The Latest on the War in Ukraine - Day 61

The Russia-Ukraine war has completed two months. It is becoming increasingly evident that peace negotiations won’t happen.

• It is day 61 of the Russia-Ukraine war and it does not look like things are going to calm down anytime soon. There has been an exodus of 5.2 million Ukrainians so far since the war began.
• The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are reported to have met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, a first from US representatives.
• UN Secretary General Anthony Guterres’ meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week has been criticized by Zelensky who said that the war was happening in Ukraine, not in Moscow.
• According to the UK Defense ministry, Russia is also expected to plan a staged referendum in May to establish a “Kherson People’s Republic”, on the lines of Luhansk and Donetsk statelets.
• New details are emerging from Bucha on the use of shrapnel-type weapons that are not allowed to be used on civilians. Many dead bodies that were exhumed showed the presence of these flechettes.
• It also looks like Russian President Vladimir Putin has lost all interest in diplomatic efforts to end the war. He just wants to capture as much territory as possible, according to Russian sources.