MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS - US Daily Brief 20-02-23

Executive Summary:

• US President Joe Biden has made an unscheduled trip to Kyiv today to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• The visit comes at a critical moment for Ukraine with Russia preparing a new large-scale offensive and Western support for Ukraine seen as faltering slightly amid a struggle to overcome military hardware shortfalls, a failure of EU diplomats to alight on a 10th sanctions package, and domestic resistance within the US more vocally opposed providing Ukraine with a "blank cheque."
• Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have warned that China is contemplating providing material assistance to Russia.
• Blinken declined to detail specific assistance China may provide to Russia but said, “there are various kinds of lethal assistance that they are at least contemplating providing, to include weapons.”
• The GOP has taken steps to formally distance itself from a much-reported plan proposed by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) to “sunset” all federal programmes every five years.
• Poll of the Day: The “FairTax Act,” a proposal from conservative House Republicans to overhaul the taxation system and dissolve the IRS, is unpopular with a large majority of voters.

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MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS - US Daily Brief 20-02-23 .pdf