Situation update

• Kazakhstan's flagship carrier Air Astana and Turkey's Pegasus Airlines both suspended flights to and from Russia due to risks from conflict and lack of insurance coverage. 
• Goldman Sachs became the first major U.S. bank to announce it would close its operations in Russia with a similar announcement from JPMorgan Chase & Co following not far behind. 
• Russia has banned exports to “unfriendly” countries across several sectors until the end of 2022 in response to Western sanctions, including: agriculture, electrical, forestry, medical, tech equipment, and telecommunications.
  
  
  • Russia also banned exports of cars, airplanes, and drones as foreign companies attempt to recover $10 billion of leased aircraft from Russian airlines.
  • Additionally, wheat, meslin, rye, barley, corn, and some sugar exports to the Eurasian Economic Union have been banned until August 2022 as Russia tries to ensure its home market has enough food amid disruptions from sanctions.
• President Putin announced that Russia would recruit its own “volunteers” in response to Ukraine’s foreign legion. Third-party groups will allow the Kremlin to distance itself from civilian deaths as fighting further intensifies in Ukraine. Up to 16,000 Syrian troops have reportedly been recruited to fight.
• Ukraine's Air Force Command reports that Russian aircraft entered Ukrainian air space before turning around and flying toward Belarus where they fired missiles at the Belarussian border town of Kopani. Ukraine's Internal Ministry claims this is a false-flag operation carried out by Russia to provide pretext for Belarus to join the conflict.
• The U.S. has warned that Russia may carry out an attack targeting nuclear power plants, or using chemical or biological weapons in order to accuse Ukraine of a false-flag operation.
• Unconfirmed allegations from Defense Intelligence of Ukraine claim that Russian forces are gathering bodies of slain Ukrainian soldiers to plant at Chernobyl as "saboteurs", in order to blame a catastrophe on Ukraine as a false-flag operation.  
  
  

Situation update

• Russia’s Legislative Commission has approved a bill that will allow the state to seize organizations owned 25% or more by foreign entities from “unfriendly” countries if they do not resume normal operations. Over the past week, the Russian labor force has faced a flood of unemployment as major foreign businesses close shop in Russia.
• Starbucks, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi are among the latest major business to stop operations in Russia. 
• Russian Central Bank officials announced that sale of foreign currencies to citizens is suspended at all banks until at least 09 September, due to international sanctions. For withdrawals of over USD10,000, the balance must be made using roubles instead of dollars.
• The Russian Duma has approved amendments that will allow the creation of a unified register of individuals that have been declared “foreign agents.” The Russian government currently maintains a similar register for business entities, which allows for systemic discrimination of affected persons in Russia.
• President Biden signed an executive order on 08 March to ban new investments on Russian oil, liquified natural gas, and coal imports to the U.S. Gas prices have risen to an all-time high stateside as refiners cut back on contracts with Russia.
• The EU enacted a never-before-used temporary protection scheme, allowing Ukrainian nationals who flee war to be granted permission to live and work in EU member states for up to three years.
• Russian forces appear to have made progress south toward Kyiv's western flank. Despite heavy losses of both soldiers and equipment, Russia's army continues to make slow but steady territorial gains in Ukraine. 
• Over the last several days, there has been a reported softening of negotiating positions on both sides. Ukraine is reportedly open to "neutrality" and to back away from its NATO bid. In addition, Ukrainian President Zelensky has sent out conflicting signals regarding his willingness to recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics. Meanwhile, Russia has signaled it may be able to live next to a (mostly) sovereign Ukraine if the Donbas is demilitarized. Ultimately, it remains unclear if a peace deal is likely in the near-term. 

“Anything their employees need, if they’re sick, injured, need medical evacuation, need security, all of those things are in our sphere. When you have events like the Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Turkey Coup, the Paris attacks, that’s when we’re most active in a crisis like this.”

Global Guardian President and CEO Dale Buckner was featured on CNN International's First Move with Julia Chatterley discussing the duty of care corporations have to their employees and employees family, and how Global Guardian is actively evacuating clients in Ukraine. In addition, during the interview, Dale provided an assessment on what he believes to be the most likely course of action when it comes to the potential outcome of the war in Ukraine.

Situation update

• The U.S., Canada, UK, and Israel are the latest to advise their citizens to leave Russia due to deteriorating conditions and dwindling commercial flight options to leave.
• Those in Russia should leave the country now before transit options disappear or border controls are implemented. Commercial flight options are disappearing due to route closures, lack of insurance coverage, and suspension of Western parts and maintenance contracts. Russia's aviation sector may not survive sanctions, and private charter flight options are extremely limited. 
• Russia's security services have arrested thousands of anti-war or anti-government protesters amid a growing crackdown in the country.
• Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot has announced the suspension of all international flights starting on 08 March.
• Visa, Mastercard, KPMG, and PwC have all suspended operations in Russia. 

• The Kremlin released its demands of Ukraine in order to end hostilities. These include: 

  • Recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent
  • Ceasing all military action
  • A change to Ukraine's constitution to enshrine neutrality (no EU, no NATO membership)
  • Acknowledgment of Crimea as Russian territory

President and CEO Dale Buckner on Kusi "Good Morning SaN DIEGO" 

A RETIRED ARMY GREEN BERET AND HIS SECURITY FIRM HAVE BEEN MAKING AN EFFORT TO EVACUATE AMERICAN EXPATRIATES OUT OF UKRAINE

"It's very high risk," said Dale Buckner, CEO of Global Guardian, an international security firm working for a slew of fortune 500 companies to get their personnel out of Ukraine. "It's incredibly violent. We couldn't get into downtown center city Kyiv until two days ago."

Global Guardian President and CEO Dale Buckner was featured on ABC 6News Philadelphia discussing the situation in Ukraine and how the team is actively evacuating clients and families. 

COMPANIES STRUGGLE TO EXTRACT STAFF FROM UKRAINE AND RUSSIA

"Clients need to prepare for freezing temperatures and to be on their feet for eight to26 hours because the vehicles can get only so close to the border with traffic so backed up. “You’re probably going to get out and walk the last seven miles,” Buckner said."

In a recent article in the Financial Times, President and CEO Dale Buckner discusses the current evacuation efforts happening in Ukraine, including what it takes to coordinate and prepare clients for the journey.

BLOOMBERG BALANCE OF POWER INTERVIEW AT 25:14

“It's visceral, it's more violent, and things are tightening, and we have to be prepared to move as these Russian forces come in from three different sides."

Global Guardian President and CEO Dale Buckner was featured on Bloomberg Balance of Power discussing the situation on the ground in Ukraine as the Global Guardian team evacuates clients and their families. During this interview with Joe Mathieu, Dale also draws on his military experience to weigh in with strategic insight on Russia's capabilities and potential outcomes for this war.

Click below to watch the full video. If interested in skipping ahead, Global Guardian segment begins at 25:14.

Situation update

• Those in Russia should leave the country now before transit options disappear or border controls are implemented. Commercial flight options are disappearing due to route closures, lack of insurance coverage, and suspension of Western parts and maintenance contracts. Russia's aviation sector may not survive sanctions, and private charter flight options are extremely limited. 
• Russian airline S7 has announced the suspension of all international flights after one of its planes was seized by the leasing company that owns it while in Yerevan, Armenia. This risk could halt all international flights out of Russia. 
• President Putin has yet to comment on the rumors that the Russian state may institute martial law that are causing some Russians to flee the country. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the first official reaction, denying rumors as “hoaxes”.
• Russian legislation outlawing “public dissemination of false information about the use of the Russian military” could be in effect as soon as tomorrow, 05 March. The bill includes:
  • Imprisonment for sharing any information opposite the official Russian view of its offensive in Ukraine. Longer sentences are attached to information shared as part of the accused’s job duties and if authorities determine sharing it has “serious consequences”.
  • Fines for criticizing the Russian military.
  • Fines or forced labor for calling for sanctions against Russia.

• The list of popular websites accessible from Russia continues to shrink as Facebook, Twitter, BBC, and independent Russian press outlets are blocked.
• The Moscow Stock exchange will remain closed until at least 09 March. Russia’s largest exchange shut its doors on 28 February, making this its longest shutdown in the country’s history.

Retired Green Beret says window to evacuate Ukrainians is tightening as Russia pushes forward

"This is going to tighten and tighten and tighten. Our job is to figure out how to flex as this ebbs and flows and find those pockets where we do have freedom of maneuver as we continue to move through this over the next few months."

In an interview on Fox & Friends on Fox News, Global Guardian President and CEO Dale Buckner discusses evacuation efforts in Ukraine and shares insight into how those efforts have evolved—and will continue to evolve—as the on-the-ground evacuation teams continue to navigate checkpoints, movement of Russian troops, and windows of opportunity to bring clients and their families to safety.