SF015 (2022-02-19). Ukrainian Army Continues Massive Shelling of Donetsk and Luhansk. southfront.org The Ukrainian army continuously fires 120mm mortars at the settlements of Zaitseve and Dokuchaevsk in the Donetsk region. | Thousands of shells were fired during the day, mainly at civilian infrastructure and residential areas in the districts of Gorlovka and Lugansk, currently under massive artillery fire by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Dozens have been reported only in the last hour. | A few hours ago, the car of the head of the People's Militia of the DPR Denis Sinyakov was blown up by Ukrainian saboteurs in the center…

sputniknews (2022-02-19). Ukraine's NATO Membership Not on Agenda, Won't Happen in Foreseeable Future, German Chancellor Says. sputniknews.com Ukraine's ambassador to Germany has adamantly demanded membership in the Western alliance for his country, warning that Kiev may be forced to pursue nuclear weapons if its membership bid is declined. Last week, German media reported that officials in Berlin were consciously avoiding the "pain in the a**" diplomat over his "undiplomatic contact."

Zahra Mirzafarjouyan (2022-02-19). Two explosions hit Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine (+VIDEO). en.mehrnews.com Two explosions have rocked Ukraine's eastern separatist region of Luhansk, one hitting a gas pipeline.

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-19). Preparations: South Ossetia boosts support for Donetsk, Lugansk, Transnistria. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com State News Agency of South OssetiaFebruary 18, 2022 The Parliament of South Ossetia supported the State Duma of the Russian Federation on the recognition of the DPR and the LPR Deputies of the Parliament of South Ossetia supported the appeal of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to the President …

TASS (2022-02-19). Donetsk says Ukraine's shelling damaged water supply station. tass.com The situation along the contact line in eastern Ukraine took a turn for the worse on Thursday morning…

TASS (2022-02-19). Russia to protect its citizens in Donetsk, Lugansk if they are in danger – Duma speaker. tass.com Russia doesn't want war, Vyacheslav Volodin said…

Staff (2022-02-19). Ukrainian breakaway republic shelled, RT crew nearby. rt.com A small town outside Donetsk came under fire as RT Arabic was covering the events | The area where an RT Arabic television channel crew was working came under fire in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in southeastern Ukraine on Saturday, the network has confirmed. According to preliminary information, nobody was injured. | "Our correspondent said that the incident has occurred in the town of Zaitsevo, located near the line of contact between the two sides of the conflict in Donbass," RT Arabic reported. | According to the channel's editor-in-chief Maya Manna, the reporter Maxim Al-Toury, his camera…

sputniknews (2022-02-19). TikTok Unblocks Account of RIA Novosti After Intervention of Media Watchdog. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The social network TikTok has unblocked the official account of RIA Novosti news agency and restored the deleted video with the appeal of the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, after Russia's state communications regulator Roskomnadzor intervened, the watchdog said.

sputniknews (2022-02-19). DPR, LPR Order General Military Mobilisation as Kiev Continues to Shell Donbass. sputniknews.com On Friday, the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia's Rostov Region after the Ukrainian army launched an attack against the republics.

sputniknews (2022-02-19). PHOTOS: Shell May Have Exploded in Russia's Rostov Region Near Ukraine Border, Source Says. sputniknews.com On Friday, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia's Rostov Region over a dramatic escalation of tensions along the Donbass line of contact and a possible full-fledged offensive by the Ukrainian army.

Staff (2022-02-19). Russian region declares emergency amid influx of refugees. rt.com The two self-proclaimed Donbass republics in eastern Ukraine have announced they are evacuating civilians across the border | A Russian region bordering Eastern Ukraine has declared a state of emergency on Saturday, with reports of refugees from the separatist-held Donbass crossing over the border amid a military escalation with Kiev. | The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) announced that they had begun evacuating civilians to Russia on Friday, with rebels and Ukrainian army forces accusing each other of shelling across the contact line. It is unclear how many…

sputniknews (2022-02-19). Buses Evacuating Residents From Donetsk to Russia as Kiev Forces Shell Donbass. sputniknews.com The authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic started the evacuation of civilians to Russia on Friday, fearing military aggression by the Ukrainian government.

Staff (2022-02-19). Gas company comments on blast amid escalation in eastern Ukraine. rt.com An explosion in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic was reported around midnight | A gas company from the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine has said that the blasts at a local pipeline were manmade. | "After assessing the damage, [we can say] that the cause of explosions is a sabotage," Tatyana Bogorodko, the director of Luganskgaz, said on Saturday. | The first blast was reported in the village of Malaya Vergunka outside Lugansk shortly after midnight. The second explosion occurred at a pipeline in Lugansk itself around half an hour later, the company said, adding th…

TASS (2022-02-19). Explosions in Lugansk did not affect gas transit through Ukraine – pipeline operator. tass.com It underscored that the gas transit continues as usual…

SF015 (2022-02-19). Zelensky's Knocking At The Bear's Door. southfront.org Written by Alex Gallant exclusively for SouthFront | The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Following the heightened tensions of the last 48h, Kyiv continues to transfer additional units in Donbass, seemingly in preparation of a potential large-sca…

TASS (2022-02-19). Acting Minister of Emergency Situations, chief sanitary medic arrive in Rostov Region. tass.com The plane landed at the Platov airport. It also carried a Ministry task force and medics, who will organize the admission of Donbass evacuees…

Staff (2022-02-19). 'Omens are grim' for Ukraine, UK PM warns. rt.com Boris Johnson called on Western nations to stand with Kiev and support sanctions against Moscow | Moscow could be just moments away from ordering a full-blown invasion of Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has alleged, amid reports of heavy shelling and explosions near the contact line in the Donbass. | Speaking at a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Johnson claimed that the world is at "a very dangerous moment in history" and stands "on the brink of what could be a war in Europe." | "If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine…

Staff (2022-02-19). Explosion reported in southern Russia. rt.com Russian media quotes a police source as saying that a shell exploded close to the shared frontier | A shell has allegedly exploded on Russian territory, close to the border with the war-torn Donbass region of Ukraine, local media has reported. | On Saturday, Russian news agency RIA Novosti wrote that a police source in the southern Rostov region had claimed authorities were responding to the detonation in a rural community in the area. "The blast occurred at 4 am, 300 meters (984 feet) away from a house in the village of Mityakinskaya," the official said. | The incident reportedly occurred one kilometer (0.6 m…

Staff (2022-02-19). Putin launches nuclear war drills (VIDEOS). rt.com The exercise is taking place amid tensions with the West over Ukraine | Russian President Vladimir Putin launched strategic drills on Saturday, and is following the exercises from the situation center in Moscow, along with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. | The drills involve both nuclear and non-nuclear weapons, and are being held amid the escalation in eastern Ukraine and continuing tensions with NATO. The Russian Defense Ministry said ahead of the maneuvers that they would include the "launching of ballistic and cruise missiles." The air force is set participate along with the country's Northern and…

WSWS (2022-02-19). Canada to arm Ukraine with lethal weapons as part of US-led war drive against Russia. wsws.org Even though recent shelling in eastern Ukraine was instigated by Ukrainian forces, Canada's foreign ministry asserted without any evidence that "Russian military activity" was "escalating" the situation in Donbas.

Staff (2022-02-19). Russia rejects Moscow's involvement in Ukraine cyberattacks. en.mehrnews.com Russian Embassy in Washington debunked claims of US Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger regarding Moscow's alleged involvement in the recent cyberattacks in Ukraine.

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-19). Pentagon chief in Poland: "The most dangerous conflict since World War II" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Quotes from video of joint press conference below. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak: "The most dangerous conflict since World War II." Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin: "Polish and American soldiers fought and died together in Iraq and Afghanistan." "[Poland] Fourth largest concentration of U.S. forces in Europe." === Radio PolandFebruary 18, 2022 NATO stands united with Ukraine as …

sputniknews (2022-02-19). Russia Not Involved in Recent Cyberattacks on Ukraine, Embassy to US Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Russia was not involved in the recent cyberattacks on Ukrainian banks, the Russian Embassy to the United States said, thus rejecting the US accusations.

TASS (2022-02-19). EU, NATO, US leaders call for immediate de-escalation of situation around Ukraine. tass.com The situation around Ukraine will become the main topic of EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels on February 21…

TASS (2022-02-19). Russian embassy rejects US allegations of Moscow's involvement in Ukraine cyberattacks. tass.com According to the statement, published on the embassy's Facebook page, Neuberger's claims are "blatantly anti-Russian"

WSWS (2022-02-19). Biden threats over Ukraine roil markets. wsws.org There have been warnings of a "perfect storm" that could hit, resulting from a combination of rising geo-political conflicts and increased interest rates.

Staff (2022-02-19). EU issues warning about Russian 'isolation'. rt.com Brussels' top official has warned of a return to the days of the Cold War | The worsening standoff between Russia and the West threatens to upend European security and ultimately could end up isolating Moscow in a way not seen since the days of the Soviet Union, the European Union has cautioned as an escalating crisis unfolds on the border with Ukraine. | Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that "the world has been watching in disbelief we face the largest build-up of troops on European soil since the darkest days of the Cold War." | A…

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-19). VP Harris said U.S. mulling reinforcements in Baltic States — Lithuania. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com ReutersFebruary 18, 2022 U.S. is discussing reinforcement of Baltic States — Lithuanian president U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told Baltic leaders that Washington is considering reinforcing their states militarily as the Ukraine-Russia crisis grows, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Friday. "We were told that yes, at this moment they are discussing the question of …

United Against War, Militarism (2022-02-19). Wednesday 2/23: Roundtable Discussion: Ukraine Crisis. indybay.org On Zoom! Link: rb.gy/bxhzue…

sputniknews (2022-02-19). EU, Allies to Sanction Russia's Energy & Tech Fields in Event of Ukraine Escalation – Von Der Leyen. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Union and its allies have prepared a package of sanctions against Russia targeting energy and advanced technology sectors in the event of escalation in Ukraine, President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen said Saturday.

Staff (2022-02-19). Germany has no plans to allow Ukraine join NATO — Scholz. rt.com The German chancellor said the row between Russia and the West is potentially dangerous but can be resolved | NATO currently has no plans to admit Ukraine as a member despite Moscow's demands that the US-led military bloc pledge not to expand further towards its borders, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said amid a worsening standoff between the two former Soviet republics. | Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Berlin's top politician said that "Russia has made the issue of Ukraine's possible NATO membership a casus belli," effectively making it a pretext for war if Kiev's ambitions to joi…

WSWS (2022-02-19). Macron announces withdrawal of French troops from Mali. wsws.org This withdrawal, driven by mounting popular opposition to French imperialism, comes amid the closely related NATO operations to provoke a war with Russia over Ukraine.

sputniknews (2022-02-19). Putin Launches Exercises of Strategic Deterrence Forces With Ballistic Missile Tests – Video. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) -Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the start of the drills to test the strategic deterrence with launches of ballistic missiles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

SF015 (2022-02-19). Ukrainians Fired The Territory Of The Russian Federation. southfront.org A shell has exploded in the Rostov Region of Russia, one kilometer away from the Russian-Ukrainian border. | TASS reported that the explosion occurred in the morning of February 19 at about 4: 00 Moscow time. The shell exploded near the village of Mityakinskaya in Tarasovsky district, 300 meters from a house. | | Employees of law enforcement agencies are working at the scene. There were no injuries or damage as a result of the…

TASS (2022-02-19). UK Foreign Office blames Russia for cyberattacks on Ukrainian banks. tass.com Earlier on Friday, US Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Ann Neuberger made a similar claim…

Staff (2022-02-19). Russians have hacked American military-industrial complex — US. rt.com The purported cyber attacks are said to date back at least two years | Russian government-backed hackers have been stealing "sensitive" information from American weapons companies for several years, a recent announcement by US security agencies has claimed. | The FBI, National Security Agency, and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a report on Wednesday alleging that since at least January 2020, the hackers have been collecting information that is unclassified but contains "significant insight into US weapons platforms development and deployment timelines." | The attacks appare…

TASS (2022-02-19). Some 25,000 people left LPR on their own. tass.com About 10,000 more people will leave the republic via organized convoys, says LPR Minister of Emergency Situations Yevgeny Katsavalov…

Staff (2022-02-19). Valieva returns to hero's welcome in Moscow (VIDEO). rt.com Shouts of support were heard for the figure skater as a military band greeted Russian Olympians | Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva walked through flanks of fans who offered words of support as she returned to Moscow from the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. | The eyes of the world have been on the 15-year-old prodigy during a campaign that began in history-making fashion as part of a team gold medal and ended in despair following a stuttering individual performance amid an anti-doping saga that is set to rumble on while she awaits a definitive verdict. | About 100 fans are said to have gathered…

Staff (2022-02-19). British MP has Russia & China warning. rt.com The remarks come as Moscow and Beijing emphasize their deepening ties amid an impasse in eastern Europe | If the US and its partners in Europe hit Moscow with crippling embargoes, Russia could seek more economic and political cooperation with Beijing and form a pact with China against the West, a leading British lawmaker has warned. | Speaking to Sky News from Kiev on Thursday, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood set out his view on the standoff between the two eastern European nations and what impact punitive measures could have in the event of a Russian incursion. | "Any sanctions that are imposed onto Russia, th…

sputniknews (2022-02-19). Russian Military Fires Kinzhal Hypersonic Missiles, Yars ICBM, Kalibr & Zircon During Drills – Video. sputniknews.com The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aircraft-deployed hypersonic cruise missile system is nuclear capable, and is one of several hypersonic weapons rolled out by Russia in the late 2010s in a bid to preserve global strategic stability amid US efforts to build a missile defence shield.

WSWS (2022-02-19). The dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. wsws.org As in the wars of the 20th century, control over strategic raw materials plays a significant role in the current confrontation with Russia.

Staff (2022-02-19). NATO did promise Moscow it wouldn't expand, former German defense official tells RT. rt.com Willy Wimmer told RT he personally witnessed the West vowing that NATO would not expand to the east | Despite their denials, Western leaders did make a promise to the USSR that NATO would not expand to Central and Eastern Europe when Moscow agreed to Germany's reunification, Willy Wimmer, a former vice president of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has claimed in an interview with RT on Saturday. | The veteran politician, who served as parliamentary secretary to Germany's defense minister between 1985 and 1992, said that he personally witnessed this promise when he "sent Chancell…

Staff (2022-02-19). Europe has next to no gas left — Gazprom. rt.com The EU has used up more than 95% of the gas it stored last summer | Underground gas storage facilities (UGS) in Europe were 95.3% empty as of February 17, Russia's state energy giant and major gas exporter Gazprom said on Saturday, citing data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. | This means that Europe now has only 4.7% of its gas reserves left for the remainder of the winter season. | The volume of active gas in storage facilities is 21% or 8.3 billion cubic meters less compared to the same time last year. In total, 44.8 billion cubic meters have already been withdrawn from Europe's UGS this winter. | According…

sputniknews (2022-02-19). Russian Skiers Win Gold, Silver at Men's Freestyle Mass Start in Beijing. sputniknews.com BEIJING (Sputnik) – Russian skiers Alexander Bolshunov and Ivan Yakimushkin won the first and the second places at the men's freestyle mass start at the Beijing Olympic Games on Saturday.

WSWS (2022-02-19). Germany increases military spending for war against Russia. wsws.org Germany is playing an increasingly provocative‚ÄÜrole in NATO's aggression against Russia which poses ever more clearly the threat of a third world war.

TASS (2022-02-19). Rostov Region governor introduces state of emergency regime. tass.com That's the right decision, Russia's Acting Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Chupriyan said…

Ron Ridenour (2022-02-19). "American soldiers in Denmark is a 'logical extension' of NATO cooperation," Says Denmark's Prime Minister. covertactionmagazine.com Part II of a CAM Exclusive on Historic U.S.-Danish Military-Intelligence Cooperation (See Part 1 here) We were awakened to the …

Staff (2022-02-19). Over 1000 people already support #Palestine2022 campaign in France. samidoun.net In just a few weeks after its launch, the #Palestine2022 campaign, highlighting Palestine in the French presidential elections, has already received the support of more than 1000 people for its demands and its objectives. The campaign aims to denounce the collaboration of French governments with Israeli apartheid and introduce the subject of the Palestinian cause …

Zahra Mirzafarjouyan (2022-02-19). Fate of JCPOA talks depends on West decision. en.mehrnews.com Some of the claims made by European diplomats in Vienna regarding the completion of work on the draft text of the agreement are not true, and talks are ongoing to resolve the remaining issues that depend on the West side will.

sputniknews (2022-02-19). Solar Orbiter Captures Biggest Eruption to Have Been Observed on the Sun to Date – Video. sputniknews.com Solar Orbiter, a sun-monitoring satellite, was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and is jointly operated by NASA. Launched in February 2020, Solar Orbiter is observing our life-giving star from the closest distance to date. At its closest point, Solar Orbiter was 42 million kilometres from the Sun.

WSWS (2022-02-18). Shelling in Donbass brings Europe to brink of war. wsws.org Heavy artillery shelling reported in East Ukraine's Donbass region is the most significant military escalation of the conflict between the US-funded Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists since at least last spring.

sputniknews (2022-02-18). Lavrov: Russia 'Alarmed' by Escalation of Shelling, Use of Arms Banned by Minsk Accords in Donbass. sputniknews.com The region was thrust into a civil war in the spring of 2014, in the aftermath of a US and EU-backed coup in Kiev.

Staff (2022-02-18). Breakaway Ukrainian region orders evacuation. rt.com

TASS (2022-02-18). Ukraine's security council chief sees no threat of Russian attack. tass.com Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexey Danilov said Kiev is registering "provocations by Russia in Donbass"

Staff (2022-02-18). Lavrov labels Western 'Russia invasion' claims 'propaganda, fakes and fiction'. rt.com "If they enjoy it, let them," the foreign minister told RT regarding claims from officials and media | Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has lashed out at Western officials who have been peddling the purported threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Apparently, they do it for the sheer pleasure of accusing Moscow, he told RT in an exclusive interview on Friday. | "I am certain that even casual observers of foreign policy have long confirmed to themselves that all of it is propaganda, fake news, fiction," Lavrov said of the accusations. | He suggested that Western officials making such claims simply like…

TASS (2022-02-18). UN received Russian documents about crimes in Donbass. tass.com The Russian Investigative Committee earlier said it had launched a criminal case into the discovery of mass graves of Donbass civilians killed in shelling…

Staff (2022-02-18). Putin to take part in nuclear war drills. rt.com The strategic weapons exercises are scheduled to take place on Saturday | Russian President Vladimir Putin will take direct command of scheduled ballistic missile training on Saturday, which will see the country's military test its nuclear capabilities, Moscow has confirmed. | Officials released a statement on Friday, writing, "on February 19, under the supervision of the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, a planned exercise of the forces of strategic deterrence will take place, during which ballistic and cruise missiles will be launched." | The statement goes…

sputniknews (2022-02-18). Ukraine's Prospects of Joining NATO Were Never Strong, Ex-MI6 Chief Reveals. sputniknews.com Ukraine switched from a policy of bloc neutrality toward aspiring to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2014, after a US and EU-backed coup overthrew the country's democratically elected government.

TASS (2022-02-18). US condones forceful assimilation of Russians in Ukraine – Russian ambassador to US. tass.com We see here not just double standards of the United States, but quite a primitive and crude cynicism, Anatoly Antonov said…

Vijay Prashad (2022-02-18). West bullies world while citing threats from China, Russia. asiatimes.com On January 21, Vice-Admiral Kay-Achim Schà∂nbach attended a talk in New Delhi organized by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses. Schà∂nbach was speaking as the chief of Germany's navy during his visit to the institute. "What he really wants is respect," Schà∂nbach said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "And my god, giving someone respect is low-cost, even …

Alan Macleod (2022-02-18). Documents Reveal US Gov't Spent $22M Promoting Anti-Russia Narrative in Ukraine and Abroad. mintpressnews.com The National Endowment for Democracy can claim it is in the business of democracy promotion. In reality, it does anything but that, unless "democracy" is entirely synonymous with elite U.S. interests.

Staff (2022-02-18). Venezuela Expresses Total Support for Russia on Ukraine Tensions. orinocotribune.com "Russia has the full support of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in the fight it is putting up to dispel the threats from NATO and the Western world," said the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, this Wednesday, February 16, during his meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Yuri Borisov. | During the meeting of the High-Level Intergovernmental Commission (CIAN), where strategic agreements were signed between both nations at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, the Venezuelan head of state stated his position, expressing his belief that Russia will continue to be a peaceful nation. | "

PAI (2022-02-18). U.S. Labor Against War opposes U.S. moves towards Ukraine combat. peoplesworld.org

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-18). Canadian junta accuses Russia of shelling kindergarten in Ukraine. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Several sites have run the Canadian Press account with identical language. Foreign Minister Joly seems alone in blaming Russia for the shelling in question. This is the leader of Canada's martial law regime in characteristic form yesterday. His government has trained the most Ukrainian government troops (over 30,000 as of last autumn) for the intensifying …

Dave DeCamp (2022-02-18). Russia Expels US Deputy Ambassador From Moscow, Says It's a Retaliatory Move. news.antiwar.com The State Department said Thursday that Russia had expelled Bart Gorman, who served as the deputy US ambassador in Moscow, amid heightened tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine. Moscow said the move was a response to the US's "unreasonable expulsion" of a senior Russian diplomat by Washington. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova …

Rick Rozoff (2022-02-18). Headlines that cause wars. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com And are designed to do just that. Recent stories picked up and circulated by Yahoo News. The first is only missing the adjectives Young and Innocent before the word Kids. Daily BeastPro-Russian Forces Shell Ukrainian Kindergarten Full of Kids The HillRussia likely to launch 'limited' attack against Ukraine, Estonia foreign intelligence agents say AxiosU.S. warns …

Staff (2022-02-18). Headlines for February 18, 2022. democracynow.org Biden Claims Russia Is Plotting a "False Flag" Operation as Pretext for Ukraine Invasion, COVID-19 Cases Hit Record Highs in Asian Countries as Omicron Variant Surges, Donald Trump, Trump Jr. and Ivanka Ordered to Testify in New York Civil Fraud Probe, Florida Lawmakers Advance Bill to Ban Abortions After 15 Weeks, More Than a Quarter of World's Women Worldwide Have Experienced Domestic Violence, Haitian Sweatshop Workers Strike to Demand $15 a Day, Death Toll in Brazil Landslides Rises to 117, with 100+ Still Missing, Canadian Police Investigating Sabotage of Coastal GasLink Pipeline Worksite,…

United Against War, Militarism (2022-02-18). Wednesday 2/23: Roundtable Discussion: Ukraine Crisis. indybay.org On Zoom! Link: rb.gy/bxhzue…

Dave DeCamp (2022-02-18). US Still Claims Russian Invasion of Ukraine Could Happen in the 'Coming Days'. news.antiwar.com US officials continue to warn that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine despite Moscow's repeated denials and Ukraine's downplaying of the threat. At a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken Blinken claimed that the US has evidence that Russian forces "are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming days." He accused Russia of creating a pretext fo…

Staff (2022-02-18). A Call for Peace: Russian & U.S. Women Push for Diplomacy, Not Military Action, to Resolve Crisis. democracynow.org U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have agreed to meet next week as tension remains high over Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia has announced plans to stage massive drills on Saturday of its nuclear forces, including multiple practice missile launches. We speak with Russian journalist Nadezhda Azhgikhina, one of a group of two dozen independent Russian and American women who released an open letter this week calling for peace. The letter reads, "We are united in the belief that diplomacy, dialogue, engagement and exchange are urgently needed to end the current crisis an…

Middle East Monitor (2022-02-18). How the Russia-Ukraine Conflict is Lose-Lose for Israel. juancole.com By Adnan Abu Amer | — ( Middle East Monitor ) — It is almost 3,000 kilometres from Tel Aviv to Kyiv, and yet the crisis between Ukraine and Russia is having a huge impact on Israel. Why does it seem to be a party to the crisis when it shares no border with either …

Dave DeCamp (2022-02-18). Zelensky Downplays Ukraine's Chances for Potential NATO Membership. news.antiwar.com On Thursday, Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky downplayed the chance of Ukraine joining NATO Zelensky said that despite Ukraine's desire to join the Western military alliance, the process was not advancing. Some NATO member states would not approve Ukraine's membership, which Zelensky recognized. | "Not only Russia is against [our] membership. Some individual NATO members support Moscow's position. That is an open secret," he told Bild. Z…

Nikola Mikovic (2022-02-18). Ukraine: Waiting for an 'imminent' war to start. asiatimes.com The situation in Ukraine continues to be very tense, fluid and evolving. The Donbas conflict that erupted in 2014 threatens to escalate, while Western media, politicians and analysts speculate about the exact date Russia may invade its neighbor. The very same pundits who claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin would attack Ukraine on February 16 now …

Staff (2022-02-18). Second Ukrainian tests positive for banned drug at Olympics. rt.com The bobsledder's Winter Olympics sample contained a steroid, doping chiefs announced in the wake of a Ukrainian skier testing positive for three banned substances | Strongwoman-turned-bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has become the second Ukrainian to fail a drugs test at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games this week, the International Testing Agency (ITA) has announced. | The 28-year-old, who is a former world champion deadlifter, was tested by the ITA during an in-competition anti-doping control check on Monday, when she finished 20th in the women's monobob. | A World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited (WADA) laboratory in B…

TASS (2022-02-18). Blinken ready to meet with Lavrov late next week. tass.com US–ê ready to accept the proposed dates for late next week, "provided there is no further Russian invasion of Ukraine," US Secretary of State said…

Staff (2022-02-18). Iran ready to help resolve crisis in Ukraine peacefully. en.mehrnews.com Referring to the crisis in the relations between Ukraine and Russia, the Iranian Foreign Minister said that Iran is ready to provide any necessary assistance and take any necessary action to resolve the crisis peacefully.

Staff (2022-02-18). Who is the coach at the center of Kamila Valieva's Olympic storm? rt.com Kamila Valieva's ordeal at the Beijing Olympics has brought added attention to a prominent Russian figure skating coach | Teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva has faced intense scrutiny at the Beijing Olympics, but the media has also been drawn to coach Eteri Tutberidze — someone who would otherwise have been a much less prominent presence. | Tutberidze is a renowned trainer of Olympic champions, a coach whose conveyor belt of talent has functioned relentlessly in recent years. | But as Tutberidze now faces questions over her methods in light of Valieva's unfortunate situation, we look at some of the key…

Staff (2022-02-18). Olympic chief is 'weaving fiction' — Russian official. rt.com Russia's deputy prime minister attacked the comments made by IOC president Thomas Bach | International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach should stop "weaving his own fictional narrative" after he criticized figure skater Kamila Valieva's coaching team, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko has said. | Speaking to journalists in Beijing on Friday, Bach claimed he had been "disturbed" by the reaction from Valieva's trainers — including coach Eteri Tutberidize — after the teenager struggled badly in her free skate routine, finishing outside the medals. | Bach claimed Tutberidize…

Staff (2022-02-18). NATO's campaign made European region 'a hotbed of crime' — Lavrov to RT. rt.com Russia's foreign minister says the bloc's bombing campaign has not brought prosperity to Kosovo | Russia finds it hard to believe that NATO is a purely defensive bloc, giving its bombing campaign in Yugoslavia in 1999, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told RT on Friday. | The minister made his comments while speaking about the talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. | "Scholz and others NATO officials say that NATO is a defensive alliance. Putin reminded Scholz at a joint press conference about the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999," Lavrov remar…

_____ (2022-02-18). The Russians Are Coming. Even in Africa, Moscow Beats a Path. strategic-culture.org For those countries who don't think they have a good deal from the EU, their regimes might well consider working more closely with the Russians. | And the cheers from the crowds seeing off the expelled French ambassador must be seen for what Europeans are. | The chicken or the egg? Did the Mali military junta's decision to bring in Russian military contractors create the inertia for Emmanuel Macron to reduce his own troops' presence there and initiate EU sanctions — or did his earlier decision to reduce troop numbers push the regime to take the measure to bring in around 400 Wagner mercenaries to keep it in…

WSWS (2022-02-18). The vicious US media campaign against Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva. wsws.org Valieva's positive drug test, a tragedy in any case for the young prodigy in the midst of what began as a triumphant Olympic debut, was a stroke of luck for the war propagandists that people the American media.

_____ (2022-02-18). War in Europe and the Rise of Raw Propaganda. strategic-culture.org Since the first Cold War, NATO has effectively marched right up to Russia's most sensitive border having demonstrated its bloody aggression in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and broken solemn promises to pull back. Having dragged European "allies" into American wars that do not concern them, the great unspoken is that NATO itself is the real threat to European security.

WSWS (2022-02-18). Video: SGP chairman condemns NATO's war preparations against Russia. wsws.org In this video Christoph Vandreier, the chairman of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP—Socialist Equality Party), condemns NATO's preparations for war against Russia and explains the need for an international anti-war movement.

WSWS (2022-02-18). Blinken at the UN: A Colin Powell moment. wsws.org Developments over the past 24 hours make clear that the Biden administration, speaking for dominant sections of the American ruling class, is determined to escalate the confrontation with Russia, even to the point of triggering a world war.

sputniknews (2022-02-18). Trump Slams 'Crooked' Hillary Clinton As 'One of the Most Corrupt Politicians to Run for President'. sputniknews.com Addressing the New York State Democratic Party Convention on Thursday, Hillary Clinton called Special Counsel John Durham's court filing alleging she paid cybersecurity experts to hack into Donald Trump's election campaign to back her false claim that he "colluded" with Russia to defeat her in the 2016 presidential election a "conspiracy theory".

TASS (2022-02-18). RUSADA responsible for delayed result in Valieva's doping sample — WADA. tass.com On February 14, the CAS turned down an appeal filed by the IOC, the WADA and the ISU against the decision of the RUSADA to lift a temporary suspension of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva…

WSWS (2022-02-18). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Baggage handlers hold three-day wildcat strike in Copenhagen Airport, Denmark over pay and conditions, ruled illegal and condemned by union; thousands of teachers in Belgium walk out over pay, conditions and class sizes; South African Clover food workers' strike over pay and job cuts continues into week twelve, tens of thousands of Sibanye-Stillwater gold miners vote to strike over pay…

sputniknews (2022-02-18). European Troops to Be Relocated From Mali to Niger's Border Region, President Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) — European forces, whose withdrawal from Mali was announced earlier yesterday, will be redeployed to regions of Niger along the border with Mali, Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum said.

WSWS (2022-02-18). Germany's federal and state governments decide to scrap pandemic measures. wsws.org At the high point to date of the Omicron wave, the representatives of the German "traffic light" federal coalition government and the state minister presidents have agreed to eliminate all remaining restrictions apart from mask mandates in certain public places.

sputniknews (2022-02-17). Belarus' Decision on Recognition of DPR, LPR Will Be Joint With Russia, Lukashenko Says. sputniknews.com Earlier, the Russian Parliament, the Duma, voted in favour of requesting the president to recognise the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. Commenting on the request, Putin said that Russia will always act in Donbass' interests and stressed the importance of the Minsk agreements.

sputniknews (2022-02-17). Ukrainian Forces Shell Outskirts of Donetsk, DPR Says. sputniknews.com Earlier on Thursday, the militia of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine stated that the situation in the region has deteriorated significantly over the past day, as Kiev is trying to escalate the conflict.

TASS (2022-02-17). Kiev suggested meeting with Putin, but topic of discussion remains unknown — Kremlin. tass.com Earlier, the Russian president, commenting on the words of the Ukrainian leader about a personal meeting, noted that if they were to discuss the problems of Donbass, the Ukrainian leadership should first meet with the heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics…

Staff (2022-02-17). UK makes new Russia allegation. rt.com The two regions of Donetsk and Lugansk have been ravaged by fierce fighting since 2014 | Reports of heavy shelling and explosions in war-torn regions of eastern Ukraine are merely Russian attempts to create a pretext for ordering an offensive against its neighbor, Britain's top diplomat has claimed, as Kiev and separatists blame each other for the attack. | On Thursday, leaders from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) reported that government troops had fired at several towns and villages using mortars, hand grenades, and rifles. | The Ukrainian Armed Forces subsequently disclosed that an area…

sputniknews (2022-02-17). India Lifts Flight Restrictions With Ukraine After Call for Its Citizens to Leave European Country. sputniknews.com The situation in eastern Ukraine remains tense, with the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic saying on Thursday that the Ukrainian military fired mortar shells and grenades at four localities in Donbass.

Anonymous103 (2022-02-17). Military Situation In Eastern Ukraine On February 17, 2022 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The UAF shelled DPR positions near Kominternovo with 120 mm mortar launchers; | The UAF shelled DPR positions near Novolaspa with 120 mm mortar launchers; | The UAF shelled DPR positions near Nizhneye Lozovoye with 120 mm mortar launchers; | The UAF shelled DPR positions near Zaitsevo with 120 mm mortar launchers; | The Ukrainian army command is preparing to move Tochka-U missile systems deployed in Khmelnitsky in western Ukraine to Donbass for combat mission…

TASS (2022-02-17). Kiev makes no secret Minsk-2 is not on its agenda — Russian Foreign Ministry. tass.com Sergey Vershinin recalled a recent statement by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk Kiev was not considering any new bills regarding the status of Donbass…

TASS (2022-02-17). Russian diplomat blasts statements made at UN Security Council about State Duma appeal. tass.com "This is about proposing to consider the issue, although it does reflect the sentiment in the Russian society and in Donbass," Sergey Vershinin said…

TASS (2022-02-17). Kiev stubbornly refuses to hold dialogue with Donbass — Russian Foreign Ministry. tass.com Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin stressed that over the past seven years Ukraine had failed to implement at least one provision of the package of measures to enforce the Minsk Agreements…

Anonymous103 (2022-02-17). BREAKING: Decisive Night For Eastern Ukraine (Videos, Photos). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The failure of the information campaign aimed at provoking an armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine on February 15-16 did not bring the Ukrainian regime and its patrons to their senses. | Since the night of February 16, the shelling of the DPR and LPR by the UAF has sharply intensified. By the afternoon of February 17, the frequency of the attacks reached the intensity of 2014-2015. |