Ukraine invasion: What to know as Russian forces target Kyiv:
Ukrainian troops inspect the site following a Russian airstrike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Russian forces began closing in on Ukraine’s capital of Kiev on Saturday, following up on a barrage of airstrikes hitting cities and military bases. Ukrainian officials have reported some success in fending off the Russian onslaught though fighting still persists near the capital. Russia has been put under more pressure internationally as countries pledge to help Ukraine in the conflict. One example of this is Germany which pledged on Saturday to quickly send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelinskyy was urged by the US government to evacuate Kyiv but he refused the offer saying, “the fight is here.” The United States estimates that more than half of the forces Russia had arranged along the border have entered Ukraine, up from Friday’s estimate of one third. Although Russia claims its assault is focused exclusively on military targets, bridges, schools, and residential neighborhoods have been hit and civilians killed. UN officials say that at least 100,000 individuals have fled Ukraine to Poland, Romania, Hungary and other neighboring countries with that number rapidly increasing.
N.Korea resumes missile tests with first launch in a month:
North Korea fired what South Korean and Japanese military officials believe to be a ballistic missile on Sunday. If so, this is the first test since the country’s record number of launches in January. Analysts say that the flight data did not match that of previous tests and suggested it may be a medium-range ballistic missile fired on a lofted trajectory. The US has condemned this latest launch and called on North Korea to stop committing acts that might destabilize the region, but said the launch posed no immediate threat. This launch came less than two weeks ahead of South Korea’s presidential election on March 9 and has raised fears that North Korea will push forward its missile program while attention is diverted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
China is Russia’s best hope to blunt sanctions, but wary:
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk to each other during their meeting in Beijing, Feb. 4, 2022. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
China is the only friend Russia has that might help blunt the economic sanctions Russia is facing over its invasion of Ukraine. Despite this, China has given no sign that it would be willing to do so and thereby risk its own access to US and European markets. Even if China is willing to support Russia, there is still a limit to the support that it can viably offer. Relations between the two countries have warmed since 2012, when Xi Jinping became Chinese President. This is also in part because of Russian President Putin attempting to divert exports to the Far East to reduce reliance on European markets. While their relations are at their highest levels in history, Putin’s skepticism of the growing economic presence China has in Central Asia and Russia’s far East. Now, China is the only major government to have not condemned Russia’s invasion. China announced earlier this week that it will allow imports of wheat from all parts of Russia for the first time, which can help buoy the incomes of Russian farmers. The amount of support Russia receives from China will likely be crucial in determining how well it can weather the long term consequences.
Sources:
Ukraine invasion: What to know as Russian forces target Kyiv - AP News
N.Korea resumes missile tests with first launch in a month | Reuters
China is Russia’s best hope to blunt sanctions, but wary - AP News