What's happened
The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, with President Zelensky surviving multiple assassination attempts.
Why it matters
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is significant due to its implications for global geopolitics and the security of neighboring countries. The survival of President Zelensky amidst assassination attempts highlights the high stakes involved in the conflict.
What the papers say
The Independent says that the world's attention must stay on Ukraine as the Russian invasion continues, with Lord George Robertson warning that if foreign governments stop providing weaponry, Putin may extend the attacks beyond Ukraine. The Economist reports on Senator J.D. Vance's criticism of seeking military aid for Ukraine, questioning the historical analogy of World War Two and suggesting that Putin's ambitions may not extend beyond Ukraine. NY Post highlights President Zelensky's resilience in the face of assassination attempts, with Zelensky stating that the will of Ukraine to defeat Russia remains strong. Metro reports on Zelensky's warning that Russia may be planning to ignite a war in the Balkans to distract from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Politico discusses Zelensky's awareness of Russia's plot to remove him from power by the end of the year, with the codename of the operation being "Maidan 3". The Moscow Times reports on Zelensky's claim that Russian special forces are planning to remove Ukraine's leadership from power by the end of 2023.
How we got here
The conflict in Ukraine has been ongoing for over 21 months since the Russian invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian government has been engaged in a counteroffensive, but neither side has gained much ground. The conflict has escalated with Ukraine launching a major drone attack on the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula, and Russia escalating its attempt to storm the strategically important city of Avdiivka. The situation is further complicated by the temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has dominated the news agenda.
More on these topics
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which it borders to the east and north-east.
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Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician, actor and comedian who is the 6th and current president of Ukraine, serving since May 2019.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.