Diplomacy
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that there is no use in setting an end date to the special military operation.
An aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is keeping its plans to join NATO. In earlier ceasefire negotiations, it had appeared Ukraine was willing to let those plans go in exchange for peace. Meanwhile, a poll found 89% of Ukrainians do not want to cede land to Russia to secure peace.
The EU is close to an agreement to facilitate trade through Lithuania to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, while Russia is threatening Norway with reprisals because it is blocking transit to Svalbard.
The U.S. and others confronted India over its wheat export ban.
Ukraine and the EU signed an agreement to liberalize road transport for visa-free travel.
Sanctions
The Commerce Department is adding five Chinese companies to the Entity List for sanctions violations.
The UK imposed sanctions on Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin.
The Financial Times investigated how Russia smuggles grain and other goods out of Ukraine through Crimea.
Consequences
A joint statement from the multilateral Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO) Task Force noted that over $30 billion of Russian assets have been blocked, frozen, restricted, or seized.
India’s top cement producer will buy Russian coal by paying in Chinese yuan.
Ukraine Sitrep
The U.S. Director of National Security told a conference that she expects a “grinding struggle” ahead for Russia as it seeks to take more Ukrainian territory.