Several international developments are taking place this week connected to the conflict in Ukraine, including high-level official visits and military actions by Ukraine, Russia, and other countries.
Diplomatic moves: China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu is visiting Russia and Belarus, while Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner is in Kyiv for talks.
* Beijing has not publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and earlier this month participated in a peace summit to which Russia was not invited.
* Germany has provided some $24 billion in aid to Ukraine since the start of the war.
Upcoming events: Russian President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov will speak at the Defense Ministry’s annual conference, and the UN Security Council will discuss the conflict on Russia’s request.
* The conference on international security held by the Russian Defense Ministry is a key event this week.
Recent developments: Ukraine’s military claimed it advanced around 10 square miles toward two key cities, while both Russia and Ukraine continued to engage in drone and missile attacks.
* Ukraine also announced the creation of a Black Sea humanitarian corridor for cargo ships that have been stuck since the war began.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the heads of regional military recruitment centers on Friday, citing corruption.
Global response: President Biden has asked Congress for more aid for Ukraine, with skepticism coming from both ends of the US political spectrum.
* Poland is set to deploy 10,000 troops to the Belarus border due to escalating tensions.
* British defense ministry indicates that Russia may no longer be funding the Wagner Group mercenaries, with Belarus likely taking over the funding.
Other happenings: Russia released high school textbooks portraying Ukraine as an “ultranationalist government” and launched its first lunar expedition in nearly half a century.
* The textbooks suggest the goals of the Russian invasion as a defense and security measure.
* The lunar expedition can be seen as a show of force amidst Western sanctions against Russia’s aerospace industry.
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