Diplomacy
The Financial Times reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has lost interest in diplomatic efforts” to end the war in Ukraine, instead preferring to seize “as much territory as possible.” Putin reportedly believed a ceasefire was possible until the sinking of the Black Sea flagship, the Moskva. Putin is also resisting any effort to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in person because he wants “everything to be decided” first.
The UN Secretary General will visit Russia and Ukraine this week, stopping in Turkey along the way.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Ukraine on Sunday. They announced a new ambassador pick and additional military aid. They also said that the U.S. embassy in Kyiv will open as soon as possible and has already reportedly been sending diplomats back to Ukraine gradually (but probably only to Lviv, not Kyiv). Spain reopened its embassy.
Sanctions
Austria’s Finance Minister told CNN that all sanctions are acceptable except a gas embargo.
Turkey closed its airspace to Russian civilian and military aircraft.
The U.S. has held back on sanctioning Russian President Putin’s rumored girlfriend because of concerns about a backlash.
Consequences
The Big Four accounting firms’ exit from Russia is taking a while as they struggle to unwind complex relationships. A Dutch bank linked to Alfa Group was declared bankrupt.
Ukraine Sitrep
Russian missiles hit civilian targets in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa.
The UK assesses that Russia has made no major territorial gains in eastern Ukraine since it began ramping up its offensive. A Russian member of parliament said that Ukrainian cities and territory seized by Russia since the invasion should not be returned to Ukraine.
Secretary of Defense Austin said that howitzers approved to go to Ukraine on Thursday were in Ukraine by Saturday. Canada and the Netherlands are also sending howitzers to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he’s reluctant to send heavy weapons because he’s concerned about the threat of nuclear war. Switzerland blocked a German request to re-export Swiss ammunition to Ukraine.
Belarusian railway workers sabotaged links that Russia was using to send equipment for the war effort.
Ukraine claims that Russia has forcibly deported almost 1 million Ukrainians. The UK is also warning that Russia may conscript Ukrainian citizens to fight for Russia.