Pres. Biden and Russian Pres. Putin have agreed to a summit "in principle," with one major condition: that Russia does not invade Ukraine. https://t.co/CjmefhARq8 pic.twitter.com/IToXbCcM9T
— ABC News (@ABC) February 21, 2022
The phrase “in principle “ is doing a lot of work in the French announcement of the Biden-Putin summit. Probably best to wait for White House and Kremlin to announce formally before getting too excited.
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) February 21, 2022
BREAKING: U.S. says President Biden has agreed in principle to meeting with Vladimir Putin, brokered by France, if Russia doesn't invade Ukraine. https://t.co/OnGEdoj937
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 21, 2022
The White House has not confirmed the prospect of such a summit.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 21, 2022
The Biden strategy is working. Putin seems perplexed: his false flag pretexts for invasion? Exposed! NATO? Increasingly unified! Ukraine? Determined and resilient! Not too late for Putin to withdraw, and be happy to survive the crisis he created.
— Wes Clark (@GeneralClark) February 20, 2022
Seeing a fair amount of “Putin didn’t attack Ukraine while Trump was president.”
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) February 20, 2022
True.
But Trump was working to sabotage NATO and dismantle the EU — two of Putin’s major goals.
Why rock the boat when you’re getting what you want?https://t.co/e2xNWh8bk2
If you think a looming Russian assault on Ukraine and Putin's prior aggression, cyber-attacks, efforts to manipulate our democracy, and support for Trump and ethno-nationalists across Europe are unrelated you are either not paying attention or are in deep, dangerous denial.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) February 17, 2022
Regardless of what comes from the proposed Biden-Putin summit, I believe Russia will continue to use asymmetrical actions to undermine our democracy and sow chaos here.
— Naveed Jamali (@NaveedAJamali) February 21, 2022
It was always about Ukraine. Putin said so himself, in the article he wrote last summer. He believes Ukraine is part of Russia. He believes a sovereign, democratic regime threatens his autocratic regime. It matters that we understand this.
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) February 21, 2022
Munich, 2022: A display of alliance unity, solidarity. Agreement on sanctions. But despite everything that was said, everything that was promised, and everything that was discussed, Ukraine will fight alone. https://t.co/1M4xzmkSiC
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) February 21, 2022
‘All you can do is cry’: Donbas evacuees face uncertain future in Russia. Even as evacuations appear to be a political ruse, the trauma for women and children fleeing to Russia is real. Our story with me in Rostov and @PjotrSauer speaking to Donetsk https://t.co/pAQwuz28y1
— Andrew Roth (@Andrew__Roth) February 20, 2022
Some Russian observers have mentioned that Putin may be planning to pattern operations closely on Nato's 1999 campaign against Yugoslavia over Kosovo. Early steps seem to confirm this: Putin's use of 'genocide' + the creation of a 'refugee crisis' by removing Donbas citizens 1/
— Mark Urban (@MarkUrban01) February 20, 2022
Surprise! The Russian troops in Belarus aren't going anywhere after exercises end, Belarus' defense minister says.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 20, 2022
He says Putin and Lukashenko have decided to keep them going indefinitely because of tensions in the Donbas – tensions that Russia stoked. pic.twitter.com/WvulbeaL4T
The USA, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia would like to introduce you to their natural gas industries.. capable of shipping to Europe…
— Mel Broussard Music (@MBroussardMusic) February 20, 2022
"Russia don't touch Ukraine!" 6 people unfurled banners against invasion in downtown Moscow. Waiting police immediately arrested them pic.twitter.com/DsUYqYDnXP
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) February 20, 2022
The West will likely be hit with a dramatic inflationary shock — perhaps rising over 10% in US — with far higher numbers in Europe. Add to this Russian retaliation on limiting certain energy and metal experts or cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. https://t.co/LRdEsiTKYQ
— Ben Judah (@b_judah) February 20, 2022
***
Bad timing, bad optics for desperate Johnson
Boris Johnson set to scrap Britain's COVID restrictions https://t.co/dXemGKXMH0 pic.twitter.com/OHx23vPmC0
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
Queen Elizabeth, 95, has tested positive for COVID and is experiencing mild symptoms, Buckingham Palace said https://t.co/QPgHz2RN66 pic.twitter.com/toRrj5YGuc
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2022
‘The Queen has Covid’ followed directly on the radio news by ‘Boris Johnson has announced that people with no Covid will no longer have to isolate’ doesn’t feel like the PR win the U.K. government were hoping for 😬
— Peter Geoghegan (@PeterKGeoghegan) February 20, 2022
And here comes the spin…
Daily Mail aiming at those Working from Home saying The Queen is an example to all as she’s determined to keep working despite having Covid. But hang on she’s, what’s that? Ohh, she’ll be fulfilling her role online & cancelling in person meetings.
— Jd (@JoshuaLockdown) February 20, 2022
So, literally working from home. pic.twitter.com/ZPYI0geuNw
As Boris Johnson and various Tory MPs wish our Queen a swift recovery from Covid
— Louis 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 〓〓 💙 Defend the right to vote (@LouisHenwood) February 20, 2022
This is what he said in July 2021
"It’s only over 80s who will die"#BackBorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/qKgk4tCYW0
BREAKING! Is Meghan to blame for the Queen getting Covid? We ask the question so the Daily Express doesn’t have to
— NewsThump (@newsthump) February 20, 2022
Today we expect to hear the government outline their plans for “learning to live with covid”, which include removing the legal obligation to isolate, removing free community testing and (potentially) scrapping the ONS infection survey.
— Kit Yates (@Kit_Yates_Maths) February 21, 2022
Here’s why I think this is a bad idea:
1/20
— Mattyourmate (@mattyourmate) February 21, 2022
Boris Johnson says he wants to focus on Ukraine conflict and major domestic issues like cost of living crisis and lifting Covid restrictions.
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) February 20, 2022
But PM is also under investigation by police – and there’s an indisputable public interest in @sophieraworth pressing him on that. https://t.co/LlEuP4W2G9
Boris Johnson refuses four times to answer whether or not he will resign if he is found to have broken his own Covid laws.
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) February 20, 2022
“I can’t say anything more about this until the process is completed” he tells Sophie Raworth.
Audible sigh from Boris Johnson when asked about Covid #Raworth #SundayMorning
— ProudGranny24 (@ProudGranny24) February 20, 2022
When does the public inquiry start? pic.twitter.com/Czzy1JOFfF
Finally, a flashback…
In 2018, after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, NATO called an urgency summit to discuss Russian sanctions. Johnson left it, skipped his security detail & flew to Italy where he met an ex-KGB officer whose son he later ennobledhttps://t.co/bqifjUyWUo
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) February 20, 2022
The Overnight Note 