Economically

  • Russia’s stock market just reopened, albeit quite controlled (e.g. short selling is banned) to avoid a shitshow. The Moscow Exchange reported gains of over 10% as a result.

  • Putin’s move to force countries to buy Russia’s natural gas only in rubles is sending EU countries into disarray: (from CGTN) “The European Commission has not commented on the new Russian move, but Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Robert Habeck said on Wednesday that he would discuss with European partners a possible answer to the Moscow announcement. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that more time was needed to clarify Russia’s demand. The previous day, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed calls for a boycott of Russia’s energy supplies, saying that the existing sanctions against Russia have already been affecting its economy and it will “only get more dramatic every day. He noted that the sanctions were designed to be “tolerable” for those imposing them, including in the long term.”

Diplomatically

  • Russia’s draft to the UN security council was shot down, with Russia and China voting for it and all the other countries abstaining. It expressed concern for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and “calls for the protection of civilians, including humanitarian and medical personnel, respect for international law and the protection of civilian objects and critical infrastructure, safe and unhindered evacuation of all civilians, and unhindered humanitarian access in Ukraine.”

  • Zelensky talked to the French National Assembly, calling on French companies to leave Russia. France also suspended 800 million euros from Russian oligarch bank accounts.

  • NATO leader, Jens Stoltenberg, has had his term extended for one year. I didn’t get to vote for this.

  • NATO said “China has provided Russia with political support, including by spreading blatant lies and misinformation,” yesterday, to which China responded:

Accusing China of spreading false information involving Ukraine is itself spreading false information … China has made active efforts in an objective and impartial manner to promote a ceasefire at an early date, avoid a humanitarian crisis and restore peace and stability … China maintains that Ukraine should become a bridge for communication between the East and the West, rather than the forefront of a major-power rivalry … European countries should uphold the principle of strategic autonomy and work with relevant countries, including Russia and Ukraine, to build a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture through dialogue and negotiation in the spirit of indivisible security … What is needed to solve complex issues is a cool head and a rational mind, not adding fuel to the fire; what is needed to restore peace is dialogue and communication, not pressure and coercion; what is needed to achieve long-term stability is to take care of the reasonable security concerns of all parties, not pursuing bloc confrontation and seeking absolute security … China’s position is in line with the wishes of most countries and time will prove it is on the right side of history, adding any unfounded accusations and suspicions against China will fall apart … The U.S. and NATO should also engage in dialogue with Russia to untie the knot behind the crisis in Ukraine.

Militarily

  • Russia announces it is now in control of the city of Izyum (which, if you don’t wanna look at the map, is 120 km southeast of Kharkiv and approximately halfway between Kharkiv and the city of Donetsk.

  • Also in that region, the oblast of Belgorod in Russia (just across the border from Kharkiv) reported an explosion in a border village. Looks like artillery fire from the Ukrainian military.

  • Russian missile strikes Ukrainian military base (post-strike. CW: fire) in Donetsk oblast, in the city of Bakhmut, about 30km west of the Ukrainian front.

  • The UK is sending 6000 missiles to Ukraine. Germany is also sending more missiles, and the EU is giving Ukraine 1 billion euros for military spending from the European Peace Facility; Orwell reported to be turning in his grave.

  • NATO is beefing up its eastern flank, which now spans from the Baltics to the Black Sea, and is composed of 8 international NATO battlegroups.