Update for the 4th of April, 2022

Economically:

Austria does not support sanctions on Russian gas, which Chancellor Nehammer saying that new sanctions against Russia “must be reasonable”.
Russia will see record capital inflow this year due to skyrocketing oil prices and falling imports.
Germany puts Gazprom Germania under regulator’s administration.
Germany’s finance minister says that a sharp refusal of Russian gas would harm the EU more than it would harm Russia.
Germany auto industry alarmed over lack of raw materials
Russian government backs bill that criminalizes carrying out and abiding by western sanctions on Russian soil.
Despite Latvia stopping their supplies of natural gas from Russia, a Latvian gas company is interested in paying for gas in rubles.

China is looking to purchase additional shipments of LNG from Russia, as it is at a 10% discount in North Asia. There is also rumours that China’s oil refiners have been discreetly buying Russian crude oil.
A Canadian mining firm agrees to exit Kyrgyzstan after calls to nationalize the Kumtor Gold Mine, one of the country’s most lucrative assets.
Wall Street banks could lose billions in Russia
According to the Russian ambassador to India, the two countries can expand trade in national currencies in the near future, and that “great prospects are opening up for Indians in our market.”
Taliban announces ban on poppy production.
Nakedcapitalism and their article on how Biden’s huge oil release could backfire.

The Russian Defense Ministry says that Ukraine is “torpedoing” the creation of humanitarian corridors, saying that the columns of refugees come under heavy fire from the Ukrainian army and nationalist battalions.
Zelensky visits Bucha, saying that he will find a “non-civilised” solution to bring those responsible to justice if the West fails to come up with a “civilized” one
Russia resumes flights to more than 50 ‘friendly’ nations
Ukrainian MP Ilya Kiva said that the tragedy in Bucha was prepared by the SBU, and planned by the British intelligence MI6

-Joe Biden calls for Putin to face war crimes trial over his actions in Ukraine, and is looking into additional sanctions.

Hungary and Serbia’s pro-Russia parties win electoral victories.
Germany expels 40 Russian embassy employees and will further toughen the sanctions.
The EU believes it necessary to maintain contact with Russia, saying that “to solve the problem, you need to communicate with Putin”. However, the EU plans to accelerate sanctions on Russia.
Lavrov says that NATO countries continue their attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Middle Eastern and North African countries, and says he intends to discuss the situation with the foreign ministers of Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Sudan, as well as the Arab League Secretary General and the UAE ambassador to Moscow.
In Sri Lanka, all 26 cabinet ministers resign after large protests. The largest opposition party to the president’s party refused to form a unity government.
According to Iran, “America is responsible” for the halt of the confirmation of the new Iran Deal, saying that Tehran “will not wait forever”.
Poland’s Prime Minister says that “Germany is an obstacle in the way of imposing harsh sanctions on Russia and has been helping the country to become stronger for decades”
The Georgian Foreign Minister resigns.
Nakedcapitalism and their article on African countries and Russia.
Nakedcapitalism and their article on India and the multipolar world being born.
Nakedcapitalism and their article on gold.

Russian helcopters seen flying near Odessa.
Footage of fighting in Mariupol in the industrial zone, with the two remaining places of opposition being Azovstal and the port.
264 Ukrainians surrender in Mariupol.