US
Joe Biden – United States President
At a closed-door fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee Biden expressed his concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin can’t find a way out of Ukraine. “I’m confident that Putin believed that he could break up Nato, that he believed he could break the European Union,” Biden said according to CNN.
RUSSIA
Maria Zakharova – Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Russia will not take part in the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday. “Unfortunately, our arguments and explanations regarding the true goals of the special military operation and the real situation on the ground are completely ignored. It is obvious that they will not be heard this time either. That is why the Russian delegation will not legitimize another biased political show in the form of a planned special session,” Zakharova stated.
SWEDEN
Peter Hultqvist – Minister of Defense
“A NATO membership with joint defense planning and monitoring of the Baltic Sea would reduce the risk of something happening around the Baltics,” the minister stated on Tuesday referring to possible NATO membership of Sweden and Finland. He also emphasized that the sea “must not fall into the hands of anyone else.”
FRANCE
Clement Beaune – French European Affairs Minister
The European Union could reach a deal to introduce an embargo on Russian oil before the end of the week, Beaune said on Tuesday. He also noted French President Emmanuel Macron is set to talk to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban- a longtime ally of Putin- today in an effort to reach an agreement on the sanctions. Orban has said that ending Russian oil purchases would be an “atomic bomb” on Hungary’s economy.
