OnPolitics: How China could influence Russia's war against Ukraine

Greetings, OnPolitics readers!

What's one word you'd use to describe Russian President Vladimir Putin?

In a pair of exclusive Paste BN/Suffolk University polls, we asked 500 U.S. residents of Ukrainian descent and 500 residents of Russian descent that question. The answers weren't pretty – and they weren't different.

The most frequent response from both groups was "dictator" or "tyrant." The second was "evil" or "monster." Near the top of both lists were also "crazy/insane" and a catchall that sounds something like the title of a famous children's book: "awful/horrible/despicable/terrible."

Latest updates on Ukraine: Almost all of Russia’s assaults on Ukrainian cities remain stalled, and there have been little or no advances made over the weekend, a senior U.S. Defense Department source said Monday.

The U.S. official acknowledged that some cities have been surrounded and face increasing bombardment from Russian long-range artillery and missile attacks. Russia has fired more than 900 missiles at Ukrainian targets since the invasion began, and the attacks have become increasingly indiscriminate, the official said.

Ukraine President Volodymy Zelenskyy will make his pitch for peace – and more weapons – in a virtual address to Congress planned for Wednesday morning.

It's Amy and Chelsey with today's top stories out of Washington.

China could be a pivotal force in Russia's war against Ukraine

U.S. officials have been keeping close tabs on Beijing's response to Putin's aggression against Ukraine – looking for signs of a rupture or harmony, support or vexation. 

As the conflict enters its third week and civilian casualties mount, Beijing has tried to stay on the sidelines. But Xi could play a pivotal role – either in bolstering Russia militarily and economically or pressing Putin to stand down. 

It’s against that backdrop that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met Monday in Rome with Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi. 

What's China's role in all of this? Russia would like China to step in to mitigate sanctions, said Notre Dame Law School professor Mary Ellen O’Connell, author of "The Crisis in Ukraine.” Beijing could play a constructive role in pressing Putin – if Xi chooses that path, she said.

“The more Russia hopes China can help it out of its sanctions issues, China has leverage for Russia to halt the invasion,” O’Connell told Paste BN.

China is in a tough spot. The war is adding to China’s economic concerns, and Xi does not want to invite additional trade friction with the West. But Beijing and Moscow are equally interested in undermining America's global leadership and challenging Western democracies. 

“Xi and Putin have a very mutually reinforcing relationship. And I don't think that Xi is going to do anything that causes Putin to fall from power,” said Michael Green, an Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Xi does not want to face the West without Russia.”

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SCOTUS nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s opinion history more diverse than assumed

Critics have panned Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as a "radical, left-wing activist" due to past judgments against former President Donald Trump’s administration.

But Jackson was shown to side with the Republican administration in a number of instances while serving on the federal District Court in Washington, D.C.

She handed down nearly 600 opinions during her eight-year career. Jackson sided with Trump when his controversial plan to build a wall spanning the U.S.-Mexico border was challenged. She also ruled that federal immigration law allowed faster removals for certain asylum-seekers, though Jackson limited expedited exportation for some immigrants.

These and other decisions will factor into Jackson’s upcoming Senate confirmation hearings, beginning March 21. Republicans will likely criticize her 2019 ruling that former White House counsel Don McGahn testify as part of a congressional impeachment inquiry against Trump. On the other hand, Democrats will frame Jackson as a pragmatist and ideal replacement for Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, who will retire later this year.

More on SCOTUS: Jackson, a Christian and Protestant, would bring religious diversity to a Supreme Court roster that includes six Catholics, an Episcopalian who was raised Catholic and a Jew.

It's 'Pi' (Pie) Day, OnPolitics readers! It comes but once a year on March 14. Here's where you can order the best pies of your choosing to celebrate. — Amy and Chelsey