Update for the 20th of April, 2022

Economically:

Latvia has announced that they are in an energy crisis, with oil reserves for only 90 days. It is now strictly prohibited to export petroleum products. If only there was some way to avoid this outcome.
German employers and unions unite to oppose EU Russian gas boycott.
German software company SAP will suspend all business in Russia
UK set for slowest growth in G7 as Ukraine war hits global economy

China launches a new freight train service from Xi’an to Mannheim in Germany, with a total route length of 11,000 kilometers, using both rail and sea across its journey through Central Asia.
India doubles purchases of Russian crude oil.
India apparently only has 8 days left of coal stocks.
IMF projects India’s growth of 8.2% in 2022, making it world’s fastest-growing major economy
Pakistan only has 18 days of diesel left, and is cutting electricity to households and industry and directing its oil refineries to boost production, but these are also having issues.
87% of IMF Loans Forcing Austerity on Crisis-Ravaged Nations: Analysis
Nakedcapitalism: Sri Lanka Economic Crisis Inflicted by Self-Serving Elite
Mexico’s lithium reserves are now nationalized
Kazakhstan Imposes Quota on Wheat Exports
It’s planting season in Ukraine, and that means problems for global food supply. “The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, Lebanon’s economy minister announced the country of 6.8 million people had enough wheat reserves to last just one month.”

Russia and Armenia sign an agreement on co-operation in information security. They pledge to not give territories to third countries to create biological laboratories against each other’s interests. Russia will restore railways in Armenia. They have agreed to establish a commission on demilitarization and security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Russia and Armenia will work together to overcome the challenges due to sanctions. They advocated the creation of an internal market without restrictions and an increase in the share of settlements in national currencies.
Romania plans to transfer military equipment to Ukraine - such as MiG-21 Lancer fighters. To be immediately shot down, but I guess that’s the point if you want to get some fresh US planes.

The US Deputy Secretary of State has been visiting Central Asian countries and inviting them to economic agreements and technical co-operation, presumably to isolate Russia.
Arbitrary freezing of foreign currency reserves is a violation of the sovereignty of states, said China’s permanent representative to the UN.
Will the US and Germany Turn Mongolia into a Biological Warfare Testing Grounds against Russia and China?
The Looming New World Order Challenges United States Power
Pakistan makes offer to India: The country’s new PM, Shehbaz Sharif, calls for the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute to be finally settled
Sri Lanka crisis: One killed after police fire live bullets at protesters. The zone is getting very cool nowadays.
Solomon Islands: China deal in Pacific stokes Australian fears
Pyongyang considers the events in Bucha a provocation by the West aimed at denigrating the Russian Federation and its isolation

US will deliver over half a dozen flights worth of security assistance to Ukraine in the next 24 hours, as part of the Biden administration’s recent $800 million package.
Also, yet another big package of similar size to this latest $800 million one. Apparently more artillery and more shells.
Ukraine receives aircraft parts from US allies
The German Armed Forces spoke out against the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine. The Deputy Inspector General of the Bundeswehr said that Berlin itself needs such weapons in order to manage the armed forces, as well as train new military personnel.
Germany explains how it can send more arms to Ukraine: The Bundeswehr has no weapons to spare, but Berlin will pay defense industry to arm Ukraine, says Chancellor Scholz
Overnight, Russia hits 73 military facilities, as well as six fuel depots, 910 strong points and areas of concentration of enemy manpower, and 106 artillery positions.
Czech companies will repair damaged Ukrainian equipment, presumably due to the destruction of Ukrainian repair factories.
Forbes: The Ukrainian Air Force Just Got Bigger. Yeah, bigger than zero. Then a few hours later, kaboom, back down to zero.

Intense fighting continues. Non-stop artillery strikes. Russia advances towards Slavyansk.
LPR announces the total control of the city of Kreminna.
DPR announces the capture of Ravnopol, Novoselka, Makarovka and Storozhevoe.

Forbes: Here’s Why Mariupol Is Such A Prized Target For Russia. I love this line: “Russia has cited the controversial white supremacist history of the right-wing Azov Batallion, a Ukrainian military unit defending Mariupol, with Putin defending the invasion as an effort to “denazify” Ukraine. But the unit claims to have shed its more extreme elements.” And Zelensky has said “The Russians completely destroyed Mariupol and burned it to ashes,” but it’s also still being defended by Ukraine and the factory is still intact?
CNN: Opinion: Why the world fails on the ‘Never again’ pledge. This article spends hundreds of words describing crises, mass killings, and wars that the US either caused or played a role in causing, and then just says “Well, that’s just life isn’t it? Countries have their own interests, people aren’t interested in helping countries far away. There are simply no easy solutions here. What a tragedy it is. We have a chance to redeem ourselves and that’s by piping all our weaponry into Ukraine to prolong the misery and thousands of Ukrainian soldiers dying”. Absolutely fucking disgusting. Re-education isn’t enough for these journalists.

The Communist Party of Russia submitted a bill to the State Duma proposing to establish the flag of the USSR as the flag of Russia.
Drought is causing starvation in the Horn of Africa, with 16 million people needing immediate food assistance.
President Luis Arce Rated Best Politician in Bolivia
Lula Likely to Win Next Election in Brazil