Good. Xi's finger is working. He isn't stupid. So much for those still arguing sanctions are a waste of time.
This one is linked bottom of the one you replied to - Ukraine: Putin will search for a way to save face
By John Simpson World Affairs editor 16 March
[...]
As things stand today, Ukraine - having beaten off so many Russian attacks and made Putin's forces look feeble and ineffective - should be able to do that. Unless Putin's armies can capture Kyiv and much more of Ukraine's territory, then Ukraine will survive as a national entity, just as Finland did in 1940.
Losing Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine would be a bitter, illegal and wholly unjust loss. But Vladimir Putin would have to start using far more serious weapons even than he has already, if he's to come out on top. As things stand, in the third week of fighting, no-one can seriously doubt who the real winner in this war will be.
Billionaire Abramovich, Ukrainian peace negotiators hit by suspected poisoning -reports
Reuters March 29, 20226:26 AM GMT+11Last Updated 4 hours ago
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Sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich stands in a VIP lounge before a jet linked to him took off for Istanbul from Ben Gurion international airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel, March 14, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo 1/3
Abramovich, who accepted a Ukrainian request to help negotiate an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and at least two senior members of the Ukrainian team, were affected, the WSJ report said.
Ukrainian officials poured cold water on the report. Asked about the suspected poisoning, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said "there is a lot of speculation, various conspiracy theories". Rustem Umerov, another member of the negotiating team, urged people not to trust "unverified information".
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba later took a similar line, saying in an interview on national television that "everyone is thirsty for news and sensations". However, he also added wryly: "I advise anyone going for negotiations with Russia not to eat or drink anything, (and) preferably avoid touching surfaces".
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
'RED EYES, PEELING SKIN'
According to the WSJ report, Abramovich and the negotiators showed symptoms that included red eyes, constant and painful tearing, and peeling skin on their faces and hands.
Abramovich and the Ukrainian negotiators, including Crimean Tatar lawmaker Umerov, have since improved and their lives are not in danger, WSJ reported.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed the incident to Reuters but said Abramovich had not allowed it to stop him working.
Bellingcat said experts who examined the incident concluded "poisoning with an undefined chemical weapon" was the most likely cause.
Citing the experts, Bellingcat said the dosage and type of toxin used was not enough to be life-threatening, "and most likely was intended to scare the victims as opposed to cause permanent damage. The victims said they were not aware of who might have had an interest in an attack."
The three men who experienced the symptoms had only consumed water and chocolate in the hours beforehand, Bellingcat said. A fourth member of the team who also consumed these items did not experience symptoms, it said.
Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what President Vladimir Putin calls a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine. Ukraine and the West say Putin launched an unprovoked war of aggression.
The West has imposed heavy sanctions on Russian billionaires such as Abramovich, Russian companies and Russian officials, in an attempt to force Putin to withdraw from Ukraine.
Reporting by Catarina Demony, Natalia Zinets, Max Hunder, Jonathan Landay, David Gauthier-Villars, Mark Trevelyan and Abinaya Vijayaraghavan; Writing by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan and Matthias Williams; Editing by Jon Boyle and Rosalba O'Brien
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