Last week there was a lot of breaking news surrounding Russia and Ukraine. Here is what you need to know.
NATO Stays Firm On No-Fly Zone
Ukrainian President Zelenskyv has repeatedly been asking for a no-fly zone over Ukraine But NATO is not stepping up to enforce one.
At this point, we have all seen the devastation in Ukraine partially caused by Russian airstrikes throughout the last few weeks.
The Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says a no-fly zone would effectively shut down those types of attacks and shield his people and give them a fighting chance on the ground.
NATO and our United States allies have repeatedly said no there will not be NATO ally’s boots on the ground in Ukraine or in this case in the sky flying over Ukraine fighting a war. The only way you can enforce a no-fly zone is to eliminate the planes that are violently attacking the airspace.
If NATO planes and allies did this it would potentially put them in the situation where they need to shoot down Russian aircraft.
The president of Ukraine on Friday delivered a speech attacking the NATO decision saying it essentially gives the green light to Russia to continue their airstrikes. In the same speech, President Zelenskyy also thanked NATO countries that have shown support for Ukraine.
Even though the no-fly zone is a no go NATO allies continue to insist they will protect every inch of NATO territory. NATO announced last Friday that they were placing 132 jets and 100 ships on high alert and ready for deployment.
What Happened Monday, March 7?
On Monday a high level of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine’s foreign minister met for the first time since the fighting started. The ministers scheduled a conversation for Thursday.
Russian state media says there is a proposed cease-fires in five Ukrainian cities for citizens so they can safely leave the country which started on Tuesday.
The United States deployed another 500 U.S. troops to different NATO allies across Europe.
Also, a bipartisan group of senate House Democrats and Republicans seems to be inching closer to imposing their sanctions on Russia and Belarus. The group of lawmakers announced a new bill to do several things including:
- Increasing terrifies on Russian imports,
- Suspending normal trade relations,
- and ultimately banning Russian oil.
The Pentagon in the meantime confirmed a report that Russians have indeed started recruiting foreign fighters including from Syria to help in their efforts of invading Ukraine.
What happened On Tuesday, March 8th?
Putin last week was putting his nuclear forces on special alert when it started to become clear that the majority of the world was supporting Ukraine. This talk of nuclear weapons got many people concerned around the world understandably so.
According to the director of National intelligence who testified at a public hearing on Tuesday in front of the House Intelligence Committee, it’s more like he’s trying to rattle people vs bluffing.
Director Avril Haines said the intelligence community has not seen any different escalation from Putin’s nuclear posture than we have seen from him in any other conflict situation.
Director Avril Haines also said she believes the assessment is that Putin does not want to go head to head with NATO and the United States in the military sense but does want to stop us from interfering in Ukraine. United States intelligence says Putin is confident without our help Ukraine will fall and his military will win.
The CIA director and DNI both confirmed Putin has become increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in Ukraine and will most likely double down on more brutal acts.
Putin sees this as a war he can not lose but he may shift what he sees as a win as he continues to suffer losses of his military and from his sanctions. The United States intelligence agency says the next few weeks will be the worst.
Gas Prices Continuation of Tuesday, March 8
Tuesday President Biden announced the United States would ban all Russian oil imports a move House, Senate Democrat and Republicans all support fully knowing it will impact our gas prices.
Gas prices are high now and yes they will likely go up for how much and how long is up to Putin and how long he wants to pursue this invasion into Ukraine. Prices also depend on how creative the U.S. and European countries can get at the plugging crude oil supply gap.
Oil distractions in one part of the world can impact gas prices all over the world.
The attention now turns to whether America can pump more oil or not. The answer is yes America can pump more oil but it is not a light switch you can just switch on oil production takes time to ramp up and oil is primarily pumped by private companies on private land.
Oil companies say the President has put all this red tape up and is pushing more clean energy and moving the country away from fossil fuels. On the other hand, President Biden says the oil companies have the permits, the land, and the right to drill but they just aren’t. President Biden also said any company that is found profiteering will be prosecuted.
The United States can import from other countries besides the ones we already do, but countries like Iran aren’t that much better for the United States politically to align with.
What Happened on Wednesday, March 9?
On Wednesday a maternity ward in Ukraine was shelled by Russia, destroying the hospital.
The attack happened during a 12 hour agreed time slot for refugees to flee the country.
After the attack, Russian state media played it up without any evidence that it was a planned attack for attention by Ukraine.
Vice President Kamala Harris also landed down in Poland to discuss the next steps with the United States allies.
What Happened on Friday, March 11?
The Russian attacks throughout Ukraine continued and in some places escalated. The White House is now saying Russia’s current strategy is escalation without an end game.
The White House and Ukraine's president both publicly expressed concern over the possibility of Putin using chemical weapons against Ukraine. President Biden in remarks Friday said Russia would pay a severe price if that happened.
President Biden spoke with President Zelenskyy for nearly an hour on Friday about the state of the situation on the ground and stood by his commitment U.S. troops would not be entering Ukraine.
The White House also announced another round of sanctions against Russia stripping the country of its current permanent normal trade relation status with the U.S.
These sanctions have been echoed by our G7 and EU partners who do a lot of business with Russia. In the United States, this move must be approved by Congress but the House is set to take it up very soon.
