Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to public broadcaster NHK.
His unexpected trip comes after Chinese leader Xi Jinping began a three-day visit to Moscow on Monday, his first since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Here are the latest headlines:
- Kishida heading to Kyiv: The Japanese leader has left India, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is on his way to Ukraine, NHK reported Tuesday. Japan last month pledged $5.5 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and has also joined Western allies in imposing strict sanctions on Russia over its invasion.
- Moscow meeting: During talks Monday, Xi told Putin that China and Russia have "similar goals" and he expressed support for Putin to remain in power after 2024 elections. John Kirby, the National Security Council communications coordinator, said the US remains concerned that Xi would reiterate calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine that would only benefit Moscow by allowing Russian forces to remain inside Ukrainian territory.
- Crimea strike: Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said late Monday night that a strike destroyed Russian Kalibr cruise missiles — while they were being transported by train — in the town of Dzhankoi in Russian-occupied Crimea. The Russian-installed head of the annexed peninsula confirmed there was a strike, adding that one person was injured and two buildings damaged.
- Ammunition and aid for Ukraine: Eighteen European nations have agreed to jointly procure ammunition to “aid Ukraine and replenish national stockpiles,” the European Defence Agency said in a news release on Monday. The Biden administration also authorized an additional $350 million in security aid. The US has committed more than $32 billion in Presidential Drawdown funds to aid Ukraine since Russia's invasion began more than one year ago.
- Tanks delivered: Meanwhile, Norway delivered eight Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the Norwegian Armed Forces announced. Training for Ukrainian soldiers on the tanks is underway in Poland.
- Latest on Bakhmut: The chief of Russia's Wagner private military group Yevgeny Prigozhin said Monday in an open letter to the Russian defense minister that the mercenary force controls around 70% of Bakhmut. A months-long battle continues in the eastern city and earlier this month, Prigozhin acknowledged that the situation was “difficult, very difficult, with the enemy fighting each other for each meter.”