Notes and Essays -- John Brown

A scandal, involving kickbacks at Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, has revived concerns about European money being siphoned off by graft instead of helping fight Russia. Svitlana Grynchuk resigned on Wednesday from her role as Ukraine's energy minister. (Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images) By Ellen   Francis, The Washington Post , Yesterday [Nov 14] at 6:34 a.m. EST BRUSSELS — A corruption scandal engulfing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government is casting an ominous shadow over plans by European nations to send Ukraine a big influx of money and over Kyiv’s bid to join the European Union. The scandal, involving kickbacks at Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, has revived concerns about European money being siphoned off by graft instead of helping fight Russia. E.U. nations have poured billions of dollars into Ukraine’s energy sector and infrastructure, which Russian attacks have battered in almost four years of war, and they have donated billions more in weapons....

Knowledge Engine 🚂  ·  Follow Posted by  DRP   Aug 18 from Quora Digest Donald Trump expressed confidence that he can deliver a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine, insisting he “knows what he is doing.” But ahead of their meeting, President Volodymyr Zelensky made Ukraine’s position clear: “It is impossible for Ukraine to give its territory to Russia.” The contrasting statements set the stage for tense negotiations, as Trump pushes his vision of ending the war while Zelensky underscores that no peace can come at the cost of Ukraine’s land.

Reporters: Dmytro Basmat, Abbey Fenbert, The Kyiv Independent , Friday, Nov 14 Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack on Kyiv  on Nov. 13-14, battering the capital with hundreds of drones and multiple missiles, killing at least six people and injuring at least 29 others.   Nine of the injured victims — including one pregnant woman — have been hospitalized. Two children, ages 7 and 10, are among the injured, local authorities reported. "A wicked attack," President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted. "About 430 drones and 18 missiles were used in the strike, including ballistic and aeroballistic missiles." "Sadly, four people have been killed," he added. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko later revised the death toll up to six having earlier said casualty reports were delayed as suspected fatalities were trapped under rubble. Several explosions were reported in Kyiv beginning around 12:45 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Addit...

A vast militarization of Russia’s education system is gathering pace in classrooms, where active soldiers train students to handle weapons A matriculation ceremony for military cadets at a school in Moscow .   ARTYOM GEODAKYAN/TASS/ZUMA PRESS A schoolroom in Kharkiv, Ukraine, that was damaged in the war. Emanuele Satolli for The Wall Street Journal   (JB: This image appears in a different section of the origin al article) By Matthew Luxmoore,  The Wall Street Journal , Nov. 13, 2025 11:00 pm ET Quick Summary --Russia’s education system is undergoing a significant transformation, integrating military-style training and war topics into the curriculum from the youngest grades.   --Funding for “patriotic education” has increased from 3.5 billion rubles (about $42 million) in 2021 to over 50 billion rubles in 2024, with additional funds for military equipment in schools. --The curriculum includes mandatory weapons training, history textbooks portraying the West as an ene...