What we’re reading (2/25)
“Putin’s Ukraine Slaughterhouse” (Wall Street Journal). “Ukraine’s forces are putting up brave resistance despite being overwhelmed in firepower. One soldier sacrificed himself to blow up a bridge to stop a Russian tank column. Another offered an expletive to a Russian gunboat demanding surrender before he and a dozen others were killed by shelling. Europe and the U.S. should be ashamed for not doing more to help Ukrainians defend themselves.”
“Russian Forces Advance On Kyiv” (The Economist). “‘Moscow’s thinking on this war seems to have been coloured by war optimism,’ says Michael Kofman of cna, a research group. ‘It looked as though Russian forces were expecting a quicker [Ukrainian] military collapse and easier gains.’ British defence intelligence said that it was unlikely that Russia had achieved its ‘its planned Day 1 military objectives’, noting that “Ukrainian forces have presented fierce resistance across all axes of Russia’s advance.”
“U.S. To Impose Sanctions On Vladimir Putin And Top Aide, White House Says” (CNBC). “The United States will impose a slate of sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the White House announced Friday. The United Kingdom and the European Union had announced similar sanctions earlier in the day. Putin and Lavrov join a growing list of elite Russian government officials the U.S. has sanctioned in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.”
“Sanctions And Consequences” (DealBook). “The conflict has whipsawed markets as governments impose more sanctions and companies scramble to ensure the safety of workers in the region. The initial fall in stocks and rise in energy prices after Russia’s invasion has moderated, but the world remains on edge as the broader geopolitical implications of the war take shape.”
“Russian Billionaires Lose $39 Billion In A Day On Ukraine Attack” (Bloomberg). “The damage was across asset classes. Russia’s benchmark MOEX Russia Index closed 33% lower in Moscow, the fifth-worst plunge in stock market history in local currency terms. It marked the first time since 1987’s Black Monday crash that a decline of that magnitude hit a market worth more than $50 billion.”
