us officials visit kyiv

Blinken, Austin pledge new diplomatic, military support for Ukraine on secretive wartime visit to Kyiv

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin slipped into Ukraine on Sunday for an extraordinary wartime meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy , bringing new promises of military and diplomatic support and defying grave concerns about whether it was safe to make the journey.

The trip, the highest-level American visit since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, was designed to show steadfast U.S. support for Ukraine and its defense as the war enters a new, worrying phase expected to be marked by a major Russian offensive in Ukraine’s south and east.

Speaking to reporters in Poland on Monday morning following the meeting, Blinken said that a coordinated effort between the United States and its Western allies to support Ukraine and pressure Russia “is having real results.”

“We’re seeing that when it comes to Russian war aims, Russia is failing. Ukraine is succeeding,” he said.

Blinken said he and Austin took the train from southwestern Poland to Kyiv and met with Zelenskyy and other senior Ukrainian officials for three hours at the presidential palace. Blinken said they did not meet with the public or tour parts of the country damaged by the war.

"We don’t know how the rest of this war will unfold, but we do know that a sovereign, independent Ukraine will be around a lot longer than Vladimir Putin is on the scene," he said. "And our support going forward for Ukraine will continue until we see final success."

The pair arrived in Poland on separate planes for a visit shrouded in secrecy. The U.S. government declined to confirm it happened until it was over and Blinken and Austin were safely out of the country — even after Zelenskyy announced the day before that they’d be coming. Zelenskyy's revelation during the Saturday news conference had caught Washington off-guard, prompting a last-minute scramble to determine whether it was still safe for them to go, U.S. officials said.

It’s typical for war zone trips by U.S. presidents and other high-level officials to be unannounced in advance, lest it make it easier for enemy forces operating in the country to target them. Blinken and Austin traveled to Poland with small contingents of journalists under U.S.-imposed ground rules requiring them not to report on the trip until it was finished. No U.S. journalists accompanied the secretaries on the journey from Poland to Ukraine.

In his comments ahead of their visit, Zelenskyy had publicly urged the U.S. secretaries not to show up empty-handed — and they didn’t.

Blinken came bearing news that the Biden administration will finally nominate an ambassador to Ukraine: Bridget Brink, currently the U.S. ambassador to Slovakia, who for weeks has been widely reported to be President Joe Biden’s likely pick. 

The U.S. has not had a Senate-confirmed ambassador to Ukraine since then-President Donald Trump fired Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch in 2019, and the vacancy had become a diplomatic black eye for the U.S. as the Ukraine war erupted into the top global crisis. Brink, who has deep experience in Eastern Europe, will face another Senate vote to be confirmed for the post in Ukraine.

While in Kyiv, Blinken also informed Zelenskyy that U.S. diplomats will return to Ukraine this week — possibly as early as Monday — for the first time since the U.S. evacuated its remaining diplomats in the country to Poland weeks ago, a senior State Department official said. At first, U.S. diplomats temporarily based in Poland will make day trips over the border to the Ukrainian city of Lviv and then to other parts of the country, the official said. 

Ultimately, the U.S. intends to return at least some diplomats to the Ukrainian capital following a move by the United Kingdom last week to reopen its embassy there. The decision signals newfound U.S. confidence that Kyiv is now at least moderately safe after Russia withdrew its troops from the city earlier this month, following its failed attempt to capture it.

Blinken said the U.S. would have diplomats back in Ukraine within days, but it would take a few weeks to reopen the embassy in Kyiv. "We’re doing it deliberately, we’re doing it carefully but we are doing it," he said.

Blinken also told the Ukrainians the U.S. will provide another $713 million in military financing for Ukraine and other regional partners, the official said, including assistance for Ukraine to transition from old, Soviet-era weapons to more modern systems used by NATO members.

Zelenskyy also heard from Austin, who told him that some of the howitzer artillery systems the Biden administration recently announced it would provide have now arrived, as Ukraine prepares for a potentially massive land battle in the east. A senior defense official said seven more howitzer packages are being readied to be sent to Ukraine imminently, along with armored vehicles to tow them.

Getting U.S. weapons systems like heavy artillery into Ukraine has been a major logistical challenge, with Washington keenly attuned to the risk that Russia could target weapons supply lines into the country. 

Austin also confirmed during the visit that as of Monday, the first tranche of Ukrainian troops being trained to use the artillery will have completed their training in a third country. The U.S. and Ukraine are declining to identify where the training is occurring at that country’s request, the senior defense official said.

Yet, despite the war zone visit and stepped-up U.S. military assistance, Biden’s insistence that U.S. troops won’t be sent to fight in Ukraine or impose a no-fly zone has not softened, officials traveling with Austin said.

“This visit does not portend actual involvement by U.S. forces,” the senior defense official said.

Zelenskyy’s unusual public disclosure Saturday that Austin and Blinken planned to visit had prompted speculation that the trip might have to be called off — and difficult questions about whether the Ukrainian leader had breached the Americans’ trust and potentially jeopardized their safety. 

But officials traveling with the secretaries downplayed any U.S. consternation about the giveaway, with a defense official saying the U.S. had planned for the possibility that word of the trip could leak in advance.

“You know, it’s his country,” the senior State Department official said Sunday of Zelenskyy. “It didn’t change anything about our commitment to go there today and to share what we have to say.”

As Austin and Blinken were making their way back out of Ukraine, Zelenskyy thanked the Biden administration and the American people on Twitter for their support, calling the U.S.-Ukraine relationship “stronger than ever.”

In recent days, Zelenskyy has said he both expects and hopes that Biden will personally visit, although he acknowledged that might not be possible until the security situation improves. Biden, who traveled to Ukraine multiple times as senator and vice president, has told reporters he wants to go back as soon as possible.

Josh Lederman is an NBC News correspondent.

Abigail Williams is a producer and reporter for NBC News covering the State Department.

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Zelenskyy meets top-level US delegation, gets aid promises

A Ukrainian soldier prays in St. Michael Cathedral during Easter celebration in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A Ukrainian serviceman inspects a heavily damaged apartment building after Russian bombardment in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Russian tanks roll along a street in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces in Mariupol, Ukraine, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

Ukrainian servicemen set the table with Orthodox traditional food during the Easter celebration at the frontline position of 128 brigade of Ukrainian army near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

Local civilians stand in line to take a shower inside a tent set by Donetsk People Republic Emergency Situations Ministry in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces in Mariupol, Ukraine, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

An Orthodox believer helps her daughter to kiss a photo of a priest, founder of All Saints church during the Easter celebration in Bahmut, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A military Orthodox priest blesses traditional food during the Easter celebration at the frontline position of 128 brigade of Ukrainian army near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

Ukrainian military medics transport an injured Ukrainian serviceman in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A men holds military helmet with traditional cakes and painted eggs as Ukrainian priest blesses believers during Easter celebration in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Apr. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

An egg is on display at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral as Ukrainians celebrate Orthodox Easter on Sunday, April 24, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukrainians also marked two months since Russia’s invasion, praying for those on the front line and others trapped behind it. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

An orthodox Ukrainian priest blesses believers as they collect traditional cakes and painted eggs prepared for an Easter celebration during a religious service at a church in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, on Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Orthodox traditional cake, painted eggs, a greeting card and a candle are placed inside the helmet of a Ukrainian serviceman during the Easter celebration at the frontline position of 128 brigade of Ukrainian army near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

Olga Zhovtobrukh, 55, cries during an Easter religious service celebrated at a church in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, on Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Ukrainian servicewomen smile as they carry a basket with Orthodox traditional cake and painted eggs during the Easter celebration at the frontline position of 128 brigade of Ukrainian army near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

Orthodox believers wait for blessing in a yard of the All Saints church during the Easter celebration in Bahmut, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Orthodox Easter service in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, April 24, 2022. Eastern Orthodox churches observe the ancient Julian calendar, and this year celebrate the Orthodox Easter on April 24. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Worshippers light candles at the Saint Volodymyr’s Cathedral during Orthodox Eastern celebrations in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. The sun came out as Ukrainians marked Orthodox Easter in the capital, Kyiv, on Sunday with prayers for those fighting on the front lines and others trapped beyond them in places like Mariupol. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A military Orthodox priest prepares to lead a service during the Easter celebration at the frontline position of 128 brigade of Ukrainian army near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

An Orthodox priest takes communion during the Easter celebration at the All Saints church in Bahmut, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Oleksandr, 26 kisses his soon Egor, 2, as they meet at the train station after more than two months separated for the war in Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Ukrainian servicemen attend an Orthodox service during the Easter celebration at the frontline position of 128 brigade of Ukrainian army near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

People sit in a public park in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A part of a destroyed tank and a burned vehicle sit in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces in Mariupol, Ukraine, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. secretaries of state and defense met Sunday night with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the highest-level visit to the country’s capital by an American delegation since the start of Russia’s invasion.

The secretive meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin came as Ukraine pressed the West for more powerful weapons against Russia’s campaign in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine , where Moscow’s forces sought to dislodge the last Ukrainian troops in the battered port of Mariupol.

Blinken and Austin told Ukraine’s president, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, and his advisers that the United States would provide more than $300 million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.

They also said that U.S. President Joe Biden would soon announce his nominee for ambassador to Ukraine and that American diplomats who left Ukraine before the war would start returning to the country this coming week

Reporters who accompanied Austin and Blinken to Poland were barred by Pentagon and State Department officials from reporting the Kyiv visit until the two men physically left Ukraine. U.S. officials cited security concerns.

Before the session with Blinken and Austin, Zelenskyy said he was looking for the Americans to produce results, both in arms and security guarantees.

“You can’t come to us empty-handed today, and we are expecting not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons,’' he said.

Zelenskyy’s last face-to-face meeting with a top U.S. official was Feb. 19 in Munich with Vice President Kamala Harris, five days before Russia’s invasion. While the West has funneled military equipment to Ukraine, Zelenskyy has stressed repeatedly that his country needs more heavy weapons, including long-range air defense systems and warplanes.

In an apparent boost for Ukraine, polling agencies said French President Emmanuel Macron would win reelection over far right candidate Marine Le Pen , who has faced questions about her ties to Moscow.

The result was hailed by France’s allies in the European Union as a reassuring sign of stability and continued support for Ukraine. France has played a leading role in international efforts to punish Russia with sanctions and is supplying weapons systems to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s meeting with U.S. officials took place as Ukrainians and Russians observed Orthodox Easter . Speaking from Kyiv’s ancient St. Sophia Cathedral, Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, highlighted its significance to a nation wracked by nearly two months of war.

“The great holiday today gives us great hope and unwavering faith that light will overcome darkness, good will overcome evil, life will overcome death, and therefore Ukraine will surely win!” he said.

Still, the war cast a shadow over celebrations. In the northern village of Ivanivka, where Russian tanks still littered the roads, Olena Koptyl said “the Easter holiday doesn’t bring any joy. I’m crying a lot. We cannot forget how we lived.”

The Russian military reported hitting 423 Ukrainian targets overnight, including fortified positions and troop concentrations, while its warplanes destroyed 26 Ukrainian military sites, including an explosives factory and several artillery depots.

Since failing to capture Kyiv, the Russians have aimed to gain full control over the eastern industrial heartland, where Moscow-backed separatists controlled some territory before the war.

Russian forces launched fresh airstrikes on a Mariupol steel plant where an estimated 1,000 civilians are sheltering along with about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters. The Azovstal steel mill where the defenders are holed up is the last corner of resistance in the city, otherwise occupied by the Russians.

Zelenskyy said he stressed the need to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, including from the steel plant, in a Sunday call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is scheduled to speak later with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Arestovych, the Zelenskyy adviser, said Ukraine has proposed holding talks with Russia next to the sprawling steel mill. Arestovych said on the Telegram messaging app that Russia has not responded to the proposal that would include establishing humanitarian corridors and the exchange of Russian war prisoners for the fighters still in the plant.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to travel to Turkey on Monday and then Moscow and Kyiv. Zelenskyy said it was a mistake for Guterres to visit Russia before Ukraine.

“Why? To hand over signals from Russia? What should we look for?” Zelenskyy said Saturday. “There are no corpses scattered on the Kutuzovsky Prospect,” he said, referring to one of Moscow’s main avenues.

Mariupol has endured fierce fighting since the start of the war because of its location on the Sea of Azov. Its capture would deprive Ukraine of a vital port, free up Russian troops to fight elsewhere, and allow Moscow to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014.

More than 100,000 people — down from a prewar population of about 430,000 — are believed to remain in Mariupol with scant food, water or heat. Ukrainian authorities estimate over 20,000 civilians have been killed. Recent satellite images showed what appeared to be mass graves to the west and east of Mariupol.

Children in an underground bunker were seen receiving Easter presents in a video released Sunday by the far-right Azov Battalion, which is among the Ukrainian forces at the steel plant in Mariupol. The group’s deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar, said the video was shot at the plant.

One toddler is seen wearing homemade diapers made of cellophane and people are seen hanging laundry on makeshift hangers.

“Please help us,” one woman in the video said through tears, appealing to world leaders. “We want to live in our city, in our country. We are tired of these bombings, constant air strikes on our land. How much longer will this continue?”

Mykhailo Podolyak, another presidential adviser, tweeted that the Russian military was attacking the plant with heavy bombs and artillery while accumulating forces and equipment for a direct assault.

Zelenskyy over the weekend accused Russians of committing war crimes by killing civilians and of setting up “filtration camps” near Mariupol for people trying to leave the city. He said the Ukrainians — many of them children — are then sent to areas under Russian occupation or to Russia itself, often as far as Siberia or the Far East. The claims could not be independently verified.

Zelenskyy highlighted the death of a 3-month old girl in a Russian missile strike Saturday on the Black Sea port of Odesa. The baby was among eight people killed when Russia fired cruise missiles at Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing social media, reported that the infant’s mother, Valeria Glodan, and grandmother also died when a missile hit a residential area. Zelenskyy promised to find and punish those responsible.

“The war started when this baby was 1 month old,’' Zelenskyy said. “Can you imagine what is happening? They are filthy scum; there are no other words for it.”

For the Donbas offensive, Russia has reassembled troops who fought around Kyiv and in northern Ukraine . The British Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces had repelled numerous assaults in the past week and “inflicted significant cost on Russian forces.”

A fire erupted early Monday at an oil depot in Russia near its border with Ukraine, but Russia’s Tass news agency gave no immediate cause for the blaze in oil storage tanks.

NASA satellites that track fires showed something burning at coordinates that corresponded to a Rosneft facility some 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of the Ukrainian border. Moscow previously has blamed Ukraine for attacks on the Russian region of Bryansk, which borders Ukraine.

The spiritual leaders of the world’s Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics on Sunday appealed for relief for Ukraine’s suffering population.

Associated Press journalists Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Ukraine, Mstyslav Chernov and Felipe Dana in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Cara Anna, Inna Varenytsia and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kviv and AP staff around the world contributed.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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By Chris Lau, Christian Edwards, Adrienne Vogt , Aditi Sangal , Mike Hayes, Elise Hammond and Maureen Chowdhury , CNN

Ukrainian officials tout counteroffensive progress as US secretary of state visits Kyiv. Here's what to know

From CNN staff

In one of the deadliest attacks in months, a Russian missile landed in the middle of the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka, killing 17 people , Ukrainian officials said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with senior Ukrainian leadership and President Volodymyr Zelensky during his third visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. It comes as Ukraine’s counteroffensive enters its fourth month, with both Blinken and Zelensky expressing that it is making process .

Here's what to know:

• Blinken in Kyiv: The US secretary of state announced $1 billion in new US support for Ukraine while at a news conference with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv. Blinken also met with Zelensky to discuss efforts on the battlefield and "longer-term sustainable security arrangements." Zelensky, who just returned to the capital from the front lines, told Bliken it is always a “great message of support” for Ukraine when US officials visit and that financial support is "crucial."
• New weapons: The new US military assistance package to Ukraine includes depleted uranium munitions for the first time, a US official told CNN. The munitions are mildly radioactive because they are made from dense metal, a byproduct from fuel production for nuclear power plants. They can be fired from the US-made Abrams tanks that are expected to arrive in Ukraine this fall.
• Ukrainian counteroffensive: The slowness of Ukraine’s counteroffensive can in part be attributed to the strength of Russia’s defensive fortifications on the southern front. But Ukrainian officials are cautiously optimistic that the subsequent lines of defense may be  easier to penetrate than the first , which were shrouded by dense minefields. 
• Deadly strikes in the east: At least 17 people, including one child, were killed by a Russian missile attack on a market in the eastern Donetsk region town of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said. The strike appeared to hit a market near a shopping center, according to unofficial reports. Kostiantynivka is close to the front lines around Bakhmut.
• Concerns about supply to Russia: Representatives from the US, the United Kingdom and the European Union  arrived in the United Arab Emirates  this week to discuss the implementation of sanctions on  Russia , the US embassy said. Concerns are mounting over goods being exported to Russia that could potentially be used in Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
• New defense minister: Ukraine’s Parliament has approved the appointment of  Rustem Umerov , a  Crimean Tatar , as the new defense minister. In remarks in his new post, Umerov vowed to take back control of "every centimeter" of Ukrainian land from Russia and bring home all those in captivity. He replaces Oleksii Reznikov — defense minister since before the war began — whose tenure had been plagued by contract scandals. 

Ukraine's foreign minister calls US military aid "most profitable investment into world's security" 

From CNN's Mariya Knight in Atlanta

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called US military aid "the most profitable investment into world's security" during a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kyiv on Wednesday.

“Military aid that is given to Ukraine as well as financial aid is not a charity donation, I would like to underline this, it is the most profitable investment of the US into the European security and the security of the whole world,” Kuleba said.

Kuleba emphasized that the United States “continues to be a leading Ukrainian ally in repelling the Russian aggression.” 

Kuleba noted that Blinken has given “a high estimate to the actions of Ukrainian soldiers.”  

“It was an objective estimate, that takes into consideration a tough reality of the battlefield and these heroic actions that the soldiers are bringing forth,” Kuleba said, adding that Ukraine has no intention of asking American soldiers to join its forces in the fight on Ukrainian territory.  

Kuleba said that both parties discussed integrating Ukraine’s defense industry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), increasing Ukraine’s air defense and providing Ukraine with long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, the latter topic remaining an ongoing conversation.  

The leaders also discussed the grain deal, agreeing that the Danube grain corridor, which is adjacent to the territory of Romania, is the “most promising option at the moment” to be used for grain exports.  

Kuleba noted that the rules to end the war “should be designated not by the third party that is an aggressor, but the country that has been invaded” and said that “some bilateral steps to make this approach work” were agreed on during the parties' earlier conversation on Wednesday. 

Kuleba said he and Blinken had “an open, sincere and friendly conversation” and reiterated that the US support for Ukraine is long-standing. 

“Anyone in the world who has doubted that Ukraine and the US will stand shoulder to shoulder until the end of this war have received a powerful signal today that they are wrong. We are moving forward together because we understand this war is not just about the future of Ukraine, but the future of the world,” he said. 

The leaders also ate at a McDonald’s in Kyiv, which had recently reopened. 

“The return of McDonald’s to Ukraine has become a symbol that it is possible to build great business in Ukraine and be with the people during hard and important time in their life,” Kuleba said. 

US and Ukraine share belief counteroffensive is making progress, Blinken says

From CNN's Kylie Atwood

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US has “no illusions” that the path forward in Ukraine will be easy, but doubled down on continued US support and pointed to the progress that Ukraine has made so far during his press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.

He noted that in the year since he was last in Ukraine, Kyiv's forces have " taken back more than 50% of the territory that Russia has seized from it since February of 2022.”

Blinken said that Zelensky’s assessment of the ongoing counteroffensive, after having recently visited the frontlines, matches the US assessment: “real progress in recent weeks.”

Blinken’s positive tone comes after US officials have previously said that the counteroffensive was not moving as quickly as they would have liked. 

Blinken also said that the US will be transferring seized Russian assets to Ukraine for the first time. He did not say how much those assets amounted to, or precisely when the transfer would happen. 

US secretary of state announces $1 billion in new aid for Ukraine to boost counteroffensive

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $1 billion in new US support for Ukraine, including military, humanitarian and budgetary assistance.

“In the ongoing counteroffensive, progress has accelerated in the past few weeks. This new assistance will help sustain it and build further momentum,” Blinken said at a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba while visiting Kyiv on Wednesday.

The package includes replenishing Ukrainians with weaponry that the US has given to the country in the past including air defense system components, Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems for HIMARS, munitions, ammunition, and communications systems, according to a State Department fact sheet. These weapons will come from Pentagon stocks.

The new military assistance package also includes depleted uranium munitions for the first time, a US official told CNN. The munitions are mildly radioactive because they are made from dense metal, a byproduct from fuel production for nuclear power plants. They can be fired from the US-made Abrams tanks that are expected to arrive in Ukraine this fall.

And in terms of long-term military support the new package commits $100 million in military support, through the foreign military financing program, the department said. This comes as conversations between the US and Ukraine over long-term support continue.

“I met today with President (Volodymyr) Zelensky I discussed longer-term sustainable security arrangements, which will provide ongoing security assistance and modern military equipment across land, air, sea and cyberspace, as well as training and intelligence share. The State Department is leading these discussions, which will continue in the months ahead,” Blinken said.

More than one-fifth of the new support announced on Wednesday, totaling more than $200 million, will go toward support for transparency and reform, bolstering efforts on anti-corruption, rule of law and the justice sector, the department said. This support notably comes following the resignation of the Ukrainian defense minister earlier this week in the wake of a number of corruption scandals in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

The US will also use this bucket of funding for transparency-related efforts to direct funding towards Ukraine’s capacity to both investigate and prosecute war crimes, invest in reconstruction efforts and strengthen the country’s financial management practices.

The humanitarian assistance portion of this new assistance totaling $206 million will go towards critical support including food, water, and shelter to those in Ukraine and those forced to flee to neighboring countries. There will also be more than $90 million in humanitarian assistance specifically for demining, the department said.

Western officials visit UAE amid concerns over supply of technology to Russia that could be used in war

From CNN's Mostafa Salem

Representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union arrived in the United Arab Emirates this week to discuss the implementation of sanctions on  Russia  as part of a broader effort with a range of “partner” countries, a US embassy spokesperson told CNN.

It comes as concerns mount over goods being exported to Russia that could potentially be used in Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the visit, said that the discussions are happening as part of “a collective global push to keep computer chips, electronic components and other so-called dual-use products, which have both civilian and military applications, out of Russian hands.”

“The UAE is working with its friends and allies to address any concerns with regards to sanctions on Russia,” a senior UAE official told CNN when asked about the matter.

Remember: Russia is under a barrage of sanctions from the US and other Western nations following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. But most of these are primary sanctions, which can only be enforced within the territory of the sanctioning country.

Western officials have visited the UAE several times over the past two years to warn the regional business hub that helping Moscow evade sanctions wouldn’t be without consequences.

The US has previously sanctioned entities and individuals in the UAE for sanctions evasion, including two UAE-based air transportation firms for collaborating with a sanctioned Iranian firm to transport Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), personnel, and related equipment from Iran to Russia.

The Gulf state has walked a tightrope between Washington and Moscow since the start of the war in February 2022, opting to remain neutral as it sees the world order moving toward multipolarity. It has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but has also expanded economic ties with Moscow.

Republican US senators ratchet up calls for Ukraine aid as they face skepticism from House conservatives

From CNN's Morgan Rimmer and Manu Raju

Senior US Senate Republicans say Congress should move quickly to pass new funding for Ukraine, even as the push has faced headwinds from conservatives in the House of Representatives.

The dispute centers around if Ukraine funding will be tied to the short-term spending bill to avoid a shutdown by the end of the month. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham told CNN that the Ukraine aid will "probably" be attached to the short-term funding bill.

Graham had choice words for conservatives who oppose Ukraine aid:

"To these people who say it's not in our interest to support Ukraine, you're the same folks that criticize (US President Joe) Biden for getting out of Afghanistan. You're right to do that. Pulling the plug on Ukraine and letting (Russian President Vladimir) Putin get away with this invasion will destabilize the world more than Afghanistan,” he said.  

Graham, who went to Ukraine with a congressional delegation in August, said Kyiv's forces are "on the offensive."

"I expect major breakthroughs by the end of October. Now's not the time to pull the plug on Ukraine and reward Putin for his invasion. So a supplemental, in my view, needs to address Ukraine because this is in our national interest,” he said.

Sen. Thom Tillis also said Ukraine funding and disaster relief should be tied together.

“I do support the disaster relief funding,” he said. “I feel very strongly that if we can, time is of the essence, we should work in the Ukraine funding at the same time. The president’s drawdown authority is probably only going to last for another month or two, and we have to replenish it to make it clear to Russia that we’re in for the long term.”

He said they will have to push for the skeptical House Republicans to recognize the importance of Ukraine aid. 

“The value of the Western world waking up and understanding all of the vulnerabilities that we’ve had is hard to estimate. And I think we have to go and communicate to reasonable-minded members that we have to sustain the investment,” he said, before echoing Graham. “It would make Afghanistan, which I think was a horrible failure of American leadership, look like child’s play, if we fail to do it in Ukraine.”

The Senate’s number-two Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin , said that tying Ukraine aid to government funding legislation would send a message that the US will not abandon Ukraine. “I think it’s important that we continue our assistance to Ukraine without any suggestion of our weakening resolve,” he said.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley , who has long been a critic of US aid for Ukraine, argued that tying it to disaster funding would be “a mistake.”

“I've said over and over again on Ukraine aid: Who we ought to be going to for Ukraine aid are our European allies. I'm against more money for Ukraine, I'm particularly against it when we don't have an inspector general, any kind of watchdog," he said. 

Pressed on whether Speaker Kevin McCarthy should keep any Ukraine aid out of stopgap legislation to fund the government, Hawley replied, “I think so. Yeah, I think so. you know what he does will be up to him, but I don't support it.”

Draft G20 declaration on Ukraine presented by India "not going far enough," EU official says

From CNN's James Frater in London

The draft declaration on Ukraine that is being prepared by the Indian presidency of the G20 must go further, according to a European Union official, ahead of this weekend's summit.

The draft “is not enough for the G7, the European Union and our members, because it's not going far enough,” the senior EU official said.

The official, while briefing journalists on Wednesday, said discussions on the draft wording due to be signed off by G20 leaders in New Delhi have "been a very difficult negotiation."

“Whether we'll have a statement, we can't say now as we speak, because negotiation is ongoing,” the official added.

"The difficulty for us is that Russia and China have refused to take back the language we had in Bali, which we cannot accept,” the official said, referring to the G20 summit in Indonesia last year, where leaders issued a statement condemning Russia's full-scale invasion .

From the European Union's perspective, the official said even if all countries aren't in agreement this year, "if we manage at 19 against one, it would be something." 

Without an agreement on a unified declaration, the official said the EU would accept a presidency report, which does not require agreement from all member nations — but “that will not be good.”

The official added that the EU expects “a reflection of our position” in the final text.

“I think what is important for us — and we are quite well supported in this, so it's more China and Russia isolated than the G7 — is that we base our approach on the UN Charter they concluded," the official said.

Some more context: Since the start of the war in Ukraine, India — the world’s largest democracy — has carefully navigated a middle path .

New Delhi has refused to condemn Moscow’s brutal assault in various United Nations resolutions. And India has undermined Western sanctions by increasing its purchases of Russian oil, coal and fertilizer. India has also maintained close ties to the West – particularly the United States – as it works to thwart China’s rise.

At least 17 dead after Russian missile hits center of town in Donetsk region, Ukraine says

From CNN's Tim Lister and Yulia Kesaieva

The death toll from the Russian missile attack on a market in the eastern Donetsk region town of Kostiantynivka has risen to 17, Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said in a Telegram statement.

A child was among the 17 dead, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The attack is one of the deadliest in months.

The number of injured has risen to 32, Klymenko added.

A Russian S-300 missile appears to have landed in the middle of the town, according to reports from the scene. Videos from the ground show a fierce fire and thick black smoke rising, with at least one casualty visible on the ground.

According to the unofficial reports, the market is located near a shopping center. 

Kostiantynivka is close to the front lines around Bakhmut and frequently crowded with military personnel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the attack as “utter inhumanity,” saying that the number of dead and injured may rise. “This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible,” he added.

Editor's note: The death toll and number of injured has been updated to reflect the latest information provided by authorities.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls Ukraine's counteroffensive progress encouraging

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is “determined to continue to walk side-by-side” with Ukraine when he met with President Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday, as he called Ukraine’s progress in the counteroffensive “very, very encouraging.”

“President Biden asked me to come, to reaffirm strongly our support. To ensure that we are maximizing the efforts that we're making and that other countries are making, for the immediate challenge of the counteroffensive, as well as the longer-term efforts to help Ukraine build a force of the future that can deter and defend against any future aggression,” Blinken said.

Blinken said that he looks forward to getting an assessment from Zelensky after his visit to the conflict’s frontlines.

“I know you were just on the front lines, and we are all ready to hear your assessment. But certainly, we see the important progress that's been made now in the counter-offensive and that's very, very encouraging,” Blinken said.

Zelensky said it is always a “great message of support” for Ukraine when US officials visit, noting that this is a “tough period” for Ukrainians.

The Ukrainian president expressed gratitude to President Joe Biden and to Congress for showing “great unity” in a bipartisan fashion when it comes to Ukraine.

“When you speak about Ukraine you are always together, thank you so much,” Zelensky said. “We are happy that we can count on you.”

Zelensky said that the US financial support for Ukraine’s budget is “crucial” and noted that a difficult winter is ahead.

“We are happy that we not alone through this winter,” Zelensky said.

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Ukraine to call for heavy arms when top U.S. officials visit Kyiv

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• U.S. has not confirmed visits by Blinken, Austin
• West has been sending more powerful arms to Ukraine
• Ukrainians mark Orthodox Easter across Europe
• Ukraine says destruction of churches disrupt celebrations
• Moscow says military sites hit, Kyiv says children killed

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Top US Officials Visit Kyiv, Announce Return of US Diplomats to Ukraine

Asked about what the u.s. sees as success, defense secretary lloyd austin highlighted sovereignty for ukraine and said "we want to see russia weakened to the point where it can’t do things like invade ukraine”, by matthew lee • published april 24, 2022 • updated on april 25, 2022 at 8:14 am.

American Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday after a secrecy-shrouded visit to Kyiv that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy is committed to winning his country's fight against Russia and that the United States will help him achieve that goal.

“He has the mindset that they want to win, and we have the mindset that we want to help them win,” Austin told reporters in Poland, the day after the three-hour face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy in Ukraine.

Austin said that the nature of the fight in Ukraine had changed now that Russia has pulled away from the wooded northern regions to focus on the eastern industrial heartland of the Donbas. Because the nature of the fight has evolved, so have Ukraine's military needs, and Zelenskyy is now focused on more tanks, artillery and other munitions.

“The first step in winning is believing that you can win," Austin said. "We believe that they can win if they have the right equipment, the right support, and we're going to do everything we can ... to ensure that gets to them.”

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Asked about what the U.S. sees as success, Austin said that “we want to see Ukraine remain a sovereign country, a democratic country able to protect its sovereign territory. We want to see Russia weakened to the point where it can’t do things like invade Ukraine.”

The trip by Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was the highest-level American visit to the capital since Russia invaded in late February.

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They told Zelenskyy and his advisers that the U.S. would provide more than $300 million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.

“We had an opportunity to demonstrate directly our strong ongoing support for the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people," Blinken said. "This was, in our judgment, an important moment to be there, to have face-to-face conversations in detail.”

Blinken said their meeting with the Ukrainians lasted for three hours for wide ranging talks, including what help the country needs in the weeks ahead.

“The strategy that we've put in place, massive support for Ukraine, massive pressure against Russia, solidarity with more than 30 countries engaged in these efforts is having real results,” Blinken said.

“When it comes to Russia's war aims, Russia is failing. Ukraine is succeeding. Russia has sought as its principal aim to totally subjugate Ukraine, to take away its sovereignty, to take away its independence. That has failed.”

As expected, President Joe Biden announced on Monday his nomination of Bridget Brink to serve as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Brink, a career foreign service officer, has served since 2019 as ambassador to Slovakia. She previously held assignments in Serbia, Cyprus, Georgia and Uzbekistan as well as with the White House National Security Council. The post requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

The announcement comes as American diplomats prepare to return to Ukraine this coming week, although the U.S. embassy in Kyiv will remain closed for now.

Journalists who traveled with Austin and Blinken to Poland were barred from reporting on the trip until it was over, were not allowed to accompany them on their overland journey into Ukraine, and were prohibited from specifying where in southeast Poland they met back up with the Cabinet members upon their return. Officials at the State Department and the Pentagon cited security concerns.

Austin and Blinken announced a total of $713 million in foreign military financing for Ukraine and 15 allied and partner countries; some $322 million is earmarked for Kyiv. The remainder will be split among NATO members and other nations that have provided Ukraine with critical military supplies since the war with Russia began, officials said.

Such financing is different from previous U.S. military assistance for Ukraine. It is not a donation of drawn-down U.S. Defense Department stockpiles, but rather cash that countries can use to purchase supplies that they might need.

The new money, along with the sale of $165 million in non-U.S.-made ammunition that is compatible with Soviet-era weapons the Ukrainians use, brings the total amount of American military assistance to Ukraine to $3.7 billion since the invasion, officials said.

Biden has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of genocide for the destruction and death wrought on Ukraine. Just on Thursday, Biden said he would provide a new package of $800 million in military aid to Ukraine that included heavy artillery and drones.

Congress approved $6.5 billion for military assistance last month as part of $13.6 billion in spending for Ukraine and allies in response to the Russian invasion.

From Poland, Blinken plans to return to Washington while Austin will head to Ramstein, Germany, for a meeting Tuesday of NATO defense ministers and other donor countries.

That discussion will look at battlefield updates from the ground, additional security assistance for Ukraine and longer-term defense needs in Europe, including how to step up military production to fill gaps caused by the war in Ukraine, officials said. More than 20 nations are expected to send representatives to the meeting.

Associated Press writer David Rising contributed to this report from Bangkok.

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Top US officials meet Zelensky in Kyiv as Ukraine calls for heavy weapons to defeat Putin’s forces

An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday night that the U.S. secretaries of state and defense secretary were meeting with the Ukrainian leader in the highest-level visit to Kyiv by an American delegation since the start of Russia’s invasion.

The adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, said in an interview on Ukrainian TV late Sunday that the talks are going on “right now.”

Zelenskyy’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin came as Ukraine pressed the West for more powerful weapons in its fight against the Russian invasion, which began 60 days ago.

The White House has not confirmed the visit.

As Christians in Ukraine marked Orthodox Easter on Sunday, there was no end in sight to a war that has killed thousands of people, uprooted millions more and reduced cities to rubble.

Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the eastern Luhansk region, said Easter celebrations had been shattered by the conflict. He said with seven churches in his region had been “mutilated by Russian artillery”. The Standards has been unable to independently verify the report.

Pope Francis called for an Easter truce. “Stop the attacks in order to help the exhausted population. Stop,” he said.

Mr Zelensky said in an Easter video message from Kyiv’s 1,000-year-old Saint Sophia Cathedral that Ukraine would not be defeated by “wickedness” and prayed that God returns happiness to children and brings solace to grieving mothers.

He had earlier said talks with his US visitors would cover the “powerful, heavy weapons” Ukraine needed to retake territory and the pace of deliveries.

The United States and NATO allies have shown growing readiness to supply heavier equipment and more advanced weapons systems.

Britain has promised to send military vehicles and said it was considering supplying British tanks to Poland to free up Warsaw’s Russian-designed T-72s for Ukraine.

Moscow, which describes its actions in Ukraine as a “special military operation”, denies targeting civilians and rejects what Ukraine says is evidence of atrocities, saying Kyiv staged them to undermine peace talks.

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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said after talks by phone with Mr Zelensky that Ankara was ready to assist in negotiations with Russia.

Mr Zelensky said he discussed with Mr Erdogan the need for the immediate evacuation of civilians from the southern city of Mariupol and an exchange of troops.

Russian forces are attempting to storm the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol by land, backed up by aerial and artillery bombardment, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said.

“Russian troops are trying to finish off the defenders of Azovstal and more than 1,000 civilians who are hiding at the plant,” Arestovych wrote on Facebook. He said on Saturday that troops in the steel complex were attempting counterattacks.

Moscow has previously declared victory in the city and said it did not need to take the plant.

Capturing Mariupol, the site of biggest battle of the conflict, would link up pro-Russian separatists who control parts of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk that make up the Donbas with the southern Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014.

Ukraine estimates tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in Mariupol and says 100,000 civilians are still in the city. The United Nations and Red Cross say the civilian toll is at least in the thousands.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide, called for humanitarian corridors in Mariupol and other areas of Ukraine, where he said “an indescribable human tragedy is unfolding”.

The governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said two children were killed by shelling in his area on Sunday.

Ukraine said its forces repulsed 12 attacks on Donetsk and Luhansk a day earlier, destroying four tanks, 15 armoured equipment units and five artillery systems.

UK military intelligence said Ukrainian resistance had been strong, especially in Donbas, despite some Russian gains.

“Poor Russian morale and limited time to reconstitute, re-equip and reorganise forces from prior offensives are likely hindering Russian combat effectiveness,” defence chiefs said on Sunday.

Russia said on Sunday its missiles hit eight military targets overnight, including four arms depots in the northeast Kharkiv region and one facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region producing explosives for the Ukrainian army.

Zelensky meets US’s Blinken and Austin in Kyiv, Ukrainian official says

Ukrainians on Sunday marked a sombre Orthodox Easter two months into Russia's invasion, with many braving bombardments for blessings and others mourning their loved ones. The Easter holiday, observed by Orthodox followers according to the Julian calendar, came as nearly 5.2 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee the violence unleashed on their country. Review our live blog for all the developments. All times are in Paris time [GMT + 2].

Issued on: 24/04/2022 - 07:01 Modified: 25/04/2022 - 00:26

11.33pm: Zelensky meets Blinken, Austin in Kyiv, Ukrainian presidency says

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Kyiv, his office said Sunday.

Presidential aide Oleksiy Arestovych, speaking during an interview on YouTube earlier Sunday, confirmed that the meeting was ongoing.

“Talking to the president. Maybe they can help,” he added.

This was the first meeting between Zelensky and US officials since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

Arestovych repeated Ukraine’s appeal for offensive weapons, “because as long as there are no ‘offensives’, there will be a new Bucha every day”, he added, referring to the town where UN officials said they had documented the unlawful killings of around 50 civilians.

On Saturday, Zelensky said that he was grateful for the help Washington had provided to Ukraine thus far, even if he wanted heavier, more powerful weapons to use against the Russian forces.

10pm: Washington does not confirm Blinken, Austin visit to Kyiv

Although Ukraine’s Zelensky announced US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin were to visit Kyiv, the White House has not confirmed any visit: the State Department and Pentagon declined to comment.

It would be the highest-level visit to Ukraine by US officials since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of the country on February 24.

7.30pm: Ukraine proposes talks with Russia over Mariupol’s civilians, troops

Ukraine proposed on Sunday a "special" round of negotiations with Russia to be held near Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant to discuss the fate of the civilians and Ukrainian troops still trapped in the city, an adviser to Ukraine's president said.

The talks would aim to establish an immediate ceasefire in Mariupol, "multi-day" humanitarian corridors, and the freeing or swapping of Ukrainian fighters trapped in the Azovstal plant, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in a video address.

"We invited Russians to hold a special round of talks on the spot right next to the walls of Azovstal," said Oleksiy Arestovych, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

6.20pm: Russians, Ukrainians celebrate Orthodox Easter despite Moscow's truce refusal

Ukrainians on Sunday marked a sombre Orthodox Easter two months into Russia's invasion, with many braving bombardments for blessings and others mourning their loved ones. The Easter holiday, observed by Orthodox followers according to the Julian calendar, comes as nearly 5.2 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee the violence unleashed on their country by Russia's invasion.

5.25pm: Russia attempting to storm Mariupol’s Azovstal factory, last Ukrainian corner of resistance

Russian forces are attempting to storm the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol by land, backed up by aerial and artillery bombardment, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on Sunday, where an estimated 1,000 civilians are sheltering along with about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters.

"Russian troops are trying to finish off the defenders of Azovstal and more than 1,000 civilians who are hiding at the plant," Arestovych wrote on Facebook. He said on Saturday that troops in the steel complex were attempting counterattacks.

The Azovstal steel mill where the defenders are holed up is the last corner of resistance in the city, which the Russians have otherwise occupied. Moscow has previously declared victory in the city and said it did not need to take the plant.

The evacuation of the southern port of Mariupol and of the Azovstal factory was at the core of discussions between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayip Erdogan, including the exchange of troops.

3.40pm: Mariupol humanitarian corridor fails, Ukraine blames Russian forces

No humanitarian routes were established out of the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Sunday, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, blaming Russian forces for not holding their fire.

Vereshchuk said that the Ukrainian side would try again on Monday to establish safe passage out of Mariupol. She called for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres , who is scheduled to travel to Moscow before visiting Kyiv next week, to demand a ceasefire and open up humanitarian corridors from Mariupol.

"This is what Guterres should talk about in Moscow, if he is preparing to talk about peace," Vereshchuk said.

1:40pm: Erdogan tells Zelensky that Turkey is ready to assist in Ukraine-Russia negotiations

Turkey is ready to give all possible assistance during the negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone call, the Turkish presidency said on Sunday.

Erdogan said the evacuation of the wounded and civilians in Ukraine's Mariupol must be ensured, adding that Turkey viewed the guarantor issue positively in principle. Ukraine has sought security guarantees from various countries during talks.

1:36pm: EU's von der Leyen in India with Ukraine on agenda

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will press India over its neutral stance on the Ukraine war after arriving in the country on Sunday for trade, security and climate talks. 

New Delhi has long walked a tightrope in its relations with the West and Moscow – which supplies most of India's arms – and Russia's invasion of its neighbour has highlighted the difficulty of the balancing act.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has not openly condemned the Kremlin or backed a UN Security Council vote that deplored Moscow's "aggression".

1:00pm: UN calls for 'stop' in fighting to allow Mariupol evacuation

The United Nations Ukraine crisis coordinator, Amin Awad, called on Sunday for an "immediate stop" to fighting in Mariupol to allow the evacuation of trapped civilians in the battered city "today".

"The lives of tens of thousands, including women, children and older people, are at stake in Mariupol," Awad said in a statement. "We need a pause in fighting right now to save lives. 

"The longer we wait the more lives will be at risk. They must be allowed to safely evacuate now, today. Tomorrow could be too late."

His call came after an attempted evacuation from Mariupol by Ukraine had failed Saturday, with Kyiv saying it was "thwarted" by Russian forces.

12:00pm: Odesa bracing itself for further strikes after Saturday's missile attack

A missile strike on Odesa on Saturday killed eight people and wounded 18, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainian military authorities confirmed to FRANCE 24 that the missiles came from fighters at sea and changed trajectory at the last minute, adding an element of surprise. Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said that buildings with civilians had been "intentionally" targeted in the attack. Residents of the port city are anticipating future strikes of a similar nature. FRANCE 24 correspondent Luke Shrago provides the details below. 

11:12am: On Orthodox Easter, Zelensky vows 'wickedness' will not destroy Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Sunday in an Orthodox Easter message that no "wickedness" will destroy the country and prayed that God returns happiness to children and brings solace to grieving mothers.

Standing inside one of the country's best known landmarks, the 1,000-year-old Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Zelensky said in a video address that Ukraine will overcome the darkness that the war has brought upon it.

"Today, we still believe in the new victory of Ukraine and we are all convinced that we will not be destroyed by any horde or wickedness," Zelensky, wearing his trademark dark khaki outfit, said.

Subdued Easter celebrations took place across the country on Sunday, exactly two months since the beginning of the Russian invasion that President Vladimir Putin has called a "special military operation".

9:07am: Residents stunned after Russian forces fire cruise missiles at Odesa

Several Russian missiles targeted a residential building in Odesa on Saturday, leaving residents stunned. The fear in the Black Sea port city now is whether such strikes could become the norm as Russia continues to struggle in making headway in its invasion of Ukraine. FRANCE 24 correspondent Luke Shrago reports from Odesa. 

6:53am: Zelensky says he will meet top US officials Blinken, Austin in Kyiv

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Kyiv Sunday, the day the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its third month, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will also visit, Zelensky told reporters. It will be the first official visit by US government officials since the February 24 invasion.

2:57am: UN's Guterres to visit Ankara Monday before trips to Moscow and Kyiv

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday will visit Turkey, an important mediator seeking an end to Russia's war against Ukraine, before heading to Moscow and Kyiv, the UN said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General will visit Ankara, Turkey, where on April 25, he will be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," the UN said late Saturday.

Guterres will then head to Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin , followed by a trip Thursday to Kyiv in an effort to mediate an end to Russia's invasion, which has killed thousands and driven over 10 million Ukrainians from their homes since February 24.

(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS)

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Top U.S. officials pledge fresh military aid for Ukraine after meeting with Zelensky

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A boy stands next to a wrecked vehicle in front of an apartment building damaged during the war with Russia in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, April 24, 2022. ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/Reuters

The United States announced new military assistance for Ukraine and a renewed diplomatic push in the war-ravaged nation as President Joe Biden’s secretary of state and Pentagon chief completed a secrecy-shrouded trip to Kyiv.

In the highest-level American visit to the capital since Russia invaded in late February, top envoy Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Ukraine’s president, Volodomyr Zelensky, and his advisers that the U.S. would provide more than $300-million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165-million sale of ammunition.

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They also said Biden would soon announce his nominee to be ambassador to Ukraine and that American diplomats who left Ukraine before the war would start returning to the country this coming week. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv will remain closed for the moment.

Zelensky had announced Saturday that he would meet with the U.S. officials in Kyiv on Sunday, but the Biden administration refused to confirm that and declined to discuss details of a possible visit even though planning had been underway for more than a week.

Journalists who traveled with Austin and Blinken to Poland were barred from reporting on the trip until it was over, were not allowed to accompany them on their overland journey into Ukraine, and were prohibited from specifying where in southeast Poland they waited for the Cabinet members to return. Officials at the State Department and the Pentagon cited security concerns.

Austin and Blinken announced a total of $713-million in foreign military financing for Ukraine and 15 allied and partner countries; some $322-million is earmarked for Kyiv. The remainder will be split among NATO members and other nations that have provided Ukraine with critical military supplies since the war with Russia began, officials said.

A priest blesses people who fled the war in Ukraine during the Easter Sunday procession outside the Orthodox church of the Assumption in Krakow, Poland. Omar Marques/Getty Images

A woman prays during Easter church service at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv on Sunday, two months since the start of Russia's invasion. Alexey Furman/Getty Images

People who fled the war in Ukraine wait for a priest to bless their food baskets outside the Orthodox church of the Assumption in Krakow, Poland, on Easter Sunday. Omar Marques/Getty Images

Local residents attend an Orthodox Easter service next to The Nativity of the Holy Virgin Church damaged by shelling during Russia's invasion in the village of Peremoha, Ukraine, on Sunday. STRINGER/Reuters

A woman and child attend an Easter church service at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. Alexey Furman/Getty Images

A Ukrainian serviceman uses his helmet as a food basket during an Easter Sunday ceremony outside the Volodymysky Cathedral, in Kyiv, Ukraine. GLEB GARANICH/Reuters

People attend a service at the Volodymysky Cathedral during Easter celebration in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press

A group of Ukrainian refugees enjoy a traditional Easter breakfast at a shelter in a mathematics school in Lviv, Ukraine, on Sunday. Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe

A Ukrainian woman attends the Easter Service at the Church of Fener Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Sunday. BURAK KARA/Getty Images

People take part in an Easter Sunday service at a church in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, amid the war in Ukraine. Chris McGrath/Getty Images

A priest blesses people who fled the war in Ukraine during an Easter Sunday procession in Krakow, Poland. The local Orthodox Church is now struggling to host as many devotees as it can. Omar Marques/Getty Images

People who fled the war in Ukraine watch the Easter Sunday mass from a screen at the Orthodox church of the Assumption in Krakow, Poland. Omar Marques/Getty Images

Worshippers light candles at the Saint Volodymyr's Cathedral during Orthodox Eastern celebrations in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. Ukrainians marked Orthodox Easter with prayers for those fighting on the front lines of the war. Francisco Seco/The Associated Press

Priests perform blessings for Orthodox Easter outside a war-damaged church in Irpin, Ukraine, on Sunday. John Moore/Getty Images

Women sing at an Orthodox Easter ceremony at the Church of St. Andrew in Bucha, Ukraine, on Sunday. The church was the site of mass graves of people killed during the Russian occupation of the town. John Moore/Getty Images

Ukrainian soldiers pray inside an Orthodox Church during Easter in Slovyansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Sunday. JORGE SILVA/Reuters

An Orthodox priest sprinkles holy water on attendees during an Orthodox Easter service outside the Volodymysky Cathedral in Kyiv on Sunday. GLEB GARANICH/Reuters

Yulia Kolius, 44, and her husband Yevgen Kolius hold candles as they wait for a priest to bless traditional Easter food baskets in the yard of St. Andrew's church in Bucha, Ukraine, on Sunday. ZOHRA BENSEMRA/Reuters

Such financing is different from previous U.S. military assistance for Ukraine. It is not a donation of drawn-down U.S. Defense Department stockpiles, but rather cash that countries can use to purchase supplies that they might need.

The new money, along with the sale of $165-million in non-U.S. made ammunition that is compatible with Soviet-era weapons the Ukrainians use, brings the total amount of American military assistance to Ukraine to $3.7-billion since the invasion, officials said.

Zelensky had urged the Americans not to come empty-handed. U.S. officials said they believed the new assistance would satisfy at least some of the Ukrainians’ urgent pleas for more help. New artillery, including howitzers, continues to be delivered at a rapid pace to Ukraine’s military, which is being trained on its use in neighboring countries, the officials said.

On the diplomatic front, Blinken told Zelensky that Biden will announce his nomination of veteran diplomat Bridget Brink to be the next U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. A career foreign service officer, Brink has served since 2019 as ambassador to Slovakia. She previously held assignments in Serbia, Cyprus, Georgia and Uzbekistan as well as with the White House National Security Council. The post requirements confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Blinken also told Ukraine’s foreign minister that the small staff from the now-shuttered U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, which has relocated to Poland from temporary offices in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, would begin making day trips to Lviv in the coming days. Officials said the U.S. had accelerated its review of security conditions in the capital and that the State Department will reopen the embassy there as soon as the situation allows.

Biden has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of genocide for the destruction and death wrought on Ukraine. Just on Thursday, Biden said he would provide a new package of $800-million in military aid to Ukraine that included heavy artillery and drones.

Congress approved $6.5-billion for military assistance last month as part of $13.6-billion in spending for Ukraine and allies in response to the Russian invasion.

From Poland, Blinken plans to return to Washington while Austin will head to Ramstein, Germany, for a meeting Tuesday of NATO defense ministers and other donor countries.

That discussion will look at battlefield updates from the ground, additional security assistance for Ukraine and longer-term defense needs in Europe, including how to step up military production to fill gaps caused by the war in Ukraine, officials said. More than 20 nations are expected to send representatives to the meeting.

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Blinken to visit Kyiv in highest level US official visit since war began, Zelensky says

Visits from us secretary of state and defence comes at a pivotal juncture in the two-month long conflict, article bookmarked.

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Kyiv on Sunday, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

Mr Blinken and Mr Austin will discuss the kinds of weapons that Ukraine needs to battle Russia’s renewed aggression in the east and south of the country, Mr Zelensky said at a news conference Saturday.

The visit will mark the highest level United States officials to visit since the Russian invasion began on 24 February.

Sunday’s meeting comes ahead of a major US-hosted summit in Germany on Tuesday to discuss Ukraine’s longer-term security.

• Ukraine news - live: Odesa missile strike ‘kills 6 including 3-month old baby’
• Russia attacks Mariupol steel plant days after Putin ordered troops not to storm it, says Ukraine
• Why has Russia invaded Ukraine? The conflict explained
• For Ukrainian Orthodox in US, war news casts pall on Easter

Mr Austin invited 40 nations to the conference at an American base in Germany to discuss Ukraine’s ongoing defence needs. As of Friday, 20 countries had confirmed their attendance.

On Saturday, Russian artillery attacks on the port city of Odesa killed six people, including a 3-month-old baby, Ukrainian officials said.

Russian forces in Mariupol tried to storm a steel plant housing soldiers and civilians while attempting to crush the last corner of resistance in the city, which holds deep strategic value to Moscow.

The intensifying attacks on the eve of Orthodox Easter came as Russia claimed it had taken control of several villages elsewhere in the eastern Donbas region.

While British officials said the Russians hadn’t gained significant new ground, Ukrainian officials announced a nationwide curfew ahead of  Easter Sunday , a sign of the war’s disruption and threat to the entire country.

An advisor to Ukraine’s presidential office, Oleksiy Arestovich, said during a Saturday briefing that Russian forces had resumed air strikes on the Azovstal plant and were trying to storm it. 

Associated Press contributed to this report

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Blinken Will Visit Ukraine in Show of Support Against Russia

The secretary of state will first meet with British officials and other American allies in London.

By Michael Crowley

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Kyiv next week, a clear signal of the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine’s government against threats from Russia.

In a statement announcing the trip, the State Department said Mr. Blinken would “reaffirm unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression.”

Mr. Blinken will meet in Kyiv on Wednesday and Thursday with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, senior officials and civil society representatives. His visit will be preceded by a three-day stop in London.

Mr. Blinken will be the most senior American official to visit Kyiv since Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled there in February 2020, soon after Congress impeached and acquitted President Donald J. Trump on charges that he abused his power by leveraging U.S. policy toward the country in an effort to incriminate Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a Democratic candidate for president, and his son, Hunter.

As president, Mr. Biden has offered strong support for Ukraine against Moscow, which annexed Crimea in 2014 — an act the United States has never recognized — and fomented a Russian-backed separatist rebellion in the country’s east that has claimed more than 13,000 lives.

But Russia has tested that support, intensifying its military intimidation of Ukraine this spring with a huge troop buildup along the countries’ shared border, which many analysts said could be a precursor to an invasion. Russia announced plans to withdraw many of those forces this month. But earlier this week, John F. Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, told reporters that it was “too soon to tell and to take at face value” Russia’s claim.

Mr. Blinken will begin his trip with his first visit as secretary to London, the site of a Group of 7 foreign and development ministers’ meeting that will lay the groundwork for a gathering of the leaders of the Group of 7 countries in Cornwall in June.

The State Department framed Mr. Blinken’s visit as part of a global defense of democracy that Mr. Biden, in an address to Congress and the nation on Wednesday night, called vital to countering the rise of authoritarian China . The State Department spokesman, Ned Price, said Mr. Blinken would be “discussing the democratic values that we share with our partners and allies within the G7.”

The meeting of Group of 7 ministers, planned for Tuesday, will open with a session specifically devoted to China, Erica Barks-Ruggles, the senior official in the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs, said in a news briefing.

Mr. Price added that the foreign ministers would also address the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, as well as issues including human rights, food security and gender equality.

Joining the ministers from the Group of 7 countries — the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada — in London will be representatives from Australia, India, South Africa, South Korea and Brunei.

Their attendance reflects a growing interest on the part of western nations to collaborate more closely with fellow democracies around the world as part of the broader competition with China and other countries exporting authoritarian values, including Russia.

Officials from those nations will join ones from the Group of 7 for a discussion on Wednesday about open societies, including media freedom and combating disinformation, Ms. Barks-Ruggles added. Samantha Power, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, will join sessions on how to ensure a sustainable recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

During his stay in London from Monday to Wednesday, Mr. Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and his foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, and take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral honoring soldiers killed in World War II.

Even as Biden administration officials have stressed their support for Ukraine’s government, they have also pressured Kyiv to complete reforms within the country’s notoriously corrupt political system. The State Department said that would be a priority for Mr. Blinken, and that progress in that area “is key to securing Ukraine’s democratic institutions, economic prosperity and Euro-Atlantic future.”

Briefing reporters on Thursday, Mr. Price said that the United States was “deeply concerned” by a recent move by Ukrainian cabinet ministers to replace the management of the country’s leading energy company, Naftogaz. Mr. Price called the actions “just the latest example of ignoring best practices and putting Ukraine’s hard-fought economic progress at risk.”

The trip will be Mr. Blinken’s third overseas since taking office as in-person diplomacy slowly resumes even as the coronavirus ravages much of the world. This month, he visited Brussels and Kabul, and in March he traveled to Asia and then met with Chinese officials in Alaska.

Michael Crowley is a diplomatic correspondent in the Washington bureau. He joined The Times in 2019 and was a White House correspondent for the last 18 months of the Trump administration. More about Michael Crowley

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The US is considering sending additional military advisors to its Kyiv embassy as Russia continues its offensive operations in Ukraine, Politico reported.

Four unnamed US officials and another unnamed person familiar with the matter told the publication that the additional troops would primarily support logistics and oversee the weapons being sent to Ukraine by the US.

They would also assist the Ukrainian military with weapons maintenance, one of the officials and the person familiar with the plans said.

Related stories

There was no confirmation of how many additional US troops would be sent to Ukraine, although two of the officials said it could be up to 60.

In a statement to Business Insider, Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said: "Throughout this conflict, the DOD has reviewed and adjusted our presence in-country, as security conditions have evolved. Currently, we are considering sending several additional advisors to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the Embassy."

"The ODC performs a variety of advisory and support missions (non-combat) and while it is staffed exclusively by DoD personnel, it is embedded within the U.S. Embassy," the statement continued, adding that "personnel are subject to the same travel restrictions as all embassy employees."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West against sending troops to Ukraine.

After French President Emmanuel Macron said in February that sending NATO ground forces to Ukraine "cannot be ruled out," Putin made his position clear, saying, "the consequences for possible interventionists will be... tragic."

It comes as the US House of Representatives on Saturday approved a bill to send more than $60 billion in additional aid to Ukraine.

The think tank the Institute for the Study of War said in an update on the conflict that Russia would now likely intensify its attacks on Ukraine in order to make the most of "abnormally dry spring ground conditions and persisting Ukrainian materiel shortages" ahead of the new package.

"The now expected arrival of US security assistance has likely emphasized these considerations for Russian forces," the report said. "The Russian military command will likely intensify offensive operations and missile and drone strikes to pursue operationally significant effects that will certainly become harder to achieve against well-provisioned Ukrainian forces."

It added that Russia will likely target areas where Ukraine's defenses seem relatively unstable or where they are close to achieving an "operationally significant objective," such as to the west of Avdiivka or near Chasiv Yar — both in the Donetsk region.

Watch: Russian strike leaves 17 dead during Blinken's visit to Ukraine

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https://www.barrons.com/news/top-us-official-visits-ukraine-reassures-commitment-to-kyiv-01673912107

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Top US Official Visits Ukraine, Reassures Commitment To Kyiv

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A senior US official traveled Monday to Kyiv where she met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and assured him of Washington's "steadfast commitment" to Ukraine, the State Department said.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman led a delegation to the Ukrainian capital to discuss assistance to bolster Ukraine's security posture, improvements to its econony, and ways to develop an enduring bilateral trade partnership with the United States.

The US group met with Zelensky, members of his presidential office, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and other senior Ukrainian officials, it said.

The purpose of the visit is "to reaffirm the United States' strong and steadfast commitment to Ukraine and its defense against Russia's unprovoked aggression," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

The delegation also "heard from young Ukrainians who have adapted their businesses and advocacy to support their fellow citizens even as they look ahead to Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction," he said.

Sherman's visit came as clashes have ratcheted up in Ukraine in the 11th month of a bitter and deadly war, and as Moscow's forces stand accused of firing a missile that leveled part of a residential apartment bloc in the central city of Dnipro, killing at least 40 people.

Last month Zelensky visited President Joe Biden at the White House where he made the case for some $45 billion in emergency military and economic aid for Ukraine.

A senior US official traveled Monday to Kyiv where she met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and assured him of Washington's "steadfast commitment" to Ukraine, the State Department said.

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russia responds to Poland's claim it could host nuclear weapons

Russia's deputy foreign minister has warned that NATO's nuclear weapons and facilities will be targeted if they are deployed in Poland. Meanwhile, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has confirmed reports that the US sent long-range missiles to Ukraine.

Thursday 25 April 2024 19:24, UK

• Russia would target NATO nuclear weapons if deployed in Poland
• US 'secretly sent long-range missiles' to Ukraine
• Biden signs law sending almost £50bn in aid to Ukraine - with weapons on way 'in hours'
• James Matthews analysis: Biden and Ukraine will need to demonstrate value for money - more negotiations are ahead
• Explained : Why has Ukraine aid bill passed now, after months of delay?
• Your questions answered: How long will it take for any aid to turn the tide militarily?
• Listen to the Sky News Daily above and  tap here  to follow wherever you get your podcasts
• Live reporting by Dylan Donnelly

We are pausing our live coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Today, Russia threatened to target NATO nuclear weapons and facilities if they were deployed in Poland.

Deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov told the state-run TASS news agency that joint NATO nuclear missions near the Russian border would be considered a threat to its security.

"Let alone permanent deployment [that] hotheads in Warsaw are speaking about," he adds.

It followed Poland's president saying this week that "we are ready" to host the nuclear weapons of NATO allies in response to Russia moving its own to neighbouring Belarus.

Ukraine fires US missiles for first time

Meanwhile, Sky's partner network NBC News reports that Ukraine has already used long-range ballistic missiles from the US against Russia twice this month.

The Army Tactical Missile System - dubbed ATACMS – was used twice against Russian forces in occupied Crimea and Ukraine.

But Russia's US ambassador Anatoly Antonov said the transfer of ATACMS was "impossible to justify," and added: "Aren't local politicians afraid of drowning in the quagmire of conflict?

"Washington will not be able to get out of the horrible swamp that has absorbed the blood of ordinary soldiers."

Belarus calls for peace

Belarus' Aleksandr Lukashenko said conditions for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are "ripe," but warned the risk of military incidents with Kyiv was "quite high".

He claimed that about 120,000 Ukrainian servicemen are stationed on the border between Ukraine and Belarus.

His comments came hours before Belarus claimed - without evidence - that it stopped an attack on Minsk by drones that were launched from Lithuania.

Zelenskyy meets with Hunt

And the UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv today, days after the UK approved £500m in aid.

Russia says it could downgrade its relations with the US, UK and other Western countries if its frozen assets are confiscated.

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia would retaliate if plans to use $300bn in assets frozen since 2022 are put into action.

"Lowering the level of diplomatic relations is one of the options, of course", he said according to state news agency RIA.

"Many high-ranking representatives in our government have already spoken about the issues of our financial, economic and material response to this step [confiscation], which we are warning our opponents, as before, not to take.

"We are now studying the optimal form of reaction, where countermeasures include actions against the assets of our Western opponents as well as diplomatic response measures."

The Kremlin previously called the current state of its US ties as "below zero", but no formal downgrade of relations has occurred since the Ukraine war began.

Belarus claims it stopped an attack on Minsk by drones that were launched from Lithuania. 

According to RIA news agency Ivan Tertel, the head of Belarus' security service, said it had carried out "a number of acute security measures" which allowed it to shoot down the drones. 

He provided no evidence for the claims. Lithuania's army says it had not taken any hostile action against other states. 

Poland's president Duda advised earlier this week that Poland would be prepared to host NATO nuclear weapons if required to strengthen the security of NATO's eastern flank following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Poland has historically been vulnerable to European wars, and has increased its defence budget dramatically in response to Russian aggression on the continent.

Russia's deputy foreign minister responded in typically combative manner by stating that any NATO nuclear capability deployed into Poland would be targeted .

However, Russia's threatening rhetoric needs to be placed in to context.

Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine has raised the prospect of a wider European conflict and threatened European security. 

The NATO alliance provides strength in numbers, and Poland's number one priority will be the protection of its people. 

Had Ukraine not relinquished its nuclear weapons in return for guarantees of its territorial integrity - signed by Russia and USA - under the terms of the Budapest Memo in 1994, would Russia have invaded?

Although modern nuclear weapon delivery systems do not need to be placed close to their intended targets - they can be fired thousands of miles - their forward deployment sends a powerful political message. 

President Putin announced his intention to forward deploy nuclear weapons into Belarus in June 2023, and that process was completed last month. 

This provocative initiative was deliberately designed to deter the West from increasing its support for Ukraine.

So, Russia's entirely predictable response to the news that NATO might do the same by forward deploying nuclear weapons into Poland lacks a degree of credibility. 

Russia knows that if the West was to commit fully to Ukraine's defence, Russia would be unable to achieve its strategic objectives.

Russian threatening rhetoric has - to date - tempered Western enthusiasm for engaging further, and we can expect more of the same over the coming weeks as Russia pursues its "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says the conditions are "ripe" for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia as both sides are at a stalemate.

According to Russian state-run news agency TASS, Putin-ally Mr Lukashenko pointed to preliminary talks held in 2022 between Russia and Ukraine as a starting point for negotiations.

Despite this, he also said the risk of military incidents with Kyiv was "quite high", and claimed that around 120,000 Ukrainian servicemen are stationed on the border between the two countries.

He also said "several dozen" Russian tactical nuclear weapons had been deployed in Belarus, as part of an agreement signed last year with Vladimir Putin.

Earlier today, Russia's deputy foreign minister said Russia would target NATO nuclear weapons if they were stationed in Poland.

Poland's defence minister has said the country is ready to help military-aged Ukrainian men get ready to go back to fight Russia.

Kyiv said yesterday that men aged between 18 and 60 will not be able to apply for or renew their passports while living abroad. (see previous post)

Speaking to Polsat News television, minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland is prepared to help send Ukrainian men subject to military service back to Kyiv, without sharing details on how.

"I think many Poles are outraged when they see young Ukrainian men in hotels and cafes, and they hear how much effort we have to make to help Ukraine," he added.

Nearly one million Ukrainian refugees have relocated to Poland since Russia started the war in February 2024.

Ukraine has temporarily banned men eligible to serve in the military from applying for passports abroad.

Men aged between 18 and 60 will only be able to apply for or renew their passports in Ukraine.

Ukraine's foreign ministry also said consular services for men in the age group are suspended until 18 May.

Yesterday, foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba hit out at Ukranian men living elsewhere and said that "staying abroad does not relieve a citizen of his or her duties to the homeland".

Around 86,000 military-aged Ukrainian men are believed to be living in the EU.

Earlier this month, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bill lowering the age limit of conscription from 27 to 25.

 Emmanuel Macron says "there is a risk our Europe could die" at a speech today.

The French president called the war in Ukraine the "principal danger for European security".

He adds that the main condition for peace in Europe is that "Russia does not win this war of aggression".

Speaking from the Sorbonne University in Paris, Mr Macron calls for a boost in Europe's cybersecurity capacity, closer defence ties with the UK and the creation of a European academy to train high-ranking military personnel. 

"There is no defence without a defence industry ... we've had decades of under-investment," he adds.

"We must produce more, we must produce faster, and we must produce as Europeans."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in Kyiv - shortly after the UK approved £500m in aid for Ukraine.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the latest military aid package earlier this week, which includes around 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, and four million rounds of ammunition.

Posting on Telegram, the Ukrainian president said he thanked Mr Hunt for the UK's support, and added they discussed more sanctions against Russia.

Russia's US ambassador says the transfer of long-range ballistics missiles to Ukraine is "impossible to justify".

Three American officials told NBC News, Sky's partner network, that Ukraine had already used the US's Army Tactical Missile System - dubbed ATACMS – against Russia twice (see previous post).

In response, Anatoly Antonov said "local officials 'retroactively' confirmed the fact that extremely dangerous weapons had been sent to Kiev", and called it an "underhand act".

According to the Russian embassy's Telegram channel, he added that Russia had "already shot down several ATACMS missiles" and "will continue to do so".

Mr Antonov also said: "Aren't local politicians afraid of drowning in the quagmire of conflict?

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Hamburg’s Lead Official Travels to Ukrainian Capital for Talks with Mayor Klitschko

Peter Tschentscher, the top official of the German city of Hamburg, reached the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv on April 22.

“It is crucial that we continue our support during these difficult times. The commitment of Hamburg to the Ukrainian people remains unwavering,” posted the leadership of the city on a social platform.

“During my visit to the capital of Ukraine, I look forward to discussions with (Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko) about the aid we can provide as part of our ‘Pact for Solidarity & Future’ agreement,” shared Tschentscher.

“My aim is to witness Kyiv firsthand, share a message of solidarity, and explore potential city-to-city collaborations.”

A strategic partnership reflected by the pact was made official between Kyiv and Hamburg in April 2022, ensuring mutual support during crises.

A separate German contingency led by Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck made the journey to Kyiv the previous week. During Habeck’s meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky, they touched on how Berlin could bolster support for Ukraine, with a focus on air defense provisions.

FAQs about Hamburg Mayor’s Visit to Kyiv

Q: Why did the mayor of Hamburg visit Kyiv?

A: The mayor of Hamburg visited Kyiv to discuss the ‘Pact for Solidarity & Future’, express solidarity, and explore further cooperation between the two cities in the wake of the ongoing crisis.

Q: What did the visit signify?

A: The visit symbolized Hamburg’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian people during the crisis and the intention to strengthen the strategic partnership formed by the ‘Pact for Solidarity & Future’ signed in April 2022.

Q: Were there any other German officials who visited Kyiv recently?

A: Yes, a separate delegation led by Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck visited Kyiv the week before to discuss additional support, especially in air defense, with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In affirming its solidarity with Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict, Hamburg’s mayor Peter Tschentscher’s visit to Kyiv reflects the city’s strong dedication to its strategic partnership with the Ukrainian capital. Through negotiations with Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the mayor outlined the significance of collaborative support under the ‘Pact for Solidarity & Future’. This gesture not only reinforces the bond between the two cities but also underscores the broader commitment of the international community to stand with Ukraine during challenging times.

Note: We, TheUBJ, do not produce the news content presented here. The information provided is a rewritten version sourced from various sources on the internet through AI news feed technology. We do not claim ownership or authorship of the news content. The original https://kyivindependent.com/hamburg-mayor-arrives-in-kyiv/ link is provided for reference.

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Chancellor marks military support for Ukraine on visit to Kyiv

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt tells President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Britain will stand with Ukraine for “as long as it takes” on visit to Kyiv.

• Mr Hunt discussed £500 million of new funding and munitions for the country in its fight against Putin’s Russia with the President and counterpart Sergii Marchenko.
• Boosts Britain’s military aid for Ukraine to £3 billion this year and by at least as much each year going forward, alongside its commitment to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2030.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv today, 24 April, to reaffirm Britain’s support for Ukraine for as long as is required to its leaders.

The Chancellor met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko to offer his support and hear how Ukraine plans to utilise new equipment due from the UK. During their meeting, President Zelenskyy told Mr Hunt that the “crucial” support was “very important” to Ukraine.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the £500 million of new military aid for Ukraine this week, alongside the UK’s largest ever donation of critical munitions like missiles and air defences. It takes Britain’s military support for Ukraine to £3 billion this financial year, on top of the £4.6 billion already committed since Russia’s illegal invasion began. That level of support will be sustained for as long as is required.

Speaking from Kyiv, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

War in Ukraine has raged on for longer than many feared, but today I saw that the resolve of its people remains absolute. The onus is now on its friends to pile the pressure on Putin and help restore peace and prosperity in Europe – we’re determined to play our leading part.  Ukraine’s security is our security, and the billions in funding and equipment Britain has provided to date is just the start of a longer-term commitment to supporting them in their struggle with Russia for as long as it takes.

During their meeting, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine told Mr Hunt:

I want to thank you, your team, government, Prime Minister, Parliament and people of the United Kingdom that you are with us – with Ukraine - from the first days of full-scale war. We count on you. We are real partners.

Whilst on the ground, the Chancellor visited Saint Michael’s Square with Minister Marchenko and laid flowers at the memorial to the soldiers killed in Russia’s war of aggression. He also visited St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery and lit a candle in their memory.

The UK has consistently been a first-mover in its support for Ukraine and the government has this week moved to shore up the support Ukraine needs for the long-haul, with a new assurance to maintain current levels of support for as long as is necessary. This represents the longest-term commitment of any other nation, coming on top of the 100-year alliance forged by the UK-Ukraine Security Pact.

That started with the £500 million of new military funding for Ukraine being unveiled by the Prime Minister on his visit to Warsaw on Tuesday, where he met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss support for the country. The funding will support the highest priority capabilities, including scaling of UK drone innovation and support so the UK becomes the largest provider of drones to Ukraine. 

With the economy turning the corner and inflation near its lowest level in two-and-a-half years, it was also announced that the government will steadily increase defence spending to £87 billion a year at the end of the decade, thereby hitting 2.5% of GDP by 2030. It secures Britain’s place as the largest defence power in Europe and second biggest contributor to NATO by some margin.

If all NATO partners matched that commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence, our collective spending would increase by over £140 billion. Mr Hunt used his visit to Ukraine to urge allies to step up and match that benchmark.

Commitments made this week mean the UK’s total military, humanitarian and economic support for Ukraine now totals over £12 billion since the advent of war in February 2022.

Additional information

The record donation of military equipment to Ukraine being made by the Ministry of Defence includes:

• 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns.
• More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
• More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles.
• Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.

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Kyiv Issues Restrictions on Passports for Military-Age Men

A banner advertising an appeal to join the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is seen at a metro station, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alina Smutko

(Reuters) -The Ukrainian government, further tightening regulations as it seeks to address a shortage of troops, approved rules temporarily barring military-age men from applying for passports abroad.

The provisions, and a subsequent clarification from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, were announced on Wednesday, a day after Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba suspended consular services for males aged 18 to 60 until May 18. He criticised those abroad for failing to serve in the 26-month-old war against Russia.

The Foreign Ministry said applicants seeking a special certificate declaring they wished to return to Ukraine would be able to get help at embassies and consulates.

Regular services, it said, would resume on May 18, and applications received after April 23 would be handled then.

That is when a new law on mobilisation is to come into effect that aims to increase troop numbers through incentives to volunteers and punishments for draft dodgers.

Hundreds of thousands of military-age Ukrainian men are living abroad, including an estimated 860,000 in the European Union, and the country faces a shortage of troops in the campaign against Russia's better equipped and larger military.

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The Foreign Ministry said private agencies would no longer be able to handle passport applications, only government missions.

It said the new restrictions did not apply to nationals now permitted to cross state borders while martial law is in force, including those with disabilities.

In his comments on the suspension of consular services on Tuesday, Kuleba said it was incongruous that men subject to conscription were living abroad yet still wanted to receive state services.

"Staying abroad does not relieve a citizen of his or her duties to the homeland," he wrote on X.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Sandra Maler and Cynthia Osterman)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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Tags: Ukraine , Russia , Europe

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