Your Tuesday Briefing

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/briefing/russia-ukraine-olympics-trudeau-trucks.html

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With Russian warships massing off the Ukrainian coast in the Black Sea and the U.S. warning of an imminent invasion, Ukraine’s president left open the possibility that his country might drop its bid to join NATO, a potential major concession to avert war with Russia.

“Maybe the question of open doors is for us like a dream,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, with Russian troops surrounding Ukraine and allies saying they would not send troops in the event of an invasion.

The Kremlin sent its strongest signals yet that it would seek further negotiations with the West. In stage-managed, televised meetings, Russia’s top diplomat said that the possibilities to reach a diplomatic resolution were “far from exhausted.” Russia’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, said that what he characterized as “large-scale drills” around Ukraine were coming to an end.

President Vladimir Putin responded ambiguously: “Good.”

Surging oil prices: Fears of war have caused oil prices to spike, pushing well past $90 a barrel. A Russian invasion of Ukraine could drive prices above $100.

Justin Trudeau took the rare step of invoking emergency powers for the first time in 50 years, allowing the Canadian authorities to roll back civil liberties to end the protests in Ottawa, the capital.

The move is temporary. Officials hope it will reopen border crossings and clear the blockade of about 400 trucks that has shut down parts of Ottawa. Police can now seize vehicles, and tow-truck operators will work with law enforcement agencies.

Trudeau promised that the government would soon announce financial help for businesses affected by the more than two weeks of demonstrations.

The announcement came after authorities in Alberta arrested 11 people and seized a cache of weapons linked to protesters.

Related: Many Canadians are just as confused by the protest crisis as the rest of us.

Virus rules: Ontario will stop requiring people to show proof of vaccination to enter indoor spaces as of March 1, though the province’s premier insisted the change was not a concession to the demonstrators.

Kamila Valieva, the Russian figure skating star at the center of a doping scandal, will be allowed to continue competing in the Beijing Olympics — but she will be staying off the medals podium.

Officials will not conduct an awards ceremony or hand out medals in any event in which Kamila Valieva places in the top three until her case is resolved — a process that could take months. Many other athletes are outraged that Valieva’s situation means other skaters will not get their moment on the podium in the typical timing.

Valieva, 15, was widely seen as the favorite to win the women’s singles event that begins today, until it was revealed that she had failed a doping test.

In other Olympics news:

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France won the gold medal for the ice dance.

The U.S. and Canada will face off in the gold medal game in women’s hockey.

For many countries, hosting the Games makes no economic sense. But for China, national pride and an enthusiasm for building infrastructure may just make it worth the cost.