(Bloomberg) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the “astonishingly clear words” Group of 20 leaders agreed on in their joint statement Wednesday shows that Vladimir Putin is increasingly isolated over the war.
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“The Russian president is almost alone in the world with his policy and has no strong alliance partner,” Scholz told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting in Bali, Indonesia.
President Joe Biden earlier pledged “full US support” for a Polish investigation after a rocket struck a village just over the border from Ukraine and killed two people. He said “preliminary information” suggested the projectile was not fired from Russia, which denied its forces had aimed missiles at targets along the Polish frontier. China urged restraint.
Key Developments
Panic Eases Over Poland Strike as Allies Query Rocket’s Origin
Biden Says Unlikely Rocket That Hit Poland Was Fired From Russia
Key Takeaways From G-20 Summit Featuring Biden, Xi and No Putin
Europe Gas Retreats as Brimming Stockpiles Counter Ukraine Risks
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On the Ground
Russian forces conducted the largest set of missile strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure since the start of the war on Tuesday, according to the latest report from the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. The Russian military likely used a substantial portion of its remaining high-precision weapon systems in the coordinated missile strikes, the ISW said.
(All times CET)
China Calls for Restraint (10:25)
China is aware of reports of a missile strike in Poland, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular briefing. She urged all relevant parties to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation of the situation.
Sweden Supplies Ukraine With Air Defense (8:45 a.m.)
Sweden unveiled its largest aid package to Ukraine to date, including 3 billion kronor ($290 million) in military assistance and 720 million kronor in humanitarian aid.
The package includes an air-defense system and ammunition, Defense Minister Pal Jonson and Foreign Trade Minister Johan Forssell told reporters in Stockholm.
Ukraine’s Power Infrastructure Recovering (8:20 a.m.)
Utility services are gradually resuming in Ukraine’s regions and major cities after damage inflicted by Russia’s missile barrage on Tuesday.
Water and heating are being supplied to customers as usual, while power has been restored in the country’s capital Kyiv after almost half of its inhabitants were cut off, local military authorities said.
NATO Ambassadors to Discuss Rocket Incident (8:15 a.m.)
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will chair a meeting of NATO ambassadors later on Wednesday to discuss the rocket incident in Poland and will brief reporters afterward at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.
Poland Says Ukraine Uses Same Type of Rocket (8 a.m.)
Ukraine also deploys the type of Russian-made missile that landed in Polish territory on Tuesday, according to Agnieszka Scigaj, a minister in the prime minister’s office in Warsaw.
Scigaj told broadcaster TVN24 that so far there’s only evidence of a single rocket landing on Polish soil near the Ukrainian border after initial reports pointed to two strikes. Scigaj said the investigation is ongoing and it’s still not clear who fired the missile.
Most G-20 Leaders Condemn War (7:30 a.m.)
A majority of G-20 nations condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to a joint declaration issued Wednesday after a summit that suggested Putin’s government is becoming more isolated.
“Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy — constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks,” G-20 leaders said.
Blinken Refers to ‘Explosion in Poland’ (7 a.m.)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he discussed the rocket incident — which he called “the explosion in eastern Poland” — with his Polish and Ukrainian counterparts.
“We pledged to remain closely coordinated in the days ahead as the investigation proceeds and we determine appropriate next steps,” Blinken said in a tweet.
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