UN chief Antonio Guterres is traveling to Kiev on Tuesday and Wednesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, his third trip to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
As fighting continues in Bakhmout, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an American think tank, analyzes the situation of the Wagner group: “The Battle of Bakhmut could severely degrade the best forces of the Wagner Group, depriving Russia of some of its most effective and hard-to-replace shock troops.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky for his part ordered the Ukrainian army on Monday to reinforce the defense of the city of Bakhmout, epicenter of the fighting in the east of the country, refuting speculation of a withdrawal in the face of Russian troops who have been trying for months to encircle this symbolic city. Russian troops have advanced in recent weeks north and south of the city, cutting off three of Ukraine’s four supply routes and leaving only the one leading further west to Chassiv Iar as an exit route.
The Chinese government blamed him on Tuesday the United States for the growing tensions between the two of the world’s largest economic powers, warning of a risk of “conflit et confrontation“if Washington does not change the trajectory in which it is engaged, reports Archyde.com. Speaking to reporters in Beijing on the sidelines of the annual plenary session of Parliament, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs also said an “invisible hand” appeared to be fueling the conflict in Ukraine.