Good Evening,
It's Thursday, June 9th. |
Three Foreigners Fighting Alongside Ukrainian Forces Sentenced to Death
Three foreigners fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Russian-backed troops near Mariupol were sentenced to death Thursday by authorities in a Moscow-backed separatist region of Ukraine, in the first move undertaken by Russian proxy forces aiming to punish non-Ukrainians in the conflict, as the WSJ reports. |
Russia says West risks 'direct military clash' over cyber attacks
Russia warned the West on Thursday that cyber-attacks against its infrastructure risked leading to direct military confrontation, and that attempts to challenge Moscow in the cyber sphere would be met with targeted countermeasures, as Reuters reports. |
WHO: COVID origins unclear but lab leak theory needs study
More than two years after coronavirus emerged in China and after at least 6.3 million deaths have been counted worldwide from the pandemic, the World Health Organization is recommending in its strongest terms yet that a deeper probe is required into whether a lab accident may be to blame, as AP News reports. |
Executive Education
Learn about the range of economic policy tools available to U.S. policymakers and how they are used in support of broader strategic and economic objectives, as well as their implications for the private sector and other economic actors in Economics in National Security. |
Video Shorts
Check out CSIS's YouTube Channel for the latest releases in our “Crisis Crossroads: Ukraine” video series. |
In That Number
11
The European Central Bank says it will raise interest rates for the first time in 11 years in July.
Source: New York Times |
Critical Quote
“We have already received, bought on the market, manufactured and handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine a significant number of weapons. These numbers would have been enough for a victorious defense operation against any army in Europe. But not against Russia.”
— Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukrainian defense minister |
iDeas Lab
New satellite imagery analysis suggests that Russia is attempting to restrict Ukrainian civilians’ access to food and prevent Ukraine from producing and exporting food to global markets.
The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.![]() ![]() ![]() |
Optics
(Photo credit: Scott Olson/AFP/Getty Images.) Residents of Druzhkivka, Ukraine walk through the aftermath of a missile strike which occurred during the early morning hours on June 5. |
Recommended Reading
"Spotlight on Damage to Ukraine's Farms amid the Russia-Ukraine War" By CSIS's Caitlin Welsh, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Jennifer Jun, and Emma Dodd. |
This Town Tomorrow
At 10:00 a.m., join the CSIS Africa Program for a conversation unpacking the historically fraught diplomatic relationship between the DRC and Rwanda.
Then, at 11:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council unpacks the effectiveness of sanctions implemented on Russia.
And, at 11:00 a.m., the Middle East Institute will host a discussion surrounding Turkey's upcoming 2023 elections along. |
Video
Earlier today, the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program hosted a discussion on global efforts to develop a clean hydrogen market. Watch here. |
Podcasts
CSIS's Caitlin Welsh and Mvemba Dizolele discussed the Ukrainian grain and seed stolen and held up by Russia, and its impact on Africa and the Middle East.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. |
Smiles
Quietly, at the end of last month, one of the brashest, most primal of rock and rollers passed away at 87. The legendary Ronnie Hawkins was a rockabilly pioneer, but he was best known as mentor to Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson—The Band.
The Band would learn at the hip of the Hawk, barnstorming through roadhouses in Canada and the U.S. as Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. For The Band, it was their time in the minor leagues before breaking with Hawkins and being promoted to the Show.
Ronnie never slowed down after The Band left the nest. I interviewed Ronnie a few times late in his career and he was as prodigious of a raconteur as ever. The Hawk’s larger than life stories can’t really be recounted here due to their, lets just say, swaggering nature. To put it mildly, talking with Ronnie was an education for even the most seasoned of road dogs.
Fortunately, Scorsese immortalized Hawkins in “The Last Waltz.” This performance, so indicative of who Hawkins was on stage and off, is something we have to remember Ronnie by for all time |
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
