WAR IN UKRAINE: May 25, 2022
Relatives and friends attend the funeral of Ukrainian serviceman Oleh Skybyk at the Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv on April 28, 2022. (Getty Images)
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 91
Russian forces have stepped up their assault on the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk as Moscow now appears focused on securing and expanding its gains in Donbas and the southern coast. Meanwhile, Ukraine's armed forces have warned of an increase in military activity and troop levels by Belarus near the border - RFE/RL
Russia says it will allow ships carrying food out of blockaded ports if sanctions are lifted. Ukraine is a major grain producer and the EU accuses Russia of weaponising food. The UK has warned prices will only increase if the stand-off isn't resolved - BBC
With mined beaches, extended curfew, Ukraine’s main tourist hub Odesa is ready to fight. “Russia has long desired to seize the Russian-speaking city as part of its ongoing land grab. One of Ukraine’s largest cities, Odesa was founded during Russia’s southern imperial expansion in the late 18th century, soon becoming the empire’s largest Black Sea port.” Kyiv Independent news report here
Twenty-seven U.S-based companies are defying calls to exit or curtail their activities in Russia. Russians are still getting their fill of American fare like burgers and pizza, as Hard Rock Cafe and Sbarro are among the U.S. corporations that continue to do business as usual in Russia. The owner of online dating services Match.com and its Tinder unit continues to do business in Russia. So are TGI Fridays, Dominos and Tom Ford. Read full CBS News story here
The Putin puzzle: Why is the Russian dictator so obsessed with Ukraine? OpEd on the Ukraine Alert/Atlantic Council blog. Read here
The Kyiv Independent’s response to the New York Times editorial board stance on the war in Ukraine: “n short, the editorial attempts to pass off appeasement and betrayal of the free world’s values as pragmatic reasoning.” Read here
