Pavel Polityuk, Vitalii Hynidyi

TROSTYANETS/LVIV (Ukraine) – European gas buyers had to pay in roubles by Friday. Negotiations to end the war of five weeks were scheduled to resume as Ukraine prepares for more attacks from the east and south.

Moscow invaded its neighbor, killing thousands and sending millions fleeing. This has galvanized the United States, and other allies, to inflict severe penalties on Russian governments, business and oligarchs.

According to RIA, a top foreign ministry official said that Russia would respond to European Union sanctions.

Nikolai Kobrinets stated to the news agency that the EU’s actions will not go unanswered. He said the irresponsible Sanctions imposed by Brussels already adversely affect the everyday lives of Europeans.

Russian President Vladimir Putin used Thursday to play one of his most powerful cards. He demanded that European energy buyers pay in rubles starting Friday, or have their existing contracts terminated.

European governments rejected Putin’s energy ultimatum. Germany is the largest recipient of Russian gas on continent, and called it “blackmail”.

As U.S. officials travel the world to press Putin for an end to the invasion of Ukraine that has displaced a quarter (44 million) of its people, this energy dispute has enormous ramifications in Europe.

‘BATTLES AHEAD’

Putin sent soldiers to Ukraine for a special military operation on February 24. Western countries claim that Putin intended to destabilize Ukraine’s government.

Moscow stated this week that it will reduce offensives in Kyiv’s vicinity and the northern part of the country as a gesture of goodwill and instead focus on the “liberation” region of the southeastern Donbas.

Kyiv and allies claim that Russia has instead sought to rebuild after suffering losses in a Ukrainian counter-offensive which had retaken suburbs of Kiev and strategic areas in northeast and southwest.

Volodymyr Zeleskiy, Ukrainian President warned that “battles” were ahead in Donbass and Mariupol’s southern port.

Zelenskiy explained that we still have to follow a difficult road to obtain everything we want.

On Friday, peace talks will resume via videoconference. Moscow has sent reinforcements from Russian-backed regions of Georgia and Ukraine to strengthen its position. The British defence ministry posted the following tweet (NYSE:)

It stated that the reinforcements showed Russia suffered unexpected losses.

U.S. and European officials believe that Putin is being misled by his generals regarding the terrible performance of its military.

Ukrainian authorities had hoped to move more Mariupol residents after Russia offered to open a humanitarian corridor. But, many previous agreements have been canceled due to mutual repudiations.

Iryna Vreshchuk (Ukraine’s deputy prime minister) said that 45 buses were being used to evacuate Mariupol residents. They were stopped by Russian forces at Berdyansk about 75km west.

She stated in an internet post that she would continue to push for a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to ensure her people are not left on their own.

A Facebook post (NASDAQ:) by the General Staff stated that Ukrainian forces held Mariupol. It is the gateway to Black Sea and links Donbas and Russian-annexed Crimea.

According to the mayor’s office, 5,000 people are dead.

Tens to thousands of people have been left trapped for several weeks, with little food and water in a city once home to over 400,000. However, it has now been bombarded by shelling.

Evidence of Ukraine’s successful attack in Trostyanets (an eastern city) was also found. The roads were littered by abandoned ammunition and Russian tanks that had been destroyed.

“We spent 30 consecutive days in the basement, with very small children. Larisa, a woman from Larisa said that the children were shaking even now.

What is the ENERGY CRISIS

Due to rising fuel prices and the conflict, President Joe Biden released the biggest ever release of oil from the U.S. reserve on Thursday.

Biden declared that this was a time of peril and consequence for the entire world as he announced an announcement of 180 million barrels of oil to be released starting May. This amount doesn’t cover the U.S. oil loss from Russia, as Biden has banned it this month.

A U.S. official shared images showing damage to Ukraine’s grain storage facilities, claiming that the war could disrupt world food supply. Ukraine was fourth in terms of gain exports last year.