Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues into a sixth day, including on the capital Kyiv, with reports of an armored convoy stretching 40 miles advancing on the capital.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine held at the Belarusian border broke up on Monday with no agreement, after Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that Ukraine disarm and stay out of NATO, and also insisted on formal recognition of Crimea as Russian. Both delegations returned to their national capitals for consultations.
As the two sides were meeting, Russia launched a vicious bombardment of civilians in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, killing 11 people and wounding dozens, in an example of the Russian military’s growing willingness to fire missiles into residential areas.
The danger of further escalation also grew with reports that Belarusian forces could cross the border in support of Putin.
Follow POLITICO’s live blog coverage below for the latest developments and analysis.
FRENCH FINANCE MINISTER COUNTS ON 'COLLAPSE' OF RUSSIAN ECONOMY
France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that the West's economic sanctions against Russia were of “formidable effectiveness” and would lead to a collapse of the Russian economy.
“We can already see the effects. Putin's war chest is already reduced to almost nothing. We will cause the collapse of the Russian economy,” Le Maire said on French radio France Info. “We are going to wage a total economic and financial war on Russia,” he added, before pointing out that, “the Russian people will also pay the consequences.”
Le Maire also said he would hold talks with the heads of French energy companies Total and Engie about their activities in Russia, at a time when several multinationals are cutting ties with the country. There is “a problem of principle” in working with “personalities close to the Russian power,” Le Maire said.
OLIGARCHS WILL PRESSURE PUTIN, UK MINISTER ARGUES
Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said financial sanctions will drive Russia's oligarchs to pressure President Vladimir Putin to end his war in Ukraine because the business elite “need access to the international system,” he told BBC Breakfast.
The former foreign secretary, who toured the TV and radio studios Tuesday morning, did not rule out supplying Ukraine with fighter jets when asked on LBC Radio, and said Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich should call out Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.
Calling the prospect of a diplomatic resolution “slim,” Raab added: “It's also true to say that the financiers who are close to Putin, the oligarchs and the like, are often one of the most important points of leverage and that's where our sanctions have been directed and targeted.”
Raab, a former human rights lawyer who now serves as justice secretary, ruled out Ukraine's demand for a no-fly zone over the country. Yet he warned Putin may now resort to “heavy-handed tactics” after facing initial resistance.
“We need to be very, very vigilant to any breaches of the law of war,” he told the BBC Radio 4's “Today” program.
LATEST CASUALTIES UPDATE FROM THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES
The Ukrainian Armed Forces shared what it says are the latest losses on the Russian side from February 24 to March 1 at 6 a.m.
As follows: 5,710 casualties and 200 prisoners of war. Destroyed and damaged planes 29; helicopters 29; tanks 198; armored vehicles 846; artillery systems 77; air defense systems 7; multiple rocket launchers 24; fuel tankers 60; drones 3; boats 2; and light-armored vehicles 305.
The post further says that the “data is being updated” and that “the calculations are complicated by the high intensity of the combat.”
UKRAINE CALLS ON VPN SERVICES TO CUT RUSSIA OFF
Ukraine's Cyberpolice force on Monday asked 30 virtual private network (VPN) providers to stop servicing customers with Russian IP addresses.
A VPN, or virtual private network, allows internet users to browse the web while keeping their identities and locations hidden. The technology is widely used, among other reasons, to circumvent geoblocking restrictions.
According to a statement, the Cyberpolice said: “VPN services are used by the occupier for anonymization on the internet and dissemination of misinformation and illegal activities against the population of Ukraine.”
The statement added that one company, Keepsolid, had thus far agreed to the request.
KHARKIV REGIONAL HQ HIT BY ROCKET STRIKE
The regional state administrative headquarters in the center of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was hit by a rocket on Tuesday, according to video reports.
Footage showed the rocket striking the six-story stone building, causing a large blast and fireball. Passing cars rolled to a halt and some survivors got out. Other video taken from a car showed charred vehicles and wreckage on the street.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, has been at the center of heavy fighting since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine last week. A rocket attack on a residential area killed 11 and wounded dozens on Monday.
RUSSIA USED VACUUM BOMB, UKRAINIAN ENVOY TO US SAYS
Russia has deployed a vacuum bomb during its invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, told reporters overnight after a meeting with U.S. lawmakers.
A vacuum bomb, also called a thermobaric weapon, works by taking in oxygen to create powerful, high-temperature explosions.
“They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by the Geneva convention,” Markarova said. She added that Ukraine was working actively with U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to obtain more weapons and tougher sanctions.
NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have said Russian forces also appear to be using banned cluster munitions, including at a preschool in northeastern Ukraine.
70 UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN RUSSIAN ARTILLERY STRIKE
Seventy Ukrainian soldiers have been in a Russian artillery strike on a military base in Okhtyrka, in Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, the head of the regional administration said.
The deaths came amid heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the Sumy region, and in nearby Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city where 11 people were killed and dozens wounded on Monday in a rocket attack on a residential area.
Images from the scene showed a gutted building and large water-filled shell holes on the territory of the military base in Okhtyrka.
“Yesterday, enemy artillery bombarded a military unit. We are continuing to recover bodies from the rubble,” Sumy region administrative chief Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said in a Telegram post at around midnight on Monday. “There are many dead. Now they are preparing places in the cemetery for 70 Ukrainian soldiers.”
Zhyvytskyy also said casualties were high among Russian troops, and their bodies were being collected by the Red Cross to be sent home. The fatalities were reported after a first round of peace talks was held between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, which adjourned without a breakthrough.
DISNEY PULLS FILMS OUT OF RUSSIA
Disney, the largest movie studio in Hollywood, will no longer release its films in Russia as a result of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, a company spokesperson said in a statement published overnight.
“Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming ‘Turning Red’ from Pixar,” the Walt Disney Company spokesperson said. “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.”
The statement added that Disney was working with NGOs “to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.”
WHERE WE’RE AT THIS MORNING
Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues into a sixth day, including on the capital Kyiv, with reports of an armored convoy stretching 40 miles advancing on the capital. As the day was dawning, air raid sirens sounded in cities around Ukraine. Russian troops have also reportedly begun a ground assault on the southern city of Kherson, with local media reporting the city is almost completely surrounded.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine on the Belarusian border broke up on Monday with no agreement, after Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that Ukraine disarm and stay out of NATO, and also insisted on formal recognition of Crimea as Russian. Both delegations returned to their national capitals for consultations.
As the two sides were meeting, Russia launched a vicious bombardment of civilians in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, killing 11 people and wounding dozens, in an example of the Russian military’s growing willingness to fire missiles into residential areas.
The danger of further escalation also grew with reports that Belarusian forces could cross the border in support of Putin.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT TO PURSUE PROBE INTO UKRAINE CRISIS
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan will open an investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said Monday evening.
“I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the Situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible,” Khan said in a statement on the court’s website.
The ICC chief prosecutor had warned Russia and Ukraine on Friday that any act of genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity may fall under the jurisdiction of the court and could therefore be investigated by his office.
Opening an investigation is the next step in an existing probe into hostilities in eastern Ukraine, for which a preliminary probe was concluded at the end of 2020. Khan said the investigation would include the “expansion of the conflict in recent days,” meaning any additional evidence following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that started on Thursday. More details here.
ZELENSKYY CALLS FOR RUSSIA TO BE BOOTED FROM UN SECURITY COUNCIL
In a new video address posted to his social media at around 10:30 p.m. Kyiv time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for Russia to be stripped of its seat at the U.N. Security Council.
“Russian forces have today cruelly targeted Kharkiv with artillery fire … This is a peaceful place, peaceful suburbs … The Russians knew where they were shooting,” Zelenskyy said, calling again for an immediate no-fly zone over Ukraine.
“A state that commits war crimes against civilians can't be a member of the U.N. Security Council.”
He continued: “Such a state can't have access to all ports, canals, airports in the world. Such a state should not receive hundreds of billions for energy exports. To buy Russian goods now is to pay for killing people.”
SPANISH PM: ROAD TO JOINING EU 'LONG,' BUT UKRAINE HAS 'CLEAR' FUTURE
The process for Ukraine to join the EU would likely be “long,” but the country nevertheless has a “clear” future with the 27-member bloc, according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
“There is a process, there are procedures, there are reforms to put in place and therefore it’s a long process,” Sánchez told broadcaster TVE, noting the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement already in place as well as the Eastern Partnership deal, which also includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.
“I believe that the debate over Ukraine’s membership to the EU is a debate that will take place,” Sánchez said. “There are countries that have a clear position … others which consider that this is not the right timing … but what is clear is that Ukraine has a clear European future.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has put the EU on the spot today, imploring the bloc to make good on expressions of support by granting his country immediate EU membership as it fights Russia’s invasion.
A French official today also noted that Ukraine's accession to the EU should be part of a broader debate and will take time.
EU ADDS MORE NAMES TO SANCTIONS LIST, INCLUDING MAJOR RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS
The European Union today added 26 more people to its sanctions list imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, including some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest confidantes and several of the country's highest-profile oligarchs.
Among those sanctioned are Igor Sechin, the CEO of state oil company Rosneft and a former deputy head of Putin's administration who has worked with the Russian leader since the 1990s.
The sanctions list now also includes Nikolay Tokarev, CEO of Transneft, a state-controlled pipeline transport company, and Gennady Timchenko, the founder and main shareholder of the Volga Group, which specializes in investments in energy, transport and infrastructure assets. More details here.
SPACE AGENCY SAYS MARS MISSION DELAYED
The European Space Agency said today that its joint Mars mission with Russia's Roscosmos will be delayed due to the impact of war.
“The sanctions and the wider context make a launch in 2022 very unlikely,” the Paris-based agency said of the exploration mission. The ExoMars rover was due to launch from Kazakhstan later this year.
ESA also said Russian workers had been withdrawn by Moscow from the space port in French Guiana.
Elsewhere, the Ukrainian government said Monday it had received hardware from SpaceX to hook up the Starlink satellite internet network.
FRANCE TO UKRAINE: JOINING THE EU IS A 'COMPLEX PROCESS'
An Elysée official today noted that Ukraine's accession to the EU should be part of a broader debate and will take time.
“Ukraine is a country in the heart of Europe, a country whose destiny and democratic choice is important to us … the fact is also that we must be careful not to make promises that we cannot keep,” the official told reporters this evening, while noting that the accession debate is “a long-term conversation” which should also involve other countries such as Moldova or Georgia.
Early today European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview that Ukraine belonged in EU. Asked whether that statement was consistent with the French position, the Elysée official didn't take a position and noted that “it was normal” that von der Leyen participates in this debate.
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