(Bloomberg) — Officials from Ukraine and Russia are set for further talks Wednesday, negotiations that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called “difficult” but said had room for compromise. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine’s leadership was not “serious” about resolving the conflict.
Russian forces continue to shell infrastructure, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Facebook. Russian troops were mostly focusing on fortifying existing positions, the post said, adding Ukraine had shot down two Su-34 fighters in the past 24 hours. The state emergency service said a shell hit a 12-story apartment building in Kyiv, causing a fire and injuries. There was no immediate update from Moscow.
U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Europe for NATO and European Union summits on March 24. Zelenskiy will deliver a virtual address to Congress later Wednesday. NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Key Developments
- China’s Goal With Putin Is to Resist U.S. Without Economic Pain
- Meta’s Russia Problem Is Up to Clegg, Not Zuckerberg, to Solve
- Top Republican Lawmakers Press Biden on Ukraine Weapons List
- Warehouse Bombed, Tractors Stolen as Russia Strikes Ukraine Food
- Russia to ‘Default’ If Dollar Coupons Paid in Rubles, Fitch Says
All times CET:
Singapore Calls on China to Use ‘Enormous Influence’ on Russia (7:15 a.m)
Singapore’s top diplomat said he hopes China will use its “enormous influence” on Russia to help end the war, warning that Beijing’s decisions in the coming days and weeks could determine the future path of the global economy.
“The big issue now is what decisions and actions China takes,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said in an interview with Haslinda Amin to be broadcast at the upcoming Bloomberg Live’s Asean Business Summit. “If you get a deepening of the bifurcation of the global economy, of supply chains, of technology, this will be a very, very different world.”
Singapore last month became the first Southeast Asian nation to say it was imposing unilateral sanctions on Russia.
U.K.’s Johnson in Gulf Seeking Help With Energy Crisis (6:22 a.m.)
Boris Johnson began a visit to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia where he will to try to persuade the U.K.’s Gulf allies to step up oil production and ease pressure on energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He’ll meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi before traveling to Riyadh to see Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The war in and the sanctions on Russia have roiled energy markets and put pressure on OPEC members to raise output.
Russian Court Websites Defaced (4:36 a.m.)
At least eight websites of arbitration courts in Russia’s Far East were defaced by hackers who used the portals to post anti-war statements calling Putin a terrorist, the Regnum news service reported.
The websites now appear to have been taken down, but the profanity-laced messages, which also appeared to have been posted to the Moscow Arbitration Court’s website, were briefly visible in search engine results for some pages.
Zelenskiy Calls European Leaders in Kyiv ‘Courageous’ (3:21 a.m.)
Zelenskiy praised the leaders of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic as “courageous” in a video released by his office, after talks in Kyiv.
Stocks Climb Amid Lower Oil (2:44 a.m.)
Stocks rose in Asia Wednesday as Chinese technology shares rebounded from a brutal selloff, though investors remain braced for volatility surrounding Russia’s war in Ukraine and a looming Federal Reserve decision.
An Asia-Pacific share gauge snapped a three-day drop and a Hong Kong index of Chinese tech firms added about 5%. The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 and European futures were steady following a Wall Street advance on Tuesday.
Zelenskiy Encourages Visits to Kyiv (2:17 a.m.)
Zelenskiy, in a video posted on Facebook, invited “friends of Ukraine” to visit Kyiv, the nation’s capital. He said the leaders of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic had traveled to the city Tuesday in a display of “significant support.”
“It is very important and brave to be near us,” he said. Zelenskiy acknowledged the continuing threat from Russian armed forces outside the city and “it could be dangerous here because our sky is still not closed for Russian missiles and airplanes.”
U.S. Senate Condemns Putin and Invasion (12:45 a.m.)
The Senate passed a resolution by unanimous consent on Tuesday evening that condemned Putin for the invasion of Ukraine and expressed support for Ukraine.
Although the vote was symbolic, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Putin could not escape accountability for the war, including the bombing of hospitals and the killing of civilians.
Senators from both parties who had returned from a trip to Poland and the Ukraine border called on the Biden administration to do more to arm Ukraine and sanction Russia in Senate floor speeches Tuesday evening. Republican Senators Rob Portman of Ohio and Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, all pushed for swifter action.
Poland Says Ukraine Needs NATO Peacekeepers (10:50 p.m.)
Poland sees the need for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, Deputy Premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski said late Tuesday in Kyiv. “This mission cannot be a defenseless one,” he said. “It must strive for humanitarian and peace aid in Ukraine.”
Kaczynski spoke at a briefing along with the Czech and Slovenian prime ministers, after they held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy – becoming the first foreign leaders to visit the besieged capital since the war began almost three weeks ago.
China’s U.S. Envoy Slams ‘Disinformation’ on War Role (10:10 p.m.)
China’s ambassador in Washington pushed back against what he branded “disinformation” about Beijing’s role in the lead-up to the war in Ukraine.
“Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation,” Ambassador Qin Gang wrote in the Washington Post. “Had China known about the imminent crisis, we would have tried our best to prevent it.”
Qin said China has made “huge efforts” to push for peace talks. He described threats from U.S. officials that China would suffer consequences if it attempts to help Russia evade sanctions as “unacceptable.”
GOP Lawmakers Press Biden to Speed Arms Delivery (9:47 p.m.)
Republican lawmakers urged the Biden administration to speed up and broaden the delivery of arms and equipment to Ukraine, in a letter to the president on Tuesday.
The six lawmakers — members of defense, intelligence and foreign affairs committees — proposed a list of additional items that could be sent, ranging from grenade launchers and small drones to first-aid kits and gas masks.
Blinken Announces Another $186 Million in U.S. Aid (9:33 p.m.)
The U.S. aid will go to supporting refugees and internally displaced people, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. He called on Russia to ensure safe passage for humanitarian workers, as well as for people seeking to leave cities where they are trapped.
About 20,000 People Evacuated From Mariupol (9:20 p.m.)
Some 20,000 civilians have been evacuated from Mariupol as thousands of private cars left the besieged southern port via a humanitarian corridor to the Ukrainian-government-held city of Zaporizhzhia, according to local officials.
Buses heading to the city to deliver humanitarian aid and offer transport for residents seeking to leave remained stuck outside the city, where they’ve been held up since the weekend by Russian forces, and will make another attempt on Wednesday.
Ukraine Says Talks with Russia Will Continue Wednesday (8:51 p.m.)
Ukrainian and Russian delegations will continue negotiations Wednesday amid “fundamental contradictions” in the talks, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said in a tweet.
“But there is certainly room for compromise,” Podolyak said after the talks.
Second Fox News Journalist Dies in Ukraine (8:47 p.m.)
Fox News said Tuesday that a second journalist was killed in an attack in Ukraine that also killed cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and wounded correspondent Benjamin Hall.
Freelancer Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova, who was 24, was killed along with Zakrzewski after their vehicle was struck by incoming fire Monday in Horenka, just outside of Kyiv. Hall remains hospitalized.
EU Formalizes Sanctions on Chelsea’s Abramovich, Others (6:28 p.m.)
The EU imposed sanctions on billionaire Roman Abramovich, the owner of the Chelsea Football Club, and 14 other Russian business and media figures as part of its fourth round of sanctions.
Also sanctioned were Tigran Khudaverdyan, the executive director and deputy CEO of Yandex NV, a Russian internet search engine that also operates a large ride-hailing operation; Victor Rashnikov, who owns Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel PJSC, one of Russia’s biggest steelmakers; and German Khan, a major shareholder in the Alfa Group conglomerate that includes Alfa Bank. The broader package also includes limits on trade luxury good and steel and iron products.
Biden to Attend EU, NATO Summits Next Week (6:08 p.m.)
Biden will participate in person at a meeting of EU leaders on March 24 in Brussels. The leaders will continue to discuss the situation in Ukraine as well as issues related to the bloc’s energy independence. He’ll also take part in a NATO summit. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, asked if Biden would travel to Poland as well, said she had nothing more to add to the schedule at this point.
Russian Court Fines State-TV Protester (5:45 p.m. CET)
A Russian court fined a producer from Russia’s main state-television channel 30,000 rubles ($285) for holding up an anti-war sign during the prime-time national news broadcast Monday, Interfax reported.
The court found Marina Ovsyannikova guilty of violating Russia’s strict laws on public protests. Her brief appearance on TV Monday was a rare example of open opposition to the Ukraine war from the tightly controlled state media. It won offers of support from western leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Slovakia Approves NATO Troop Presence (5:41 p.m.)
Slovakia’s parliament approved the presence of 2,100 NATO troops in the country. The nation bordering Ukraine will host U.S., German, Czech, Dutch, Polish and Slovenian troops, as well as a Patriot missile-defense system, Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said.
“This is the biggest step for the defense of the Slovak Republic in our modern history,” Nad told the chamber in Bratislava. Ukraine’s Uzhhorod airfield, located just 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the border, may be the target of a Russian attack, he said.
Russia Formally Exiting Council of Europe (5:20 p.m.)
Russia has formally notified the Council of Europe that it is pulling out of the human-rights organization, just hours before the body was to vote to expel Moscow in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia joined the group in 1996 as it sought to bring rights protections to European levels, but tensions have grown in recent years. The Council confirmed Russia had filed formal notification of withdrawal and its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Foreign Ministry said Russia’s constitution provides adequate protections to citizens, adding that Moscow will continue to implement past decisions of the European Court of Human Rights that don’t contradict Russia’s basic law, Tass reported.
Putin Says Kyiv Not ‘Serious’ in Talks (5:04 p.m.)
Russian President Vladimir Putin told European Council President Charles Michel that Ukraine “is not showing a serious attitude toward finding mutually acceptable solutions” in talks with Moscow on ending the fighting, the Kremlin said.
In a brief statement on the leaders’ phone conversation Tuesday, the Kremlin said they also discussed the military operation and humanitarian-relief measures.
Pentagon Breaks Down Its Ukraine Arms Package (4:57 p.m.)
The $6.5 billion for Ukraine included in the spending bill that President Joe Biden plans to sign Tuesday includes $3.5 billion to provide weapons to the country and to replenish U.S. stocks of military equipment already sent, according to Defense Department spokesman Chris Sherwood.
The Pentagon is likely to send Ukraine anti-air and anti-armor weapons, small arms and ammunition, tactical gear, meals and medical kits, Sherwood said in an email. Other funds would go toward the deployment of U.S. troops and intelligence support for the U.S. European Command.
Russia Imposes Sanctions on Biden, Blinken (3:58 p.m.)
The Russian government imposed sanctions on top U.S. officials including President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in retaliation for U.S. penalties. The measures would block entry to Russia and freeze any assets held there.
The individual sanctions would not impede high-level contacts if needed, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
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