Russian President Vladimir Putin said relations between the US and Russia are “experiencing a deep crisis,” as he sought to blame Washington for his invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
(Bloomberg) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said relations between the US and Russia are “experiencing a deep crisis,” as he sought to blame Washington for his invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on a visit to China that the Asian country can play a “major role” in Ukraine while adding that he opposes moves to decouple from the world’s second-biggest economy. NATO foreign ministers held a second day of talks in Brussels on Wednesday, focusing on threats and spending after Finland became the 31st member.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was visiting Poland, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, to discuss defense and economic cooperation.
Key Developments
- US Summoned Russian Ambassador Over WSJ Reporter’s Detention
- Biden Aide Who Helped Design Russia Oil Price Cap Exits Treasury
- Macron Says China Can Play Role in Ukraine, Rejects Decoupling
- Putin Says US-Russia Ties in ‘Deep Crisis,’ Blames Washington
- Finland Unlikely to Get NATO Battle Group on Its Territory
- Germany’s Ultimate Fighting Machines Are Racking Up Orders
- Latvia Reintroduces Draft in Response to Russia’s War on Ukraine
(All times CET)
Biden Aide Who Helped Design Oil Price Cap Departs (5:45 a.m.)
Ben Harris, one of Joe Biden’s top economic aides, has left the Treasury Department, capping roughly four years with the president through his campaign, transition team and then as the Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy.
Harris was the rare administration aide close to both the president and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. He helped develop many of the White House’s key policies, including the Russian oil price cap in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the foundations of the Build Back Better legislative package, and the economic response to the recession caused by the pandemic.
US Summons Russian Ambassador Over Reporter’s Detenction (5:47 a.m.)
The US summoned Russia’s ambassador for a meeting last week, a State Department spokesperson said, as the Biden administration pressures Moscow over the arrest and detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges.
Ambassador Anatoly Antonov was called to the State Department on March 30, where he met with Victoria Nuland, the under secretary for political affairs, the spokesperson said, declining to add details citing privacy concerns. The meeting was reported earlier Wednesday by the New York Times.
Russia Says It Captured Ukrainian Pilot Who Crashed in Border Region (8:21 p.m.)
A Ukrainian light-engine aircraft has crashed in Russia’s Bryansk border region and the pilot, a Ukrainian national, has been detained, Tass reported on Wednesday, citing a statement by the regional unit of the Russian Federal Security Service.
The pilot was armed with a machine gun and had a bulletproof vest, Tass said citing a representative of Russia’s National Guard. Allegedly, the man was promised a payment of 50,000 hryvnias (about $1,400) for an air reconnaissance mission, the Russian state newswire said.
Ukrainian officials didn’t immediately comment on the alleged incident.
Ukraine to Produce Ammunition With Poland (5:45 p.m.)
Ukraine and Poland agreed to set up the joint production of weapons and ammunition, Zelenskiy says during a press conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw.
NATO Approves Long-Term Aid Program for Ukraine (4:30 p.m.)
NATO agreed to start work on a multiyear assistance program for Ukraine to signal support for the nation over the long-term, the head of the alliance told reporters after a two-day meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
NATO wants to ensure that when the war ends, Ukraine has the highest level of interoperability with allied structures and it’s able to move its military from Soviet era standards to NATO’s, Jens Stoltenberg said, adding that it would be important for Ukraine’s eventual membership to the alliance.
“This will assist Ukraine on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration, because Ukraine’s future is in the Euro-Atlantic family,” he said.
Ruble Weakens to Lowest Since April 2022 (4:15 p.m.)
The ruble weakened past 80 per dollar before paring losses in offshore pricing, while in local trading the currency weakened as much as 0.3% to 79.72 per dollar.
China Can’t Be Peace Mediator for Ukraine, Lithuania Says (3:59 p.m.)
China cannot act as a peace mediator over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as Beijing’s stance would rob Kyiv of its sovereignty, according to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.
His comments to Bloomberg Television come as European leaders are trying to calibrate their relationship with China as it becomes an increasingly difficult interlocutor and President Xi Jinping builds close ties to Putin.
Aside from Macron’s visit to Beijing, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also traveling to China this week after urging the European Union to scale back the risks in dealing with Beijing rather than decouple completely in response to a new era of state security and control.
China Can’t Be Peace Mediator for Ukraine, Lithuania Says
Putin Says US-Russia Ties in ‘Deep Crisis,’ Blames Washington (3:28 p.m.)
American encouragement of “color revolutions” led to the war in Ukraine, Putin said at a Kremlin ceremony to receive the credentials of new foreign ambassadors, adding that Russia would continue to insist on “equality and respect for sovereignty” in relations.
Putin also accused the EU of having chosen a policy of “confrontation with Russia.” He has for years accused the US of stoking pro-democracy protests in neighboring former Soviet states while denying that Russia propped up authoritarian regimes and stoked pro-Moscow separatism in countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
Prior to Russia’s invasion, the Kremlin denied repeated US warnings that Putin planned to attack Ukraine, triggering Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
Latvia Reintroduces Draft in Response to Russia’s War (2:12 p.m.)
Latvia’s parliament reintroduced compulsory military service to bolster the size of its defense forces after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lawmakers voted 68-11 to create a state defense service that will begin calling up 18 year olds to serve for 11 months of training on July 1. The military previously ended the draft in 2007.
Russian Troops Aren’t in Control of Bakhmut, Zelenskiy Says (2:11 p.m.)
Ukrainian forces are present in Bakhmut and Russian troops aren’t in control of the eastern city, Zelenskiy said during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.
Ukraine will make “appropriate decisions” if there’s a threat of losing troops in Bakhmut in case Russia manages to encircle the city, he said.
Poland may eventually transfer its entire fleet of Soviet-era MiG 29 fighter jets to Ukraine if needed, Duda said. The country has already sent or will soon deliver eight aircraft, with six more ready in the near future, he added.
Poland May Eventually Send All of Its Soviet-Era Jets to Ukraine
Ukraine to Get $2.5b US Grant Via World Bank (1:27 p.m.)
The World bank will provide Ukraine with a $2.5 billion grant from the US, Ukraine’s Finance Ministry said in a statement. This is the second tranche from a $9.9 billion package planned for 2023. The money will be directed to backstop state administration, education, health care, pension payments and several social care programs, the ministry said.
Belarusian Air Defense to Hold Drills Near Polish Border (12:30 p.m.)
A Belarusian air defense unit will hold drills at the Brestskiy training range on April 5-7, the country’s defense ministry said on Telegram. The drills will involve resisting radio-electronic interference, sabotage and reconnaissance groups, as well as drones.
The Brestskiy training range is situated near the city of Brest in southwestern Belarus, six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the border with Poland and 34 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Ukraine to Cover $3.3 Billion of Recovery From Budget, Minister Says (11:50 a.m.)
The country needs a total of $14 billion for critical recovery this year, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said on local TV. The state will allocate $3.3 billion for recovery from its budget, but needs to raise the rest.
The International Monetary Fund and foreign partners pledged enough support to Ukraine to allow it to finance the state budget deficit this year, as well as in the first quarter of 2024. The country’s finances are much better and under greater control than last year, Marchenko said.
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