Notes and Essays -- John Brown

Reporter Kate Tsurkan, The Kyiv Independent Wednesday, Feb. 11 6 minutes read How 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' struggles with uncomfortable truths of wartime Russia "I wish I could be as brave as them," says Pavel Talankin, a school videographer in the industrial town of Karabash, speaking of Russians who protested the invasion of Ukraine in its first days. "But I'm not." The line is not self-pitying so much as diagnostic, and it becomes the foundation of"Mr. Nobody Against Putin," an Academy Award-nominated documentary that offers one of the clearest portraits of how Russian authoritarianism sustains itself not through mass fanaticism, but through routine moral abdication and prioritizing one’s own survival. After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the school where Talankin works is methodically repurposed. What was once an educational institution becomes an extension of the state's war machinery. The children are prep...

By Tim Zadorozhnyy, The Kyiv Independent • 3 min rea d Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Feb. 11 effectively dismissed a U.S.-Ukraine 20-point peace framework, which had been expected to form the basis for peace negotiations.   His remarks come as diplomatic activity intensifies, with trilateral talks involving  Ukraine , the U.S., and  Russia  potentially resuming as early as this week. The dispute over the framework highlights deep divisions over the direction of negotiations. Lavrov said that ahead of the August summit in Alaska, U.S. Special Envoy  Steve Witkoff  handed Moscow a document outlining key issues "in line with realities on the ground." The minister claimed that the sides had identified "real approaches based on the American initiative" that "opened a path to peace" and could have formed the basis for a final agreement. "All subsequent versions are the result of an attempt by  Zelensky  and (Europe) to override the Amer...

from Quora by Elena Gold  Who will have more leverage going into negotiations between Ukraine and Russia? 3 years ago, Russia was in suburbs of Kyiv. Russian special forces were trying to advance toward the government buildings in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The Russians were ambushed and exterminated in the streets of Hostomel airport, just outside the capital. It’s literally just 32 km to the central square of Kyiv, the Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti). That’s how close Russians were to capturing Kyiv — the goal of their “special military operation”. They were very close. Russia invaded Ukraine from 9 directions . The columns were rushing towards Kyiv from 3 directions — plus there were helicopters arriving by air. The special forces arriving by helicopters were supposed to clear the area for military planes to be able to land and bring troops and equipment. That was a very scary moment for Ukraine. Putin immediately asked for “negotiations” and dictated the condition...

Russia effectively dismisses US-Ukraine peace framework, says it contradicts 'real' American plan February 11, 2026 1:39 pm by Tim Zadorozhnyy, The Kyiv Independent •  3 min read  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Feb. 11 effectively dismissed a U.S.-Ukraine 20-point peace framework, which had been expected to form the basis for peace negotiations.   His remarks come as diplomatic activity intensifies, with trilateral talks involving  Ukraine , the U.S., and  Russia  potentially resuming as early as this week. The dispute over the framework highlights deep divisions over the direction of negotiations. Lavrov said that ahead of the August summit in Alaska, U.S. Special Envoy  Steve Witkoff  handed Moscow a document outlining key issues "in line with realities on the ground." The minister claimed that the sides had identified "real approaches based on the American initiative" that "opened a path to peace" and could have formed the basi...