WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Leaked US strategy on Ukraine sees corruption as the real threat Biden administration officials are far more worried about corruption in Ukraine than they publicly admit, a confidential U.S. strategy document obtained by POLITICO suggests. The “sensitive but unclassified” version of the long-term U.S. plan lays out numerous steps Washington is taking to help Kyiv root out malfeasance and otherwise reform an array of Ukrainian sectors. It stresses that corruption could cause Western allies to abandon Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, and that Kyiv cannot put off the anti-graft effort. “Perceptions of high-level corruption” the confidential version of…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine gets bad news from two NATO allies Ukraine received troubling news from two allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as it continues its counteroffensive effort against Russia to reclaim occupied territory. NATO emerged as a crucial ally for Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a "special military operation" against the country in February 2022. The military alliance has provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars to bolster its defense effort, which has left the Russian military in a more tenuous condition, blunting any future military plans for Putin. However, both the United States…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE British defense chief wants to send UK troops to Ukraine In his discussions with the Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Shapps also reportedly said that Britain’s Navy could play a role in “defending commercial vessels” the Black Sea, according to The Telegraph. “Britain is a naval nation so we can help and we can advise, particularly since the water is international water,” he said without elaborating what kind of help he offered Zelensky. The UK military conducted an official operation to train and arm Ukrainian troops since 2015, which has since shifted out of the country. British Royal Marines…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Russian attack hits site in western Ukraine, limited evacuation ordered Authorities in the western Ukrainian region of Vinnytsya ordered an evacuation early on Saturday, saying an infrastructure site had been struck in a Russian attack. "At this time there is no need for a general evacuation, apart from the immediate area around the site of the hit, said Vasyl Polishchuk, head of administration for the town of Kalynivka, according to the town's website. It did not say what target had been struck or what weapon had been used. Regional Governor Serhiy Borzov had reported the hit on an…