Though Ukraine still faces long odds in being able to fend off a far larger Russian military, optimism still appears to reign among Ukrainian defenders. At the beginning of the war, both sides were preparing for a swift Russian takeover that would necessitate a Ukrainian defense centered around small units and guerrilla warfare; instead, Ukrainian forces continue to inflict shocking damage on spread-out, under-supplied, and under-protected Russian attackers. And with each passing day, more weapons are flooding into Ukrainian military hands.
The United States today announced a ban on the importation of Russian oil. U.S. companies don't import much Russian oil, to begin with, but pressure on European nations to follow with their own import bans could have enormous effects, both inside and outside Russia. Gas prices are expected to rise despite, as usual, a year of staggering new profits for American oil companies.
Rising public pressure—in the form of being publicly shamed in the pages of The Washington Post—resulted in more American companies announcing that they, too, would suspend business in Russia rather than support Putin's war. The Republican Party, meanwhile, is still struggling to find a position that distances them sufficiently from Putin while still focusing most of their attention on attacking their domestic political opponents. It's been tough going, and it shows.
Some of today's developments: