Russia deploys troops to ukraine

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is fueling a “catastrophic” wave of malnutrition among young children, the United Nations’ children’s agency agency warned on Tuesday, urging governments to do more as war between two agricultural powerhouses, a worsening climate crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic strains already fragile food supplies. Key Facts War in Ukraine is driving up the price of “life-saving treatment” for children suffering from severe wasting, a life-threatening form of malnutrition that compromises the immune system, Unicef warned in a new report . The cost of treatment—a nutrient- and energy-rich paste—is set to surge by up to 16% over the next six months due to a “sharp rise in the cost of raw ingredients,” the agency said, a result of war in Ukraine adding to existing stresses from the pandemic and drought in some areas. Around 13.6 million children under the age of five are suffering … [Read more...] about Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine Fueling ‘Catastrophic’ Malnutrition Among Children, Unicef Warns

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Ukrainian forces surrendered Monday at the Azovstal steel plant complex that was the site of the country’s last remaining defense of Mariupol, ceding control of the heavily besieged southeastern Ukrainian port city to Russia with a pre-war population of about 400,000 that became a crucial target for Russia since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in February. Key Facts Ukraine’s military said early Tuesday it ended its “combat mission” in Mariupol, where Ukraine’s military operations had been reduced for weeks to a small group of fighters in the Azovstal industrial district who continued to defend the city in defiance of several Russian surrender ultimatums. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces estimated about 250 troops, including about 50 seriously injured personnel, surrendered, and Reuters reports it saw the soldiers leave the plant overnight and head to Russian-controlled territory. … [Read more...] about Ukraine Effectively Surrenders Mariupol—Here’s Why The City Is Such A Prized Target For Russia

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin This is Part I of a three-part series from an extensive interview with the former finance minister of Ukraine. The third one includes how to help Ukraine. She also gave career advice. Part I is here. Part I: The Enabler For years after World War II, there was a prevailing theory that when we are trading partners, we are less likely to have conflicts. Labeled “the liberal peace,” political scientists across disciplines believed ‘that mutual economic interdependence can be a conduit of peace,” because it “limits the incentive to use military force in interstate relations,” as the Cato Institute put it as recently as 2020. Companies opened markets across the globe and leveraged that access to reduce costs, building international supply chains. In the process, they created a complex web of trade, commerce and shipping that kept shareholders happy and executives on airplanes. It grew local economies, but also … [Read more...] about The Hidden Power Of ESG – Part 1 Of 3-Part Series: Interview With The Former Finance Minister Of Ukraine

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin This is Part III of a three-part series from an extensive interview with the former finance minister of Ukraine. Part I is about dark money and Part II is about ESG’s related hidden power. Maria Prymachenko was a self-taught artist who became one of Ukraine’s artistic treasures and her brightly-colored “naȉve” works made her an icon of Ukrainian national identity. When the local museum outside of Kyiv housing much of her work was in flames from an attack by Russian forces, a man in the village reportedly risked his life to go in to the burning building and rescued 14 of her paintings, including one of two people shaking hands. Her art has now become a global symbol of Ukrainian culture, resistance and resilience. As leaders, citizens, consumers and investors, we can use our voices and our resources to help Ukraine, Natalie Jaresko, the former finance minister of Ukraine explained on my Electric Ladies … [Read more...] about 12 Steps You Can Take To Help Ukraine – Part III, From Its Former Finance Minister

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin This is Part II of a three-part series from an extensive interview with the former finance minister of Ukraine. The third one includes how to help Ukraine. She also gave career advice. Part I is here. Part II: The Hidden Power Of ESG As explained in Part I of this series, the Russian invasion of Ukraine reflects the weakness in the core of the “liberal peace” doctrine believed for decades — that global commerce would disincentivize conflicts — in part because of dark money, argued Natalie Jaresko, the former finance minister of Ukraine, in an extensive interview on my Electric Ladies Podcast. Furthermore, she argues that taking Russian money is inconsistent with the commitments to ESG, or environment, social and governance principles, that dozens of companies and countries have declared. ESG commitments from companies and countries, and investments in ESG funds, have swelled over the past few years. ESG funds … [Read more...] about The Hidden Power Of ESG – Part 2 Of 3-Part Series: Interview With The Former Finance Minister Of Ukraine

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin It’s been almost three months now since Russia invaded Ukraine , and much of the latest news coverage has been depressingly predictable. It feels like every day, foreign correspondents share word of yet another Russian atrocity . Or, of outnumbered Ukrainian defenders still hanging on. Of a new show of defiance from President Zelenskyy. More countries, like the US, sending aid packages and weapons. More fighting, more dying. Journalists tasked with reporting this story certainly want to keep readers and audiences back home invested and caring about what happens. But rather than wrap their arms around the bigness and the battles that are part of this bloody geopolitical conflict roiling part of Europe, a group of NPR veterans decided to focus on the small, and the personal. Instead of covering the war the same way as most everyone else, the journalists launched a podcast in partnership with Spotify to … [Read more...] about Ukraine Stories Podcast: NPR Veterans Deliver A Tour De Force Of Narrative Journalism

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin One of the curious accoutrements of the Kremlin are the very large benches that sit just outside it, almost too big for comfort such that the first time I passed them I imagined giant Cossacks resting themselves as they visited the capital. What those giant Cossacks might make of today’s Russian army would be interesting to know, especially with Monday’s ‘Victory Day’ military display in and around the Kremlin. It is expected that the Russian President will use the occasion to formally declare war on Ukraine and call up a full mobilisation of troops (especially conscripts). Such as move will deepen the conflict around the invasion of Ukraine, may result in the use of heavier and more deadly armaments and further entangle Ukraine in a proxy war. Of course, another avenue open to Vladimir Putin may be to use Victory Day to engage in some much needed risk management, and to declare a ‘mission accomplished’ in the context of … [Read more...] about When Will The Ukraine War Stop?

Kevin Johnson is an Iraq War veteran and board director of the American Resilience Project and Environmental Defense Action Fund. Mark Ruffalo is an actor, environmental advocate and co-founder of We Stand United. Both are founding members of the Clean Energy Freedom campaign. The opinions expressed in this commentary are their own. As energy tensions continue to rise in Europe amidst the war in Ukraine, Americans are feeling the effect at home. Russia shut off natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria last month, and the European Union recently proposed a ban on Russian oil imports. Meanwhile, just last week, the US Consumer Price Index showed that gas prices were up 44% (on an unadjusted basis) in the 12 months ended in April, and the national average is currently hovering around $4.52 a gallon. It's clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to weaponize Europe's dependence on his country's fossil fuels to deter support for Ukraine. This moment … [Read more...] about Opinion: How President Biden can win the energy war with Russia — and lower gas prices

The Biden administration is deploying less than 500 troops to Somalia to counter the threat from the terrorist organization al-Shabab, a senior administration official told reporters on a call Monday. President Joe Biden approved Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s request for “a persistent presence” of troops to be deployed from their posts in East Africa over time, the official said. The president’s decision was made in early May, according to The New York Times. The announcement is a reversal of the Trump administration’s decision to pull troops after the Obama administration’s efforts in the African nation. The country has been long under threat from al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab terrorists . (RELATED: US Launches First Airstrike Against Terrorists In Somalia Under Biden Admin) “This administration inherited a challenging situation in Somalia. And this proposal was put forward by the Department of Defense as a way to help us improve things,” the official said. … [Read more...] about Biden Reverses Trump, Puts US Troops Back In War-Torn African Nation

Secretary of Defense James Mattis pledged Monday to confront Russia over allegations that Moscow has been funneling weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Army Gen. John Nicholson, the top commander for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said he would “not refute” the claim that Russia is funneling weapons to Taliban insurgents at a news conference in Kabul, The Associated Press reports. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, also in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit, pledged that the U.S. would start conversations with Russia on the subject of weapons funneling. “We’ll engage with Russia diplomatically,” Mattis said, according to The Associated Press . “We’ll do so where we can, but we’re going to have to confront Russia where what they’re doing is contrary to international law or denying the sovereignty of other countries.” “For example, any weapons being funneled here from a foreign country would be a violation of international law,” Mattis added. A senior military official … [Read more...] about Mattis To Confront Russia Over Apparent Weapons Shipments To Taliban