1 Year of Conflict: US, Russia, and Ukraine at a Crossroads
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been ongoing since March 02, 2023, with key events unfolding over the past year. U.S. President Joe Biden is set to give a speech in Warsaw on Tuesday evening to offer an appraisal of international support during the first year of the war and to address “how we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes”, according to White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.[0] The US has announced a new military aid package of ammunition and other support for Ukraine worth $400m, funded using presidential drawdown authority.[1] Ukraine has ordered a mandatory evacuation of families and vulnerable residents from the frontline city of Kupiansk and adjacent north-eastern territories due to Russia’s “constant” shelling of the town and its surroundings.[2]
ABC News was informed by a U.S. official that the estimated number of Russian casualties, which includes both killed and wounded, is between 180,000 and 200,000.[3] At the G-20 Meeting of Foreign Ministers in India, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a brief discussion, however, there were no formal negotiations, according to Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, as reported by TASS, a Russian news agency, on Thursday.[4] Poland has delivered the first four Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, marking the first delivery of Western-made tanks.[5]
Secretary of the US Treasury Janet Yellen undertook an unexpected journey to Ukraine to demonstrate the US economic assistance that is aiding in maintaining the nation's public services as the Russian incursion enters its second year.[6] On March 9th, Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, announced that negotiations with Sweden and Finland concerning their applications to join NATO would be resumed.[6] Commander Serhiy Nayev of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Air Force has reported that 80% of Russian missiles have been shot down by Ukraine.[0]
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russia is paying “a great deal of attention” to China’s peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.[7] On Sunday, Ukrainian leaders declared that Russia was getting ready to execute expansive atomic drills, which would involve a launch during the time of President Biden's visit.[0]
0. “Russia-Ukraine live updates: Blinken talks to Russia foreign minister: ‘End this war'” 1310kfka.com, 2 Mar. 2023, https://www.1310kfka.com/abc-news/world/03/russia-ukraine-live-updates-blinken-talks-to-russia-foreign-minister-end-this-war/
1. “Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 374 of the invasion” The Guardian, 4 Mar. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/04/russia-ukraine-war-at-a-glance-what-we-know-on-day-374-of-the-invasion
2. “March 3, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news” CNN International, 3 Mar. 2023, https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-03-3-23/h_cfaa8f0253b56470c299f6ebe42b3cff
3. “Ukraine: Map of Russian Control in February 2023” Political Geography Now, 28 Feb. 2023, https://www.polgeonow.com/2023/02/ukraine-control-map-2023-russia-war.html
4. “Russia-Ukraine live updates: Blinken talks to Russia foreign minister: ‘End this war'” GMA, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/International/live-updates/russia-ukraine-97380473
5. “This Week in the Russia-Ukraine War (March 3)” Defense & Security Monitor, 3 Mar. 2023, https://dsm.forecastinternational.com/wordpress/2023/03/03/this-week-in-the-russia-ukraine-war-march-3
6. “Ukraine Latest: Russia to Study China’s Proposal on Ukraine” Yahoo Finance Australia, 27 Feb. 2023, https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-latest-russia-study-china-105830826.html
7. “China's Proposal on Ukraine Deserves “great Attention” and Russia Will Study the … – Latest Tweet by” LatestLY, 27 Feb. 2023, https://www.latestly.com/socially/business/chinas-proposal-on-ukraine-deserves-great-attention-and-russia-will-study-the-latest-tweet-by-bloomberg-4890889.html
