Ukraine Latest: Zelenskiy Says Victory Assured — With Support

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(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on the one-year mark of the Russian invasion that his country will secure victory if allies maintain their support, possibly this year.

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“I am sure that there will be victory,” Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv. “I would like it this year — we have everything for this.”

At the United Nations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the international community shouldn’t fall prey to cynical calls for peace that would force Ukraine to concede territory to Russia. Any plan must ensure the Kremlin can’t “simply rest, rearm, and relaunch the war,” he told the Security Council.

President Joe Biden said he is ruling out Zelenskiy’s request for F-16 warplanes “for now.”

Russia’s War in Ukraine: Key Events and How It’s Unfolding

You can follow all our special coverage today of the one year mark for Russia’s invasion via our website, on Twitter and on Bloomberg Television, including live broadcasts from Kyiv. You can also read our biggest pieces from the past week on Flipboard.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Listen to our special conversations from this week, including our Twitter Space on the military strategies of the war, the impact on energy and the environment, the effect of sanctions including on the wealth of Russia’s oligarchs and our conversation about what the future holds for Ukrainian refugees.

Big Take Podcast: How Does Ukraine Continue to Beat Back Russia?

Key Developments

  • Biden Says He Is Ruling Out Giving Ukraine F-16s ‘For Now’

  • Biden Does Not Anticipate China Giving Russia Major Weapons Aid

  • EU Hits Russia With More Sanctions One Year After Invasion

  • The UN Couldn’t Even Agree to Hold Minute of Silence for Ukraine

  • Russia’s Richest Lose $67 Billion of Wealth After a Year of War

  • Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: A Political Year in Photos

  • US Sets Tariffs on Russian Metals Including Aluminum

(All times CET)

Biden Rules Out Giving Ukraine F-16s ‘For Now’ (4:10 a.m.)

President Joe Biden said he is ruling out Ukraine’s request for F-16 fighter jets at this time, despite increased pressure from Zelenskiy.

“He doesn’t need F-16s now,” Biden said in an interview with ABC News broadcast Friday evening. “I am ruling it out for now.”

The US has resisted sending Ukraine F-16 warplanes over concerns their delivery could further escalate the war, which is entering its second year.

Biden Does Not Anticipate China Giving Russia Weapons Aid (4:10 a.m.)

Biden said he did not expect China would provide significant assistance to Russia in the form of weapons to aid Moscow in its war against Ukraine, but warned any such action would draw a US response.

“I don’t anticipate — we haven’t seen it yet — but I don’t anticipate a major initiative on the part of China providing weaponry to Russia,” Biden said in the ABC News interview.

“We would respond,” Biden added.

EU Slaps Russia With 10th Package of Sanctions (11:10 p.m.)

European Union member states backed a 10th package of sanctions on Russia including tighter export restrictions and technology controls, as well as requiring banks to report information on Russian Central Bank and other sanctioned assets they hold.

The bloc’s envoys signed off on the measures Friday, the Swedish presidency of the EU said in a tweet as it sought to advance the latest restrictions one year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The EU also imposed measures against individuals and entities supporting the war, spreading propaganda or delivering drones used by Russia, the Swedish presidency said.

Poland Gives Conditional Backing to New EU Sanctions (10:08 p.m.)

Poland agreed to conditionally back the European Union’s latest planned package of sanctions against Russia, according to the country’s ambassador to the bloc.

Poland set six conditions for its support, including a monitoring mechanism to end imports of Russian rubber and starting work on sanctions against Belarus. Discussions continued among member states.

Canada Adding Four More Leopard Tanks, Trudeau Says (9:13 p.m.)

Canada will deliver four more Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, bringing its donation of tanks to eight, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. The first four tanks are already in Poland and Canadian soldiers are training Ukrainian tank crews on them, he added.

Trudeau said Canada is also sending Ukraine an armored recovery vehicle and more than 5,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition.

The prime minister said Canada will roll out a fresh round of sanctions on more than 100 Russian people and organizations complicit in the invasion of Ukraine. “Putin is dangerous, he is cowardly, and he is weak,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Toronto.

World Bank Announces $2.5 Billion in New Ukraine Aid (7:45 p.m.)

The World Bank announced $2.5 billion in grant financing for Ukraine to provide budget support for essential services and core government functions, bringing funding it has mobilized to help the country to almost $21 billion.

The new money, which will come from the US Agency for International Development, will help with key areas including health care, schools, payment of pensions, payments for displaced people, social assistance programs and wages for public employees.

The Washington-based World Bank gives the money to Ukraine after verifying eligible expenses, rather than transfering it upfront, to help minimize the risk of corruption.

Putin, Erdogan Discuss Ukraine, Energy, Grain (7:34 p.m.)

Putin spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The leaders discussed cooperation in the energy sector, including the Akkuyu nuclear plant that Russia is building in Turkey. They also exchanged views on the Ukraine war and the implementation of the grain export deal. The Kremlin said Putin emphasized his demands to remove restrictions on exporting Russian fertilizers and agricultural products.

Zelenskiy Casts Doubt on Chinese Weapon Supplies to Russia (6:27 p.m.)

Ukraine’s president said he hopes China will stand with Ukraine, on the side of “just peace” – and lauded Beijing for beginning to address Ukraine. He expressed optimism that China embraces the principle of territorial integrity.

“I strongly believe that China will not supply weapons to the Russian Federation - for me it is important, for me it is the No. 1 point,” Zelenskiy said. “I’ll do everything to prevent this.”

The US has begun to issue warnings that China is weighing deliveries of lethal weapons to Russia. Beijing denies any such considerations even as its top diplomat this week called relations with Moscow “solid as a mountain.” Zelenskiy said the task is to “gather all to isolate one,” adding that “we should work with China.”

Iran-Russia Cooperation Is Expanding, Kirby Says (6:06 p.m.)

The US believes that defense cooperation between Iran and Russia is intensifying, and that Moscow may offer Tehran fighter jets in addition to the existing flows of missiles, electronics and air-defense systems, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Iran is also seeking to purchase billions of dollars in military equipment — including attack helicopters, combat trainer aircraft, and radar — from Russia, Kirby said. The US didn’t provide evidence for that finding or information about how that intelligence determination was reached.

“This defense cooperation is not only of course not good for the people of Ukraine — as Russia continues to get drones and other capabilities, potentially other key capabilities — but certainly it’s not good for the Middle East, as Iran will seek to benefit from their cooperation,” Kirby said.

Zelenskiy Rules Out Talks With Putin (5:51 p.m.)

President Zelenskiy reiterated that talks with his Russian counterpart are unacceptable.

“There is nobody there to speak with now,” he told reporters when asked if he would accept a hypothetical offer to meet with Putin in Turkey.

Witnessing Bucha Atrocities Was Worst Moment of War for Zelenskiy (5:23 p.m.)

Asked what the worst moment of the war has been for him, Zelenskiy cited the discovery by Ukrainian troops of atrocities committed in the town of Bucha near Kyiv after Russia’s withdrawal. The images shocked the world and triggered accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“We saw that the devil exists,” he said in a press conference on Friday.

Ukraine May Resume Power, Gas Exports as Energy Risks Ease: DTEK (5:12 p.m.)

Ukraine is now more confident of its energy supply for next winter, while its grid has become more resilient against Russian attacks, according to Maxim Timchenko, CEO of Ukrainian power producer DTEK.

Despite losses of many generation assets, the nation’s nuclear, hydro and solar plants are working at full capacity, and coal and gas production are at pre-war levels. Ukraine may even restart power exports to Europe at off-peak hours, as well as shipping gas from its storage sites, he added.

Germany to Send More Leopard-2 Tanks to Ukraine Than Planned (5:08 p.m.)

Germany will send 18 Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, four more than initially planned, the country’s defense ministry said. The decision means Germany, together with Portugal and Sweden, can assemble one battalion for Ukraine, it added.

Blinken Warns UN to Be Wary of Cynical Calls for Peace (4:53 p.m.)

“For peace to be durable it must ensure that Russia can’t simply rest, rearm, and relaunch the war in a few months or a few years,” Blinken told the UN Security Council. A peace that legitimizes Russia’s seizure of land would “send a message to would-be aggressors everywhere that they can invade countries and get away with it.”

Ukraine Vows a Humiliating Defeat for Russia (4:36 p.m.)

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, also speaking at the Security Council, vowed Russia would face a humiliating defeat in its invasion of Ukraine and called for a tribunal to investigate war crimes committed by President Vladimir Putin’s forces.

The UN meeting devolved into bitter squabbling from the very start, with Russia’s Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya objecting to Kuleba speaking before members of the council. He accused the US and its allies of “turning the council into your own instrument.”

“You think that Ukraine will eventually tire of defending itself,” Kuleba said. “The more and longer you will keep attacking Ukraine, the more resolve we will have and the more humiliating your defeat will be.”

Sweden Supplies Launchers for German IRIS-T Missiles (4:29 p.m.)

Sweden will provide a launcher for IRIS-T air defense missiles to Ukraine, the government said in a statement. Defense Minister Pal Jonson said on Twitter Sweden will supply “much needed components” to the anti-missile system.

McConnell Urges Speedier Ukraine Aid, More Defense Spending (3:50 p.m.)

The senator argued in a statement that a Ukrainian military failure would cost far more, and that China and Tehran are watching. He also added that most of what the US is sending is older equipment anyway to be replaced by more modern weapons for the US military.

“If Putin were given a green light to destabilize Europe, invading and killing at will, the long-term cost to the United States in both dollars and security risks would be astronomically higher than the minuscule fraction of our GDP that we have invested in Ukraine’s defense thus far,” he said. “The Biden Administration and our allies must act more decisively to ensure that both our collective assistance to Ukraine and the investments we each make in our own militaries take place at the speed of relevance.”

Sweden to Provide Leopard 2 Tanks (3:18 p.m.)

Sweden has decided to provide Ukraine with about 10 Leopard 2 tanks that will slot in to a battalion assembled by Germany, Defense Minister Pal Jonson said.

Country Music Star Paisley Dedicates Song to Ukraine (2:50 p.m.)

US country musician Brad Paisley released a song titled “Same Here,” featuring a voice-over of a video chat he had with President Zelenskiy to mark one year of war in Ukraine.

Paisley, an honorary ambassador for the Ukrainian leader’s global fundraising platform United 24, will donate royalties to the platform to help rebuild homes destroyed in the Russian invasion, he told the Associated Press.

Poland Sends Four Leopard Tanks to Ukraine (1:36 p.m.)

Poland delivered four of 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks it pledged to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters in Kyiv.

The country is also going to send “in the coming days” 60 modernized Soviet-era PT-91 tanks and other Leopards, he said. Poland is also ready to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets, he added.

Global Financial Crime Watchdog Suspends Russia (1:32 p.m.)

The Financial Action Task Force, a global financial watchdog, suspended Russia’s membership over its “illegal, unprovoked and unjustified full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.”

Iran Says Russia Military Ties Aren’t Against Ukraine (1:24 p.m.)

Iran’s military and defense relationship with Russia is “not against any third country,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in an interview with Sputnik.

The Islamic Republic’s ties with Ukraine have deteriorated over the past year due to “the Ukrainian government’s susceptibility” to Western countries, he said.

German President Urges China to Speak With Kyiv (12 p.m.)

China should consult Ukraine and not just Russia if it’s serious about a proposal to bring an end to Moscow’s invasion, said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Weak Peace Settlement Unacceptable, Latvia’s President Says (11:30 a.m.)

China’s cease-fire proposal won’t be acceptable to Ukraine and is unlikely to lead to an end to Russia’s invasion, Latvian President Egils Levits said on Bloomberg TV.

“There is now no possibility for a weak peace negotiation because Russia is ready to continue the war,” Levits said. China’s peace plan contains “nothing that Ukraine could accept,” he added.

Black Sea Corridor Called Essential for Global Food Security (11:25 a.m.)

Keeping the Black Sea grain corridor open for Ukrainian grain shipments and expanding its capacity is the only way to preserve global food security, Yevhen Osypov, CEO of the grain exporter Kernel, said on Bloomberg TV.

Kyiv is seeking an extension of the safe-transit deal with UN, Turkey and Russia reached over the summer and needs to export the double amount of grain it’s been shipping so far to clear stocks from storage ahead of the next harvest, he said.

Japan PM Kishida Mulls Ukraine Visit (11:17 a.m.)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering a visit to Ukraine, he told reporters in Tokyo, but nothing’s been finalized. Japan is the only Group of Seven country that hasn’t sent its leader to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.

Kishida earlier this week pledged $5.5 billion in additional financial assistance for Ukraine. This will take the form of loan guarantees, the Asahi newspaper reported, with Japan only required to provide funds if Ukraine is late with repayments.

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