few hours earlier in a northern section of the embattled city of Bakhmut, according to a Ukrainian officer with a sidearm on his hip, who was the only other person present. The third, more seriously injured, had been taken to a hospital, the officer said.
One had his hands tightly bound with green tape; the other was not bound and accepted a cigarette from the officer.
“Do you want to smoke? Water?” the officer asked in Russian after a group of Post journalists entered the ground-floor room with clearance from Ukrainian officials. “They want to interview you.”
Read the full story here.
The two men lay on the dirty tile floor of an empty office, still in their bloodied combat fatigues and bandages. One dozed without a pillow under a blanket; the other stretched out with a tourniquet strapped above the knee of his blood-soaked pants.
The men were two of three Russian fighters with the Wagner mercenary group who had been captured a few hours earlier in a northern section of the embattled city of Bakhmut, according to a Ukrainian officer with a sidearm on his hip, who was the only other person present. The third, more seriously injured, had been taken to a hospital, the officer said.
One had his hands tightly bound with green tape; the other was not bound and accepted a cigarette from the officer.
“Do you want to smoke? Water?” the officer asked in Russian after a group of Post journalists entered the ground-floor room with clearance from Ukrainian officials. “They want to interview you.”
Read the full story here.