The Cable

There’s been no lack of speculation about whether Putin really plans to invade Ukraine. But what do most Russians want? The answer says a lot about the nature of the Kremlin’s regime. @levada_ru director Denis Volkov joins The Cable to explain. icwa.org/the-cable-podc…

My review of Orlando Figes's new Russia history: nytimes.com/2022/09/21/boo…

Letters of interest for a 2-year independent writing fellowship abroad due June 15--candidates should be interested in examining challenges facing global LGBTQ+ rights and local experiences of LGBTQ+ people and other minorities. @DavidMixner @houdart icwa.org/apply/

We have had to postpone this discussion because of rising Covid infection rates. We're very sorry for the inconvenience. Please stay tuned for a new date.

This Friday!

Europe's security architecture is changing. Join us at @CzechEmbassyDC to discuss Central Europe's role, May 20 w/ @maxbergmann @CSIS, @MartinaHrvolova @gmfus, @ChRosenberger @BrandeisU and @PetrVTuma @AtlanticCouncil. Register: icwa.org/central-europe…

Putin's chief aim in his war on Ukraine is to make of himself a version of the most powerful, destructive and terrible of all Russian and Soviet leaders: Josef Stalin. @americanpurpose americanpurpose.com/articles/putin…

.@RFERL 🇺🇦 Service journalist Vira Hyrych was killed in Kyiv after a 🇷🇺 air strike hit the residential building where she lived. Her body was found amid the wreckage of the building. Vira is among more than 20 media workers who have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s war began

US Senators @BobMenendezNJ and @SenatorRisch call on the Russian government to release @vkaramurza and all those detained for fighting on behalf of a better future for their country. Full statement: bit.ly/3LeqeKp @SFRCdems

How is Putin's war in Ukraine and other threats to liberal democracy transforming Central European countries' transatlantic roles? Join us at the Czech Embassy in Washington:

I look forward to participating in this panel on how Central Europe is stepping up its role on the continent, becoming the West’s consciousness vis-à-vis Russian threat to our democracies & values.

RFE's frontline correspondents have bravely, doggedly covered every day of the war in Ukraine. The editor who worked with them most closely -- coordinating assignments, tracking their safety -- was Vira Hyrych. Her death is an unimaginable loss. bit.ly/3vq0HZt

Upcoming in DC: Central Europe's new transatlantic importance. Please join us at @CzechEmbassyDC for a discussion with: @maxbergmann @CSIS, @MartinaHrvolova @gmfus, @ChRosenberger @BrandeisU and @PetrVTuma @AtlanticCouncil May 20, 11am, Register: icwa.org/central-europe…

⚡️ Estonia becomes first country to officially recognize Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide. The Estonian parliament approved a resolution calling Russia’s aggression and subsequent war crimes against Ukraine an act of genocide and urged other countries to do the same.

A few words about the resistance of Belarusians to the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Thread.

BERLIN (AP) — German energy minister says Group of Seven countries reject Russia's demand to pay for Russian energy imports in rubles.

Russia is going to introduce restrictions on entry of citizens from "unfriendly" states as a response measure, Lavrov says. Not clear what exactly those restrictions will be. But the list of states is long, includes US, UK, EU, Japan etc.

Retiring from the Bank of Russia hasn't been easy lately twitter.com/bpolitics/stat…

Sergey Ignatiev is retiring from Russia's central bank at the end of the month. He was governor from 2002-13 and has served as an adviser to Nabiullina -- and kept a seat on the board of directors -- since she took the post He's 74 cbr.ru/press/pr/?file…

Nemtsov was assassinated in Moscow in February 2015 before he was to publish "Putin. War" report about the 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews…