Russian forces are no longer occupying Snake Island in the Black Sea, in turn, allowing Ukrainian ports to operate again. Either side told different stories about the exit Thursday with Ukraine suggesting they have forced the troops out after a massive artillery and missile assault overnight.
The European Union agreed to ban almost 90 percent of Russian oil by the end of this year. The council reached a consensus on the latest sanctions at its summit in Brussels on Tuesday.
Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.Y.) pledged US support for Taiwan during their recent visit. While speaking with Taiwan’s president Friday, Menendez pointed to the global significance of Taiwan as one of the world’s leading producers of high-end semiconductor products.
Mutual trade between Russia and China surged in March in response to Western sanctions. According to Chinese customs data, Russian-Chinese trade rose to an equivalent of $38.2 billion last month, which is a 28 percent increase from a year ago.
Congress voted to strip Russia and its ally Belarus of “most favored nation” trade status. House lawmakers passed the measure in a 420-to-three vote Thursday.