(Bloomberg) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will deliver a virtual address to the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday comparing the struggle of the Eastern European country to the British struggle during World War II. In addition, his government announced a new package of 300 million pounds ($375 million) in military aid to Ukraine.
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The European Union has agreed to provide more detailed guidance in the coming days on what companies can and cannot do under EU sanctions rules to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands to pay for gas in rubles.
Russia has made limited progress in shifting its war toward the Donbass region, a US defense official said, adding that Putin’s forces continue to suffer from low morale, imperfect logistics and an aversion to casualties.
(See RSAN on Bloomberg for the Russian sanctions dashboard.)
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All times are CET:
Johnson addresses the Verkhovna Rada (1:40 am)
Johnson plans to address Ukraine’s parliament as his government announced £300m in military aid. The British Embassy is also ready to reopen in Kyiv.
According to prepared statements from the Prime Minister’s Office, Johnson, in his virtual address, will echo the words of Winston Churchill: “This is Ukraine’s finest hour, an epic chapter in your national story that will be remembered and told by future generations.”
Johnson’s office said the UK would also provide “specialized civil protection vehicles to Ukraine”. The prime minister himself visited Kyiv last month.
Draghi seeks EU guidance on gas payments (10:50 pm)
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that creating an account in rubles to pay for Russian gas, as Putin requested, would be a breach of contract.
“It is very important for the EU Commission to give a clear legal opinion if the payment in rubles is a violation of sanctions,” Draghi said at a press conference on Monday. He urged clearer guidance from the EU that Italy is due to make payments in about two weeks, adding that Italy will adhere to EU guidelines.
EU sees Africa as potential gas supplier (10:25 pm)
The European Union will seek to intensify cooperation with African countries to help replace Russian natural gas imports and reduce dependence on Moscow by about two-thirds this year.
Countries in Africa, particularly in the western part of the continent, such as Nigeria, Senegal and Angola, offer largely untapped potential for LNG, according to a draft EU document seen by Bloomberg News. The European Commission is due to adopt the call on external energy sharing later this month as part of a package to implement the bloc’s plan to reduce energy dependence in Moscow.
Scholz is not planning a trip to Kyiv after Snub (9:34 p.m.)
German Chancellor Olaf Schulz said he currently has no plans to visit Kyiv after Ukraine last month blocked a proposed visit by nation president Frank-Walter Steinmeier in what was seen as contempt.
“This is standing in the way,” Schultz said Monday in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF. He added that it was unacceptable for Ukraine to refuse the visit of a head of state like Germany, which provided so much military and financial aid.
Steinmeier has been widely criticized – including by Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany – for his past support of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany and his role as the foreign minister promoting reconciliation and dialogue with Moscow.
Pentagon says Russians have low morale and flawed logistics (7:07 p.m.)
A US defense official told reporters that Russia’s advance in the Donbass region has been scant at best, saying that Putin’s forces continue to suffer from low morale, imperfect logistics and an aversion to casualties.
The official also said that Russian forces had moved 40 km east of Kharkiv.
Separately, former CIA Director David Petraeus said Russia is being hampered in its efforts by equipment and personnel shortages, with no quick fix as the war drags on. This means that there is now a reassessment of whether Ukraine should fight to regain everything it has lost to the Russians since the start of the war, the retired general said in an interview with David Westin in Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power.”
EU to issue more guidance on ruble demands for gas (6:50pm)
EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simsun said the EU will provide more detailed guidance in the coming days on what companies can and cannot do under EU sanctions rules to meet Russia’s demands to pay for gas in rubles. She told reporters that companies need to make clear that the Kremlin mechanism “is a violation of sanctions and cannot be accepted.”
All member states have indicated that they will adhere to EU guidelines on paying for gas, said Barbara Bombelli, the French minister for environmental transformation. Hungary, which relies heavily on Russian energy, had previously suggested it was open to paying in rubles to ensure deliveries could continue.
War boosts euro’s appeal for Czech business (4:15 pm)
Market turmoil triggered by the war in Ukraine has increasingly pushed Czech companies to abandon the krona for the euro, with industry leaders seizing the opportunity to pressure a reluctant government to adopt the single currency.
Rich countries seek coal transformation deals (4:10 pm)
As they prepare for the next round of global climate talks in November, officials from rich countries are trying to put together a series of multibillion-dollar packages to help poor countries phase out coal.
But the negotiations have been bogged down by national policies and Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has made the dirtiest fossil fuels a lucrative commodity for mining and export, according to people familiar with the talks.
Poland calls for ban on Russian oil and gas (3:07 pm)
Climate Minister Anna Moskowa told reporters before the ministerial meeting in Brussels that Poland supports an embargo on Russian oil and will call for a gas embargo, preferably at the same time. To encourage skeptical countries to end their dependence on fossil fuels from Moscow, Poland wants to propose a special mechanism similar to a carbon market on energy sources imported from Russia.
Such a system would set a date when energy sources from Russia should not be used. Each member state will get a share of the fossil fuels it can import, and those who want to use more will have to buy permits to do so from those using less than the allowed limit. Proceeds from such a program can be used to help Ukraine or to help diversify its energy sources.
United European Union rejects Putin’s gas demand, Bombele says (2:38 pm)
French Minister of Environmental Transformation Barbara Bombelli told reporters that the European Union is using the meeting in Brussels to demonstrate its unity on continuing to pay for Russian gas in euros, and to reassure Poland and Bulgaria about aid to Europe after it was cut off by Moscow. Brussels.
Bombelli declined to say whether member states would reach an agreement on gas storage this week, but said talks were progressing.
Americans overwhelmingly support more sanctions against Russia (2:30 pm)
A large bipartisan majority of Americans support increased sanctions against Russia and most also support military and humanitarian support for the Ukrainians, according to a Washington Post and ABC News poll.
In all, 73% say the US is doing either the right amount or too little to support Ukraine. In contrast, 72% oppose direct military action by the United States against Russian forces, while 21% support this.
Major bridge hit by missile attack (12:45 p.m.)
A major bridge across the mouth of the Dniester River west of Odessa was hit by missiles on Monday for the third time in a month, regional military spokesman Serhiy Prachuk said on Telegram. The bridge is important because it crosses a navigable entrance allowing access to Transnistria from the Black Sea. It is also the main transport link between the southwestern part of the Odessa region, Ukraine, and the rest of the country.
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