Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for restraint in the conflict between Iran and Israel, urging all sides to avoid a new round of confrontation that could have disastrous consequences for the region. Putin emphasized that the unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the root cause of the current situation in the Middle East. Russia supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and create conditions for a political settlement.
The BBC reported that over 50,000 Russian soldiers have died in the conflict in Ukraine, with more than 27,300 deaths occurring in the second year of the war. This high death toll reflects the human cost of territorial gains. Russia and Ukraine have not disclosed official figures on military casualties, but both claim to have inflicted significant losses on each other. The BBC’s findings are significantly higher than Russia’s official acknowledgment of fatalities.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed concern that Russia may be emboldened by the U.S. debate over aid for Ukraine, leading them to believe that the resolve of the U.S. and its allies is weakening. Yellen called on the House of Representatives to pass a bill providing Ukraine with military and budget support. There is also a debate about using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, with concerns about the legality of redistributing these funds.
Russian Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev claimed that the perpetrators of a terrorist attack in Moscow were connected to Ukrainian nationalists, despite the Islamic State group claiming responsibility. Russia has accused Ukraine and its Western allies of involvement in the attack, but has not presented evidence to support these claims. Ukraine and its partners have dismissed these allegations as baseless.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine “ran out of missiles” to defend against a Russian strike that destroyed a thermal power plant near Kyiv, leading to widespread electricity outages. Ukraine is facing shortages of both missiles and artillery ammunition, putting the country’s defense capabilities at risk. Zelenskyy emphasized the urgent need for military assistance to protect Ukraine.
Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined four priorities to prevent the Ukraine crisis from escalating further, including prioritizing peace and stability, cooling the situation, creating conditions for peace, and reducing negative impacts on the global economy. China has been careful not to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has positioned itself as a mediator in the conflict. Russian forces are continuing to attack eastern Ukraine in an attempt to advance on strategic locations in Donetsk. Ukraine is facing shortages of manpower and materiel, making it difficult to repel Russian advances.
