Latest on Ukraine: Kim Jong Un to meet with Putin; G20 statement; Blinken visits Kyiv
By NPR StaffRussian President Vladimir Putin welcomes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prior to their talks in Vladivostok on April 25, 2019. The two leaders are due to meet again in Vladivostok this week. Alexander Zemlianichenko / POOL / AFP via Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Alexander Zemlianichenko / POOL / AFP via Getty Images Alexander Zemlianichenko / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesHere's a look ahead and a roundup of key developments from the past week.
What to watch
The Kremlin confirms that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia's Far East, "in the coming days." The meeting comes amid U.S. claims that Putin is eager to secure additional North Korean arms for Russia's war in Ukraine — perhaps in exchange for food aid or technological support. The two leaders last met in 2019.
Justice ministers from Council of Europe member states to discuss support for the Ukrainian justice system, with a focus on war crimes investigation and Russian abduction of Ukrainian children.
What happened last week
Leaders at the G20 summit in New Delhi saying "all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible." The statement took note of "human suffering and negative added impacts of the war in Ukraine," but did not name Russia as the aggressor in the war. Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman the joint statement, calling it "nothing to be proud of."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced , to show U.S. support and assess Ukraine's counteroffensive. He announced $1 billion in new assistance. The Pentagon said depleted uranium anti-tank shells would be included in a package that is part of the new aid. Blinken's visit came as Russian missile strikes on a market in eastern Ukraine killed at least 17 and wounded many more.
International volunteers with the Road to Relief aid groupby Russian shelling as they were driving from Sloviansk toward Bakhmut, leaving two of the aid workers dead and two severely wounded. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condolences to the families of the victims and thanked everyone who helps Ukraine survive and save lives.
, who was seen as instrumental in securing Western weapons — but also tarnished by a series of procurement scandals in his ministry.A new biography of Elon Musk reveals that for the Ukrainian military at a point last year when it intended to conduct a drone attack on a Russian naval fleet. Musk defended his decision in a saying, "If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation." Meanwhile, , quoting Ukrainian deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov,that the new biography includes Ukrainian government messages without authorization.
UNESCO announced and said it would train Ukrainian security forces and judiciary personnel in protection of heritage.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Russian strikes have damaged or destroyed at least 26 civilian port infrastructure facilities, warehouses, silos and grain elevators since July. Sunak's office confirmed that the U.K. is conducting surveillance and reconnaissance flights in the Black Sea to "deter Russia from carrying out illegal strikes against civilian vessels transporting grain."
In-depth
while under Russian invasion.
Turkey has failed to persuade Russia .
Whatever happened to
offering Ukrainians a respite from war.
Love, war and loss: How one soldier in Ukraine .
Special report
Russia's war in Ukraine is changing the world:
Earlier developments
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