The Evening Wrap: Biden to ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war

United State’s president Joe Biden has made a decision to ban the imports of Russian oil into the country, a person familiar with the matter said. According to the source, Joe Biden is expected to announce his decision on Tuesday itself. This comes after Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskiy’s appeal to the US and Western heads to ban imports, a move that was missed out of the host of economic sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukrainian incursion, ensuring a steady cash flow into Russia despite the sanctions already in place. The White House said Biden would announce “actions to continue to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine.” The U.S. will be acting alone, but in close consultation with European allies, who are more dependent on Russian energy supplies. Natural gas from Russia accounts for one-third of Europe’s consumption of the fossil fuel. The U.S. does not import Russian natural gas. Biden had explained his reluctance to impose energy sanctions at the outset of the conflict two weeks ago saying that he was trying “to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump.” Before the invasion, Russian oil and gas made up more than a third of government revenues. Global energy prices have surged after the invasion and have continued to rise despite coordinated releases of strategic reserves, making Russian exports even more lucrative. The U.S. and international partners have sanctioned Russia’s largest banks, its central bank and finance ministry, and moved to block certain financial institutions from the SWIFT messaging system for international payments. But the rules issued by the Treasury Department allow Russian energy transactions to keep going through non-sanctioned banks that are not based in the U.S. in an effort to minimise any disruptions to the global energy markets. Inflation, at a 40-year peak and fueled in large part by gas prices, has hurt Biden politically with voters heading into the November elections. The sanctions created a possible trade-off for the president between his political interests at home and abroad. By invading Ukraine, Russia has potentially fed into the supply chain problems and inflation that have been a crucial weakness for Biden, who now is trying to strike a balance between penalising Putin and sparing American voters. Biden specifically highlighted the Russian energy carve-outs as a virtue because they would help to protect U.S. families and businesses from higher prices. “Our sanctions package we specifically designed to allow energy payments to continue,” he said. Restricting the world’s largest exporter of natural gas and second-largest exporter of oil, after Saudi Arabia, could hurt the unity that U.S. officials say is key to confronting Putin. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia held a third round of negotiation talks on March 7, resulting in tentative progress but failed to reach a deal on creating “humanitarian corridors”. In a statement made earlier in the day, Russia had said that it is ready to halt the ongoing invasion, provided that Ukraine meets its list of conditions which includes recognising the separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. All Indian students moved out of Ukraine’s Sumy: MEA All Indian students stranded in the war-torn Ukrainian city of Sumy have been moved out and flights under Operation Ganga are being prepared to bring them back home, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Indian students moved out of Sumy were being taken to Poltava, from where they will board trains to western Ukraine. Poltava is at a distance of about 175 km from Sumy. “Happy to inform that we have been able to move out all Indian students from Sumy. They are currently en route to Poltava, from where they will board trains to western Ukraine,” Bagchi tweeted. “Flights under Operation Ganga are being prepared to bring them home,” he said. Bagchi, however, did not specify from which border point and when will they be evacuated from Ukraine to board flights for their return to India. The MEA spokesperson also posted a video on Twitter showing Indian students having refreshments in the backdrop of parked buses. Also, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine issued an advisory urging all stranded Indian nationals to make use of “humanitarian corridor” announced in various parts of Ukraine and evacuate using trains, vehicles or any other available means of transport giving due consideration to safety. Humanitarian corridor for evacuation of stranded people has been announced in various parts of Ukraine from 1000 hours on March 8, 2022. Considering the security situation, establishment of the next humanitarian corridor is uncertain, the advisory said. “All stranded Indian nationals are urged to make use of this opportunity and evacuate using trains/vehicles or any other available means of transport giving due consideration to safety,” the advisory said. Sumy has been witnessing intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops for days now. India had been making efforts to evacuate its citizens from the northeastern Ukrainian city, but was facing the challenge of heavy shelling and air strikes. India has brought back over 17,100 of its nationals from Ukraine so far. India to resume scheduled international flight services from March 27 The Centre has decided to resume scheduled international flight services in India from March 27 after a two-year hiatus following a decline in coronavirus cases in the country, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on Tuesday. Scheduled international flight services are suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the pandemic. However, special international flights have been operating between India and 37 countries since July 2020 under air bubble arrangements. Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday, “After deliberation with stakeholders and keeping in view the decline in the COVID-19 caseload, we have decided to resume international travel from March 27 onwards.” Air bubble arrangements will also stand revoked thereafter, he said. “With this step, I am confident the sector will reach new heights,” Scindia said. Just 3,993 fresh coronavirus infections -- the lowest in 662 days -- were recorded in India on Tuesday, according to the Union health ministry. In a statement, the MoCA said that international operations from March 27 will be subject to strict adherence to Union health ministry guidelines that were issued on February 10. “After having recognised the increased vaccination coverage across the globe and in consultation with stakeholders, the Government of India has decided to resume scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India from March 27, 2022, i.e. start of summer schedule 2022,” it said. The suspension of scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India, thus, stands extended only up to 23:59 hrs (Indian standard time) on March 26, 2022 and air bubble arrangements shall accordingly be extended to this extent only, the MoCA said. CAATSA sanctions on India would be ‘extraordinarily foolhardy’: Ted Cruz India is a critical ally of the United States and it would be “extraordinarily foolhardy” to impose any sanctions on New Delhi under the U.S. domestic law, the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) of 2017 for its purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, a top Republican Senator has told the Biden administration. The US administration is required under domestic law, Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) to impose sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea or Russia. CAATSA is a tough US law that authorises the administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections. “There are reports that the Biden administration is contemplating imposing CAATSA sanctions against India, the largest democracy on Earth, a decision that I think would be extraordinarily foolhardy,” Senator Ted Cruz said during a hearing on pending nominations by the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Cruz, who represents the State of Texas in the United States Senate, said that over the last one week, the bilateral relationship between India and the United States had deteriorated under the Biden administration. “India is a critical ally across a number of areas, and the US-India alliance has broadened and deepened in recent years. But under the Biden administration, it’s gone backwards,” Cruz said. “India is not the only country to have voted against us, and against condemning Russia,” he said, in reference to India’s abstention in the UN General Assembly votes condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. India has faced flak from US lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, for choosing to abstain from a UN vote on Wednesday to rebuke Russia’s attack on Ukraine. A total of 141 nations voted in favour of the move condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and five nations were against it, with 35 countries, including India, abstaining. The UNGA resolution was similar to the one circulated earlier in the 15-nation Security Council on which India also had abstained. The UNSC resolution, which received 11 votes in favour and three abstentions, was blocked after permanent member Russia exercised its veto. “The United Arab Emirates also abstained in yesterday’s vote. The UAE is a close ally of the United States, and during the Trump administration, was a critical player in the Abraham Accords that fundamentally transformed the entire Middle East, and brought Israelis and Arabs together under American leadership,” Cruz said. At a different hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said that in the past year under the Biden administration, the US relations with India have worsened significantly. This was manifested among other things in their latest abstention at the United Nations, he told Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu. “I will acknowledge that India and the United States have not voted the same at the United Nations over this past week. I assure you that we continue to have an important dialogue with India at the highest levels to try to narrow that gap and to help India to see the importance that we place on a coordinated message to Moscow,” Lu said. In October 2018, India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the then Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions. The U.S. has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia. Following the US sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there were apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India. Russia has been one of India’s major suppliers of arms and ammunition. In brief India and China have mutually decided to hold a fresh round of Corps Commander talks at the Indian side of Chushul Moldo Meeting Point on March 11. The two sides have so far held 14 rounds of talks, with disengagement undertaken on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso (lake), Galwan and Gogra areas. “Both sides will now focus on achieving the resolution of the balance friction areas. Recent statements by both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution have been encouraging and positive in nature,” defence sources said. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 4,29,71,287 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 5,15,887. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 08 MARCH 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( U.S. President Joe Biden to ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war  United State’s president [Joe Biden has made a decision to ban the imports of Russian oil into the country]( a person familiar with the matter said. According to the source, Joe Biden is expected to announce his decision on Tuesday itself. This comes after Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskiy’s appeal to the US and Western heads to ban imports, a move that was missed out of the host of economic sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukrainian incursion, ensuring a steady cash flow into Russia despite the sanctions already in place. The White House said Biden would announce “actions to continue to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine.” The U.S. will be acting alone, but in close consultation with European allies, who are more dependent on Russian energy supplies. Natural gas from Russia accounts for one-third of Europe’s consumption of the fossil fuel. The U.S. does not import Russian natural gas. Biden had explained his reluctance to impose energy sanctions at the outset of the conflict two weeks ago saying that he was trying “to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump.” Before the invasion, Russian oil and gas made up more than a third of government revenues. Global energy prices have surged after the invasion and have continued to rise despite coordinated releases of strategic reserves, making Russian exports even more lucrative. The U.S. and international partners have sanctioned Russia’s largest banks, its central bank and finance ministry, and moved to block certain financial institutions from the SWIFT messaging system for international payments. But the rules issued by the Treasury Department allow Russian energy transactions to keep going through non-sanctioned banks that are not based in the U.S. in an effort to minimise any disruptions to the global energy markets. Inflation, at a 40-year peak and fueled in large part by gas prices, has hurt Biden politically with voters heading into the November elections. The sanctions created a possible trade-off for the president between his political interests at home and abroad. By invading Ukraine, Russia has potentially fed into the supply chain problems and inflation that have been a crucial weakness for Biden, who now is trying to strike a balance between penalising Putin and sparing American voters. Biden specifically highlighted the Russian energy carve-outs as a virtue because they would help to protect U.S. families and businesses from higher prices. “Our sanctions package we specifically designed to allow energy payments to continue,” he said. Restricting the world’s largest exporter of natural gas and second-largest exporter of oil, after Saudi Arabia, could hurt the unity that U.S. officials say is key to confronting Putin. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia held a third round of negotiation talks on March 7, resulting in tentative progress but failed to reach a deal on creating “humanitarian corridors”. In a statement made earlier in the day, Russia had said that it is ready to halt the ongoing invasion, provided that Ukraine meets its list of conditions which includes recognising the separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. All Indian students moved out of Ukraine’s Sumy: MEA [All Indian students stranded in the war-torn Ukrainian city of Sumy have been moved out]( and flights under Operation Ganga are being prepared to bring them back home, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Indian students moved out of Sumy were being taken to Poltava, from where they will board trains to western Ukraine. Poltava is at a distance of about 175 km from Sumy. [Buses wait during evacuations out of Sumy on March 8, 2022 in this still image obtained from handout video. Photo: Deputy Head for President’s Office, Ukraine via Reuters] “Happy to inform that we have been able to move out all Indian students from Sumy. They are currently en route to Poltava, from where they will board trains to western Ukraine,” Bagchi tweeted. “Flights under Operation Ganga are being prepared to bring them home,” he said. Bagchi, however, did not specify from which border point and when will they be evacuated from Ukraine to board flights for their return to India. The MEA spokesperson also posted a video on Twitter showing Indian students having refreshments in the backdrop of parked buses. Also, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine issued an advisory urging all stranded Indian nationals to make use of “humanitarian corridor” announced in various parts of Ukraine and evacuate using trains, vehicles or any other available means of transport giving due consideration to safety. Humanitarian corridor for evacuation of stranded people has been announced in various parts of Ukraine from 1000 hours on March 8, 2022. Considering the security situation, establishment of the next humanitarian corridor is uncertain, the advisory said. “All stranded Indian nationals are urged to make use of this opportunity and evacuate using trains/vehicles or any other available means of transport giving due consideration to safety,” the advisory said. Sumy has been witnessing intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops for days now. India had been making efforts to evacuate its citizens from the northeastern Ukrainian city, but was facing the challenge of heavy shelling and air strikes. India has brought back over 17,100 of its nationals from Ukraine so far. India to resume scheduled international flight services from March 27  The Centre has [decided to resume scheduled international flight services in India from March 27]( after a two-year hiatus following a decline in coronavirus cases in the country, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on Tuesday. Scheduled international flight services are suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the pandemic. However, special international flights have been operating between India and 37 countries since July 2020 under air bubble arrangements. Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday, “After deliberation with stakeholders and keeping in view the decline in the COVID-19 caseload, we have decided to resume international travel from March 27 onwards.” Air bubble arrangements will also stand revoked thereafter, he said. “With this step, I am confident the sector will reach new heights,” Scindia said. Just 3,993 fresh coronavirus infections -- the lowest in 662 days -- were recorded in India on Tuesday, according to the Union health ministry. In a statement, the MoCA said that international operations from March 27 will be subject to strict adherence to Union health ministry guidelines that were issued on February 10. “After having recognised the increased vaccination coverage across the globe and in consultation with stakeholders, the Government of India has decided to resume scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India from March 27, 2022, i.e. start of summer schedule 2022,” it said. The suspension of scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India, thus, stands extended only up to 23:59 hrs (Indian standard time) on March 26, 2022 and air bubble arrangements shall accordingly be extended to this extent only, the MoCA said. CAATSA sanctions on India would be ‘extraordinarily foolhardy’: Ted Cruz  India is a critical ally of the United States and it would be “extraordinarily foolhardy” to impose any sanctions on New Delhi under the U.S. domestic law, the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) of 2017 for its purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, [a top Republican Senator has told the Biden administration](. [This handout video grab released by the Russian Defence Ministry on February 9, 2022 shows combat crews of the S-400 air defense system taking up combat duty during joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus as part of an inspection of the Union State's Response Force, at a firing range in Brest region of Belarus.] The US administration is required under domestic law, Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) to impose sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea or Russia. CAATSA is a tough US law that authorises the administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections. “There are reports that the Biden administration is contemplating imposing CAATSA sanctions against India, the largest democracy on Earth, a decision that I think would be extraordinarily foolhardy,” Senator Ted Cruz said during a hearing on pending nominations by the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Cruz, who represents the State of Texas in the United States Senate, said that over the last one week, the bilateral relationship between India and the United States had deteriorated under the Biden administration. “India is a critical ally across a number of areas, and the US-India alliance has broadened and deepened in recent years. But under the Biden administration, it’s gone backwards,” Cruz said. “India is not the only country to have voted against us, and against condemning Russia,” he said, in reference to India’s abstention in the UN General Assembly votes condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. India has faced flak from US lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, for choosing to abstain from a UN vote on Wednesday to rebuke Russia’s attack on Ukraine. A total of 141 nations voted in favour of the move condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and five nations were against it, with 35 countries, including India, abstaining. The UNGA resolution was similar to the one circulated earlier in the 15-nation Security Council on which India also had abstained. The UNSC resolution, which received 11 votes in favour and three abstentions, was blocked after permanent member Russia exercised its veto. “The United Arab Emirates also abstained in yesterday’s vote. The UAE is a close ally of the United States, and during the Trump administration, was a critical player in the Abraham Accords that fundamentally transformed the entire Middle East, and brought Israelis and Arabs together under American leadership,” Cruz said. At a different hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said that in the past year under the Biden administration, the US relations with India have worsened significantly. This was manifested among other things in their latest abstention at the United Nations, he told Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu. “I will acknowledge that India and the United States have not voted the same at the United Nations over this past week. I assure you that we continue to have an important dialogue with India at the highest levels to try to narrow that gap and to help India to see the importance that we place on a coordinated message to Moscow,” Lu said. In October 2018, India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the then Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions. The U.S. has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia. Following the US sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there were apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India. Russia has been one of India’s major suppliers of arms and ammunition. In brief India and China have mutually [decided to hold a fresh round of Corps Commander talks]( at the Indian side of Chushul Moldo Meeting Point on March 11. The two sides have so far held 14 rounds of talks, with disengagement undertaken on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso (lake), Galwan and Gogra areas. “Both sides will now focus on achieving the resolution of the balance friction areas. Recent statements by both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution have been encouraging and positive in nature,” defence sources said. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stood at 4,29,71,287 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 5,15,887.  Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today‘s Top Picks [[BJP trying to steal EVMs in Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav] BJP trying to steal EVMs in Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav]( [[Wheelchair-bound professor denied boarding on Air India flight] Wheelchair-bound professor denied boarding on Air India flight]( [[Disability rights activist charged ₹2,500 for wheelchair at Chennai airport] Disability rights activist charged ₹2,500 for wheelchair at Chennai airport]( [[You haven’t died Dad, you’ve just moved to a different place, and that is in our hearts: Shane Warne’s children] You haven’t died Dad, you’ve just moved to a different place, and that is in our hearts: Shane Warne’s children]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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