Notes and Essays -- John Brown

It was the second such attack in days and came just hours after President Vladimir V. Putin spoke at an economic forum in the city. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia spoke Friday at a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Credit... Anastasia Barashkova/Reuters By Neil MacFarquhar The New York Times ,  June 6, 2026, 6:01 p.m. ET see also Ukraine hit a Russian military base and other targets near St. Petersburg with a barrage of long-range drones early Saturday, just hours after President Vladimir V. Putin, addressing an important annual economic forum in the city, rejected a peace overture by his Ukrainian counterpart. The Russian authorities called the attack “unprecedented,” with Gov. Aleksandr Drozdenko of the Leningrad region around the city announcing that more than 140 drones had been shot down. The attack ignited a fire at an unspecified military facility, causing “insignificant” damage and the evacuation of some residents, he said. In an unusual mo...

The attacks came hours after a speech by Putin in the city rejecting Ukraine’s calls for peace By James Marson Follow June 6, 2026 5:14 am ET; original article contains links The Wall Street Journal Smoke rises over St. Petersburg following a previous wave of Ukrainian drone strikes earlier this week.   Reuters Quick Summary --Ukraine launched a mass drone attack on St. Petersburg after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected peace talks. --The attacks hit Russian naval arsenals and a naval base in Kronstadt, causing infrastructure damage and injuries. --Russia claimed it downed 376 Ukrainian drones, while Ukraine said it downed 249 of 272 Russian drones. --This summary was generated with AI and reviewed by an editor. Ukraine launched a mass drone attack on St. Petersburg a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech there rejecting a call for peace from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The attacks hit Russian naval arsenals and a naval base in the town of Kr...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Uppsala, Sweden, May 28, 2026.  Christine Olsson/TT News Agency/Reuters By experts and staff Published June 5, 2026 1:56 p.m. https://www.cfr.org/articles/a-turning-point-in-ukraine Michael Froman CFR Expert President, Council on Foreign Relations Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Uppsala, Sweden, May 28, 2026.  Michael Froman CFR Expert President, Council on Foreign Relations   This week, the U.S. House of Representatives acted contrary to the wishes of its leadership and President Donald Trump to pass legislation providing support for Ukraine. And yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for a meeting between the two leaders and a full ceasefire during subsequent peace negotiati...

(image from article) see However, this shift is creating intense friction between UK farmers, policymakers, and the food industry.   The Economist  +2 The influx of foreign eggs has sparked controversy for several key reasons:   Animal Welfare Discrepancies:  Many imported Ukrainian eggs come from traditional battery cage systems, which have been banned in the UK since 2012. British farmers argue this creates an unfair double standard, as they are legally bound to more expensive, higher-welfare free-range and barn standards.   The Economist  +3 Market Undercutting:  A large portion of these imports are "Class B" eggs—irregularly shaped or thin-shelled—which are immediately processed into sauces and baked goods or used by restaurants. UK egg producers state that these low-cost imports are driving domestic products out of the market.   The Economist  +1 Lack of Transparency:  While the UK removed tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural products ...

From Quora Elena Gold  ·  Follow Media analyst  15h What should we look out for in Putin's speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum? Everyone will be looking for an answer to Zelenskyy’s “Open Letter” to Putin, when the Russian leader appears at SPIEF 2026. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy masterfully pre-emptied scheduled Putin’s speech at SPIEF 2026, by telling him: “Either you meet up to discuss ending the war—or it’s going to turn ugly for you.” Nothing Putin has prepared will be good enough to answer that. The Open Letter to Putin by Zelenskyy (Yes, you absolutely must read it in full.) “Open Letter To the President of the Russian Federation From the President of Ukraine When you came to power in Russia more than 26 years ago, many people in Ukraine viewed you positively. That is how it was. But that is now in the past. Now, the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians view it positively that our long-range drones paid a visit to the opening of yo...