James Kilner

3 days ago | thememo.news | James Kilner

By James Kilner — 03 Jun 2025 (NOTE: Please allow images to download so that you can see our 'News Matrix' at the bottom of this memo.)WAR NEGOTIATIONS: Round two of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul ended after an hour on Monday without any substantive progress. (COMMENT: This is not unsurprising. Peace talks to end long grinding European wars are a slow process. The main deal cut on Monday in Istanbul was the exchange of more prisoners.

4 days ago | thememo.news | James Kilner

By James Kilner — 02 Jun 2025 (NOTE: Please allow images to download so that you can see our new 'News Matrix' at the bottom of this memo.)UKRAINIAN DRONE AMBUSH: Ukrainian drones popped out of containers on trucks across Russia on Sunday and destroyed several of the Kremlin's long-range strategic bombers.

1 week ago | thememo.news | James Kilner

"WAR HERO" ASSASSINATED: A suicide bomber killed the deputy head of Stavropol, the former commander of bomber units that pounded the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in 2022. Zaur Gurtsiev was killed outside his home on Wednesday evening by a man who approached him with a homemade bomb hidden in a bag. (NOTE: Gurtsiev was something of a poster boy for the Kremlin. It promoted him through the ranks and then made him the deputy head of Stavropol as a reward.

1 week ago | thememo.news | James Kilner

By James Kilner — 28 May 2025 CHINESE VISITOR: Chen Wenqing, the head of China's police and security services, met with Sergei Shoigu, the Secretary of Russia's Security Council, in Moscow on Tuesday. (COMMENT: Shoigu and Wenqing toured various Russian arms manufacturing sites in another "public show of affection" between the two allies. These trips to Russia by various Chinese government officials are important to the Kremlin because China is Russia's most consequential ally.

2 weeks ago | thememo.news | James Kilner

PUTIN VISITS KURSK: Vladimir Putin on Tuesday evening made a surprise visit to the Kursk region, which was partially captured by Ukrainian soldiers, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. This was Putin's first visit to the region since March when he was filmed wearing military fatigues and giving orders to his military commanders. (NOTE: Ukrainian forces captured part of the Kursk region in August but were slowly pushed out.