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Ukraine Invasion
Defense Policy / Programs
Foreign Policy
News Reports

Ukraine Invasion

• NATO Fears Russia's Failures in Ukraine Making Putin More Dangerous VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Senior Western officials are increasingly alarmed that Russia's losses in Ukraine are making President Vladimir Putin more dangerous, some going as far as to compare him to a caged animal ready to lash out.
• War Crimes by Russia's Forces in Ukraine US Dept. of State 23 Mar 2022 -- "Since launching his unprovoked and unjust war of choice, Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed unrelenting violence that has caused death and destruction across Ukraine. We've seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities."
• U.S. Government Declares That Members Of Russian Forces Have Committed 'War Crimes' In Ukraine RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- The U.S. government has determined that members of Russia's forces have committed war crimes during the country's invasion of Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on March 23.
• Blinken Formalizes Accusations of Russian War Crimes in Ukraine VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine and that the U.S. will work to hold Russia accountable.
• Biden, Stoltenberg Warn Of Threat Of Russia Using Chemical Weapons In Ukraine RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden says the threat of Russia using chemical weapons against Ukraine was "real" as NATO head Jens Stoltenberg warned of "far-reaching consequences" if Moscow were to use armaments.
• Biden: There's a 'real threat' that Putin could use chemical weapons against Ukraine Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- US President Joe Biden on Wednesday claimed there is a "real threat" that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use chemical weapons against Ukraine, days after Moscow revealed that the Pentagon financed a biological weapons research program in the former Soviet republic.
• Operational information on 18.00, 23.03.2022 regarding the russian invasion Ukraine MOD 23 Mar 2022
• Operational information on 12.00, 23.03.2022 regarding the russian invasion Ukraine MOD 23 Mar 2022
• Operational information on 06.00, 23.03.2022 regarding the russian invasion Ukraine MOD 23 Mar 2022
• Operational information on 24.00, 22.03.2022 regarding the russian invasion Ukraine MOD 23 Mar 2022
• Russian Forces Invading Ukraine Suffer Low Morale DoD News 23 Mar 2022 -- Russian forces invading Ukraine are suffering low morale that could affect the outcome of the battle there, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said.
• Battles Rage In Mariupol As Western Allies Prepare For Emergency Session To Plan Next Steps RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- Tensions remained high and fighting raged in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol as NATO allies prepared to meet to map out the next steps in efforts to stop Russia's assault on Ukraine following the U.S. government's official declaration of "war crimes" being carried out by some of Moscow's invading forces.
• Russia-Ukraine Talks Difficult, Kiev Constantly Changing Positions, Lavrov Says Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- On Tuesday, Russian deputy representative to the United Nations Dmitri Polyansky suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent statements contradict one another, making negotiations difficult.
• Russia FM: US hindering peace talks with Ukraine, seeks to prolong conflict Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the United States is interested in prolonging the military conflict in Ukraine and is hindering what he described as "tough" peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Meeting with Government members President of Russia 23 Mar 2022 -- Vladimir Putin held a meeting, via videoconference, with Government members.
• Russia would only use nuclear weapons if existence threatened: Kremlin Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- The Kremlin says Russia will only use nuclear weapons if its very existence were threatened, as concerns continue to grow in the West that Moscow's military operation in Ukraine could escalate into a full-scale nuclear war.

Foreign Policy

• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at a meeting with students and faculty of the MGIMO University, Moscow, March 23, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Mar 2022
• Putin to attend G-20 summit amid moves to oust Russia from group Radio Free Asia 23 Mar 2022 -- President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the G-20 summit in Bali in October, Russia's ambassador to Indonesia said Wednesday, amid reports of attempts by Western governments to oust Moscow from the group over its invasion of Ukraine.
• Response by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to a media query regarding the recent remarks by the chief EU diplomat Josep Borrell Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Mar 2022
• Medvedev: Russia Wants to See US as Strong, Smart Country Rather Than Last Resort for Seniles Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Ever since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on 24 February, aimed at demilitarising the country and ridding it of the influence of neo-Nazi elements in the government and armed forces, the US and its allies have been funnelling military assistance to Ukraine, while unleashing a massive sanctions campaign targeting Moscow.
• Russia urges Washington to quit escalating tensions People's Daily 23 Mar 2022 -- Washington must stop escalating tensions if it wishes to normalize ties with Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Tuesday.
• Russia ceases to be a Party to the European Convention on Human Rights on 16 September 2022 Council of Europe 23 Mar 2022 -- Following its expulsion from the Council of Europe on 16 March 2022, the Russian Federation will cease to be a High Contracting Party to the European Convention on Human Rights on 16 September 2022. This was confirmed today in a Resolution by the Committee of Ministers.
• Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett President of Russia 23 Mar 2022 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett.
• Telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz President of Russia 23 Mar 2022 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz.
• Putin, Macron discuss Ukraine issue over phone People's Daily 23 Mar 2022 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday held a phone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during which they discussed the situation in Ukraine.
• Russia To Expel U.S. Diplomats In Tit-For-Tat Retaliation For Earlier Move By Washington RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- The Kremlin says it is expelling a number of U.S. diplomats in reaction to Washington's move earlier this month to expel 12 Russian representatives to the United Nations based in the United States.
• Poland Orders Expulsion Of 45 Russian Embassy, Trade Mission Staff As Threat To Country, NATO RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- Poland has ordered the expulsion of 45 Russian Embassy and trade mission staff members, accusing them of working for Moscow's secret services and describing them as a danger to the country's and NATO's security.
• Moscow Vows Response to Poland's Decision to Expel 45 Russian Diplomats Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Earlier, the Polish Onet news portal reported, citing government sources, that Poland was expelling about 40 Russian diplomats, accusing them of espionage.
• Poland Says 45 Russian Diplomats Are Suspected Spies VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- Poland's interior ministry says 45 Russian diplomats have been identified as working in Poland as spies and they have been expelled.

News Reports

• Putin Orders Ruble Payments for Energy, Says West's Freeze on Russian Reserves Undermined Currencies Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Last week, Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov confirmed that about $300 billion of Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserve cushion had been frozen as a result of Western sanctions. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the move "theft."
• Russia Says 'Unfriendly' Countries Will Have To Pay In Rubles For Gas Supplies RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia will start forcing "unfriendly countries" -- including all European Union states -- to pay for their natural gas supplies in rubles.
• West ban on Russia oil, gas would hammer global markets: Moscow Press TV 23 Mar 2022 -- Moscow warns that the world's oil and gas markets would collapse if Russian crude was banned by the West over the conflict in Ukraine.
• Finland Aims to Terminate Its Dependence on Russian Energy Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Finland's aspiration to put an end to its reliance on Russian fossil fuels is clearly at odds with its ambitious climate goals, that include complete carbon neutrality by 2035.
• Arrival of Oligarch Yachts Raises Questions About Turkey's Stance on Russia VOA 23 Mar 2022 -- A small protest group of Ukrainians greeted the arrival of a large yacht belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. The billion-dollar vessel was joined a day later by a second owned by Abramovich at the Turkish Aegean resort of Bodrum, a popular playground for the world's super-rich.
• Noted Post-Soviet Reformer Chubais Quits Post As Putin's Envoy, Reportedly Leaves Russia RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- Well-known post-Soviet reformer Anatoly Chubais has left his post as Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy for stable development, a move that could signal the highest-profile protest inside the Kremlin against Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
• Anatoly Chubais Resigned Himself, Was Not Fired, Kremlin Says Sputnik 23 Mar 2022 -- Anatoly Chubais has resigned from the post of Russian President Vladimir Putin's special presidential representative for relations with international organisations himself and was not fired, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
• 'A Very Big Secret': Boat Crews Link Alleged Putin Superyacht To Russian Tycoons' Other Vessels RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- A superyacht that Kremlin opponents claim secretly belongs to Russian President Vladimir Putin shared the same construction manager and European crew members as several other yachts owned by Russian tycoons that Western governments have either seized or targeted with sanctions, an investigation by RFE/RL has found.
• Worried Russians Stockpile Medicine As Supplies Run Thin And Prices Rise RFE/RL 23 Mar 2022 -- After undergoing heart surgery not long ago, Yelena Dmitriyeva was put on a rotation of four different medications. All of them are imported. All of them are now in short supply in her southern Russian city, Rostov-on-Don.