The past week has been intense for Eastern Europe; war between Russia and Ukraine has been rampaging. The first casualty of war is often the truth, and this war is no different. It’s important to understand the facts of what is happening - here is a list of significant things that have happened in the Ukraine-Russia war over the past week:
EU Imposes SWIFT Financial System Ban on Russian Banks - The EU, along with the U.S., has voted to impose a ban on Russian banks from using the SWIFT financial system. The SWIFT banking system, which stands for the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, allows international banks to exchange financial information. The announcement of this ban caused the price of the Ruble to the USD to plummet the following day; the Russian stock market plummeted shortly after.
International and Domestic Sanctions Announced Against Russian Government - The United States Department of the Treasury, in conjunction with the Executive Office of the President of the United States, announced sanctions on the following Russian assets: Russian elites and their family members, Russia’s two largest banks, almost ninety financial institution subsidiaries, and “additional new prohibitions related to new debt and equity of major Russian state-owned enterprises and large privately owned financial institutions.” This is detailed on the Treasury website. The White House also announced sweeping sanctions on Belarus for their involvement, detailed on the White House website.
The European Union and it’s partners have declared similar economic sanctions in response to Russia’s military action; including, Russian state-owned outlets broadcasting in the EU, numerous Russian oligarchs in various sectors, and various Russian institutions vital to the Russian economy. The EU has announced sanctions similar to the United States against Belarus.
Belarusian Involvement - The Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has shown support for Russia, allowing Russian troops to pass through the Belarus-Ukraine border and hosting Russian troops. As of the beginning of March (3/4/22), the Belarusian government has officially offered no direct military assistance.
Russian Movement Towards Kyiv - Russian forces appear to be advancing towards Kyiv; a forty mile-long convoy of military vehicles has been seen about fifteen miles from the capital of Ukraine. According to U.S. officials, the convoy is currently stalled.
Nuclear Threats and NATO Involvement - Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his nuclear forces had been put into special combat readiness, and stated,
"Whoever tries to hinder us, and even more so, to create threats to our country, to our people, should know that Russia's response will be immediate, and it will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history,"
This prompted verbal de-escalation from multiple UN representatives, insisting that Russia was under no-such threat. Russia also issued threats of military and political action against Finland and Sweden should they attempt to join NATO. NATO is providing assistance to Ukraine both directly and indirectly, according to their website,
“NATO is helping to coordinate Ukraine’s requests for assistance and is supporting Allies in the delivery of humanitarian and non-lethal aid. Individual NATO member countries are sending weapons, ammunition, medical supplies and other vital military equipment to Ukraine. They are also providing millions of euros of financial assistance to Ukraine. Many Allies are also offering humanitarian aid to civilians and opening their borders to Ukrainian refugees.”
The Fog of War - During times of war, it’s very easy for misinformation to spread. It’s important to fact-check information to break-through the fog. Countless images and videos can easily be spread online that have no relevance to the present. Reverse-searching images, checking government websites for relevant information, and source-checking are all vital tools to combat misinformation.
Sources:
“How the SWIFT System Works.” Investopedia, 28 Feb. 2022, www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/050515/how-swift-system-works.asp.
Prebon, Tullet. “RUB to USD Exchange Rate.” WSJ, www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/fx/RUBUSD. Accessed 5 Mar. 2022.
Miller, Zeke Raf Casert. “U.S. and E.U. Agree to Cut Russian Banks Out of Vital SWIFT Financial System as Part of Latest Sanctions.” Time, 27 Feb. 2022, time.com/6151846/russia-swift-sanctions-ukraine.
“U.S. Treasury Announces Unprecedented and Expansive Sanctions Against Russia, Imposing Swift and Severe Economic Costs.” U.S. Department of the Treasury, 28 Feb. 2022, home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0608.
House, The White. “FACT SHEET: Joined by Allies and Partners, the United States Imposes Devastating Costs on Russia.” The White House, 24 Feb. 2022, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/24/fact-sheet-joined-by-allies-and-partners-the-united-states-imposes-devastating-costs-on-russia.
“Belarus’ Role in the Russian Military Aggression of Ukraine: Council Imposes Sanctions on Additional 22 Individuals and Further Restrictions on Trade.” European Council, 2 Mar. 2022, www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/03/02/belarus-role-in-the-russian-military-aggression-of-ukraine-council-imposes-sanctions-on-additional-22-individuals-and-further-restrictions-on-trade.
“EU Imposes Sanctions on State-Owned Outlets RT/Russia Today and Sputnik’s Broadcasting in the EU.” European Council, 2 Mar. 2022, www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/03/02/eu-imposes-sanctions-on-state-owned-outlets-rt-russia-today-and-sputnik-s-broadcasting-in-the-eu.
“Russia’s Military Aggression against Ukraine: Council Imposes Sanctions on 26 Persons and One Entity.” European Council, 28 Feb. 2022, www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/02/28/russia-s-military-aggression-against-ukraine-council-imposes-sanctions-on-26-persons-and-one-entity.
“Russia’s Military Aggression against Ukraine: EU Imposes Sanctions against President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov and Adopts Wide Ranging Individual and Economic Sanctions.” European Council, 25 Feb. 2022, www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/02/25/russia-s-military-aggression-against-ukraine-eu-imposes-sanctions-against-president-putin-and-foreign-minister-lavrov-and-adopts-wide-ranging-individual-and-economic-sanctions.
“EU Adopts Package of Sanctions in Response to Russian Recognition of the Non-Government Controlled Areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts of Ukraine and Sending of Troops into the Region.” European Council, 23 Feb. 2022, www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/02/23/russian-recognition-of-the-non-government-controlled-areas-of-the-donetsk-and-luhansk-oblasts-of-ukraine-as-independent-entities-eu-adopts-package-of-sanctions.
Simon, Maite Fernández, and Erin Cunningham. “What Role Has Belarus Played in the Russia-Ukraine Crisis?” Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2022, www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/28/belarus-russia-ukraine-war.
McGee, Luke Cnn. “Kyiv: Here’s What We Know about the 40-Mile-Long Russian Convoy Outside Ukraine’s Capital.” CNN, 3 Mar. 2022, edition.cnn.com/2022/03/03/europe/russian-convoy-stalled-outside-kyiv-intl/index.html.
Gollum, Mark. “Putin implies nuclear attack if West interferes in Ukraine. Why it's not just an empty threat.” CBC. 3 Mar. 2022, https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/putin-ukraine-nato-nuclear-weapons-1.6362890
Sanger, David, and William Broad. “Putin Declares a Nuclear Alert, and Biden Seeks De-Escalation.” The New York Times, 28 Feb. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/02/27/us/politics/putin-nuclear-alert-biden-deescalation.html.
Kaonga, Gerrard. “Russia Issues Ominous Warning to Finland, Sweden Should They Join NATO.” Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2022, www.newsweek.com/russia-threatens-finland-sweden-nato-ukraine-invasion-1682715.
Nato. “NATO’s Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine.” NATO, www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_192648.htm. Accessed 5 Mar. 2022.
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