memeorandum: A Prayer for Volodymyr Zelensky (Franklin Foer/The Atlantic)

9:05 PM ET, February 26, 2022

Top Items:

Western Nations Escalate Efforts to Impose Economic Costs on Russia — There was intense street fighting across the capital on Saturday, and the latest Western intelligence reports indicated that the Russian advance had been slowed, if only for the moment. The Russian priority remained the capture of Kyiv.

Discussion: NPR, Newsy, Forbes, KRQE-TV, KNSD-TV, UPI, CNBC, The Washington Current, Political Wire and Foreign Policy

The White House:

Joint Statement on Further Restrictive Economic Measures — We, the leaders of the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States condemn Putin's war of choice and attacks on the sovereign nation and people of Ukraine.

Discussion: UPI, Forbes, RedState, The Verge, Hackwhackers, The Daily Caller, Los Angeles Times, Townhall and The Guardian, more at Techmeme »

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: New York Post, Louder With Crowder, CNN, Wall Street Journal, HotAir, We Love Trump and Insider

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 and Washington Post

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 »

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 Intercept, The Register and Associated Press

Reuters:

U.S., UK, Europe, Canada to block Russian access to SWIFT -statement … The United States, Britain, Europe and Canada on Saturday moved to block Russia's access to the SWIFT international payment system as part of another round of sanctions against Moscow as it continues its assault against Ukraine.

Discussion: CNBC, The Guardian and TASS

Allahpundit / HotAir:

Is Putin trapped? — I phrase the headline as a question, wary of forming conclusions about the state of battle amid the fog of war, the temptation towards wishful thinking, and the reality that some information floating around online is doubtless pro-Ukraine propaganda.

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News and TheJournal.ie

Washington Post:
U.S. and Europe take aim at Russian central bank reserves, threatening a huge blow to Russian economy

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, Associated Press, TheBlaze, The Tracinski Letter, Bloomberg, Washington Times, One America News Network, TheJournal.ie, Financial Times and TASS

NBC News:
Ukraine's leader defiant as Kyiv holds firm against Russian attacks

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

Jonathan V. Last / The Triad:
Zelensky Has Become More Than a Man

Discussion: Mother Jones, New Statesman, Comment is Freed and RedState

Yuliya Talmazan / NBC News: 3 years ago Zelenskyy was a TV comedian. Now he's standing up to Putin's army.

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

Discussion: Fox News

Reuters:
Western allies expel some Russian banks from global system; Ukraine vows to fight on

Discussion: Politico, NOQ Report, HillReporter.com, The Lantern, The Gateway Pundit, TheBlaze and One America News Network

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

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

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.

Discussion: CW39 Houston and Anti-bellum

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

Discussion: Washington Post, HotAir, China-Russia Report, UPI, Associated Press, RedState, Politico, Изв …, emptywheel, The Mahablog, The Gateway Pundit, The Local, New Statesman, Washington Examiner, Newsy, Political Wire, Bloomberg and CNBC

Antony J. Blinken / United States Department of State:
Additional Military Assistance for Ukraine

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Examiner, No Title | AIER, Washington Post, The Drive, The Dispatch, UPI and Cracked Bowl

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

Discussion: Financial Times, Lotus Trader, Associated Press, CBS News and HillReporter.com

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 and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »

Dylan Byers / Puck:
Jeff Zucker's Successor Is... Chris Licht

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

Brian Stelter / CNN:
Chris Licht has been selected as next president of CNN

Discussion: Deadline, TVNewser, Fox News, Bloomberg, Twitchy and Puck

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

Financial Times:

Roman Abramovich cedes ‘stewardship’ of Chelsea FC to charitable foundation — Move by oligarch comes as sanctions intensify over Russia's invasion of Ukraine — Roman Abramovich said he was ceding day-to-day management of Chelsea football club, as Russia's assault on Ukraine leads to calls …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Times, talkSPORT, WTOP News, One America News Network, Sports Illustrated, Bloomberg and WHYY

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: RedState, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Twitchy, TIME, Political Wire and Bloomberg

Politico:

‘He loved every minute of this’— How Biden decided on Ketanji Brown Jackson — As President Biden considered a handful of Black women for the Supreme Court, two things drew him to U.S. Circuit Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, according to those familiar with his decision making process.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Washington Post, TheGrio, CNN, The American Independent, Associated Press, CBS News, Louder With Crowder and CBS Boston

Patricia Mazzei / New York Times:
How a High School Debate Team Shaped Ketanji Brown Jackson

Discussion: Washington Post, Houston Public Media, The Daily Register, Reason, The Daily Caller and Slate

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 and Political Wire

Oz Katerji / New Lines Magazine:

Ukrainians Unite to take on Russia's Superior Army — Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukrainians undeterred in fight against Russian invaders — Oz Katerji is a British-Lebanese writer, filmmaker and journalist — Walking through central Kyiv's abandoned streets, the barren city feels …

Max Seddon / Financial Times:

Vladimir Putin, Russia's resentful leader, takes the world to war — Pent-up anger with the west and a fixation on Ukraine make him more aggressive and unpredictable than ever — Growing up in a communal apartment in Leningrad, a young Vladimir Putin liked to chase rats across the stairwell with sticks.