May 20, 2024 14:32 GMT
UKRAINE: Kharkiv Dep Gov-Ukraine Troops Control 60% Of Vovchansk
UKRAINE
Deputy Governor of Kharkiv oblast Roman Semenukha has told national television that Ukrainian troops are still in control of around 60% of the town of Vovchansk, the focal point of Russia's newest offensive into northern Ukraine. The city has seen intense fighting in recent days after Russian troops launched a significant operation along the frontier.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Russian forces could attempt to reach Kharkiv city, a development that would be one of the biggest setbacks for Ukraine of the campaign to date. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia is attempting to build a buffer zone along the Ukrainian border with Russia's Belgorod oblast to protect the Russian Federation from ground assault.
- Excerpts from a speech on the transatlantic alliance to be delivered on 21 May by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have been published. As expected, she calls for the use of windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to be used to fund Ukraine.
- Yellen: "We need to continue cracking down on Russian sanctions evasion, including through third parties, and sensitive goods that originate in the U.S. and Europe."
- Yellen: "It’s also critical that we ensure Ukraine has the support it needs to equip its military, fund critical services, and ultimately rebuild in the medium- to long-term. That’s why I believe it’s vital and urgent that we collectively find a way forward to unlock the value of Russian sovereign assets immobilized in our jurisdictions for the benefit of Ukraine."
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