| Russia’s war with Ukraine found no solutions on its 12th day but divisions deepened in world capitals and in Washington about whether a proposed ban on imported Russian petroleum would be wise. The idea on Monday split allied countries and divided House and Senate Democratic leaders trying to find ways to box Russian President Vladimir Putin in and left economists and market analysts unsure of an embargo’s utility as oil prices hovered above $120 per barrel and the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 800 points. European nations remained hesitant to embrace an oil embargo. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Europe’s energy supply “cannot be secured in any other way.” U.S. lawmakers suggested President Biden might proceed with a ban on imported Russian petroleum without NATO partners, a situation the United States initially sought to avoid. The administration is working on a plan to replace the 20.4 million barrels of crude and refined products the United States imports from Russia per month. “I've talked to the administration and they're looking closely at it. And they're working with the Europeans to get them their OK. I think we will hear from them relatively soon,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Monday. Biden held a video conference call (pictured below) with Scholz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the Ukraine crisis, including the oil embargo questions, according to the White House. The price of gas in the U.S. soared again Monday, rising to an average of $4.14 per gallon nationwide, according to AAA (CNN). Reuters: European Union leaders at a planned summit this week will phase out imports of Russian gas, oil and coal, according to a draft statement making the rounds. Alexander Bolton, The Hill: Politics of Russian oil ban fuels Democratic angst. The Hill: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) slams Biden administration over reported oil talks with Venezuela. Bloomberg News: Russia threatens to cut natural gas flows to Europe via Nord Stream 1. 
© Adam Schultz/The White House via Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his call for an allied boycott of all Russian exports, including oil (Reuters). Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pledged swift action, saying the House will pass “strong legislation that will further isolate Russia” (The Washington Post). A vote on a package is expected by the end of the week (The Hill). According to Schumer on Monday, Congress could pass a Ukraine relief bill as early as this week. The proposal has grown to more than $12 billion, up from $10 billion just days ago (The Associated Press). That package would include humanitarian and military aid for refugees, weapon transfers and infusions, and support for NATO allies in Eastern Europe. The relief aid bill is expected to be moved alongside the omnibus spending bill ahead of Friday’s deadline to fund the government. According to Reuters, negotiators are close to a spending deal that would avert a government shutdown through Sept. 30 and could unveil a bill as early as today, with a vote eyed for Wednesday. The inability to finalize a deal would necessitate the need for another stopgap spending bill. The House will need to pass the bill by Thursday, as House Democrats will migrate to Philadelphia then for their annual retreat. Jordain Carney, The Hill: Congress faces shutdown crunch time. The New York Times: Congress appeared ready on Monday to bar Russian oil imports and suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus while kicking Moscow out of the World Trade Organization. Bipartisan agreement to cut off oil imports added to growing pressure on Biden to shut the spigot to punish Putin and the Kremlin, although just 7 percent of the U.S. oil supply comes from Russia. The Wall Street Journal: How oil giants’ bets on Russia, years in the making, crumbled in days. Across the Atlantic, a third round of discussions between Ukraine and Russia toward a resolution to nearly two weeks of fighting yielded little. Hours after Russia’s top negotiator said humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukrainian cities would be up and running by Tuesday, Zelensky said in his daily national address that Russia instead mined those locations. Among those locales is Mariupol, which Russian forces have encircled. Roughly 200,000 people — nearly half of the city’s population — are attempting to flee. In total, about 2 million Ukrainians have fled the country, a refugee situation that has startled the United Nations with its size, speed and urgency (The Associated Press). Macron said on Monday that he does not anticipate that an end to the war will be struck for weeks. He recently told Putin in a conversation that a cease-fire is a first step that must happen. Thus far, Putin has rejected that possibility. “I don’t think that in the days and weeks to come there will be a true negotiated solution,” Macron said at a campaign event (The Associated Press). The New York Times: Most military experts predict Russia will eventually subdue Ukraine’s army, but Western governments that have spoken openly about Russia’s military failings spread the word to help damage Russian morale and bolster the Ukrainians. ABC News: Zelensky says Putin should start a dialogue instead of giving “another ultimatum.” In the meantime, Russian forces remain at a virtual standstill in their attempt to control Kyiv but have made significant advances in southern Ukraine. A top U.S. defense official said on Monday that 100 percent of Russian forces are now within Ukraine, adding that Moscow’s “main advance is still stalled outside” the Ukrainian capital despite nearly two weeks of fighting (Politico). The Associated Press: China calls Russia its chief “strategic partner” despite war. The Wall Street Journal: South Korea bans transactions with Russia’s central bank. Reuters: Great Britain refuses to drop visa requirement for Ukraine refugees. 
© Associated Press/Emilio Morenatti | 
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