“Mission accomplished” in Bakhmut?
Russia has took victory in the city of Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine. Although Moscow proclaims a moment of “mission accomplished”, Ukraine insists the city has not completely fallen. But while the war’s deadliest battle may be over, what follows is far from clear.
Bakhmut is in ruins, and controlling it would not necessarily help Moscow achieve its larger goal – to conquer the entire eastern region of Donbass – now that Ukrainian troops have exhausted Russian forces and breached their defenses in some areas to the north and south. south of the city.
Ukrainian officials say they now plan to rain artillery on Russian forces occupying Bakhmut. Military analysts say that if Moscow continues to send reinforcements to defend the city, it could weaken Russian forces’ ability to repel a wider counteroffensive that Ukraine says is about to begin.
Quotable “You have to understand that there is nothing,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the razed city, which was once home to 80,000 people. He added: “There is nothing on this space, just ground and a lot of dead Russians.”
In other wartime news:
Greek election results
In a decisive victory, New Democracy, the party of conservative Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, received 40.8% of the votes in the country’s general elections, preliminary results showed. But the party fell short of the majority required to lead a one-party government, potentially paving the way for another poll within weeks.
Mitsotakis described the preliminary outcome as a “political earthquake” that called for an “experienced hand at the helm” of Greece, and said any negotiations with potential coalition partners would only lead to a stalemate.
Since Mitsotakis appears to have ruled out forming a governing coalition, a second vote would take place under a different system, which awards additional seats to the winning party, giving New Democracy a better chance of forming a government. independent.
Hot button issue: EU leaders praised Mitsotakis, seeming to cut him some slack for doing the mainland’s unpleasant job of keeping migrants at bay, despite being accused of unlawfully pushing asylum seekers back at sea.
US Debt Limit Negotiations
President Biden and President Kevin McCarthy agreed to meet this afternoon in an attempt to revive talks aimed at avoiding a US debt default. Negotiations broke down over the weekend as the two sides clashed over Republican demands to cut spending in exchange for a debt ceiling increase.
Negotiators are working against a punitive clock. The debt ceiling, the legal limit on the government’s power to borrow to pay its obligations, is expected to be reached as early as June 1.
Biden and McCarthy are negotiating on a budget package that would increase the limit, which Republicans have refused to do without spending cuts. They remain far apart on key issues, including federal spending limits, new work requirements for some federal poverty relief recipients and funding to help the IRS crack down on high earners. and businesses that evade taxes.
This week: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is expected to provide another update to Congress on the government’s cash balance.
THE LAST NEWS
Other Great Stories
For thousands of Afghans, the American withdrawal from Kabul was only the beginning of a long and dangerous search for safety which took them halfway around the world and through the jungles of South and Central America.
These desperate and unfathomable journeys represent the collision of two of President Biden’s greatest political crises: the precipitous US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the record number of migrants crossing the US border.
lives lived
British writer Martin Amis, known for his caustic, scholarly and darkly comic novels, has died aged 73.
SPORTS NEWS FROM ATHLETIC
Barcelona Femeni lose their first league game in almost two years: Barcelona Femeni lost to Madrid CFF, 2-1, his first defeat in the league since June 2021.
How Pirelli seeks to balance F1’s most vital variable: Pirelli is responsible for producing tires that race competitively.
From the Times: Brooks Koepka triumphed at the PGA Championship, becoming the first member of LIV Golf to win a major title since entering the circuit.
Cutting-edge African architecture
THE Architecture Biennale which opened on Saturday in Venice explores how the cultures of Africa can shape the buildings of the future.
For the first time, the exhibition will have a curator of African descent, Lesley Lokkoand more than half of the Biennale’s 89 participants are from Africa or the African diaspora.
THE artwork by Sechaba Maape, inspired by South Africa’s First Nations and their connection to nature, is featured in that country’s national pavilion. Overall, architecture began to tend towards biomimicry, in which the built environment mimics the natural environment. African design, says Maape, has always done this through pattern and form. The response in Venice and on social media has been overwhelming, he said.
“Architecture should be the thing that, instead of separating us from our home, the Earth, should help us feel more mediated, more connected,” Maape said. — Lynsey Chutel, editor of Briefings in Johannesburg.
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to cook
That’s it for today’s briefing. See you tomorrow. -Natasha
PS A puppuccino and a beef woofslider? The latest in canine travel: high-end hotel amenities for dogs.
“The Dailytalks about the darker side of James Webb, after whom a famous telescope is named.
You can reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.