Monday, March 14

• Forty-nine of the 50 Republican Senators in Congress announced they will not back the current attempt to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and pledged to prevent an agreement that does not “completely block” Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons, restrict its missile program and “confront Iran’s support for terrorism.” Only Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kent.) did not participate in the announcement, explaining that, “Condemning a deal that is not yet formulated is akin to condemning diplomacy itself, not a very thoughtful position.”
• The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom denied WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal its decision to extradite him to the United States, where Assange could face a lifetime in prison on charges in connection to the publication of roughly half a million secret military files relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned China’s Foreign Affairs Commissioner Yang Jiechi that there would be “consequences” if China supports Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

Tuesday, March 15

• In a mostly symbolic action, the Russian government announced it placed retaliatory sanctions on President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and top U.S. officials including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA chief William Burns, Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh, Agency for International Development chief Samantha Power, National Security Advisor Sullivan and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The sanctions place these people on a “stop list” that bars them from entering Russia.

Wednesday, March 16

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke before Congress, pleading that the U.S. establish a no-fly zone over his country and impose more sanctions on Russia. “We need you right now. I call on you to do more,” Zelenskyy said. The White House has rejected a no-fly zone, believing such actions would be seen as a military escalation.

• The Department of Homeland Security announced that it granted Afghans already in the U.S. “temporary protected status” for 18 months. This protects them from deportation, due to the “ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent the country’s nationals from returning in safety.”

· A Honduran judge authorized the extradition to the U.S. of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, whom U.S. authorities accuse of participating in a drug-trafficking scheme between 2004 and 2022 and accepting millions of dollars in bribes to protect drug traffickers from investigation.

Thursday, March 17

• Biden referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal” as well as “a murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine.”

· Following Biden’s comments, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the State Department is in the process of documenting and evaluating potential Russian war crimes in Ukraine to help international efforts towards accountability. “Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime,” Blinken said. “After all the destruction of the past three weeks, I find it difficult to conclude that the Russians are doing otherwise.”

· After Biden canceled an in-person Oval Office meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin after Martin tested positive for COVID-19 the day prior, the two leaders instead met for virtual talks. Martin joined Biden in condemning the Russian aggression against Ukraine, referring to it as a “barbaric attack on the civilians of Ukraine.”

Friday, March 18

· Biden spoke on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping for their first direct talks since November. Biden “described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians,” the White House said in a statement. Meanwhile, Xi warned the U.S., “If the Taiwan issue is not handled properly, it will have a subversive impact on the relationship” between China and the U.S.

· The Commerce Department published a list of 99 Boeing airplanes operated by Russian passenger and cargo carriers that it says recently flew to Russia and may have violated export controls. Investigations of the potential violations will effectively ground the planes.

Saturday, March 19

· Four U.S. troops were killed on board a military plane that crashed during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise in Norway. The exercise was part of the “Cold Response” program that involves 30,000 troops from NATO and partner countries to test how Norway would manage allied reinforcements on its soil. The program will continue until April 1.

Sunday, March 20

· U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield called rumors that thousands of residents of Mariupol, Ukraine, are being forcibly deported to Russia are “disturbing” if true. “It is unconscionable for Russia to force Ukrainian citizens into Russia and put them in what will basically be concentration and prisoner camps,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

· The Biden administration transferred Patriot antimissile interceptors to Saudi Arabia per an urgent request from Saudi leaders, according to reports from senior U.S. officials.

· The Supreme Court released a statement explaining that Justice Clarence Thomas was hospitalized with an infection the previous Friday after experiencing flu-like symptoms. “His symptoms are abating, he is resting comfortably, and he expects to be released from the hospital in a day or two,” it said.