Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

While some in Ukraine and the West are cheering Russia’s recently announced withdrawal from Ukraine’s Kherson, the only provincial capital they captured, officials in Kyiv are still skeptical, with some fearing it may be a trap.

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Wednesday that it was still too early to speak about a Russian troop pullout from the area, and on Thursday warned that Russia was planning to turn Kherson into a “city of death” for the incoming Ukrainian forces.

Military analysts have noted the possibility of Russian forces laying mines in the area as they retreat and putting Ukrainian troops in a position where they can attempt to target them with artillery from across the Dnipro river.

— Natasha Turak

The United States’ top general sees potential for diplomatic talks between Russia and Ukraine as Russian forces retreat from the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, which Moscow illegally annexed just 6 weeks prior.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNBC in an interview Thursday that “we don’t know what the future holds, but we think there are some possibilities here for some diplomatic solutions.”

He also said separately, while speaking in New York, that Russia’s withdrawal, which is suspected to be in preparation for a spring offensive, and next week’s G20 summit present “a window of opportunity for negotiation.”

Still, the view hasn’t been explicitly endorsed by the White House; President Joe Biden said on Wednesday: “It remains to be seen whether or not there’ll be a judgment made as to whether or not Ukraine is prepared to compromise with Russia.”

And Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday that it is “ultimately up to the Ukrainians” to decide on the right timing for any talks.

— Natasha Turak

Russia’s withdrawal from a large chunk of Kherson in southern Ukraine is likely to be fraught with danger for both sides in the war, according to analysts.

The withdrawal is likely to throw up major challenges for both the Russians — as they pull back from the region — as well as for Ukrainian troops as they try to reoccupy Kherson city and the surrounding area.

“The battle of Kherson is not over, but Russian forces have entered a new phase — prioritizing withdrawing their forces across the river in good order and delaying Ukrainian forces, rather than seeking to halt the Ukrainian counteroffensive entirely,” analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted Wednesday evening.

Read more here.

— Holly Ellyatt

America would unleash the full force of its response if Russia carried out its “horrific” threats of a nuclear strike against its enemies, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations warned.

Speaking to NBC News at a center for displaced people in Irpin, a town west of Kyiv, Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use tactical nuclear weapons “irresponsible.”

“They deny that they would do such a thing but we know that Russia is capable of lies. We take their threats seriously,” she said. “And we have messaged to them both privately and directly that should they take such a step, they will be held accountable.”

Thomas-Greenfield said it was “out of the possibility” to think Russia would use such weapons, but added that “should they make that mistake, they can be assured that the entire world would turn on them.”

“They are still making threats. And as I said, we take those threats seriously,” she said.

Read more on NBC News.

The White House said President Joe Biden has no plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

Lavrov will lead the Russian delegation since Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the international forum in Bali, Indonesia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has not left his country since Russia’s late February invasion, will address the G-20 summit by video teleconference.

— Amanda Macias

Photos show damaged equipment at a high-voltage substation of the operator Ukrenergo after a missile attack in central Ukraine amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

— Genya Savilov | AFP | Getty Images

President Joe Biden is expected to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in a face-to-face meeting.

The meeting between the two leaders, the first since Biden ascended to the U.S. presidency, will take place ahead of the G-20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

“I think the president will be honest and direct with President Xi about how we see the situation in Ukraine with Russia’s war of aggression,” a senior Biden administration official told reporters on a call.

“This is a topic that the president and President Xi have spoken about several times before. They spoke about it extensively in March in their video call and then they spoke about it again in July, so it’s part of an ongoing conversation between the two of them,” added the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

— Amanda Macias