memeorandum: Germany to send Ukraine weapons in historic shift on military aid (Politico)

3:25 PM ET, February 26, 2022

Top Items:

Zachary Basu / Axios:

Germany to send thousands of weapons to Ukraine in major reversal — Germany will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles to Ukraine, marking a complete reversal in Berlin's restrictive arms export policy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Saturday.

Politico:

Germany to send Ukraine weapons in historic shift on military aid — Germany on Saturday reversed a historic policy of never sending weapons to conflict zones, saying the Russian invasion of Ukraine was an epochal moment that imperiled the entire post-World War II order across Europe.

Discussion: Politico, RedState, Al Jazeera, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, emptywheel, The Gateway Pundit, NBC Los Angeles, The Drive, CW39 Houston, New Statesman, Political Wire and CNBC

Washington Post:

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Ukraine fights to hold Kyiv amid street battles, gunfire and explosions — At daybreak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of himself, unshaven, on the capital's streets — proof of his apparent commitment to remain in Kyiv.

Discussion: The Verge, Townhall, Forbes, CBS News and Political Wire, more at Techmeme »

NBC News:

Ukraine's leader defiant as Kyiv holds firm against Russian attacks — Ukrainian forces fight to hold capital as Russia vetoes UN security council resolution — The Ukrainian government was still in control of its capital city Kyiv Saturday after a night of explosions and fighting …

Discussion: Breitbart, Associated Press, BBC, Reuters, Townhall, CNN, Task & Purpose, National Review, ABC13, NPR, FOX 5 San Diego, The Daily Caller and Agence France-Presse

Associated Press:
Live updates: Germany to send anti-tank weapons to Ukraine

Discussion: Financial Times, CBS News, Bloomberg, The's Newsletter, Page Six, Slate, The Kyiv Independent and Associated Press

Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:
Ukrainian Forces Repel Russian Attack on Kyiv, Prepare for Next Assault

Discussion: Financial Times, Associated Press and HillReporter.com

Bloomberg:
U.S. Puts Banning Russia From SWIFT System Back in Play

Discussion: Voice of America, The Verge, Forbes, CNN, Fox News, New York Times, Metro.co.uk, Politico, Wall Street Journal, One America News Network, This Week In The Economy and Interfax-Ukraine

Cameron Joseph / VICE:

Lt. Col. Vindman: Trump ‘Absolutely’ at Fault for Russia's Ukraine Invasion — “It's because of Trump's corruption that we have a less capable, less prepared Ukraine,” retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman told VICE News. — CJ — The man who played a key role in then-President Donald Trump's …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Bloomberg and Political Wire

Zoya Sheftalovich / Politico:

Putin's miscalculation — Watching Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine play out, it seems the Russian president has vastly underestimated and misunderstood Ukrainians and their president. — Putin, a one-time KGB operative who in 2004 said “there is no such thing as a former KGB man,” has made clear that he lives in a world of the past.

Discussion: Jacobin, The Register, The Intercept and Mediaite

Jonathan V. Last / The Triad:

Zelensky Has Become More Than a Man — A symbol. — Every week I highlight three newsletters that are worth your time. — If you find value in this project, do two things for me: (1) Hit the like button, and (2) Share this with someone. — Most of what we do in Bulwark+ is only for our members …

Discussion: Mother Jones and RedState

Max Seddon / Financial Times:
Vladimir Putin, Russia's resentful leader, takes the world to war

Discussion: Quillette, New York Times, Insight CTAE, An American in Exile, Cornwall Alliance, The Guardian, Metro.co.uk and Fox News

The Economist: Russians greet Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine with dismay, not enthusiasm

Michael D. Weiss / TIME:
Even If Russia Wins, It Won't Do So Easily

Discussion: CNBC, RT and Breitbart

Wall Street Journal:
How the West Misread Vladimir Putin

Discussion: Agence France-Presse, spiked, Foreign Affairs, James's Newsletter and The Daily Wire

Peter Alexander / NBC News:
One of Russia's closest allies denies request for troops

Discussion: HotAir, Jerusalem Post, Townhall, United States Mission …, Washington Examiner, KFOR-TV and Washington Post

Axios:

Scoop: CNN to dull its liberal edge — Under new chief Chris Licht, CNN will dial down the prime-time partisanship and double down on the network's news-gathering muscle, top sources tell me. — Why it matters: Ratings are secondary to credibility, in the view of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who's taking over CNN.

Discussion: Instapundit, Althouse and Puck, more at Mediagazer »

Dylan Byers / Puck:

Jeff Zucker's Successor Is... Chris Licht — According to people who have spoken with Zaslav, the former wunderkind producer Jeff Zucker will be succeeded by another former wunderkind, Chris Licht. Welcome to the new CNN. — Last night, I reported that Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav …

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, Townhall, The Daily Caller, New York Times, TVNewser, NPR, IndieWire, The Wrap, Deadline, Variety, Mediaite, Hollywood Reporter and Fox News, more at Mediagazer »

Lee Smith / Tablet Magazine:

Ukraine's Deadly Gamble — By tying itself to a reckless and dangerous America, the Ukrainians made a blunder that client states will study for years to come — Russian President Vladimir Putin chose this war, Joe Biden said in his Thursday afternoon speech to America regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

Discussion: New York Times, Spin, strangeness, and charm, Maarten's Newsletter, WTOP News and CBS San Francisco

Vladislav Davidzon / Tablet Magazine:
‘Russian Ship ... Go F**k Yourself!’

Discussion: Metro.co.uk, The Cosmopolitan Globalist, National Newswatch, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel and Bloomberg

New York Times:
Russia's Assault in Ukraine Slows After an Aggressive Start

Discussion: The National Interest, On the Trail with Nick Kristof, Washington Examiner and Institute for the Study of War

Lawrence Freedman / Comment is Freed:
A Reckless Gamble — Wars rarely go to plan, especially if you believe your own rhetoric

Discussion: Fox News, RedState, New Statesman, Bloomberg, TASS, Ranganaut and Washington Examiner

Franklin Foer / The Atlantic:

A Prayer for Volodymyr Zelensky — Before he became the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky played the part on television. He created and starred in a comedy series, Servant of the People. His character, a high-school history teacher, is surreptitiously recorded by one of his students …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Insider, HotAir and Louder With Crowder

Miburo:
Russia's Lies in Four Directions: The Kremlin's Strategy to Misinform About Ukraine

Discussion: Fox News

New York Times:

Russia's War With Ukraine Already Costing Russian Economy — Despite the Kremlin's efforts to obscure the offensive in Ukraine, the costs of the war were already evident in both economic and social turmoil. — MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin has ushered in a crisis for his country — in its economy and identity.

Discussion: Political Wire

Mona El-Naggar / New York Times:
Country's Leader Urges His People to Fight

Discussion: globalnews.ca, The Washington Current, UPI and KyivPost

Anita Komuves / Reuters:

At the Ukrainian border, a mother brings a stranger's children to safety … Clutching a mobile phone number of a woman she had never met, Nataliya Ableyeva crossed the border from Ukraine into Hungary on Saturday, entrusted with a precious cargo. — A stranger's children.

Discussion: The Guardian

Patricia Mazzei / New York Times:

How a High School Debate Team Shaped Ketanji Brown Jackson — The Supreme Court nominee honed her oratory on Miami Palmetto's powerhouse debate team. She was not the only alum who went on to an impressive career. — PINECREST, Fla. — Let Miami Palmetto Senior High School brag for a moment: It has a swoon-worthy alumni roster.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Register, The Daily Caller, Reason, Slate and 89.3 WFPL News Louisville

Natalie Andrews / Wall Street Journal:
GOP Focuses on Midterms as Senate Considers Judge Jackson for Supreme Court

Discussion: Ineptocracy Chronicles, USA Today, Washington Post and CNN

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
Democrats raise over $1 million in hours after Biden nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court

Discussion: Politico, CNN, New York Times and The American Independent

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

A Kennedy's Crusade Against Covid Vaccines Anguishes Family and Friends — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has risen to become a major figure in the vaccine resistance movement. Those close to him say it's “heartbreaking.” — Kerry Kennedy remembers how much she admired her older brother Robert …

Discussion: Althouse

Miami Herald:

‘That is fraud.’ GOP registered more than 100 voters as Republicans without their consent — At first, Nelia Estevez didn't believe that her voter registration could have been changed without her knowledge to reflect a new political party. Voting was sacrosanct to the 69-year-old Cuban immigrant …

Discussion: Raw Story

Reuters:

Cutting Russia off from SWIFT a “matter of days” - euro zone central banker … A decision to cut Russia off from the global SWIFT payment system will be taken in a matter of days, the governor of a central bank within the euro zone told Reuters on Saturday.

Lissandra Villa / BuzzFeed News:

Texas's Confusing Voter Registration System Is An Early Result of Democrats' Failed Voting Rights Push — Julie Crum and her 91-year-old mother Darlyne Crum, residents of Canyon Lake, Texas, first filled out applications for mail-in ballots in January, which they qualify for in the state because they are both over the age of 65.

Discussion: CNN