18:52
The United States and its allies are considering imposing additional sanctions on Russia, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said tonight. “The Russian economy will be devastated as a result of what we have already done, but we continue to consider further steps we can take,” she said during an event hosted by the Washington Post. Yellen did not provide details about the additional sanctions at stake.
“At this point, we do not see Russia withdrawing from the terrible war it started, an unprovoked invasion of the Ukrainian homeland. In fact, the atrocities it is committing against civilians seem to be intensifying. So it is certainly appropriate for us to work with our partners on further sanctions,” Yellen said.
Yellen described the economic damage to Russia from the sanctions imposed on it by the West: “We have isolated Russia economically. The ruble is in free fall, the Russian stock market is closed. In fact, Russia has closed off from the international financial system.”
17:19
The Bank for International Settlements, which actually serves as the “central bank” of central banks, suspended the Central Bank of Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
“The Bank for International Settlements is monitoring international sanctions against Russia’s central bank, and will not be a way to circumvent the sanctions,” a spokesman for the bank said in a statement. “The Russian central bank’s access to all the bank’s services for international clearing arrangements has been suspended.”
17:12
Knesset Speaker MK Miki Levy spoke with Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Ivgan Kronichuk at the ambassador’s request. In the conversation, it was agreed between the two that Ukrainian President Zalansky will be able to address the Knesset in a zoom since the Knesset is undergoing renovations. The Ukrainian ambassador promised to forward the Knesset Speaker’s positive response to President Zalanski’s request and it was agreed that a date would be set for an official remote video speech to all Knesset members via zoom in the coming days.
During their conversation, the Ukrainian ambassador thanked for the clarification that came out of the information published in the media, according to which the Speaker of the Knesset allegedly refused to allow President Zlansky to speak remotely to Knesset members and was happy with the invitation as it appeared in a letter sent to him.
12:31
The meeting between Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers in Antalya this morning did not yield results, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kolba told Turkish media. Kolba said earlier that Ukraine was ready to find a balance through diplomatic solutions, but “our country will not give up”.
At a press conference at the end of the meeting, Kolba noted that he was under the impression that Russia was not in a position to allow it to agree to a ceasefire and that they had not discussed the military supply to Ukraine at all. “Ukraine is ready for the negotiating table but will also defend itself,” he said.
The minister added that he nevertheless hoped that the Russians would allow the introduction of humanitarian aid to the besieged city of Mariupol and that they would allow the rescue corridor to run smoothly. Kolba stressed that he hopes the parties will be able to reach a 24-hour ceasefire agreement.
Kolba’s Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, held a press conference of his own, in which he reminded Ukrainians that Russia had presented its demands in a conversation and that he and Kolba had discussed humanitarian issues. He finally told Lavrov that he was confident that Russia would emerge from this crisis with “sober opinions about the world and without illusions about the West.”
11:24
The British government has added oligarch Roman Abramovich to the list of Russian officials who are facing personal sanctions in the kingdom, the British media reported today (Thursday).
Abramovich is one of the richest businessmen in the UK. The Russian oligarch, of Jewish descent, will no longer be able to enter the country, his assets will be confiscated, and his business holdings will be frozen. Abramovich is also an Israeli and Portuguese citizen. His fortune is estimated at $ 15 billion.
10:08
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kolba landed in Antalya this morning and will soon begin a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has noted that he hopes these unofficial talks will lead to official ceasefire talks.
???????? Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived in Antalya. Negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov are scheduled there. pic.twitter.com/SH2bcu1v6y
– TV channel “Direct” (@prm_ua) March 10, 2022
10:02
Seven humanitarian corridors have been opened to Ukraine and beyond, one to the besieged Mariupol. News agencies report that large parts of Mariupol are under the control of the Russian military. Authorities in Sumy report that three evacuation columns have already left the city after the ceasefire agreement began.
Meanwhile, residents of Mariupol are reporting the continuation of airstrikes after a maternity hospital was bombed last night.
6:45
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved $ 13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine. The final approval of the aid is expected to pass in the Senate in the coming days.
Today, the House will proudly pass our government funding legislation, which includes $13.6 billion in assistance for Ukraine.
We will also pass our strong, bipartisan bill to ban Russian oil and energy products and taking further actions to diminish Russia’s economy.
– Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 10, 2022
During the night, the White House warned that Russia could use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine. This is after the Kremlin claimed that the US was involved in the preparation of biological weapons in Ukraine.
A maternity hospital was hit by a Russian attack on the city of Mariupol. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky claimed that the attack on the hospital was indicative of an “ethnic cleansing” that Russia was carrying out in Ukraine.
Following public pressure in Western countries: Nestle, Philip Morris, Sony and Faber have announced that they will reduce their operations in Russia. Sony has already stopped distributing films in Russia and is now ceasing its gaming activities in the country.