Diplomacy
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Charles Michel, the President of the European Council. Putin told Michel that Ukraine “is not demonstrating a serious commitment to searching for mutually acceptable solutions.”
Turkey’s Foreign Minister is visiting Russia and Ukraine for talks on Wednesday and Thursday.
A bevy of foreign leaders and dignitaries visited Ukraine. The Prime Ministers of Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic visited Kyiv. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister also visited Ukraine, the first to do so since the invasion began (if you don’t count Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s couple steps across the Ukraine-Poland border two weeks ago).
President Joe Biden will visit Europe next week to attend a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium. Additional stops are still being finalized.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued his tour-de-parliaments, urging for more assistance from Canada’s parliament today. He will speak to the House and Senate tomorrow at 9:00am.
Sanctions
The State Department released 11 additional Russian military leaders subject to sanctions. The Treasury Department expanded sanctions on Belarus.
The UK announced sanctions on an additional 370 Russian and Belarusian individuals. This includes oligarchs, such as Mikhail Fridman, German Khan, and Petr Aven, as well as political targets such as former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Congress is still fine-tuning the bill to revoke permanent normal trade relations with Russia, according to Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR). The U.S., EU, UK, and 11 other WTO members released a joint statement pledging to take actions to assist Ukraine, including suspending most favored nation treatment.
Russia sanctioned a number of U.S. officials, including President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. It also sanctioned a number of Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and 312 others.
Consequences
India may take Russia’s offer to buy its oil at a steep discount. China’s Foreign Minister said, “China is not a party to the crisis, nor does it want the sanctions to affect China” as concerns grow that Chinese companies could be subject to sanctions if they assist Russia with evasion.
The Netherlands’ Finance Minister said that Dutch banks and financial institutions have frozen over 6 million euros in Russian assets. Spain seized a yacht owned by a Russian oligarch.
Eli Lilly is suspending sales of “non-essential” medicines in Russia.
Ukraine Sitrep
The U.S. estimates that Russian forces remain outside of Kyiv – about 15-20km to the northwest and 20-30km to the east. Chernihiv is isolated and Russia remains on the outskirts of Kharkiv.
UK intelligence assesses that pro-Russian mayors have been installed in occupied cities and may be used to hold referenda to form breakaway republics à la Donetsk and Luhansk.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the state of the workers at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, who have been on duty for 3 weeks.