There has been lots of breaking news this week surrounding Russia and Ukraine. Here is what you need to know.
What Happened Monday, March 14?
Russia’s attack on Ukraine continued with missiles not just hitting Kyiv but also a few miles away from NATO territory in Poland.
The United States national security advisor Jake Sullivan met for 7 hours in Rome with one of China’s highest-level diplomates.
U.S. intelligence agencies say Putin may be having trouble fighting this war and turning to China for both financial and military help.
Russia has denied all of this but in Monday’s meeting, the United States warned China if they helped Russia of the negative implications like trade and economic consequences. The State Department has not commented on whether or not China has agreed to provide or already has provided assistance to Russia.
The Ukrainian president addressed the United States Congress virtually at 9 am on Wednesday.
An employee for Russia’s largest state-run broadcast protested on air holding a sign that said no war, do not believe the propaganda they tell you. That is illegal in Russia. She was arrested and charged.
Finally, the price of crude oil fell from its high of 110 dollars last week to starting Monday below a hundred dollar mark.
What Happened On Tuesday, March 15?
Missile attacks have finally come to the doorsteps of Kyiv’s doorsteps and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine continued on Tuesday but the Kremlin said a breakthrough is far off.
As the fighting ratchets up President Biden announced he will be traveling to Brussels next Thursday for a joint meeting with our NATO allies to discuss how NATO can further support Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky appeared via live video conference before a session of Canada’s Parliament and received a 2-minute standing ovation.
On Wednesday Zelensky will take his address to the United States Congress where he addressed our country’s Democrats and Republicans. This address took place at 9 am. More on that in a minute.
After that President Biden addressed our country in an update on what is going on and what the United States is doing to support Ukraine. More on that in a minute as well.
Also, Tuesday The Russian government-sanctioned members from the U.S. here who has been sanctioned:
- President Biden,
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin,
- United States Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs Mark Milley,
- National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan,
- Director of the Central Intelligence Agency William Burns,
- White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki,
- Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh,
- The administrator of the United States Agency of International Development Samantha Powers,
- Hunter Biden,
- Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
- And The President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States Reta Lewis.
What Happened Wednesday, March 16?
Wednesday President Biden called Putin a war criminal but the White House is saying he was “speaking from the heart” when he made that declaration against Putin. This came after a time where the White House was carefully choosing its words for weeks. Putin’s spokesperson called them “ unacceptable and unforgivable”.
Earlier in the day President Biden announced an additional 800 million dollars worth of military aid going straight from the U.S. to Ukraine. It includes:
- 9,000 shoulder mounted javelin missiles,
- 800 stinger anti aircraft systems,
- 20 million rounds of ammunition,
- 7,000 gran aid launchers,
- More guns,
- And special anti tank drones known as switch blades.
In a press conference Senator Lindsey Graham was asked if he still stands by his comments on assassinating Putin and he said he didn’t care how it happens, it just needs to happen.
In an emotional appeal to Congress, Ukrainian President Zelensky begged the U.S. to help him impose a no-fly zone.
A no-fly zone is something the White House and most of Congress does not support in fear it would draw The United States and NATO pilots into the conflict.
Behind the scenes President Biden is working to get him S300 Russian made long-range severance missiles. The U.S. does not have them but some eastern European countries.
What Happened on Friday, March 18?
The phone call that took place on Friday is critical to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time in nearly 4 months.
All week the White House and the U.S. intelligence agencies have said Putin is getting frustrated with the lack of progress in Ukraine and has asked China for both military and economic help.
The United States has warned China not to help Russia or there would be consequences. China has so far refused to denounce Putin’s actions or even call what Russia is doing an invasion.
But at the same time, Chinese officials on the world stage are saying they want peace and are willing to organize peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
With China doing this they have been able to play both sides. This call between President Biden and Jinping may force China to choose a side or at least give the U.S. a better idea of where China stands in all this.
Before the Olympics, President Putin and Jinping announced that the relationship between the two countries had no limits but that statement has really put China in a difficult place for two reasons.
- One china has a strong foreign policy of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries,
- Second, China prioritizes economic stability mostly through trade with nearly every country in the world.
When it comes down to it, Russia is just one trading partner and the United States has hinted that if China helps Russia go around these sanctions with either economic or military support will impact China’s ability to trade with NATO.
