QUICK READ April 25: Nominate US Ambassador to Ukraine after 3 years without

Ms. Bridget Brink, currently the US Ambassador to Slovakia, is fluent in Russian and is learning more Slovak, Serbian, Georgian and French – Photo: US Embassy in Slovakia

* The White House statement read: “Today, President Biden announced his intention to nominate veteran US diplomat Bridget A. Brink as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine.”

Before serving as the US Ambassador to Slovakia, Ms. Brink was a Senior Advisor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, in charge of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. Ms. Brink is fluent in Russian and is studying Slovak, Serbian, Georgian and French.

Nominations for the position of US Ambassador to Ukraine need to be approved by the US Senate.

* The Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian troops will unilaterally cease fire to allow civilians to leave the Azovstal steel mill in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. The notice of the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that from 14:00 local time (ie 18:00 pm, April 25, Vietnam time) on the same day, the Russian army will withdraw units to a safe distance to ensure the evacuation of civilians in the area. Azovstal, all civilians trapped in the above factory can leave any route they choose.

* Mr. Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the US, told Radio Rossiya 24 that Moscow warned Washington should not send more weapons to Ukraine. The Russian ambassador sent an official note to the US authorities to express concern. “We demand an end to this behavior,” Antonov said.

* AFP news agency quoted Roman Starovoit, governor of Kursk province (Russia) bordering Ukraine, saying that the forces Russia shot down two Ukrainian drones on the night of April 24 “There are no casualties, injuries or damage. The situation is completely under control,” Mr. Starovoit said.

* According to the TASS news agency, on April 25, the authorities of the Bryansk region of Russia said that it happened Fire at multiple oil tanks at an oil depot in Bryansk.

The Emergency Situations Service in Bryansk said it received a fire report at 2 a.m. Russia time. Fire and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene. There is no word yet on casualties or the cause of the fire. However, in the past, Russia has blamed Ukrainian forces for many attacks in this area.

People in Mariupol receive cakes and apples distributed by pro-Russian forces on the street on April 24 – Photo: REUTERS

* Late on April 24, morning on April 25, Vietnam time, Mr. Oleksiy Arestovych, advisor to the President Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin of the United States have arrived in Kiev and are meeting with Mr. Zelensky.

The meeting “is happening right now. They are talking to the president. Maybe they can help,” Arestovych said in a video posted on YouTube.

Blinken and Austin are the highest-ranking US officials to visit Ukraine since Russia launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24. April 24th marks 2 months of this campaign.

Earlier, Mr. Zelensky’s assistant Igor Zhovkva said on Radio NBC News that Ukrainian officials in meeting with Mr. Austin and Mr. Antony will call on the US to provide more weapons, including anti-missile systems, anti-aircraft, armored vehicles, tanks.

* White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said expected More announcements will be made on US assistance to Ukraine “in the next week”.. “We have announced what we can deliver, a fancy word for what we are providing to Ukraine, to support them in their daily, weekly combat, and we will have there’s more to talk about in the coming week,” Finer said on NBC.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Washington on April 22 – Photo: REUTERS

* The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data shows that nearly 5.2 million Ukrainians have left the country, of which 3.2 million people left in March 2022 alone. In addition, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 7.7 million people in Ukraine have been displaced.

* Ukraine proposed New round of talks with Russia at location near Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

“We invite Russia to hold a special round of negotiations at the location right next to the Azovstal plant,” Zelensky’s adviser Oleksiy Arestovych was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. Earlier, the Kiev side proposed a ceasefire and opening a humanitarian corridor in Mariupol, which Russia claims to have “liberated”. Mr. Arestovych said the round of talks was aimed at discussing a ceasefire, opening a humanitarian corridor and exchanging prisoners.

On April 24, Zelensky’s other adviser, Mikhaylo Podolyak, said Russia repeatedly attacked the Azovstal factory. This factory is considered the last resistance stronghold of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol.

After declaring the “liberation” of this city, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked not to attack but continue to lay siege to the Azovstal factory. Russia has repeatedly issued “surrender or die” ultimatums to Ukrainian soldiers still entrenched here.

The wreck of a Russian tank in the Kiev area – Photo: AFP

* Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called Zelensky to discuss the situation in Mariupol April 24 Mr. Zelensky said he discussed the need to evacuate people in Mariupol immediately. Erdogan’s office said that Turkey was ready to assist in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

* Reuters news agency reported The US Central Bank has frozen the accounts of the Russian diplomatic mission in New York.

Russian Ambassador Anatoliy Antonov in New York said the bank had “locked down” the activities of the embassy. “In essence, the embassy is blocked by US government organizations. The accounts of our two consulates in Houston and New York have been closed by the US Central Bank,” Ambassador Antonov said on the channel. TV Rossiya-1 of Russia.

According to Russian media, the country’s embassy in New York is currently unable to make payments, the staff is limited in work and cannot store cash.