Vladimir Putin with Russia’s “Children’s Rights” Commission Maria Lvova-Belova, March 2022 — both are wanted by the International Criminal Court over abductions of Ukrainian children

EA on War and Politics 24: Ukraine, US Sanctions, and Why Putin Won’t Give Up His Conquest Dream

Friday’s Coverage: Zelensky — “This Is Outright Terror”

UPDATE 0643 GMT:

The Pentagon approved the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine before Donald Trump’s call with Vladimir Putin more than two weeks ago, say “three US and European officials familiar with the matter”.

The Defense Department pushed back the argument of some Administration officials that the provision of the missiles, with a range of 1,600 to 2,500 km (994 to 1553 miles), would harm US stockpiles.

It left the final decision up to Trump.

Putin called Trump on October 16, hoping to check the supply of the Tomahawks and warning that it would affect the Kremlin’s relations with the Administration. A day later, Trump told Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House that he would not approve the delivery as “we don’t want to give up what we need to defend our country”.

US defense officials are still considering how Ukraine would train on and deploy the Tomahawks. Discussions are ongoing on how Ukraine would fire the missiles, which are commonly launched from surface ships or submarines. Ukraine’s Navy is limited, so ground-based launches will be necessary.

The Marine Corps and Army have developed the launchers that could be provided to Ukraine. Ukrainian engineers have also developed a workaround to use UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles, which were originally designed to be fired from NATO aircraft.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says intelligence services have identified the addresses where Russia is holding more than 300 abducted Ukrainian children.

In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky said the first list with the full names and addresses of the juveniles “will be on the desks of all the leaders” helping Kyiv to return the children.

“This is a sensitive issue, with a great deal of quiet diplomatic work underway,” he assured.

Ukrainian officials say they have confirmed the abduction of more than 20,000 children to Russia or Russian-occupied territory. The actual number is far higher, they note.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Russia’s “Children’s Rights” Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.

Two weeks ago, Lvova-Belova boasted how she kidnapped a 15-year-old boy named Filip from Mariupol, the port city in southeast Ukraine overrun by Russia after 12 weeks of ground assault, bombing, and siege in spring 2022.

Saying Filip’s hostility to the abduction came from anti-Russian propaganda in Mariupol schools, she tried to “re-educate” him, saying his anger was “just a teenage thing”.

She dismissed the International Criminal Court charges against her, “They keep promoting their myth that we forcibly remove children, change their identity, re-educate them in Russian patriotism, or send them to the front.”