Ukraine Briefly

March 23, 2022

Ukraine, Briefly

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• Russian forces began shelling besieged Mariupol from seven warships docked in the Black Sea, a new development in the continued attacks on the city that’s seen some of the worst bombardment since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, the Washington Post wrote. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said it has retaken the town of Makariv, adding that it has expelled Russian forces from the strategically important town nearly 40 miles west of the capital of Kyiv.

• The European Union is unlikely to levy an immediate oil embargo on Russia in response to its aggressive invasion of Ukraine, CNBC reported. While Poland and the Baltic countries are among the most vociferous proponents of limiting Russian oil purchases, other countries, most notably Germany and Hungary, are concerned about the impact on pricing.

• Germany proposed a “Marshall Plan” to help Ukraine rebuild when the war ends as European leaders prepare to meet with US President Joe Biden in Belgium this week to discuss the crisis spawned by Russia’s invasion, according to Bloomberg.

• Russian lawmakers significantly toughened “fake news” laws Tuesday, the Kremlin’s latest step in cracking down on internal opposition in the midst of its conflict on Ukraine, Politico noted. The new regulations, which were adopted by the lower house of parliament, threaten people who “knowingly” transmit so-called false information about all Russian official entities working abroad with penalties of more than $14,000 and jail terms of up to 15 years. Meanwhile, a Moscow court sentenced Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to nine years in a maximum-security jail, CNN wrote. Navalny was convicted on fraud charges over allegations that he stole from his Anti-Corruption Foundation.

• Fearing arrest, many individuals are fleeing Russia as a result of Russia’s assault on journalists, dissidents, and critics of Ukraine’s war. France 24 met with four Russians who sought safety in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, after publicly opposing Vladimir Putin’s war.

This story originally appeared in the March 23, 2022 newsletter, Egg on Face.