⏳ Tuesday Fix: We want to be with EU

Morning all,

A large Russian convoy heads in the direction of the capital, Ukraine applies for EU membership, and Biden prepares for his first State of the Union address.

Until tomorrow,

Your Fixers

GOOD LISTENER?

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UKRAINE - WHAT'S THE LATEST?

• Overview of the situation: In terms of an overview, a view expressed by many on Western media is that this invasion is really not going to plan for Russia. For example, former CIA Director David Petraeus, said the war was going "terribly" for Putin during a CNN interview. *it makes for a really insightful interview

"Vladimir Putin's actions have united most of the world against him, with countries like Germany taking actions that no one would have imagined possible just a week ago." - David Petraeus, speaking on CNN

• Ukraine's capital: That being said, satellite images on Monday showed a convoy of Russian vehicles - at least 27km long - heading towards Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. The Guardian, CNN and others suggested it was actually 64km long.

• Peace talks? Talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations on Monday unsurprisingly failed to reach a breakthrough, but a commitment was made to meet again in the coming days. We haven't seen any information on an exact date for that.
• War crimes? President Zelensky has accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine. This claim is in relation to the reports "dozens of civilians" were killed in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city near the border with Russia. According to BBC News, the International Criminal Court (ICC) "is looking to launch its own investigation into the allegations".
• Ukrainian casualties: More than 70 soldiers were killed "in Russian attack on base near Kharkiv".
• Allegations of racism: There have been multiple reports of foreign students who are not white experiencing racism trying to cross the border out of Ukraine. According to a CNN report, an African student and their colleagues were told to get off a bus by Ukrainian security forces and border officials. They later realised they were forced to walk, while Ukrainian nationals were shuttled to the border.  
• Google Maps: Google Maps temporarily turned off its live traffic data in Ukraine, "to protect users". The traffic data would usually show if roads are busy etc. Here is a really interesting article on this topic.

WE WANT TO BE WITH EU GUYS

Ukraine has officially applied to gain membership of the EU.

Over the weekend the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said Ukraine belongs in the EU. A spokesman later walked that back, saying she meant Europe in general.

Okay, so what's the issue? It usually takes years to join. Like with NATO, any country wanting to join needs the approval of all current members.

"There are currently five countries that are candidates to join - Turkey, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania - but their bids have been stuck in limbo for years. The last country to join the EU was Croatia, which was admitted in 2013 - after nearly a decade of negotiations and reforms." - Excellent context from RTÉ News

RUSSIA OFF-SIDE?

Both FIFA and UEFA have suspended Russia from its tournaments "until further notice". As Sky Sports News noted, UEFA terminated its deal with Russian energy company Gazprom, and the club Spartak Moscow were thrown out of Europa League.

While the move did receive a lot of support overall, there was a significant amount of people online suggesting there was a double standard in terms of the politicisation of sport.

Meanwhile, Twitter Safety announced tweets from Russian state-affiliated media outlets will now have reduced visibility on their tweets, and also have labels attached.

There is also a report in The Guardian suggesting Ofcom - the UK's media regulator - has launched "15 separate investigations" into coverage of the invasion by a Russian government-backed TV station called RT.

ABANDON SHIP?

A Ukrainian sailor was arrested in Mallorca after reportedly trying to sink the yacht he worked on, because it is owned by the CEO of a Russian arms exporter.

According to the report, the man told a judge he believed the rocket that hit a block of flats in his home city of Kyiv was likely manufactured by the yacht owner's company.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKY

Did you know President Zelensky started off as an actor playing the role of president on TV? Read our fascinating profile piece on him here, or click 👇🏽

ON TODAY'S AGENDA...

President Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address in Washington DC tonight.

Speaking to how partisan politics in the US has been in recent years, AP noted the Russian invasion has likely "become the unexpected force pulling the U.S. political parties toward common purpose".

MOST READ

• BBC News: 'I can't pay' - Russians feel the pain of sanctions
• The Guardian: Live/Russia-Ukraine war latest news: 70 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Okhtyrka, huge Russian army convoys near Kyiv - live updates
• The Financial Times: Russia doubles interest rates after sanctions send rouble plunging
• Al Jazeera: 70 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russian attack, says official
• The Irish Times: Ukraine accuses Russia of killing civilians amid fierce fighting for major cities

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TODAY MARKS...

Pancake Tuesday.

WATCHING OUT FOR...

A new five-part docuseries called 'Worst Roommate Ever' airs on Netflix today. The description says it takes a look at "four harrowing tales of seemingly harmless roommates turning into real-life nightmares for their unsuspecting victims".

ON A LIGHTER NOTE...

Old, but gold... and flaky.