The overall report:
Russia appears to be slowly constricting itself, albeit haphazardly, around the vital centers of Ukraine, their four biggest cities, but all is not going well for Russia, nor, obviously for the Ukrainians as well.
Putin has allegedly told French President Macron that the war in Ukraine is for total control of the country, and there is far worse to come. As this is being reported, we are also learning that a second round of talks has begun in Belarus.
A city in Ukraine that controls their biggest power station, a nuclear power plant, is at risk of falling soon. Perhaps the newly arriving Bayraktar TB-2 drones from NATO countries will stem the tide in their favor, or slow Russia down long enough to force a more advantageous settlement for Ukraine, one that includes their continued sovereignty.
China is denying the allegations they told Russia to hold off on invading Ukraine until after the Olympics, calling the accusation by the US Officials ‘fake news.’
The World Bank and other world financial institutions are doing what they can to ban, boycott, or impede Russian finance, but hurting Russia financially is not so simple due to the dependence on Russian energy from European countries. The United States itself is being accused of being a hypocrite for continuing to buy energy from Russia, fueling its military efforts (the allegations go). Poland wants Europe to ban Russian coal while Germany doesn’t want to ban Russia’s oil and gas businesses.
Russians are protesting their country’s war and using cryptocurrencies to fund Ukrainians. Both sides, Russia and Ukraine, are using NFTs to try fund their efforts.
The rippling effect of the war is reaching South Pacific Countries, that are making not so veiled threats to China in how they are supporting sanctions against Russia. The further formation of anti-China alliances are continuing to advance and even be accelerated thanks to Russia’s choice to invade Ukraine.
The stories this report was produced from:
Top Stories
From news.sky.com
2022-03-03 15:19:00
Excerpt:
Vladimir Putin wants to seize all of Ukraine and “worse is to come” during the conflict, the French president has warned.
Emmanuel Macron held talks with Mr Putin over the phone this afternoon in a bid to ease tensions between Russia and the West.
The pair spoke for 90 minutes, with Mr Putin telling Mr Macron the war in Ukraine is “going according to plan”, a French official said.
Russia-Ukraine war LIVE: Second round of talks between both countries underway in Balarus
From www.hindustantimes.com
2022-03-03 15:35:00
Excerpt:
- Mar 03, 2022 09:04 PM IST
Putin vows ‘uncompromising fight’ as Ukraine war enters second week
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed no let-up in his invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, even as the warring sides met for ceasefire talks and Kyiv demanded safe passage for besieged civilians.
“Russia intends to continue the uncompromising fight against militants of nationalist armed groups,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin account of a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
- Mar 03, 2022 08:49 PM IST
9 dead after Russian forces strike Ukraine’s Chernihiv city
Nine dead after Russian forces strike northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, reports AFP citing the Governor.
- Mar 03, 2022 08:38 PM IST
Second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine kicks off, informs Belarus
The second round of Russia-Ukraine talks kick off in Belarus: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
- Mar 03, 2022 08:08 PM IST
Second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian…
From eurasiantimes.com
2022-03-03 15:44:21
Excerpt:
European countries are delivering the latest weaponry including anti-tank missiles to Ukraine to bolster its defense against the invading Russian troops. NATO member Turkey has also done its part and has reportedly strengthened Ukrainian offensive capabilities by sending more Bayraktar TB-2 drones.
On March 2, Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced that new combat-ready TB2s had arrived in the country as part of a larger international military assistance package.
“New Bayraktars have already arrived in Ukraine and have been put into service. More Stingers and Javelins are to come,” Reznikov said. Many European countries, including the UK, Germany, and Sweden, have recently pledged that they will send weapons to Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion, which began on February 24, 2022.
The minister’s comment came a day after the Turkish Air Force Airbus A400M transport plane was seen flying from Ankara to Poland. Ukraine was known to have received six TB2s…
From abcnews.go.com
2022-03-03 15:53:46
Excerpt:
Mayor of Enerhodar: Ukrainian forces battling Russian troops for control of city that has Europe’s largest nuclear plant
The China Olympics Request to Russia
China Asked Russia to Delay Ukraine War Until After Olympics, U.S. Officials Say
From www.nytimes.com
2022-03-02 22:42:05
Excerpt:
China and Russia have been strengthening their economic, diplomatic and military ties for years. Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin met 37 times as national leaders before their discussions in Beijing ahead of the Olympics. The ambitious joint statement that the two nations issued during that meeting alarmed American and European officials, especially because it was the first time China had explicitly sided with Russia on issues concerning NATO and European security. European leaders have denounced China and Russia in recent weeks, including in speeches at the Munich Security Conference.
For months, some American officials tried to recruit China in efforts to avert war in Ukraine.
Days after President Biden spoke to Mr. Xi in a video summit on Nov. 15, senior American officials decided to present intelligence on the Russian troop buildup around Ukraine to senior Chinese officials to try to get them to persuade Mr. Putin to stand down. The Americans spoke to Qin Gang, the Chinese ambassador in…
China responds to claim it asked Russia to delay Ukraine offensive — RT World News
From www.rt.com
2022-03-03 16:09:11
RT
Excerpt:
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin has condemned the “fake” and “very despicable” suggestion that Beijing asked Russia to delay its invasion of Ukraine until after the 2022 Winter Olympics had finished.
Speaking at a daily briefing on Thursday, Wang told reporters that the allegation in the New York Times newspaper “is purely fake news, and such behaviors of diverting attention and shifting blame are very despicable.” He reiterated the country’s claim that the US provoked Russia by not ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine.
The report in the New York Times quoted a Western intelligence report as saying senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials to not invade Ukraine until the international sporting event in Beijing had concluded.
The article claims the “report indicates that senior Chinese officials had some level of direct knowledge about Russia’s war plans or intentions before the invasion started.”
…
Russians Against their War
Anti-war Russians start donating crypto to support Ukraine
From cointelegraph.com
2022-03-03 12:10:35
Cointelegraph By Helen Partz
Excerpt:
While the West is growing increasingly concerned over Russia’s potential use of cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions, some Russians are using their Bitcoin (BTC) to help Ukrainian people.
Pavel Muntyan, a renowned Russian animation producer and creator of the animated web series “Mr. Freeman,” has called on anti-war Russians to support Ukrainian citizens amid Russia’s ongoing military attack on the country.
Muntyan took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce the opening of a cryptocurrency donation address for Russians who want to support Ukrainian people anonymously as Russia has banned its citizens from helping people in Ukraine.
On Feb. 27, Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office officially warned that any assistance to Ukrainians amid Russia’s “special operation” in the country would be considered high treason, with Russians risking being jailed for up to 20 years.
As such, Muntyan is now urging Russians to provide financial support to those who have suffered from…
Dozens detained at anti-war rallies in Russia
From www.channelnewsasia.com
2022-03-02 21:59:16
Excerpt:
MOSCOW: Dozens of anti-war demonstrators were detained in Moscow and Saint Petersburg on Wednesday (Mar 2) after jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny called on Russians to protest President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Police in Putin’s hometown of Saint Petersburg violently dispersed protesters and detained around 100 people, an AFP journalist at the scene said.
In Moscow, law enforcement closed off Red Square near the Kremlin and detained at least seven people who gathered while loudspeakers warned people from convening.
The demonstrations Wednesday came hours after Navalny called for daily rallies against the military assault, saying Russia should not be a “nation of frightened cowards” and calling Putin “an insane little tsar”.
In Moscow, one woman in a red coat shouted “No war!” before being hauled off by police to a van, according to an AFP journalist.
“It pains me to see what is happening and to do nothing,” a man in his fifties told AFP, before being arrested with his son, 17.
“I couldn’t stay at home. This war has to be stopped,” student Anton Kislov, 21, told AFP in Saint Petersburg.
The Financial Wars
World Bank halts all programs in Russia, Belarus with immediate effect
From news.yahoo.com
2022-03-02 22:19:10
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Bank on Wednesday said it had stopped all programs in Russia and Belarus with immediate effect, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and “hostilities against the people of Ukraine.”
In a statement, the multilateral development bank said it had not approved any new loans to or investments in Russia since 2014, the year Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine.
The bank said it had not approved any new lending to Belarus since mid-2020, when the United States imposed sanctions on the country over a disputed presidential election.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Leslie Adler)
US Buys Russian Oil, Helping Fund Putin’s Conquest of Ukraine – Russia ‘Bombing Civilians Non-Stop’
From www.cbn.com
2022-03-03 15:25:13
Excerpt:
Ukrainian officials are reporting more than 2,000 casualties as Russia continues to shell major cities, including civilian areas.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “These aren’t military targets, they are places where civilians work and families live. This is shameful.”
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), who has family and friends in Ukraine, called Russia’s conduct in Ukraine, “barbaric and brutal to the level unbelievable. They are bombing civilians non-stop, non-stop from morning til night.”
The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor announced an investigation into war crimes.
The Russians have reportedly taken the strategic port city of Kherson, the first large Ukrainian city to fall, and have four major Ukrainian cities surrounded. A massive…
Poland calls on EU to abandon Russian coal
From www.ukrinform.net
2022-03-02 20:08:10
Excerpt:
Sanctions against Russia must be tough, including an embargo on non-Russian energy exports.
This was stated on Wednesday by the head of the Polish government, Mateusz Morawiecki, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“I once again call on the European Commission to dare to embargo Russian coal,” Morawiecki said.
The Polish prime minister has noted that Poland wants to immediately stop receiving coal from Russia. As a result, Morawiecki held talks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday to have Australian coal exported to Poland.
The Polish prime minister also said that Poland was ready to impose an embargo on Russian coal at any moment, without waiting for an EU decision. At the same time, he added that the embargo is the competence of the European Commission, so Warsaw must receive assurances from Brussels that it would not face repercussions for taking this step.
Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine since…
Germany opposes ban on Russian oil and gas
From www.telegraph.co.uk
2022-03-03 15:45:00
Excerpt:
Good morning.
The London Stock Exchange has rolled out a block on trading in 27 companies with close ties to Russia.
EN+, Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft and Sberbank are among the firms affected by the block, which comes into effect immediately.
London Stock Exchange Group said it was blocking trading in the companies “in light of market conditions, and in order to maintain orderly markets”.
On Monday the Deutsche Borse halted trading in 16 companies with links to Russia, while the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq have taken similar action.
EFT Wars
Russian ETF soars as some see bargain in ‘uninvestable’ market | Russia-Ukraine war News
From www.aljazeera.com
2022-03-03 15:45:03
Excerpt:
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) remain one of the few ways left to gain exposure to Russia as western sanctions punish Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
A Russia-exposed ETF rose by more than 100 percent in London on Thursday in a sign that some investors see current distressed levels as a potentially cheap entry point for Russian assets, even as the Ukraine crisis intensifies.
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) remain one of the few ways left to gain exposure to Russia in the wake of Western sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, as they continue trading even if liquidity in the underlying asset dries up, although this makes it difficult to estimate the correct value.
The Moscow bourse has been closed for four days in a row and Russian stocks and bonds are now “in the realms of utterly uninvestable”, said Peter Harrison, CEO of Schroders.
Like other asset managers, Schroders has pending sell orders on Russian stocks.
Despite many investors not touching Russian…
Ukraine Turns to NFTs for War Funding After Raising $46M in Cryptocurrency
From www.newsweek.com
2022-03-03 16:04:32
Excerpt:
Ukraine is funding its war against Russia by appealing to the crypto-currency universe, as the country will soon release non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to help financially support its armed forces.
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov announced the upcoming NFTs on Thursday. He also confirmed that the country was canceling the “airdrop,” which would have rewarded donors by distributing crypto tokens directly into their wallets. The free gift strategy is often used as a promotional tool to drive the usage of a token or donations to a project.
“Every day there are more and more people willing to help Ukraine to fight back the aggression. Instead, we will announce NFTs to support Ukrainian Armed Forces soon,” Fedorov said.
The Russian military dwarfs Ukraine’s armed forces and Ukrainian officials have had to get creative to mount a strong resistance to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered weapons to anyone willing to fight, including…
Distant Ripple Effects
In Ukraine sanctions effort, some Indo-Pacific countries send veiled warning to China
From www.washingtonpost.com
2022-03-03 11:03:07
Excerpt:
Some key countries in East Asia are joining with the West to take what is for them the exceptional step of imposing significant financial sanctions, officials and analysts say, brought together by outrage at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concern over China’s growing aggression in the region.
“We want to demonstrate what happens when a country invades another country,” said one Japanese official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.
Not only did Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, freeze Moscow’s access to tens of billions of dollars worth of its currency reserves held in the central bank in Tokyo. It joined with other Group of Seven nations and Australia to cut some Russian banks off from a global interbank messaging system known as SWIFT and freeze the assets of Russian officials and elites. It is also targeting individuals and organizations from Belarus…..
Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims as its own, said its world-leading chip companies will stop exports to Russia and align with the West on the SWIFT sanction. It’s an important moment for Taiwan, which wants to show it can join the democratic alliance of countries, analysts said.
“At the core of the Indo-Pacific’s response is the fact that they know very well that China will be watching what happens in Europe very closely for signals on what might occur were it to make a similarly aggressive move on Taiwan, or elsewhere,” said…
