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Lend-lease vote and Russia's NATO demand
Summary
A look back at 6 April 2022, when Washington moved to speed arms deliveries and Moscow tied an end to its invasion to a constitutional pledge on NATO.
What did diplomacy and weapons policy look like on 6 April 2022, two days after the world saw evidence from Bucha? The day brought two moves pulling in different directions: a unanimous vote in Washington and a set of conditions from Moscow.
The US Senate unanimously passed a law authorising President Joe Biden to use the lend-lease programme, last applied in the Second World War, to speed up deliveries of military equipment to Ukraine.
On the same day, Russia said it would end its invasion if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted conditions set out during negotiations. The key demand was a legal guarantee that Ukraine would not join NATO, written into the Ukrainian constitution. Russia also said it had suspended operations in Kyiv as a "goodwill gesture" meant to promote peace talks.
The shadow of Bucha
The announcements came against the backdrop of events in Bucha, near Kyiv. The battle for the town lasted from 27 February to 31 March 2022 and ended with the withdrawal of Russian forces; it was part of a wider effort to encircle the capital.
On 4 April, police in the Kyiv region and local residents said a mass grave had been found in Bucha. They believed at least 150 people were buried there, while the mayor said the toll could reach 300. Zelenskyy visited the site.
The same day, Biden called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to face war crimes trials after more images of the massacre emerged. Zelenskyy said peace talks would continue despite Bucha.
Two tracks at once
Seen from 6 April, the picture was of parallel tracks. Washington was widening the legal route for getting equipment to Ukraine more quickly. Moscow was setting out terms that centred on a constitutional ban on NATO membership, and describing its pause in Kyiv as a gesture to help talks.
The Senate vote was unanimous, and Zelenskyy had already said two days earlier that negotiations would go on. Beyond that, the day's reports set out positions rather than outcomes: Russia's conditions were put forward, and the response to them was still to come.
