As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 365th day, the situation remains tense. US President Joe Biden has promised to defend NATO, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that relations between Russia and China have reached “new frontiers”. Putin has also announced plans to strengthen Russia’s nuclear capabilities. The UN Secretary-General has denounced Russia’s invasion as a violation of international law, and Ukraine’s First Lady has called for the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute crimes of Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, fighting continues in the region. Two civilians were killed in Russian shelling of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine and two were wounded in a missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Ukrainian forces have reported repelling 90 Russian attacks in the northeast and east over the past 24 hours. In addition, a bitter public feud between the head of the Wagner Russian mercenary group and the army top brass has been made public, and Russian prosecutors are proceeding with a case against exiled science fiction writer Dmitry Glukhovsky.
The European Union countries have been unable to reach an agreement on new sanctions against Russia, and the UN General Assembly is set to vote on a resolution calling for “just and lasting peace in Ukraine”. It is clear that the conflict is far from over, and it is uncertain what the future holds for both countries.