Stay on top of Russia-Ukraine war 05-14-2024 developments on the ground with KyivPost fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated war maps.
Kyiv says it’s throwing thousands of veteran reserve troops led by a top general into battle in a bid to contain the most successful Russian land grab since the early days of the war.
The June summit would discuss "the safety of nuclear power plants, grain exports, prisoner exchanges" and the risk of a nuclear escalation, Scholz said.
Blinken's trip comes just weeks after the US Congress finally approved a $61 billion financial aid package for Ukraine after months of political wrangling.
Current US policy prohibiting Ukraine from using US-provided weapons in the territory of Russia is compromising Kyiv's ability to defend itself against the cross-border invasion near Kharkiv.
Putin, embarking on an unprecedented fifth term as president, replaced veteran defense minister Sergei Shoigu with top economic official and technocrat Andrei Belousov.
Germany announced it would send a third Patriot air defence system to Ukraine in April - a decision Scholz said was difficult because they do not have many of the systems.
The Ukrainian army acknowledged Russia was "achieving tactical success" after launching a ground assault on Friday that has sparked the evacuation of almost 6,000 people.
Lytvynenko noted that while Russian forces made small advances into the Kharkiv region on Friday, capturing several villages, they had not posed a direct threat to Kharkiv itself.
Marking his fourth visit to Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion, Blinken arrived by overnight train from Poland and was due to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to WSJ’s analysis of Ukrainian Air Force Command data, Ukraine intercepted 46% of Russian missiles in the past six months, down from 73% in the preceding period.
National Security Council chief not worried about any imminent siege of Kharkiv; US confirms delivery of latest weapons package; EU gives another year’s reprieve from trade tariffs on Ukrainian goods.