On Victory Day, Russia should lose; Western support for 'muscular line' against Russia; European & Indo-Pacific allies forge deeper ties to counter China; Renewable electricity production growth
Tim Snyder: Russia can lose. And it should lose, for the sake of the world — and for its own sake.
Russia can lose this war, and should, for the sake of Russians themselves. A defeated Russia means not only the end of senseless losses of young life in Ukraine. It is also Russia’s one chance to become a post-imperial country, one where reform is possible, one where Russians themselves might be protected by law and able to cast meaningful votes.
Defeat in Ukraine is Russia’s historical chance for normality — as Russians who want democracy and the rule of law will say.
Like the United States and Europe, Ukraine celebrates the victory of 1945 on May 8th rather than May 9th. Ukrainians have every right to remember and interpret that victory: they suffered more than Russians from German occupation and died in huge numbers on the battlefield.
And Ukrainians are right to think that Russia today, like Nazi Germany in 1945, is a fascist imperialist regime that can and must be defeated. Fascism was defeated last time because a coalition held firm and applied its superior economic power. The same holds true now.
The Guardian: Western military trainers could go to Ukraine, Lithuania minister says
Lithuania’s foreign minister has raised the prospect of an ad hoc coalition of western countries sending military training personnel into Ukraine backed by ground-based air defence, days after Russia took an increasingly strident tone against what it sees as the threat of deeper western involvement in the war.
Speaking to the Guardian after meeting his British counterpart, David Cameron, in London, Gabrielius Landsbergis also backed the British foreign secretary for saying that Ukraine could use British-made weapons against Russia; remarks that alongside Emmanuel Macron refusing to rule out western troops in Ukraine prompted the Kremlin to threaten UK assets and order a tactical nuclear training exercise.
Foreign secretary in Lithuania for four years, Landsbergis has long called for tougher action against Russia, but his latest remarks have shown that there is support in parts of Europe for the muscular line recently adopted by the French president.
Eurasian Times: China Threat Pulls 26 Nations For World’s Biggest Naval Drills; Bonds Euro-Atlantic, Indo-Pacific Partners
In solidarity with the United States and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter the perceived dangers emanating from China, leading European countries are now deploying warships and aircraft to the region
Ian Ellis: Philippine, US, Australian forces show off combined fires capabilities, destroy ship in Balikatan training event
Philippine Navy makes history firing an anti-ship cruise missile for the first time, integrating with U.S. forces to “simultaneously sense, target, strike & destroy” a decommissioned ship during a Maritime Strike exercise in the South China Sea, 7 May.
Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy: Taiwan news roll-up
Taiwan is looking to buy U.S.-made loitering munitions—also known as suicide drones—one of the signature weapons on the modern battlefield. Taiwan is hoping the drones that hovering over fighting for hours will help deter China. Twitter
The U.S. may finally have the tool that it needs to help Taiwan turn itself into a “porcupine” to deter China: the national security supplemental. Twitter
Our World in Data: 30% of the world's electricity came from renewable sources in 2023
