Deadly Russian Missile Strike Clouds Blinken’s Kyiv Visit

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a deadly Russian missile strike amid U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Kyiv; the fate of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s reelection; and mass flooding in Brazil, Turkey, and Greece.

A devastating Russian missile attack on Ukraine overshadowed what was meant to be a hope-inspiring visit by the United States’ top diplomat. On Wednesday, Russian airstrikes killed at least 16 civilians, including one child, and injured 31 people at a market in the Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka—mere hours after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to Kyiv.

Blinken’s trip was meant to signal continued U.S. support for Ukraine’s counteroffensive at a time when many Republicans on Capitol Hill are calling for Washington to limit its military assistance. Since the war began in February 2022, the U.S. government has provided more than $43 billion in military aid; Blinken is expected to announce an additional package of more than $1 billion this week. However, Wednesday’s strike—one of the deadliest since a Russian missile destroyed a residential building in April, killing at least 25 people—could damage public opinion of a war with no clear end in sight.

“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counteroffensive but has what it needs … for the long term to make sure that it has a strong deterrent,” Blinken said, speaking alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba before their meeting.

Blinken also plans to discuss alternative avenues for shipping Ukrainian grain. Russia’s suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July and continued bombing of Ukrainian ports has made the transport of vital food exports nearly impossible. Senior U.S. officials have suggested that Blinken may propose using overland routes or having container ships hug other nations’ coastlines to keep out of international waters.

Although this is Blinken’s fourth visit to Ukraine since its war began in February 2022, it is his first overnight stay in the capital since the war started. White House officials hoped that making Blinken’s trip a two-day venture would signal that Washington isn’t shying away from a fight. Instead, Wednesday’s missile strike reiterated that Russia isn’t bowing out either.

Alongside the deadly market attack, Russian forces killed one person on Wednesday at Ukraine’s Izmail port. Key infrastructure was damaged in the strike, including grain elevators and administrative buildings. And on Tuesday evening, debris from Russian cruise missiles hit a building in Kyiv, sparking a fire. No casualties were reported, but the attack was the first Russian assault on Ukraine’s capital since Aug. 30. “This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

• U.S. Deterrence Against China Is Not Working by Bryan Clark and Dan Patt
• Why Soros Is Retreating From Europe by Paul Hockenos
• Saudi Arabia Really Wants You to Think It’s Cool by Steven A. Cook

Court weighs Tinubu’s fate. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s electoral fate was put to the test on Wednesday, when a Nigerian appeals court convened to decide whether the African leader’s February election win was legitimate. The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Tinubu of having Guinea citizenship and not obtaining the right academic credentials, both of which would disqualify him from seeking office. PDP members have also claimed the election’s outcome was fixed.

The appeals court has the right to affirm Tinubu’s win, declare someone else the victor, scrap the vote results entirely, or call for new elections. Only one election in Nigeria’s modern history has not been challenged in court. If the judges annul this year’s election, then it will be the first time the African country has done so since becoming a democratic nation in 1999. No matter the decision, an appeal to Nigeria’s Supreme Court is likely.

Hell and high water. Brazil is in mourning after at least 27 people were killed by torrential rains and high winds this week, marking the state of Rio Grande do Sul’s deadliest weather disaster in recorded history. Thousands of people were displaced by the cyclone, with some towns facing more than 85 percent of their land flooded. The cyclone also catalyzed a tornado and numerous landslides.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, mass flooding also inundated Southern Europe. At least seven people were killed by flash floods in northwest Turkey on Wednesday, with many more individuals injured or missing. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya pledged financial support to affected areas and reiterated that rescue operations are still underway. And in central Greece, at least two people were killed and four more are missing after intense flooding damaged power lines, collapsed a bridge, and triggered landslides. According to local officials, Greece has experienced the heaviest amount of rainfall this year in its recorded history.

Taiwan’s last African ally. Taipei is trying to hold on to the last African nation in its corner. President Tsai Ing-wen flew to Eswatini on Tuesday for a three-day trip to strengthen bilateral relations and celebrate 55 years of Eswatini independence. Eswatini is the only African country to still formally recognize Taiwan. Chinese expansion into Africa through its Belt and Road Initiative has curtailed the continent’s support of Taiwan in favor of Beijing.

“Not only will Taiwan’s footsteps to the world not stop, we will continue to move forward more firmly and self-confidently, so that the world can see Taiwan’s steady force for good,” Tsai said before leaving for Eswatini. The island nation has been desperate to shore up its allies after losing Honduras’s support in March.

Sometimes, it’s just better to go the long way. That’s what two construction workers in China realized on Wednesday after they were arrested for breaking through part of the nation’s Great Wall. The UNESCO World Heritage Site now sports a dirt path where centuries-old brick and stone once stood. Genghis Khan would be impressed.