Your Evening Briefing: Fears Rise Russia May Annex More of Ukraine
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A bomb-damaged auditorium in Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast which was until recently occupied by Russian forces. Most of the region fell to Kremlin forces shortly after the Feb. 24 invasion, as Russia sought to create an overland corridor from Crimea to separatist-held areas in the east.
Photographer: John Moore/Getty Images EuropeRussia’s deputy foreign minister met with the US ambassador in Moscow amid reports that Kremlin-controlled officials in an occupied area of southeastern Ukraine plan to request annexation. In 2014, Russia annexed the nearby Crimean Peninsula from its neighbor. At the same time, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has signed “mutual security assurances” with Sweden and is to travel to Helsinki to sign a similar declaration with Finland. The UK is committing to support the two nations’ armed forces if they come under attack, which may smooth the way for both countries to apply for membership in NATO.
Europe is wrestling with how to buy Russian gas. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi now says European companies will be able to pay for gas in rubles without breaching international sanctions, apparently dismissing European Union guidance to the contrary. With payments looming later this month, businesses have been trying to figure out how they can keep energy supplies flowing legally. Russia has been seeking to prop up its currency by insisting on payments in rubles.