Good Evening,
It's Tuesday, February 22nd. |
Sanctions Against Russia
President Biden today said his administration will levy sanctions on Russian banks and individuals in response to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s movement of troops into the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, calling Moscow’s moves the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the WSJ reports.
|
Russian Demands on Crimea
Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine recognize Russia’s claim to Crimea and relinquish its advanced weapons, declaring what sounded like an ultimatum minutes after Russian state television showed Parliament authorizing the use of military force abroad, as the NYT reports.
|
DC Trucker Protests
The Pentagon said Tuesday it is considering a request to deploy the National Guard to provide assistance ahead of trucker protests that could halt traffic around the nation’s capital as soon as this week, as Politico reports.
|
Executive Education
Drawing on insights from leading experts and the CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project, CSIS's “Belt, Road, and Beyond” executive education course explains what China's Belt and Road Initiative is, what it is not, and how it is impacting commercial and strategic realities on the ground. |
Video Shorts
Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Data Unpacked,” Testify,” “What's Happening,” “Preview,” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel! |
In That Number
10%
In Europe, natural gas prices rose 10 percent after Germany halted the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Source: WSJ |
Critical Quote
“We’ve cut off Russia’s government from Western finance. It can no longer raise money from the West and cannot trade in its new debt on our markets or European markets either… We’ll continue to escalate sanctions if Russia escalates.”
— President Joe Biden |
iDeas Lab
CSIS's most recent satellite imagery and analysis of the Russian buildup around Ukraine reveals that Russia has several weaknesses that can be exploited by the United States and its partners and allies.
The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.![]() ![]() ![]() |
Optics
(Photo credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images.) U.S. president Joe Biden speaks on developments in Ukraine and Russia, and announces sanctions against Russia from the East Room of the White House on February 22, 2022, in Washington, D.C. |
Recommended Reading
“When Our Middle East Friends Talk, They Talk about Hedging” by CSIS's Jon B. Alterman. |
This Town Tomorrow
At 10:00 a.m., join the CSIS Freeman Chair for a conversation on the future of the China-Russia relationship, which has entered a new epoch, formally described as a “comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.”
Then, at 2:00 p.m., the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development hosts energy policy experts to discuss Sustainable Development Goal #7, which aims to improve access to affordable, modern, and reliable energy, energy efficiency, and investments in energy infrastructure.
Also, at 8:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council holds a discussion on strengthening the transatlantic response to Russian aggression.
|
Video
Last week, Seth G. Jones, director of the CSIS International Security Program, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on the evolution of domestic terrorism. Watch Seth recap his testimony here. |
Podcasts
In the latest episode of The Asia Chessboard, Michael J. Green is joined by CSIS's inaugural Australia Chair, Charles Edel. They discuss the intersection of history and strategy, the strategic mind of John Quincy Adams, and the need for an Australia Chair in Washington as Australian influence on U.S. decisionmaking becomes more significant.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. |
Smiles
My friend Parker, who is an astute rock and roll expert, wrote me the other day about the new video that Playing for Change released. It’s a cover of Led Zeppelin’s classic, “When the Levee Breaks.” Some people think “Stairway to Heaven” is the best track on Led Zep IV. For me, it’s “When the Levee Breaks,” the album’s thunderous closer.
Of course, “When the Levee Breaks” isn’t a Zeppelin original—it’s the band’s cover of the 1929 original by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. In the 21st century, the song evokes memories of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters.
This video by Playing for Change has a few terrific guest stars that I won’t spoil for you. Turn it up loud!
|
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
