Putin thrives on West’s paralysis

Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up here.The lights are going out in parts [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up [here](. The lights are going out in parts of Ukraine as Russia bombs energy systems with impunity and unleashes attacks against stretched defenses. Ukrainian and Western officials say Russia’s making a [renewed attempt to cut off Kharkiv]( with strikes aimed at forcing authorities to evacuate Ukraine’s second-largest city. Russia tried to capture Kharkiv early in the February 2022 invasion but was repelled. Failure to hold back the Kremlin’s troops now would be a devastating setback as US and European aid to Ukraine falters. President Vladimir Putin justified the wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as retaliation for a campaign of strikes against oil refineries inside Russia. WATCH: Former US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta discusses Putin targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Source: Bloomberg That rings hollow given Russia’s history of relentless assaults on Ukraine’s power facilities since the start of the war. Unusually, though, the US is on the same side as Putin on this issue. The Joe Biden administration came out publicly against Ukraine hitting the refineries, apparently fearful of the impact on global oil prices. That’s hard for the government in Kyiv to swallow as it appeals desperately to allies for [additional air defenses]( to shield cities from Russian bombardment and Ukrainian troops strive to hold the frontline with dwindling reserves of munitions. Some $60 billion of vital US aid for Ukraine remains deadlocked in Congress. A fresh attempt this week to approve the assistance risks being sunk by Republican infighting. Putin remains focused on his war goals and has mobilized Russia’s economy to defeat Ukrainian forces that are equally determined to defend their country. With the war in its third year, the West remains split over how hard to push back against a nuclear-armed Russia to help Ukraine win, even as some leaders warn that defeat poses a dire threat to Europe’s security. In the face of that, indecision in the US and Europe is creating a zone of uncertainty in which Putin thrives.  — [Anthony Halpin]( A blackout in Kharkiv following Russian attacks on the city’s energy infrastructure on April 8. Photographer: Roman Pilipey/AFP/Getty Images Global Must Reads As the world awaits a possible Israeli response to Tehran’s weekend attack, China’s top diplomat told Iran that their nations [can continue to work together]( across a range of areas. Wang also said China noted Iran’s position that its military action was “limited” and the country was “exercising its right of self-defense,” since it followed a deadly strike on its diplomatic compound in Syria. Record flows of migrants to the US have turned the immigration issue [into an existential threat]( to Biden’s hopes of reelection. The president came into office in 2021 vowing to undo his predecessor Donald Trump’s harsh policies on the southern border and work with governments across Central America to reduce the motivations for their citizens to head north. It hasn’t worked. Migrants wait to be transported for asylum claim processing at the US-Mexico border in Campo, California, on April 5. Photographer: Mark Abramson/Bloomberg G42, an Abu Dhabi holding company focused on artificial intelligence, agreed to [pare back its presence in China]( or face potentially punitive measures from the US before entering a partnership with Microsoft. The Middle Eastern firm committed to pivot to American technology as part of the Biden administration’s broader efforts to rein in Beijing’s high-tech abilities and line up support around the world. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic is bidding to thwart the ambitions of his arch-rival, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, for a third term in office in tomorrow’s election. An opponent of aid to Ukraine and NATO expansion, Milanovic [set off a constitutional standoff]( after the top court ruled that his candidacy is “irreconcilable” with his duties as head of state — unless he resigns his post. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step aside next month after 20 years in office and will be [replaced by Finance Minister Lawrence Wong,]( who rose to prominence, in part, due to his leadership during the pandemic. The change will turn the page on a combined half-century of Lee family rule. Chinese leader Xi Jinping told visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that a surge in Chinese clean-technology exports has [helped the world tackle inflation](, as he pushed back against European and US pressure to rein in the country’s powerhouse industries. Trump relied on a small cadre of donors to contribute a hefty portion of his March fundraising haul, showing the early success of [his pivot to wealthy benefactors]( to finance his presidential bid. Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Deby, who seized power after his father’s death, [is running for the top job]( against his prime minister, raising concerns that he has no real opposition. Washington Dispatch Capitol Hill today awaits the next move of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who threatened to begin the process to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, a fellow Republican, if he allowed a vote on assistance to Ukraine. Johnson did that yesterday. “The world is watching us to see how we’ll react,” Johnson said as he announced a [plan for separate votes on aid]( to Israel and Ukraine, likely on Friday. The move could end a months-long Republican blockade on help for Kyiv while also responding quickly to Iran’s missile and drone attack against Israel last weekend. Another measure would provide assistance to Taiwan. Greene said last night that she hadn’t decided whether to proceed with an overthrow attempt, which could unfold a little more than six months after the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. But in one post on X that began with “Today is Tax Day,” she made her displeasure pretty clear. “The American people are sick of Republicans making promises they never keep,” she said. “Under Speaker Johnson, our Republican conference is headed in the wrong direction.” One person to watch today: Biden will travel to his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to take part in a campaign event. [Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter]( for more from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 1 and 5 p.m. ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. Chart of the Day Tents and new structures from Bloomberg analysis of satellite imagery; damaged buildings analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data by Corey Scher of CUNY Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University, as of March 29, 2024; satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC; building footprints from Microsoft Buildings and OpenStreetMap. Source: Bloomberg More than a million displaced people now live in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, which is also Israel’s last major military target in its campaign to eradicate the leadership of Hamas, the Iran-backed militant group. Using satellite analysis to identify damaged buildings and refugee tents, [here is what the Rafah region]( looks like after six months of war. And Finally Living in Lagos, Nigeria, can feel like walking around in intense heat while wrapped in a blanket before the rains come, the sort of weather that calls for a swim along [a vast coastline of white sand](. But there’s a problem. In the West African nation’s commercial capital of 25 million people, there are no free public beaches. Lagos’s capitalist bent and decisions by city officials mean that many of its residents can’t afford the simple joy of dipping in the ocean on its many hot days. People gather at a beach in Lagos. 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