OPEC+ Meets Amid Pressure to Boost Global Oil Output
A meeting of OPEC+ countries, which consists of Russia and other oil producers allied with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), ended with a decision to stick with their previously agreed plan of modest monthly oil increases despite Western concerns over oil supplies caused by the war in Ukraine (New York Times)
To lower oil prices, U.S. President Joe Biden will release one million additional barrels from a strategic reserve per day over six months (CNN)
Meanwhile in Ukraine, a convoy of forty-five buses headed to the besieged port city of Mariupol after Moscow and Kyiv agreed on a fresh attempt to create an evacuation corridor; several similar agreements previously collapsed (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is in India, which has been reluctant to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine despite Western pressure to do so (Agence France-Presse)
Ukrainian Refugees Top Four Million as Reports Cast Doubt on Russian Pullback
Almost 10 percent of Ukraine’s population has fled the country since Russia invaded, the United Nations said (New York Times)
Ukrainian officials reported new attacks near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv even after Russia said it would scale down military actions in those areas. U.S. military officials said “small numbers” of Russian troops were repositioned to the north of Kyiv but that they could be sent to fight elsewhere, while Moscow said no breakthrough was made during the Istanbul talks (ABC, Al Jazeera)
Meanwhile, the head of the World Food Program appealed for an end to the war, saying its impact on global food supplies will be “beyond anything we’ve seen since World War II” (Time)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in China, and the officials condemned sanctions on Russia by the United States and its allies; Lavrov will travel to India tomorrow (Reuters)
Russian, Ukrainian Envoys Return to Face-to-Face Talks in Istanbul
The talks in Turkey are the delegates’ first in-person meeting in almost two weeks. They are weighing a cease-fire deal that would reportedly see both sides stepping down from their initial demands, though they appear to still disagree on territorial goals. Russia is reportedly no longer insisting on the “denazification” of Ukraine, while Ukraine said it is open to foregoing the possibility of NATO membership (Financial Times)
The talks come as Ukrainian officials say their forces have retaken areas around Kyiv. A deputy Russian defense minister said Russian forces will reduce military activity near the cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv (New York Times)
Meanwhile, several more European Union (EU) countries expelled Russian diplomats in response to the invasion, including Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands (Washington Post)
Ukrainian Official Says Humanitarian Corridors at Risk Ahead of Talks With Russia
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said humanitarian corridors won’t open today due to the risk of Russian “provocations” (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Russia continued to attack cities across Ukraine over the weekend, with air strikes targeting the western city of Lviv (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Envoys from both countries arrive in Turkey today for fresh talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is ready to discuss adopting neutral status (New York Times)
Yesterday, U.S. officials walked back U.S. President Joe Biden’s statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” saying Biden was not calling for regime change in Russia (New York Times)
Meanwhile, the Kremlin ordered local news outlets not to publish four Russian journalists’ interview with Zelenskyy, but some foreign Russian-language media published it anyway (Washington Post)
U.S.-EU Natural Gas Deal Aims to Cut Dependence on Russia
As Europe scrambles to secure non-Russian sources of liquefied natural gas, the United States committed to helping guarantee at least fifteen billion cubic meters of additional supplies for Europe by the end of the year. Additionally, EU countries will work to ensure demand for fifty billion cubic meters of U.S. fuel until at least 2030 (Bloomberg)
After U.S. President Joe Biden announced the deal in Brussels, he traveled to Poland, where he is meet with U.S. soldiers, Ukrainian refugees, and Polish President Adrzej Duda near the Ukrainian border (NBC)
Meanwhile, Russia continued to attack Ukrainian targets, and Ukrainian officials announced that a Russian attack on a theater sheltering civilians in Mariupol killed around three hundred people (Associated Press)
Three Brussels Summits Weigh Responses to War in Ukraine
Leaders of EU, Group of Seven (G7), and NATO countries met in Brussels today to consider further responses to the war in Ukraine as it enters its second month (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
U.S. President Joe Biden, who attended all three summits in person, said more aid was on its way and announced that the United States alone will welcome one hundred thousand Ukrainian refugees and provide an additional $1 billion in food, medicine, water, and other supplies (Associated Press)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the NATO and EU meetings via video and reiterated his calls for aid (CNN)
To reduce European reliance on Russian energy, Biden is also reportedly working on a deal to ensure supplies of U.S. natural gas and hydrogen for Europe (Bloomberg)
Biden Travels to Brussels to Meet With Western Allies
U.S. President Joe Biden traveled to Brussels in his first international trip since Russia invaded Ukraine. He is set to announce new sanctions on Russian lawmakers and meet with leaders from NATO and the EU (New York Times)
Prior to the meeting, NATO announced it would double its battlegroups on its eastern flank (New York Times)
Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia agreed to try to evacuate civilians through nine humanitarian corridors, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said (Reuters)
No corridor was agreed for the besieged port city of Mariupol, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said has been left in “ruins.” Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces said they drove Russian forces out of a Kyiv suburb (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
A Kremlin spokesperson said yesterday that Russia will not rule out using nuclear weapons in the conflict if faced with an “existential threat” (CNN)
United States Warns Russia Could Deploy Chemical Weapons, Cyberattacks
U.S. President Joe Biden warned that Russia is considering using biological or chemical weapons in Ukraine and urged U.S. companies to strengthen their cyber defenses in case Russia launches cyberattacks against U.S. interests in response to sanctions (Voice of America)
As Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian cities continues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that any compromises with Russia to end the war would require a nationwide referendum (Reuters)
After Biden described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal,” Russia’s foreign ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador to deliver a statement saying that U.S.-Russia relations are “on the verge of breaking” (Axios)
Ukraine Rejects Russia’s Demand to Surrender Mariupol
Ukraine defied Russia’s demand that it surrender the besieged port city of Mariupol, where residents face acute shortages of food, water, and heat amid Russian bombardments (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Financial Times)
At least ten million Ukrainians have been displaced internally or have fled abroad as refugees (France 24)
In Mariupol, the deputy commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet became the latest high-ranking Russian officer to be killed in Ukraine, while in central Kyiv, a Russian missile strike reduced a mall to rubble and killed more than eight people overnight (New York Times)
Biden Warns Xi Against Supporting Russia in Ukraine
In a phone call today, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping that supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine would lead to U.S. retaliation (Financial Times)
In Ukraine today, Russian missiles struck an airport near Lviv, where hundreds of thousands of people have gone to escape fighting in other cities (Reuters)
ICJ Orders Russia to Immediately Suspend Military Operations in Ukraine
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations’ top court for disputes between countries, ruled that Russia must immediately halt its military operations in Ukraine and that its justification for the invasion was unfounded (Reuters)
Russian forces yesterday bombed a theater in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol where civilians were sheltering. Some survivors emerged from the building today (CNN)
Washington announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine that includes antiaircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons, tactical drones, and small arms (New York Times)
After the announcement, U.S. President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.” The Kremlin called the comment “unforgivable” and said that the war is going “according to plan” (Reuters)
Russian Attacks Escalate, Zelenskyy Addresses U.S. Congress
Russia escalated its bombings of Kyiv’s suburbs, where twelve towns reportedly now lack water and six lack heat, a Ukrainian official said (Associated Press)
The United Nations calculated that three million people have fled the war in Ukraine. Leaders of NATO countries plan to hold an emergency summit in Brussels next week, with U.S. President Joe Biden set to attend (Agence France-Presse)
As Russia and Ukraine continue to discuss a possible cease-fire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today that the talks are beginning to “sound more realistic” (Financial Times)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the U.S. Congress this morning, and Biden announced $800 million in new U.S. military assistance for Ukraine (New York Times)
Eastern European Leaders Visit Kyiv Amid Shelling
The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia departed for Kyiv to voice European support for Ukraine. It will be the highest-profile visit to the country since Russia invaded on February 24 (New York Times)
Meanwhile, virtual talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations are due to continue today (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Russia has stepped up its siege of Mariupol and shelling of Kyiv’s suburbs. Kyiv’s mayor announced that a thirty-five-hour curfew will begin tonight. Around four thousand people were able to evacuate frontline cities yesterday, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said (Reuters)
In Russia, a woman was detained after displaying an anti-war protest sign during a live evening news broadcast on state television (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
New Round of Russia-Ukraine Talks Weigh Cease-Fire
Representatives from Russia and Ukraine began their fourth round of peace talks today (Reuters)
Meanwhile, senior U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting in Rome to discuss the war in Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn. An unnamed U.S. official said Russia recently requested military aid from China, but Beijing dismissed it as “disinformation” (Al Jazeera)
Yesterday, a Russian air strike hit a Ukrainian military base a few miles from Ukraine’s border with Poland, killing 35 people and injuring 134 (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Anti-war protests were held in Russia and in European capitals, including Berlin, London, and Warsaw (Associated Press)
A Ukrainian presidential advisor said more than 2,500 residents of the port city of Mariupol have been killed as Russian shelling of Ukrainian cities continues (Reuters)
Russia Expands Range of Ukraine Air Strikes
Russia extended the range of its air strikes to now reach parts of Ukraine’s northwest and southwest and ordered foreign fighters be deployed to the conflict zone. Russian forces have also attacked twenty-six health-care facilities across the country. Separately, Russia’s defense minister said thousands of people from the Middle East are ready to fight (New York Times)
More than 2.5 million people have now fled Ukraine since the war broke out (BBC)
Meanwhile, the European Union announced its intent to double military aid to Ukraine, while U.S. President Joe Biden said he would downgrade Russia’s trade status and ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol, and diamonds (Reuters, Associated Press)
Highest-Level Russia-Ukraine Talks Since War Began Yield No Breakthroughs
Talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, failed to yield any breakthroughs despite Kyiv’s new offer of Ukrainian neutrality (Financial Times)
Amid the economic fallout of the war, the United Kingdom issued new sanctions against seven Russian billionaires, while the International Monetary Fund approved $1.4 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine (New York Times; International Monetary Fund)
The World Bank’s chief economist said the war could cause food prices to rise in the Middle East and Africa in particular, which could fuel social unrest (Reuters)
Ukraine Signals Openness to Compromise as Russian Attacks Continue
Moscow’s bombardment of Ukrainian cities continued with a Russian airstrike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol that wounded at least seventeen people (Associated Press)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had “cooled down” on his demand that Ukraine try to join NATO and said he is open to “compromise” on the status of Ukraine’s pro-Russia separatist territories (Agence France Presse)
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal last night to provide $13.6 billion to help Ukraine and European allies (Associated Press)
However, the United States rejected a plan to send Polish fighter jets to Ukraine, after the Polish government released a surprise plan that a Pentagon spokesperson said would raise “serious concerns” for the entire NATO alliance (Axios)
Elsewhere, the United Kingdom announced it would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year, and Russian President Vladimir Putting signed a vague decree saying he will restrict some commodity exports (Financial Times)
United States, EU Announce Plans to Target Russia’s Energy Sector
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden announced the United States would ban Russian oil, natural gas, and coal imports (CNN)
The European Union (EU) plans to cut its reliance on Russian gas by as much as 80 percent this year; EU officials plan to seek new gas supplies, boost energy efficiency, and introduce a massive bond-buying program to fund increased energy and defense spending (Bloomberg)
British oil giant Shell said it will stop new purchases of oil and gas from Russia (BBC)
Meanwhile, Ukraine began evacuating civilians from the eastern city of Sumy using a humanitarian corridor (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Ukraine’s defense ministry said Russia’s forces attacked a humanitarian corridor that the countries agreed upon for the southern city of Mariupol (CNN)
United States, Allies Weigh Ban on Russian Oil Imports as Prices Soar
The price for Brent crude hit $139 per barrel today after reports that the United States and its allies are considering banning imports of Russian oil to pressure Moscow against fighting in Ukraine (Financial Times)
The United States is also working with Poland on a plan to send fighter jets to Ukraine (Financial Times)
Elsewhere, Russian forces continued to shell the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Saturday, despite agreeing to a cease-fire there (BBC)
The United Nations said more than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began (Agence France-Presse)
A Ukrainian government spokesperson called a Russian plan to allow refugees to evacuate to Russia and Belarus “completely immoral,” as Russian and Ukrainian delegates prepared for their third round of talks (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Russian Forces Seize Ukrainian Nuclear Plant, NATO Set to Meet
Russian forces seized Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine, after clashes at the plant caused a fire and sparked fears of a nuclear disaster; Ukraine’s nuclear agency said no leaks were detected (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
As fighting continues across Ukraine, the United States said it established a military hotline with Russia to prevent miscalculation, and NATO foreign ministers will meet today (Reuters)
Yesterday, Ukrainian and Russian envoys agreed on the need to create humanitarian corridors, but made no further breakthroughs in talks (BBC)
Amid Russia’s crackdown on independent media, the lower house of parliament passed a bill that would allow jail sentences of up to fifteen years for anyone deemed to have spread “fake” information about the Russian armed forces; the bill will now be sent to the upper house and President Vladimir Putin for approval (Moscow Times)
Elsewhere, a joint statement from the leaders of the so-called Quad—the United States, Australia, India, and Japan—said the countries will establish a joint humanitarian aid mechanism for Ukraine, but stopped short of condemning Russia’s actions (Indian Express)
One Million Refugees Flee Ukraine, Russia Takes First Major City
One million people fled Ukraine during the war’s first seven days in what could become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century, the UN refugee agency said (Washington Post)
Russian forces took control of Kherson, a major city in Ukraine’s south, and have stepped up bombardment of Kyiv, the capital, and the southeastern port city of Mariupol. Mariupol’s mayor said the city is experiencing “a humanitarian catastrophe,” including heavy shelling and cutoffs of heat, electricity, and water (Financial Times)
Yesterday, 141 of the 193 member countries of the UN General Assembly backed a resolution demanding that Russia cease its use of force in Ukraine. Only five members, including Russia, voted against it (Deutsche Welle, Agence France-Presse)
A second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian envoys is set to be held today (Al Jazeera)
Elsewhere, the U.S. Justice Department announced a task force aimed at Russian oligarchs that will target individuals who have aided Russian President Vladimir Putin in the invasion of Ukraine and who seek to avoid newly announced sanctions (New York Times)
Russian Bombardment of Ukrainian Cities Continues
Russian forces continued to carry out an aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities such as Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Russia also blocked the websites of a Russian independent television channel and a liberal radio station over their war coverage (Agence France-Presse)
In his first State of the Union address, U.S. President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine will leave “Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger.” Biden said the United States will close its airspace to all Russian flights and reiterated an earlier announcement that the United States will join other countries in releasing oil from strategic reserves to deal with rising oil prices (Financial Times)
More Western companies also spurned business with Russia, with Airbus and Boeing suspending support services to Russian airlines and ExxonMobil joining other oil companies in saying it will exit joint ventures in the country (Fortune)
Elsewhere, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution demanding that Russia end the invasion of Ukraine (NPR)
Russian Military Convoy Advances Toward Kyiv as Missile Strikes Central Kharkiv
Satellite imagery showed a forty-mile-long Russian military convoy advancing on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, amid U.S. warnings that Russia could soon increase the aggressiveness of its attack. Today, a Russian missile killed ten people in the center of Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to emergency responders (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; CNN)
The United Nations said that more than 660,000 people have fled Ukraine since the conflict began (Agence France-Presse)
Talks between Russian and Ukrainian envoys yesterday were inconclusive and are set to resume in the coming days. Ukraine applied for European Union membership, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for support in an address to the European Parliament. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court announced it will open an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Elsewhere, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey will apply the Montreux Convention, which allows it to prevent warships from entering the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits, to avoid escalation in the war in Ukraine (Hurriyet)
Russia, Ukraine Hold Talks Amid Efforts to Financially Pressure Moscow
High-level delegations from Russia and Ukraine began talks today at Ukraine’s border with Belarus (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
The talks follow sweeping international efforts to financially pressure Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that the country’s nuclear weapons are on “special alert” (BBC)
The Russian ruble fell to a record low and Russia’s central bank more than doubled interest rates after countries including the United States, European Union (EU) nations, Japan, and South Korea introduced new financial sanctions over the weekend (Financial Times)
Additionally, the EU agreed to arm Ukraine, the first time it has done so for a third-party country (Financial Times)
The UN General Assembly will hold an emergency session on the Russian invasion today (Politico)
Elsewhere, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany will channel $110 billion to the armed forces this year, which is about twice last year’s defense spending (Washington Post)
In a reversal of previous policy, Germany will also send weapons to Ukraine (Politico)
Russian Forces Advance on Kyiv as Global Opposition Grows
Invading Russian forces advanced on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, today as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged citizens to fight and called on Moscow to negotiate (Financial Times)
The Kremlin sent mixed messages on potential peace talks, “pausing” an earlier attempt at negotiations after Ukraine proposed they occur in Warsaw, Poland instead of Minsk, Belarus (Reuters)
More than one hundred thousand Ukrainians have fled their homes since the invasion began, according to the United Nations (Reuters)
In addition, Zelenskyy said 137 Ukrainians were killed during Russian attacks yesterday (New York Times)
Washington announced new sanctions on Russian banks, and the European Union unanimously agreed to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Associated Press)
Meanwhile, thousands of people across Russia participated in anti-war protests, leading to more than 1,700 detentions (Politico)