“Iran’s chief negotiator at the nuclear talks in Vienna unexpectedly returned home Monday night, prompting European officials to say negotiations were at a standstill,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Disclosing Intelligence Was an Effective Weapon
Amy Zegart: “The way in which the U.S. disclosed intelligence ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could drastically change geopolitics in the future.”
“The disclosed intelligence wasn’t just about military movements. It was about secret plans at the core of Russia’s intelligence operations.”
“It is hard to overstate how much of a shift this represents. Intelligence is a closely guarded world, one where officials are loath to publicly air what they know, or how they know it, for fear of putting sources at risk or revealing to their rivals just how much information they have.”
Russia Is Now the World’s Most-Sanctioned Nation
“Russia has vaulted past Iran and North Korea to become the world’s most-sanctioned nation in the span of just 10 days following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” Bloomberg reports.
“The sanctions against Russia underscore the extraordinary unity between the U.S. and its allies in the face of Putin’s invasion and their determination to leverage their economic power to try to dissuade him from pressing his advance.”
Americans Overwhelmingly Support Ban of Russian Oil
A new Quinnipiac poll finds that Americans would support a ban on Russian oil even if it meant higher gasoline prices in the United States, 71% to 22%.
As for the steps the Biden administration has taken so far to punish Russia for invading Ukraine, 56% say they are not tough enough, while 30% say they are about right, and 3% say they are too tough.
Said pollster Tim Malloy: “Americans are ready to put a chokehold on Russia’s key financial lifeblood, oil, no matter what the consequences are at the pump.”
Congress Moves to Bar Russian Energy Imports
“A bipartisan group of lawmakers said on Monday that they would move forward with legislation that would ban imports of Russian energy into the United States and suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus in response to the invasion of Ukraine,” the New York Times reports.
Putin Has Moved All Forces from Border Into Ukraine
The U.S. assesses that Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent into Ukraine “nearly 100 percent” of the combat forces that were amassed on the border, Politico reports.
Hungary Allows Deployment of NATO Troops
Hungary allowed NATO troops to be deployed in western Hungary and weapons shipments to cross its territory to other NATO member states, Reuters reports.
Russia Tells Ukraine to Give Up Large Portions of Country
“As Russian and Ukrainian delegations sat down for a third round of talks in Belarus, the Kremlin reiterated Monday its demands that Ukraine give up Crimea and a large slice of eastern Ukraine as a condition for Russia to stop its attacks,” the Washington Post reports.
Russia Pummels Ukrainian Civilian Targets
“Russia shelled civilian targets and prevented people from escaping some cities under attack during the war’s 12th day, while Kyiv’s military held fast along several fronts ahead of planned cease-fire talks,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Continuing campaigns to encircle Ukrainian cities Monday, Russian forces conducted missile and rocket strikes on cities and military targets in the country’s north and south, disrupting plans to evacuate civilians via humanitarian corridors… Ukrainian forces continued to frustrate Russia with counterattacks and sabotage operations.”
Europe Not Likely to Ban Russian Energy
“Top European leaders said Monday that they recognize the need to reduce the continent’s dependence on Russian energy but stressed that an immediate embargo would not be feasible,” Axios reports.
“Under pressure from Congress and the Ukrainian government, the Biden administration may move to ban Russian oil imports on a unilateral basis if the U.S. cannot immediately bring along its European allies.”
Hate for Putin’s Russia Consumes Ukraine
New York Times: “It is a deep, seething bitterness for President Vladimir V. Putin, his military and his government. But Ukrainians are not giving a pass to ordinary Russians, either, calling them complicit through years of political passivity. The hatred is vented by mothers in bomb shelters, by volunteers preparing to fight on the front lines, by intellectuals and by artists.”
“The emotion is so powerful it could not be assuaged even by an Orthodox religious holiday on Sunday intended to foster forgiveness before Lent.”
Russia’s Credit Rating Slashed
“Russia is considered more likely to default on its debts than Iraq, Ecuador or Ethiopia after Moody’s slashed the country’s credit rating to the second-lowest rung,” the London Telegraph reports.
Times of London: “President Putin has issued a decree that holders of Russian debt must receive interest payments in roubles, an unpalatable prospect that will do little to stem the flow of western companies leaving the country.”
U.S. Weighs Acting Without Allies on Ban of Russian Oil
“The Biden administration is considering whether to prohibit Russian oil imports into the U.S. without the participation of allies in Europe, at least initially,” Bloomberg reports.
Congress Faces Another Shutdown Deadline
Playbook: “Once again, Congress is facing down a possible shutdown showdown this week — surprise, surprise — with current government funding expiring at midnight Friday. But even though lawmakers have delayed passing new appropriations bills during the Biden presidency and instead simply extended Trump-era policies, this time, there’s new pressure to get the so-called omnibus nailed down.”
“The top motivator? Ukraine money. The White House recently asked Congress for $10 billion to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion — substantially more than the $6.4 billion it had requested a week ago. The plus-up has bipartisan support, and Democrats are hoping that Zelenskyy’s weekend plea to lawmakers will push a deal over the finish line.”
Russia Meets Resistance with More Firepower
Jeremy Bowen: “Russia answers resistance with firepower. Rather than send in men to fight from house to house and room to room, their military doctrine calls for a bombardment by heavy weapons and from the air to destroy their enemies.”
“The depressing conclusion I’ve drawn from other wars in which I have seen Russians in action is that it could get much worse.”
Russian Banks Turn to Chinese Payments System
“Russia’s biggest banks are scrambling to switch to a Chinese card system after global payment giants Visa and Mastercard suspended operations in the country as part of efforts to isolate Moscow from Western financial structures,” the London Telegraph reports.
Russia’s Economy Will Be Decimated by Sanctions
“Russia faces a crushing economic recession on the scale of its 1998 financial crisis, top analysts have predicted, with savings wiped out and the currency devastated,” the London Telegraph reports.
“Sanctions imposed by western nations and their allies in response to the invasion of Ukraine will slash the size of the country’s economy by 11 percent in the coming months, according to forecasts by JP Morgan.”
China Insists Taiwan Is Different Than Ukraine
China’s foreign minister said the Taiwan issue is fundamentally different from the Ukraine situation as it is a “purely domestic affair” rather than between two countries, the South China Morning Post reports.
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