The U.S. is preparing sanctions against Chinese banks for supporting Russia The restrictive measures will be designed to cut off some Chinese banks from the global financial system in order to limit Beijing's support of the Russian military industry, The Wall Street Journal… pic.twitter.com/9sY2XkDUld

Russia has threatened to step up its attacks on logistics centres and storage facilities for western weapons in Ukraine, in Moscow’s first direct response to the passage of US military aid for Kyiv. the latest, with @ChristopherJM www.ft.com/content/5dd82177-1c86-46bd-8da7-8aee6fc49a9b

Russia’s Foreign Ministry denies a Novaya Gazeta report today that claims Moscow is planning to mimic Minsk and Kyiv by suspending consular services abroad in a supposed campaign to force expats home by stranding them abroad with expired docs. www.currenttime.tv/a/mzapret-na-vydachu-dokumentov-za-granitsey/32920118.html

Washington is reportedly drafting new sanctions that could punish Chinese banks for supporting Russia’s war machine, but the U.S. may be short on leverage here over Beijing. (Hence murmurs of hope in DC that the Europeans will step up their pressure.) www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-takes-aim-at-chinese-banks-aiding-russia-war-effort-fcf76dcc