memeorandum: U.S. Orders Personnel Out of Ukraine on Threat From Russia (Bloomberg)

8:10 AM ET, February 22, 2022

Top Items:

David Ignatius / Washington Post:

Surprising cracks, if small ones, appear in Kremlin support for Putin on Ukraine — President Vladimir Putin presented a theatrical justification for war with Ukraine on Monday, but initial Russian military actions along the border were limited — and there seemed to be a few small cracks …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, CBS News and Breitbart

Lili Bayer / Politico:

EU, UK leaders vow sanctions over Putin's recognition of breakaway Ukraine regions — Leaders from the European Union and the United Kingdom vowed Monday to impose sanctions over Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to recognize two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.

Robert Kagan / Washington Post:

What we can expect after Putin's conquest of Ukraine — Let's assume for a moment that Vladimir Putin succeeds in gaining full control of Ukraine, as he shows every intention of doing. What are the strategic and geopolitical consequences? — The first will be a new front line of conflict in Central Europe.

Discussion: Wide World of News, Versobooks.com, Intervals In Time, Ruminations of a Speculator and The Guardian

Shaun Walker / The Guardian:

Putin's absurd, angry spectacle will be a turning point in his long reign — This was a supreme leader marshalling his minions for a decision that will change the security architecture in Europe and may well lead to horrific war — Sitting alone at a desk in a grand, columned Kremlin room …

Discussion: Daily Kos, New York Times, Blogs of War, Human Events, Al Jazeera and KRQE-TV

Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:

Putin Chooses a Forever War — Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a long speech full of heavy sighs and dark grievances, made clear today that he has chosen war. He went to war against Ukraine in 2014; now he has declared war against the international order of the past 30 years.

Discussion: Mediaite, BizPac Review, Quillette, ABC News, Reuters, HotAir, Florida Phoenix, RedState and Washington Post

New York Times:

Wooing Allies, Publicizing Putin's Plans: Inside Biden's Race to Prevent War — President Biden made three critical decisions about how to handle Russia's provocations, aiming to prevent armed conflict in Ukraine. — WASHINGTON — In a series of top-secret meetings last October …

Discussion: The Hill and Nonzero Newsletter

Joseph R. Biden Jr / The White House:

Executive Order on Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect to Continued Russian Efforts to Undermine the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine … By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States …

Bloomberg:

U.S. Orders Personnel Out of Ukraine on Threat From Russia — The U.S. evacuated State Department personnel and embassy operations from Ukraine to Poland on Monday, amid fears that security conditions could deteriorate following Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of two separatist regions in the eastern part of the country.

Discussion: United States Department …, Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, Изв …, One America News Network, The Daily Caller, Insider and Voice of America

Daniel W. Drezner / Washington Post:

The lose-lose outcome in Ukraine … Monday was a busy day for Vladimir Putin. First he convened a bizarrely scripted security council meeting of the Russian Federation to discuss the situation in Ukraine. One reporter described the debate as “like a Netflix drama” in which some of Putin's lackeys fumbled the script.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Financial Times, spiked, Bloomberg, New York Post, Metro.co.uk and The Daily Beast

CNN:
Putin moves in eastern Ukraine could be opening phase of possible large-scale invasion, multiple US and western officials say

Discussion: Ordinary Times, New York Daily News, Fox News, Menagerie, the Newsletter, Avi's Newsletter, The Daily Caller, After all my years …, Washington Post, CBS Dallas / Fort Worth, Daily Kos, Rolling Stone and KNSD-TV

Lucy Fisher / Telegraph: Oligarchs lobby Foreign Office in bid to avoid sanctions

Senator Ted Cruz:
Sen. Cruz Issues Statement after Putin Escalates Aggression Against Ukraine and Deploys Troops

Discussion: Bloomberg, Letters from an American, Postcards from the End and CNN

Robyn Dixon / Washington Post:
In long speech, Putin recognizes two Ukrainian regions as independent, a potential pretext for war

Discussion: Insider, New York Times, ABC13, Radio Free Europe/Radio … and Newsy

Mary Louise Kelly / NPR:
Why Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons — and what that means in an invasion by Russia

Discussion: The Unz Review, Fox News, The Daily Wire and Politico

Max Seddon / Financial Times:
Putin's made-for-TV security debate gives him answers he wants to hear on Ukraine

Discussion: Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Al Jazeera, Reuters and National Review

Associated Press:
World leaders focus on how to punish Russia over Ukraine

Discussion: Insider, Politico, Associated Press, New York Times, Vox, The Guardian and KNSD-TV

The White House:
FACT SHEET: Executive Order to Impose Costs for President Putin's Action to Recognize So-Called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics

Discussion: Meduza.io, Politico, Macovei and Atlantic Council

Stephen Fidler / Wall Street Journal:
Putin's Endgame: Unravel the Post-Cold War Agreements That Humiliated Russia

Discussion: The Home Stretch and From the Right

Josh Rogin / Washington Post:
The West has a ‘united’ but failing Ukraine strategy

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, CultureWag and CBS News

Melissa Eddy / New York Times:

Germany puts a stop to Nord Stream 2, a key Russian natural gas pipeline. — Germany halted certification of the pipeline linking the country to Russia in response to the Kremlin's recognition of two separatist regions in Ukraine. — Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday that Germany …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Examiner, National Review, CNN, The Guardian, BBC, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Forbes, TheJournal.ie and KyivPost

Meduza.io:

The day after Developments in Russia and around the world following Moscow's recognition of eastern Ukraine's two breakaway ‘republics’ … a few seconds ago — Russia loses a major soccer match — In response to Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine, the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final …

Wall Street Journal:
Germany Halts Nord Stream 2 After Putin Orders Troops to Ukrainian Breakaway Regions

Discussion: Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Financial Times and The Daily Wire

Reuters: Syria supports Putin's recognition of Ukraine breakaway regions

Jill Lawrence / USA Today:

Canadian truckers' COVID ‘freedom’ fight is absurd next to Ukraine's struggle with Russia — Canadian truckers are fighting for the right to shun a lifesaving vaccine while Ukrainians are fighting for their lives. … There's nothing like a real crisis to expose the folly of one that's fake …

Discussion: Desperate Middleground

Daniel Dale / CNN:
Fact check: Debunking more false Fox claims about the Canadian convoy protests

Discussion: The Hill, Fox News, Al Jazeera and True North

Meet Mike Morrice:
Voting on the Emergencies Act

Discussion: Politico, Small Dead Animals and Law of Fojo

Rob Gillies / Associated Press:
Canada lawmakers extend emergency powers for truck protests

Discussion: CTV News, Fox News, Breitbart, Politico, Mediaite, Toronto Star, We Love Trump, National Newswatch and Mediaite

Apoorva Mandavilli / New York Times:

Got a Covid Booster? You Probably Won't Need Another for a Long Time — A flurry of new studies suggest that several parts of the immune system can mount a sustained, potent response to any coronavirus variant. — As people across the world grapple with the prospect of living …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Balloon Juice, HotAir and Political Wire

Wall Street Journal:

Wisconsin GOP Suicide Watch — Fantasies about undoing 2020 will help re-elect Gov. Tony Evers. — By The Editorial Board — Donald Trump's delusions about the 2020 election are the gift that keeps on giving—to Democrats. “We don't wear tinfoil hats,” says Wisconsin state Rep. Timothy Ramthun.

Discussion: Daily Kos

Fox News:

Bob Beckel, former co-host of ‘The Five,’ dead at 73 — The Democratic strategist was a founding co-host of the long-running Fox News show — Sean Hannity reflects on the life of Bob Beckel — Bob Beckel, a Democratic strategist and former co-host of “The Five,” has died at age 73.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Wire, BizPac Review, Mediaite, The Wrap, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter and TVNewser

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Rick Scott pushes own GOP agenda as McConnell holds off — The first-term senator's plan includes a mix of longtime Republican positions as well as culture war politics that define many GOP voters in Trump's wing of the party. — Senate Republican leaders have no plans to release …

Discussion: The Dispatch, Raw Story and The Guardian