Russia Ukraine War Updates:

HEADLINES

Russia puts Biden, Blinken and other top US officials on a "stop list" that bars them from entering the country

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

As the west plays politics, dictates the narrative, lives are being lost and Putin steps up his game; Russia puts Biden, Blinken and other top US officials on a "stop list" that bars them from entering the country. Russia said on Tuesday it had put U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top officials on a "stop list" that bars them from entering the country. Their names, together with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA chief William Burns, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and others, were included on a list of 13 individuals banned from Russia in response to sanctions imposed by Washington on Russian officials. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also named. The ball is rolling, the heat is on, power mongering and tussling. Where is this leading to? What could it lead to? Let us get into the stories.

Zelenskyy appeals for help from Canada in emotional speech:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Canadians Tuesday to imagine bombs landing in their communities as he urged the Canadian Parliament and government to exert greater economic and military pressure on Russia. Zelenskyy asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and lawmakers for help to enact a no-fly zone over the Ukraine.

Biden to attend NATO, EU summits in Brussels next week:

US President Joe Biden is to travel to Brussels for NATO and EU summits next Thursday, officials said, as western allies align their response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The gatherings on March 24 of the US leader with his European counterparts comes after Washington and Brussels unveiled successive waves of coordinated sanctions against Russia.

Russia says agreement on reviving Iran nuclear deal now being 'polished' - TASS:

Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday the remaining points of an agreement aimed at reviving a big-power nuclear deal with Iran were being 'polished', and again denied U.S. suggestions that Moscow was blocking an accord, the TASS news agency reported. Earlier, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after meeting his Iranian counterpart that Russia had received written assurances from Washington that sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine would not hinder cooperation within the framework of the deal.

EU adds Russian billionaire Abramovich to sanctions list: EU official journal:

The European Union on Wednesday blacklisted Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and more oligarchs in a fresh round of sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia imposes sanctions against Trudeau, Canadian lawmakers

Russia is imposing sanctions against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and over 300 lawmakers, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski killed in Ukraine: network:

A cameraman for Fox News, Pierre Zakrzewski, has been killed in Ukraine outside Kyiv, the US network said Tuesday. Zakrzewski was killed and his colleague Benjamin Hall was wounded when their vehicle was struck Monday by incoming fire in Horenka, outside the capital, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said.

Russian court fines woman for anti-war protest on state TV

A Russian court fined a woman 30,000 roubles ($280) on Tuesday after finding her guilty of flouting protest legislation when she interrupted a live news bulletin on state TV and denounced the war in Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported. Marina Ovsyannikova, a Channel One employee, held up a sign behind a studio presenter reading the news on Channel One on Monday night and shouted slogans condemning Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Mayor invites Pope Francis to Kyiv to 'show compassion':

The mayor of Kyiv has invited Pope Francis to the Ukrainian capital to "show his compassion", but the Vatican did not say Tuesday if the pontiff had agreed to go. In a letter dated March 8 and viewed Tuesday by AFP, mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote that "the world religious leader's presence in person in Kyiv is key for saving lives and paving the path to peace in our city, country and beyond."

OPEC flags risk to oil demand outlook from Ukraine war, inflation:

OPEC said on Tuesday that oil demand in 2022 faced challenges from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rising inflation as crude prices soar, increasing the likelihood of reductions to its forecast for robust demand this year. Oil prices shot above $139 a barrel this month, hitting peaks not seen since 2008, as Western sanctions tightened on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine and disrupted oil sales from Russia, helping to fuel inflation that was already rising.

China wary of being impacted by Russia sanctions: FM:

China does not want to be impacted by Western economic sanctions on Russia, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, as pressure grows on Beijing to withdraw support from an isolated Moscow. Beijing has refused to condemn its close ally Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, while blaming the United States and NATO's "eastward expansion" for worsening tensions.

Russia to spend $9 bln to rebuild supply chains, PM says:

Russia plans to spend 1 trillion roubles ($9 billion) on so-called anti-crisis measures, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Tuesday, as the government tries to at least partially offset the impact of fresh western sanctions. The plan includes more than 100 proposals and is to be updated, Mishustin said, to rebuild production and supply chains.

Russia says it will offer its own UN resolution on Ukraine humanitarian situation:

Russia will put forth its own draft of a resolution regarding the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Moscow's ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday. Answering a reporter's question, ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also said Russia will stop its invasion when the goals of its special military operation are achieved in Ukraine, including demilitarization.

Russian bombardment of Kyiv kills four:

Russian air strikes and shelling hit Kyiv on Tuesday killing at least four people, authorities said, as invading forces tightened their grip on the Ukrainian capital and the mayor announced a 35-hour curfew starting at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).

Russia halts grain exports to ex-Soviet republics:

Russia has introduced a temporary ban on exports of grain, of which it is a major supplier, to four former Soviet countries to secure domestic supplies and avoid a spike in prices. "Russia is introducing a temporary ban on the exportation of grains to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union," the government's press service said in a statement late Monday.

Ukraine-Russia talks have restarted, Ukrainian negotiator says:

Kyiv and Moscow resumed talks on the war in Ukraine on Tuesday after a pause on Monday, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said. "Consultations on the main negotiation platform renewed. General regulation matters, ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country," he wrote on Twitter.

Britain says latest sanctions hit wealthy Russian worth 100 billion pounds:

Britain's latest round of sanctions on Tuesday included elites with a net worth of 100 billion pounds ($130.63 billion), and included Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the foreign office said. "We are going further and faster than ever in hitting those closest to Putin – from major oligarchs, to his prime minister, and the propagandists who peddle his lies and disinformation," foreign minister Liz Truss said in a statement.

UK sanctions Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov and Russian foreign affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

About 2,000 cars have left Ukraine's besieged Mariupol - city council:

About 2,000 cars have been able to leave the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol and a further 2,000 are waiting to leave, the city council said in an online post on Tuesday. "As of 14:00 (1200 GMT), it is known that 2,000 cars have left Mariupol," it said.

Klitschko: 4 people killed in Kyiv by Russian airstrike, reports The Kyiv Independent:

As a result of shelling, a fire broke out in a 16-story residential building in Kyiv’s western Sviatoshynskyi district. Several other buildings were also hit, including the entrance to the Lukyanivska metro station.

Zelensky says Ukraine needs to recognise that there is not an open door to NATO membership.

More than three million refugees flee Ukraine war: UN

More than 1.4 million of these are children, according to the UN children's agency UNICEF, while 157,000 are third-country nationals, IOM said

Abramovich jet lands in Moscow after brief stop in Istanbul, reports Reuters:

A jet linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich landed in Moscow early on Tuesday, after taking off from Istanbul following a brief stop there, FLIGHTRADAR24 data shows. The jet linked to Abramovich, the owner of Britain's Chelsea soccer club, arrived in Istanbul from Israel on Monday, shortly after he was seen in Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. Abramovich was among seven Russian billionaires added to a British sanctions list last week to try to isolate President Vladimir Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. European Union diplomats have embraced a similar move. The Russian oligarch, who also holds Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, has denied having close ties to Putin.

Abducted Mayor taken to Luhansk, says Ukraine military

Military authorities in Ukraine have claimed that Ivan Fedorov, the Mayor of Melitopol who was allegedly abducted by Russian forces on March 11, has been taken to the separatist Luhansk region. According to the latest update by the military administration of Zaporizhzhya region, where Melitopol is located, said Fedorov is in currently in Luhansk, "where he is incriminated with terrorism", the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper reported. The administration said that a protest rally in Berdyansk on Monday demanding the release of Fedorov was obstructed by Russian forces.

Now you see why we question the direction of this power tussle and the gimmicks of the west. The critical question remains; where could this conflict lead to