Europe – Page 535 – Prologue Journal

Silvio Berlusconi’s Allies and Enemies React to His Death

New York Times The former Italian prime minister and media mogul, who died at 86, was a divisive figure, but even his foes acknowledged that he was an influential political and cultural force. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/world/europe/silvio-berlusconi-death-reaction.html

U.S. Will Rejoin UNESCO in July, Agency Says

New York Times The decision came after over a decade of turbulent relations between American administrations and the United Nation’s cultural organization. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/world/europe/us-china-unesco.html

NATO Kicks Off Its Biggest Air Force Drills Since End of Cold War

New York Times More than 250 aircraft from 24 NATO countries and Japan will participate in a two-week military exercise. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/world/europe/nato-air-exercises-drills-germany.html

Silvio Berlusconi, a Showman Who Upended Italian Politics and Culture, Dies at 86

New York Times He introduced sex and glamour to Italian TV, and then brought the same formula to politics, dominating the country and its culture for more than 20 years. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/world/europe/silvio-berlusconi-dead.html

Fear and Mayhem as Russia’s War Comes Home

New York Times Attacks from Ukraine have killed at least a dozen Russian civilians and displaced thousands. But they have not fundamentally changed the calculus for Vladimir Putin. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/world/europe/russia-war-belgorod.html

‘Everything will die’: The dam blast imperils Ukraine’s vital lifeline.

New York Times A disaster unfolds in slow motion after a blast destroys the dam at the Kakhovka Reservoir, emptying its waters and threatening livelihoods and industries crucial to Ukraine. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/world/europe/everything-will-die-the-dam-blast-imperils-ukraines-vital-lifeline.html

Your Monday Briefing

New York Times Nicola Sturgeon is arrested in Scotland. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/briefing/sturgeon-scotland-counteroffensive-trump-europe.html

Ukraine Claims First Gains, if Slight, in Counteroffensive

New York Times Three small settlements in the eastern region of Donetsk have been taken back from Russian occupiers, Ukrainian officials say. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/11/world/europe/ukraine-counteroffensive.html

A U.S. Citizen Has Been Arrested in Russia, State Department Says

New York Times The man, Michael Travis Leake, has been accused of drug trafficking, according to Russian state media. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/11/world/europe/us-citizen-arrested-russia-drug-trafficking.html

Wagner Founder Rebuffs Order Requiring Contract With Russia’s Defense Ministry

New York Times Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the founder of the private military force, said he would not comply with an order that would require it to sign a formal contract with Russia’s defense ministry by July 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/11/world/europe/wagner-russia-defense-ministry-contract.html