Diplomacy
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will make a joint visit to Kyiv tomorrow. Ukraine still doesn’t appear to be on President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Two former U.S. servicemen who volunteered to serve in Ukraine have reportedly been captured by Russia. The State Department could not confirm the reports, but said it is monitoring the situation closely.
A Pentagon official reiterated that the U.S. will not pressure Ukraine to negotiate a ceasefire.
Sanctions
The Treasury Department announced sanctions on the Russian Imperial Movement.
The level of self-sanctioning by the business community has surprised U.S. officials, who are worried it could worsen inflation and other problems.
Consequences
Gazprom curbed gas supplies to Germany through the Nord Stream pipeline by 60%, blaming a turbine that is stuck in Canada due to sanctions. Germany says it’s a political move. The EU, Israel, and Egypt signed a trilateral natural gas agreement. Russia’s oil output rose last month.
Russian carmaker Lada unveiled a new “anti-sanctions” car that does not have an airbag, anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control, or seat belt pretensioners.
Ukraine Sitrep
The UK assesses that Russia controls the majority of Severodonetsk.
The Pentagon announced a new $1 billion military aid package centered around howitzers (including ammunition and tow vehicles). Ukrainians are having difficulty using U.S.-provided Javelin anti-tank missiles as logistical and training issues are also hampering the sale of armed drones. The first round of training on longer-range rocket systems is close to complete, and the systems should be deployed next week.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) said he wanted to see even more military aid going to Ukraine.