Russia's military invasion of Ukraine continues.

Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in various parts of Ukraine, and many civilians have fled the country. We will update the situation in Ukraine from time to time on the 21st (Japan time), including the status of the battle and the diplomacy of the countries concerned.

(There is a 6-hour time difference between Japan and Ukraine and Moscow, Russia)

U.S.-UK Foreign Ministers' Meeting Before Ukraine Reconstruction Conference "Promote Private Investment"

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and British Foreign Minister Cleverly met in London on May 20 and emphasized that one of the priorities of the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference, which will be held from the 21st, is to promote private investment.

At a press conference after the meeting, Blinken emphasized the need to create an environment to encourage private investment, saying, "If Ukraine is to attract investment not only from the government and international financial institutions, but also from the private sector."

British Foreign Secretary Cleverly said: "The conference will focus on creating the conditions necessary for the private sector, as well as the public sector, to finance recovery."

"We hope that investments that will eventually enter Ukraine will be cut off from fighting and will be carried out efficiently through sound Ukrainian institutions," he said.

UK sanctions until Russia makes reparations

The British Foreign Office announced on the 20th that a law that allows sanctions to continue until Russia compensates Ukraine for the damage of its military invasion has been enforced.

The law also requires sanctioned individuals and organisations to disclose their assets in the UK and allows them to donate frozen assets to Ukraine's recovery.

As the issue of raising the funds necessary for the reconstruction of Ukraine becomes an issue, it seems that the aim is to clarify Russia's responsibility for continuing its military invasion.

"The cost of rebuilding Ukraine is enormous, and this law makes it clear that we are ready to use sanctions to get Russia to pay for reconstruction," Cleverly said.

Russian Defense Minister Criticizes Ukraine, the West

Russian Defense Minister Shoigu said at a meeting of the Ministry of Defense on the 20th that "Ukraine is introducing many Western weapons and elite units trained from NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization" at a meeting of the Ministry of Defense, and reasserted that it is repelling any counterattack.

He also claimed that the Ukrainian military command was planning to attack the southern Crimea and Russian territories that Russia unilaterally annexed nine years ago with the high-mobility rocket artillery system = Hymars provided by the United States and the cruise missile "Storm Shadow" provided by the United Kingdom.

"It means that the United States and the United Kingdom will become fully involved in the conflict, which will lead to an immediate attack on the decision-making center in Ukraine," he said, suggesting retaliatory strikes against Ukraine and the West.

Press conference after dam collapse More than 2700,<> people evacuated in Kherson Province

This month, the Emergency Agency of Ukraine held a press conference on the 20th regarding the collapse of a dam in Kherson Oblast in southern Ukraine and flooding damage over a wide area.

It announced that 4 houses are still flooded in four villages on the northwest side of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, and 818 villages on the southeast side of the Russian-controlled river are still flooded.

More than 17,2700 people have been evacuated in Kherson Province so far.

In the neighboring Mikolaiv region, four villages were flooded, and 4 people have been evacuated so far.

Klimenko revealed on his social media account on the 990th that 19 people have died so far and that 18 people are missing.

On the other hand, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Yermak posted on SNS on the 31th that one person in charge of the Emergency Emergency Agency, who was working to remove mud and sand, was killed and eight others injured due to shelling by Russian troops in Kherson Oblast.