Kyiv theater reopens with soldout performance:

A theater in Ukraine’s capital has reopened for the first time since Russian forces invaded the country, and tickets sold out for Sunday’s performance.

Theater on Podil was the latest cultural institution in Kyiv to resume operations. Movie theaters and the National Opera opened their doors at the end of May.

“We were wondering how it would be, whether spectators would come during the war, whether they think at all about theater, whether it’s of any interest,” said one of the actors, Yuriy Felipenko. “And we were happy that the first three plays were sold out.”

Filipenko saysthe theater is putting on plays with just a few actors.

Actor Kostya Tomlyak says he had hesitated to perform in wartime. But the influx of people returning to Kyiv since hostilities there have lessened persuaded him that it’s necessary to go on.

Russia-Ukraine war:

As Monday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:

The United Kingdom is sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, defying Russia's warning it will bomb such weapons supplied by the West. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the U.K. will deliver multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 50 miles away with great precision, boosting Ukrainian forces' capabilities against Russia. This follows President Biden's announcement last week that the United States was sending Ukraine more advanced rockets than previous shipments.

Russia-Ukraine war: New face of 21st century conflict - no victor and no vanquished:

It was supposed to be a ‘special military operation’ by the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine that should’ve achieved what it set out to do, regime change in Kyiv, in a week or so at most. And yet, here we are approaching 100 days of a brutal war in Eastern Europe that shows no signs of letting up and even fewer of a decisive victory by one side or the other. Is this the new face of conflict in the 21st Century? No victor and no vanquished? Or was it just ill-considered assumptions and arrogant planning by the Russian leadership (mainly a coterie of one) and even worse execution by the Russian Armed Forces, who were poorly informed and led. The answers are not straightforward or easy to reach. War, as the saying goes, has a grammar and vocabulary of its own and very few, if any, have the genius to master its complexity and achieve victory as originally intended. Nations that have declared military victory when major combat ended have found themselves on the losing side strategically. The 21st Century is replete with such examples as the wars in Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan have shown.

Biden says US will provide Ukraine with medium-range rocket systems:

Russian troops fought to take complete control of the eastern industrial city of Sievierodonetsk as the United States said it will provide Ukraine with advanced rockets to help it force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war. Follow FRANCE 24’s liveblog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
The United States is sending Himars advanced multiple rocket systems to Ukraine, a US official said Tuesday, ending days of speculation over the latest upgrade of military aid to Kyiv in its fight against Russia.
The Himars use precision-guided munitions, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. The range is about 50 miles (80 kilometers), with Washington deciding against sending munitions with a far longer range.

Ukrainians return to village retaken from Russian forces:

A view of the destroyed village of Moshchun, amid Russia's invasion, Kyiv region, Ukraine, May 19, 2022. REUTERS/Leonardo Benassatto.

G7 agree on $18.4 billion to keep Ukraine running, ready with more:

The Group of Seven’s financial leaders agreed on Thursday (19 May) on $18.4 billion to help Ukraine pay its bills in coming months and said they were ready to stand by Kyiv throughout its war with Russia and do more if needed, a draft communique showed.

Finance ministers and central bank governors of the United States, Japan, Canada, Britain, Germany, France and Italy – the G7 – are holding talks as Ukraine, invaded by Russia on 24 February, is struggling to fend off the attack and is running out of cash.

“In 2022, we have mobilised $18.4 billion of budget support, including $9.2 billion of recent commitments,” the draft communique seen by Reuters said.

“We will continue to stand by Ukraine throughout this war and beyond and are prepared to do more as needed,” it said.

In the draft, the G7 welcomed the European Commission’s proposal on Wednesday to lend €9 billion to Ukraine and noted that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Financial Corporation planned support worth $3.4 billion. But it was not clear if these funds were part of the $18.4 billion or separate.

Ukraine latest:

Ukraine-Russia peace talks stall, as ICC sends more war crimes investigators; Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have stagnated, officials say, with both sides trading blame and Moscow indicating a return to talks may be difficult.
Russia accused Ukraine of hardening its stance and the West for bolstering the government in Kyiv, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying that Washington, London and Brussels want to use Ukraine to their strategic advantage.

Mr Lavrov said he believed no peace deal could be made if negotiators tried to "transfer the dialogue" to focus on what the West had to say instead of the immediate situation in Ukraine. That ruled out chances for progress in talks, he added.

US Reopens Kyiv Embassy After Three-Month Closure, Says 'Committed To Confronting The Challenges Ahead':

The US embassy in Kyiv resumed operations Wednesday after almost three-month closure amid the raging Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"We are officially reopening operations," told spokesperson Daniel Langenkamp to news agency Reuters just before the US flag was raised above the embassy, and added that a small number of diplomats would return initially to staff the mission.

However, consular operations will not resume immediately and a no travel advisory from the State Department will continue to persist in places across Ukraine, informed Langenkamp.

Russian negotiator says Ukraine fighters ‘don’t deserve to live’, sparking fears:

Russia Ukraine War Live: Concerns grew Wednesday for the welfare of more than 250 Ukrainian fighters who surrendered to Russian forces at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol after weeks of desperate resistance. A Russian lawmaker taking part in peace talks with Kyiv said Tuesday that Russia should consider the death penalty for what he called nationalist fighters from Ukraine’s Azov regiment.

The Mariupol surrender brought an end to the most devastating siege of Russia’s war in Ukraine and allowed President Vladimir Putin to claim a rare victory in his faltering campaign, which many military analysts say has stalled. While Russia called it a surrender, the Ukrainians avoided that word.

Experts warn arms for Ukraine could end up in wrong hands:

Western countries have been ramping up weapons and ammunition shipments to Ukraine as Kyiv fights off a Russian invasion, but arms trade experts warn some of the lethal assistance could end up falling into the wrong hands.

Ukraine in particular has a history as a hub of the arms trade during the 1990s, setting off alarm bells for those who study illicit flows.

"There are very significant risks associated to the proliferation of weapons in Ukraine at the moment, in particular regarding small arms and light weapons," said Nils Duquet, a researcher and director of the Flemish Peace Institute.