WAR IN UKRAINE: April 6, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 407
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is on a visit to Warsaw, said on April 5 that Ukraine regards Poland as one of its closest Western allies and a critical partner in its reconstruction after the war with Russia ends. Meanwhile, in an embarrassing twist for Warsaw, Polish Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk has resigned amid rising anger among farmers over the impact of Ukrainian grain imports on prices - RFE/RL
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said he held talks on April 5 with Russian officials on the Moscow-held Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that China had a "major role" to play in finding a path to peace in Ukraine, as he kicked off a three-day visit to Beijing. Speaking at a gathering of the French community in Beijing ahead of a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, Macron said France would seek to work with China "in this shared responsibility for peace and stability" in Ukraine. "China, with its close relationship with Russia, which has been reaffirmed in recent days, can play a major role," he said, noting Beijing's stated opposition to the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine as well as its proposal for peace between Kyiv and Moscow. The French president's first trip to China in four years is set to be dominated by the conflict in Ukraine, with an official from his office telling reporters he would seek to stand firm in talks with Xi - France 24
Russian bank VTB reports $7.7 billion in losses for 2022. Bank officials blamed Western sanctions that targeted Russia’s financial sector after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine - VOA