Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that trade at the country’s ports was at a standstill and urged the international community to take immediate steps to end a Russian blockade to allow wheat shipments and prevent a global food crisis. Ukraine’s central bank will allow foreign investors in domestic bonds to transfer abroad their income received from the bonds after April 1st next year, the bank has said.
Russian forces intensified their fight in Ukraine’s east and fired missiles over the port city of Odessa, as President Joe Biden signed a law speeding up arms deliveries to Kyiv. Biden, speaking at a political fundraiser in a Washington suburb, said Putin had mistakenly believed the invasion of Ukraine would break up NATO and break up the European Union.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said it is necessary to maintain a channel of dialogue with Russia on Ukraine, including at the request of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. US President Joe Biden said on Monday he is worried that Putin does not have a way out of the Ukraine war.
An adviser to Ukraine’s president is interpreting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day speech as indicating that Russia has no interest in escalating the war through the use of nuclear weapons or direct engagement with NATO. Japan announced on Tuesday new sanctions on Russia to freeze the assets of more individuals and ban exports of cutting-edge goods to some Russian groups including scientific research institutions.