Diplomacy
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Scholz urged Putin to reach a diplomatic solution. Meanwhile, Ukraine voiced its displeasure that Germany has not provided certain needed weapons.
Sanctions
No news of note
Consequences
Goldman Sachs says it believes that Europe has “successfully solved” the puzzle of how to weather the winter without Russian gas.
Sanctions have generally pulled Russian billionaires closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin as opposed to pushing them away.
Ukraine Sitrep
Ukraine is reportedly making a push for Lyman, which was a key staging area for Russia.
The Pentagon says that Ukraine’s rapid advance in the north has not fundamentally altered its near-term outlook on the fight. The Pentagon says that it continues to discuss whether it would be appropriate to supply Ukraine with fighter jets in the “medium to longer term.”
Ukraine claims that it downed an Iranian drone used by Russia and captured one of Russia’s most advanced electronic warfare pods.