ADVERTISEMENT

Ukraine Latest: U.S. Vows to Step Up Weapons for Kyiv

Track the latest developments emerging from the Russian attacks on Ukraine.

Ukraine Latest: U.S. Vows to Step Up Weapons for Kyiv
Deserted streets in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photographer: Erin Trieb/Bloomberg)

The U.S. pledged new weapons assistance and a stepped-up diplomatic presence as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv for the highest-level talks between the administration and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the country since Russia invaded.

The U.S. authorized a $165 million ammunition sale and the return of diplomats in the coming days. It comes as Russia shifts its forces to the east after failing to make ground around Kyiv in the north. 

Air raid sirens were heard across most of Ukraine on Sunday evening and attacks continued on the Azovstal steel plant in the southeastern port city of Mariupol, where some 2,000 Ukrainian fighters are holding on. 

Ukraine Latest: U.S. Vows to Step Up Weapons for Kyiv

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

(All times CET)

Ukraine Apologizes to Japan over Twitter Post (7:11 a.m.)

An official Ukrainian government Twitter account issued an apology after showing a picture of Japan’s wartime Emperor Hirohito alongside Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in a social media video about the defeat of fascism. 

The tweet had circulated widely over the weekend and prompted an official protest from Japan. It also threatened to alienate some conservatives from the Ukrainian cause in a country that has been strongly supportive of Zelenskiy since the Russian invasion began. 

Blinken, Austin Meet Zelenskiy in Kyiv (5:55 a.m.)

The U.S. said it will start sending diplomats back to Ukraine and provide more military aid, as Blinken and Secretary Austin visited Kyiv on Sunday night.

American diplomats will return to Ukraine as early as this week, starting with day trips to the western city of Lviv and eventually resuming a presence in Kyiv, according to a senior State Department official. The U.S has also authorized up to $165 million for ammunition in addition to other funds to help Ukraine’s forces, especially on the eastern frontier.

On Monday morning in Washington, President Joe Biden plans to formally nominate Bridget Brink, now ambassador to Slovakia, as his next envoy in Ukraine, a State Department official said.

Air Raid Alarms Sound Across Ukraine (6:45 p.m.) 

Air raid sirens were heard across much of Ukraine early Sunday evening, from Lviv in the far west to Odesa on the Black Sea to Kharkiv in the north, according to a national alert system on Telegram. 

The sirens typically warn residents of the potential for Russian air strikes. Authorities had warned Ukrainians of the possibility of stepped up strikes over the Orthodox Easter weekend. 

Shmyhal Hails ‘Symbol’ of U.S. Officials’ Visit (5:38 p.m.)

The expected visit to Kyiv of Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin is a “very important political symbol,” Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sunday on CBS.  

Shmyhal said Ukraine is having “negotiations with the United States, with all of our partners,” on its proposal that Kyiv could use frozen Russian assets as part of its recovery funds. 

Ukraine Aide Says ‘Not a Good Idea’ for UN Chief to Meet Putin (3:55 p.m.)

Igor Zhovkva, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said it was “not a good idea” for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to meet Russia’s leader on Tuesday. 

“We did not understand his intention to travel to Moscow and to talk to President Putin,” Zhovkva said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” adding that he doubted the talks would “end up with any result.” 

Guterres will travel to Kyiv after the Putin meeting. On Saturday, Zelenskiy said Guterres should “visit our towns where people were tortured and killed, and only after that find time for those esteemed in Moscow.”  

No Civilian Corridor Out of Mariupol, Official Says (3:59 p.m.)

Ukraine was unable to evacuate civilians from Mariupol on Sunday without a cease-fire guarantee from Russia, deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in televised remarks, adding, “We will continue trying tomorrow.” 

Vereshchuk urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to demand in his planned meeting with Russian leaders on Tuesday that Moscow provide two evacuation corridors, one from the Azovstal steel plant and one from city of Mariupol itself. 

Commander Says New Missile Can Carry Several Hypersonic Weapons (3:25 p.m.)

The Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile test-fired on Wednesday can carry several hypersonic weapons, a senior Russian military officer said, according to the Associated Press.  

General Sergei Karakayev, commander of the Russian military’s Strategic Missile Forces, described the weapon’s capabilities in televised remarks on Sunday. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the “unique weapon” on state TV as a way to “reliably guarantee Russia’s security against outside threats” and force Moscow’s foes to “think again.”  

Ukraine Latest: U.S. Vows to Step Up Weapons for Kyiv

Zelenskiy Speaks with Erdogan Before Diplomacy Round-Robin (2:40 p.m.)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke Sunday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he said on Twitter. The evacuation of civilians from Mariupol was among the topics. 

Turkey’s leader is set to host UN chief Antonio Guterres in Ankara on Monday. The UN chief meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Secretary Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Monday, and later with Zelenskiy in Kyiv.  

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

With assistance from Bloomberg