memeorandum: Historic sanctions on Russia had roots in emotional appeal from Zelensky (Washington Post)

1:05 PM ET, February 28, 2022

Top Items:

Andrew Romano / Yahoo News:

Poll: 74 percent of Americans call Russia's Ukraine invasion unjustified — 46th and current president of the United States — In the opening days of the war in Ukraine, the fractious American public is remarkably united in opposition to Russia's invasion, with 74 percent saying the breach …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Political Insider and The Blue State Conservative

New York Times:

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Rocket Attack on Civilian Target — Delegations from Kyiv and Moscow met in Belarus, even as Ukraine said dozens were killed in a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. The Treasury Department announced a freeze on Russian Central Bank assets.

Washington Post:

The war in Ukraine isn't working out the way Russia intended … The war in Ukraine isn't going Russia's way. — Videos posted on social media show whole columns of tanks and armored vehicles have been wiped out. Others have been stopped in their tracks by ordinary Ukrainians standing on the street to block their advance.

Discussion: Politico, HotAir, Washington Examiner, The Atlantic, National Review, Associated Press, WAVY-TV, New York Times, UPI, Euractiv, Bloomberg, Mediaite, New York Post, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and Forbes

Illia Ponomarenko / The Kyiv Independent:

Sources: Belarus to join Russia's war on Ukraine within hours — As Russia fails to inflict quick defeat upon Ukraine after four days of fierce hostilities, Vladimir Putin is about to pull his Belarusian ally, dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko into his war of occupation.

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, WFLA-TV, BizPac Review, Balloon Juice, Townhall and Washington Post

Wall Street Journal:

Putin Finds Himself Isolated, Out of Touch as Invasion of Ukraine Sputters — Russia's leader is peddling an alternative narrative to suit his needs, and his behavior is making his inner circle appear uncomfortable — With much of the world moving against him, economic sanctions piling …

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, Foreign Policy, The Kyiv Independent, Washington Post and The Independent

Associated Press:

Live updates: US official: Belarus may join Ukraine invasion — The latest on the Russia's invasion of Ukraine: — WASHINGTON — A senior U.S. intelligence official says Belarus is expected to send troops into Ukraine as soon as Monday to fight alongside Russian forces that invaded Ukraine last week.

CNN:
CNN poll: Most Americans want US to do more to stop Russia, but most also oppose direct military action

Discussion: HotAir, Washington Post, National Review and Associated Press

Associated Press:
Ukraine seeks to join EU as round of talks with Russia ends

Discussion: abc7NY

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: A presidency transformed

Discussion: Daily Kos and The Independent

Financial Times:
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv to issue ‘war bonds’ to fund armed forces

Discussion: The Times of Israel, TASS and The Guardian

Wall Street Journal:
Ukraine Leads the World

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, UnHerd, Making Sense …, Newslit Daily, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Current, Power Line and Comment is Freed, more at Techmeme »

Washington Post:
Historic sanctions on Russia had roots in emotional appeal from Zelensky

Discussion: New Republic, The Daily Caller, BizPac Review, StephenKMackSD's Newsletter, The Root, The Daily Wire, Erick Erickson's Confessions …, Twitchy, The Local, Against the Grain, New York Times, New York Times, BuzzFeed News, New York Times, WAVY-TV, Associated Press and Politico

New York Times:

The West's Plan to Isolate Putin: Undermine the Ruble — Measures announced over the weekend aimed at restricting the Russian central bank's ability to support the ruble appear to be having an immediate impact. — By targeting Russia's central bank with sanctions, experts said …

Discussion: CNN, Bloomberg, HotAir, Financial Times, eurofieldnotes, Jacobin, The Kyiv Independent, One America News Network, Behind the Iron Curtain, t zero, lewrockwell.com, The Guardian, Euro Weekly News Spain, Pandemic Capitalism and Japan Times

U.S. Department of the Treasury:

Treasury Prohibits Transactions with Central Bank of Russia and Imposes Sanctions on Key Sources of Russia's Wealth — In Coordination with Allies and Partners, Treasury Actions Restrict Access to Billions in Central Bank Assets and Sovereign Wealth Fund — Treasury Sanctions Russian …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, OFAC, Reuters, Reason, CBS News, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, The Daily Beast, Politico, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, TASS and REFORM.by

Natasha Turak / CNBC:

Russia central bank more than doubles key interest rate to 20% to boost sinking ruble — The bank also said it would be freeing 733 billion rubles ($8.78 billion) in local bank reserves to boost liquidity. — Russia's stock and derivatives markets will stay shut on Monday, the central bank said.

Discussion: Reuters, NBC News, BBC, Al Jazeera, Forbes, New York Times, TASS and Financial Times

Bloomberg:

U.S. Bans Transactions With Russian Central Bank, Wealth Fund — President Joe Biden's administration on Monday banned U.S. people and companies from doing business with the Bank of Russia, the Russian National Wealth Fund and the Ministry of Finance. — The moves by the U.S. Treasury's Office …

Discussion: The Moscow Times, CNBC, CBS News, ABC News, Financial Times, HotAir, One America News Network, New York Post, Voice of America, Human Events, UPI, Metro.co.uk and New York Times

Caitlin Ostroff / Wall Street Journal:
Russia's Ruble, Financial Markets Are Hammered by Sanctions

Discussion: Insider, Washington Post, Bloomberg, HotAir, Agence France-Presse, The Big Picture, CDR Salamander, CNN, CNBC, The Daily Caller, Sky News, Talking Points Memo, UPI, Nsbb, Edward Slavsquat, New Statesman, BBC and Just The News

Wall Street Journal:
Behind the Sweeping Russia Sanctions: Zelensky's Plea and a Mounting Crisis

Discussion: Breitbart

Jeff Stein / Washington Post:
U.S., European allies freeze 'Putin's war chest' as Russia careens toward economic crisis

Discussion: Politico, San Diego Jewish World, The Times of Israel and Deseret

Associated Press:
Ruble plummets as sanctions bite, sending Russians to banks

Discussion: Washington Post, CNBC, Yahoo News, The Record, ING Think, The Kyiv Independent, NBC News, CNN, Nsbb and The Times of Israel

Financial Times:
Russia doubles interest rates after sanctions send rouble plunging

Discussion: Washington Post, Metro.co.uk, Chartbook, Insider and Emerging World

Nick Cumming-Bruce / New York Times:

Switzerland says it will freeze Russian assets, setting aside a tradition of neutrality. — GENEVA — Switzerland, a favorite destination for Russian oligarchs and their money, announced on Monday that it would freeze Russian financial assets in the country, setting aside a deeply rooted tradition …

Discussion: New York Post, The Guardian, Financial Times, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Associated Press and The Local

New York Times:

Climate Change's Effects Outpacing Ability to Adapt, I.P.C.C. Warns — Countries aren't doing nearly enough to protect against the disasters to come as the planet keeps heating up, a major new scientific report concludes. — The dangers of climate change are mounting so rapidly …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, The Guardian, Politico, Choosing Eco, Common Dreams, Grist, DIRECT LEFT, CNBC, CBS News, UPI, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Caller, Japan Times and Financial Times

Seth Borenstein / Associated Press:
UN climate report: ‘Atlas of human suffering’ worse, bigger

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Newsy and Washington Post

France 24:
Russian official apologises for war in Ukraine at UN climate meet

Discussion: New Statesman, Тел … and Daily Kos

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

Two members of Congress spoke at a white nationalist convention. These corporations are supporting their reelection. — Over the weekend, two members of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ), addressed a white nationalist convention.

Discussion: Washington Post, Right Wing Watch, CBS News, BizPac Review and The Guardian

Manveen Rana / The Times:

Volodymyr Zelensky: Russian mercenaries ordered to kill Ukraine's president … More than 400 Russian mercenaries are operating in Kyiv with orders from the Kremlin to assassinate President Zelensky and his government and prepare the ground for Moscow to take control, The Times has learnt.

Discussion: Fox News, POLITICUSUSA, The Atlantic, The Kyiv Independent, The Times of Israel and emptywheel

Elizabeth Piper / Reuters:

Britain widens Russian ‘dirty money’ crackdown with new law … Britain will intensify a crackdown on what Prime Minister Boris Johnson called “dirty money” by introducing the government's Economic Crime Bill to parliament on Monday, a step brought forward in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Discussion: BBC, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, New York Times, Associated Press, Berlin Takes, New York Times, Axios, Political Wire and Reuters

The Federal Council:
Switzerland adopts EU sanctions against Russia

Discussion: Insider, Financial Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, Politico, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Euractiv, The Moderate Voice, Euro Weekly News Spain, Live and Let's Fly, The Local, Euro Weekly News Spain and Reuters

Andy Campbell / HuffPost:

Proud Boys Leader Yells Racist Slurs Before Attacking Black Woman — Andrew Walls, 26, was slapped with weapons and assault charges after he was seen on video sucker-punching a woman outside a bar in Akron, Ohio. — A chapter leader in the far-right Proud Boys extremist gang was charged …

Discussion: Akron Beacon Journal, Raw Story and Political Wire

David Dayen / New York Times:

Larry Summers Shares the Blame for Inflation — Mr. Dayen is the author of two books about Wall Street and the economy. He is also the executive editor of The American Prospect, whose latest issue focuses on the supply chain disruptions of the past two years, and the policies that led to them.

NBC News:

Facebook, Twitter remove disinformation accounts targeting Ukrainians — Facebook and Twitter removed two anti-Ukrainian “covert influence operations” over the weekend, one tied to Russia and another with connections to Belarus, the companies said. — One of the operations …

Discussion: TechCrunch, CBS News, The Verge, UPI, The Guardian, Lukasz Olejnik on Cyber …, NPR and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

John F. Harris / Politico:

Relax, Democrats, Biden's Presidency Isn't Screwed — After Democrats got routed in the 2010 elections, a reporter asked President Barack Obama if the results were a sign that voters considered him “out of touch” with their concerns and whether he was willing to change his leadership style in response.

Discussion: Insider, Washington Post, New York Times and Twitchy