Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive, pledged in her annual state of the union address to work to guarantee “seamless” access for Ukraine to the bloc’s massive single market to help its economy recover from the war.
(Bloomberg) — Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive, pledged in her annual state of the union address to work to guarantee “seamless” access for Ukraine to the bloc’s massive single market to help its economy recover from the war.
The US is preparing another package of aid to Ukraine, according to John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, who cited a “shift in momentum” in the war after the government in Kyiv said it recaptured more than 2,300 square miles of occupied territory.
Russia has secretly funneled more than $300 million to foreign political parties and candidates since 2014 to influence elections, and may ramp up its efforts in the coming months in a bid to blunt the effect of sanctions, a senior US official told reporters.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Key Developments
- Xi Lands in Kazakhstan for First Foreign Trip in Over Two Years
- Yuan’s Clout Gets a Boost From Russia Trade as Sanctions Bite
- Azerbaijan and Armenia Resume Fighting as US, France Urge Truce
- Russia’s Invasion Put Ukraine’s Renewables Gains in Jeopardy
- EU Starts Talks With Norway to Try to Cut the Price of Gas
On the Ground
Ukraine was consolidating control over territory retaken from occupying Russian forces during its recent counteroffensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, following a push that shifted momentum in Kyiv’s favor. Fighting continued in the south, the Ukrainian military said. Russia again targeted civilian infrastructure, according to Ukraine’s General Staff, while local authorities said the cities of Mykolaiv and Nikopol were shelled overnight.
(All times CET)
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Says Russia Sought Talks: France 24 (11:05 a.m.)
Russian officials reached out to Ukraine in recent days about negotiations, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told France 24 in an interview.
Moscow doesn’t reject negotiations with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on state television Sunday. However, the longer they are delayed, the more difficult the talks will be, he said.
There haven’t been substantial peace talks since the early days of the war, and the prospect of a settlement appears dim following Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive this month. Billionaire Roman Abramovich attempted to revive contacts between the sides in April but failed to achieve a breakthrough.
EU’s von der Leyen to Travel to Kyiv Wednesday (9:40 a.m.)
Von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said she would make her third trip to Ukraine since the war began later Wednesday to discuss a plan to ensure “seamless access to the single market of the European Union” with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“Europe’s solidarity with Ukraine will remain unshakable,” von der Leyen told European lawmakers in her annual speech in Strasbourg. Sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia following its invasion “are here to stay.”
Von der Leyen said she will travel to Kyiv with Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, who attended the speech.
US Says Russia Gave $300 Million to Foreign Political Parties (7:30 a.m.)
Russia has secretly given more than $300 million since 2014 to influence elections in more than two dozen countries, according to a senior US official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.
Russia transfers the funds — cash, cryptocurrency and non-monetary contributions — using intermediaries including security services, oligarchs and supposedly independent foundations or think tanks, the State Department said in a note to dozens of US embassies that was shared with reporters.
Biden Cites ‘Significant Progress,’ With Caveat (3:10 a.m.)
President Joe Biden, asked if Ukraine’s recent battlefield successes marked an inflection point in the war, said Tuesday evening that “the question is unanswerable right now.”
“It’s clear the Ukrainians have made significant progress,” he told reporters after voting in Wilmington, Delaware. “I think it’s gonna be a long haul.”
US Cites ‘Shift in Momentum,’ Readies Another Round of Aid (8:25 p.m.)
The US is preparing another round of military aid for Ukraine, as the Biden administration sees a “shift in momentum” favoring Kyiv’s forces against its Russian opponents, National Security Council spokesman Kirby told reporters.
Additional supplies of weapons that will be announced in the “coming days” could help Ukraine keep up its counteroffensives against the Russians, Kirby said without detailing what will be provided.
Saying Ukrainians have made “more dramatic” advances in the country’s north than in the south, Kirby said. “I would let President Zelenskiy determine and decide whether he feels militarily they’ve reached a turning point. But clearly, at least in the Donbas, there’s a sense of momentum here by the Ukrainian armed forces.”
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