Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit Washington, DC, on Friday. Perhaps with the exception of former President Donald Trump, who Fidan plans to meet with during his visit. This visit comes amid escalating military actions in Ukraine, where Russian forces have captured strategic locations and intensified their attacks on civilian infrastructure.
In recent news, Russian troops took the village of Borivska Andriyivka in the Kharkiv region. Further to the north, they have made further inroads into the Donetsk oblast, taking Moskovske. Documented evidence indicates that Russian troops have penetrated deeper into civilian neighborhoods of Myrnohrad. This movement has deep implications for the safety of civilians, especially civilians who live in those areas.
On 27 April, Russia’s Ministry of Defence published a daily report claiming its military had destroyed 40 Ukrainian drones, mainly over the Belgorod and Voronezh regions. This claim fits into a wider plan to reestablish control over the air space around the conflict zones.
On Monday night, Russian forces targeted Kharkiv with precise, guided aerial bombs. This attack knocked out power in at least three districts. The hit on a hospital, if confirmed, is especially disturbing. This attack is illustrative of the continued perilous targeting of civilian life in the area.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas recently declared her government would contribute 10 million euros—approximately $11.5 million—for the creation of such a special tribunal. This announcement coincides with unprecedented military advances. This tribunal would be used to hold Russian leadership accountable for their acts of aggression against Ukraine. Kallas recently visited Zelenskyy in Kyiv to talk about her country’s commitment to standing with Ukraine. Collectively, they sought out innovative tactics to apply the most pressure on Moscow, including through further sanctions.
The two leaders focused on leveraging frozen Russian assets to pay for a reparation loan to Ukraine. In addition, they discussed Ukraine’s path to EU membership.
As Kaja Kallas explained, they wanted to talk up order to strengthen common defenses against Russia.
“It is clear that we need to toughen our defence against Russia. Not to provoke war, but the opposite, to prevent war,” – Kaja Kallas
