Kremlin File

Pax Americana: May 21, 2026 Show Notes

Thank you to everyone who tuned in to our latest episode of Pax Americana!Julie Roginsky and I delved into some of the biggest Russia-related developments this week and how they intersect with the U.S. and Europe. If you missed it, here’s a recap of what we covered:* China’s Xi gives Putin a red-carpet welcome – and makes a veiled jab at the USChinese leader Xi Jinping hailed ties with Russia as a force for “calm amid chaos” during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, days after Xi hosted President Donald Trump for a US-China summit. Xi alluded to an increasingly fractious international situation – and took a veiled jab at the US – as he sat down with Putin in the Great Hall of the People for meetings kicking off the Russian leader’s roughly 24-hour state visit in the Chinese capital. “The international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and transformation, while unilateral hegemonic currents are running rampant,” Xi said, using Beijing’s typical language to criticize what it sees as American foreign policy overreach.Read More: CNN* Russians covertly trained by China return to fight in UkraineChina’s armed forces secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel in China late last year and some have since returned to fight in Ukraine, according to three European intelligence agencies and documents seen by Reuters.While China and Russia have held a number of joint military exercises since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has repeatedly stated that it is neutral in the conflict and presents itself as a peace mediator.According to Reuters and secret documents reviewed by WELT, China covertly trained around 200 Russian troops on Chinese soil in late 2025, including drone operators, electronic warfare specialists, and combat personnel later deployed to illegally occupied Crimea and Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The training took place under a confidential Russian-Chinese military agreement signed in Beijing in July 2025 that explicitly barred media coverage and disclosure to third parties.* Internal Russian documents detail estimated cost of war, Zelensky saysInternal Russian documents obtained by Ukraine revealed the mounting costs Moscow has suffered as a result of its full-scale war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 18, pointing to key indicators of Russia’s deepening economic strain.The estimates, which Zelensky said were presented by acting Foreign Intelligence Service chief Oleh Luhovskyi, show conditions the Kremlin “is trying to conceal both from the world and from their own domestic audience.”According to Zelensky, the first indicator is a reduction in active oil wells, with one Russian oil company reportedly forced to suspend operations at roughly 400 sites.“Given the specifics of Russian oil production, these are significant losses, as restarting wells in Russia is far more difficult than in other oil-producing countries,” Zelensky said.Read More: Kyiv Independent* Treasury extends Russian oil sanctions waiver for another monthTrump officials extended for a third straight month a Treasury waiver allowing countries to continue purchasing Russian crude already loaded on tankers, despite earlier promises to let the exemption expire.Source: PoliticoUnmasking Russia is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.* The email glitch that blindsided Poland on US troop movePoland’s military leadership was caught off guard by the Pentagon’s decision to suspend the planned deployment of more than 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland after a classified American warning reportedly sat unread in the inbox of Poland’s top general. Polish officials ultimately learned about the canceled deployment through American media reports.Source: Politico EU* ‘Disposable spies’: Poland records unprecedented number of Russian espionage casesWarsaw has recorded an unprecedented number of hybrid attacks on its territory since 2024, Poland’s internal security service (ABW) said in a report published this week. Amateur spies once used by Russian intelligence services have laid the groundwork for more complex operations, according to a researcher following the emergence of these “single-use agents”.Read More: France 24* A Russian ship sank in mysterious circumstances. It may have been carrying submarine nuclear reactors to North KoreaA Russian cargo ship likely carrying two nuclear reactors for submarines, possibly destined for North Korea, suffered a series of explosions and sank in unexplained circumstances, about 60 miles off the coast of Spain, a CNN investigation has found.The extraordinary fate of the Ursa Major has been shrouded in secrecy since it sank on December 23, 2024. But it may mark a rare and high-stakes intervention by a Western military to prevent Russia from sending an upgrade in nuclear technology to a key ally, North Korea, CNN reporting suggests. The ship set sail just two months after Kim Jong Un had sent troops to assist with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.Read More: CNN* Russia threatens Latvia over unfounded claims of Ukrainian drone launch plansRussia’s foreign intelligence service on May 19 threatened a military attack against Latvia after making unfounded accusations about plans for Ukrainian drone launches from Latvian territory.The claim comes amid Moscow’s increasing inability to fend off Ukrainian drone attacks, which it falsely claims are made possible by the Baltic states granting Kyiv access to their airspace.“It would be useful to remind that the coordinates of decision-making centers on Latvian territory are well known,” reads the press statement from the Russian foreign intelligence service (SVR), suggesting a willingness to launch air strikes against the Latvian government.Latvia’s “membership in NATO will not protect terrorist accomplices from fair retribution,” the Russian spy agency added.Baiba Braze, Latvia’s foreign minister, already called out Russia’s claims on X, writing: “Latvia does NOT provide airspace for attacks on Russia. That has been explained several times to Russian representatives.”Read More: Kyiv IndependentEach week on Pax Americana, we expose Russia’s playbook and its dangerous intersections with U.S. politics. We break down:* Updates on Russia’s genocidal war in Ukraine* Russia’s latest news and moves* The latest on Moscow’s hybrid warfare tactics in the U.S. and Europe* Sanctions, corruption, and Kremlin networks* Disinformation and malign influence operations* Tactics that Trump is using in the U.S. mirroring Russia’s system—politicizing law enforcement; attacking the press, universities, protesters, and opposition— and turning institutions into tools to consolidate power Get full access to Unmasking Russia at olgalautman.substack.com/subscribe

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