Monday morning news - April 25, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kristen Flavin. 

Latest from Ukraine/2 months of war/U.S. delegation to Kyiv » The U.S. secretaries of state and defense traveled to Kyiv Sunday night to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was the highest level visit to the country’s capital by a U.S. delegation since the Russian invasion.

Before the meeting, Zelenskyy said he hoped for meaningful results in the form of weapons and aid.

AUDIO: [Sound of women singing]

The visit fell on the day Orthodox believers celebrate Easter. Many Ukrainian worshippers braved the threat of shelling to go to church.

On the eastern frontline, soldiers attended open-air services and greeted each other with, “Christ has risen!”

ZELENSKYY: [Speaking Ukrainian]

In an address to the nation recorded in St. Sophia's Cathedral, Zelenskyy appealed to God to remember the towns and cities that have suffered so much.

Sunday marked two months since Russia’s invasion.

During an interview on CBS’ Face the Nation, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said his country is still willing to negotiate for an end to the war.

SHMYHAL: Russia done many atrocities and many war crimes in Ukraine. But we understand that this terrible war could be finished only on the table of negotiations, with presence of our partners, of world leaders, of civilized countries.

But he added he does not think Vladimir Putin is interested in negotiating.

Russia continued to press its offense in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, reportedly striking 423 targets overnight. It claimed its warplanes destroyed 26 military sites, including an explosives factory and several artillery depots.

Russia also launched fresh airstrikes on a steel plant in Mariupol, where 1,000 civilians and about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters have taken refuge. It is the last corner of resistance in the port city.

Wildfires in New Mexico, Arizona, and Nebraska » New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed emergency declarations on Sunday as wildfires continue to burn in more than half the state’s 33 counties.

David Shell is a spokesman for Cooks Peak Fire. He blamed extreme weather conditions for fanning the flames.

SHELL: Very strong winds. Winds up to 60 miles an hour. Single-digit humidity. And take into account the fuels. The fuels in this area are a combination of timber, such as pinyon juniper up in the ridges. And in the lower-lying areas you have the grasses and like a Western prairie.

Officials ordered evacuations for residents in the northern counties of Mora and San Miguel. A new fire that ignited in the area Saturday merged with an existing fire to form the largest blaze in the state. By Sunday, it covered 84 square miles.

Meanwhile, firefighters in Arizona and southwestern Nebraska gained ground over fires in their states over the weekend.

Alyssa Sanders is with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. She said fighting fires in the state presents some unique challenges.

SANDERS: We’re largely volunteer fire departments. And just trying to juggle the hardships that come with not knowing how many people you’ve got to work with, and then managing everything else that they’ve got going on, it can be difficult. But our volunteer firefighters in this state have been amazing.

Nebraska officials lifted all evacuation orders Sunday. And in Arizona, some residents forced to evacuate near Flagstaff also returned home Sunday morning.

Macron wins second term in French election » AUDIO: [Sound of cheering, chanting]

Emmanuel Macron claimed victory in France’s presidential election on Sunday. It was the first time in 20 years that voters elected a president to serve a second term.

Speaking to thousands of supporters at the base of the Eiffel Tower, Macron pledged to reunite the country. He’s heard here speaking through an interpreter.

MACRON: I also know full well that many people tonight voted for me, not to support my ideals, but to block the far right.

Macron also vowed to address the issues that drove so many people to vote for his far-right rival.

Marine Le Pen was projected to take about 42 percent of the vote—8 percent more than her previous attempt to win the presidency.

In her concession speech, Le Pen called her results “a shining victory,” adding “in this defeat, I can't help but feel a form of hope.”

COVID restrictions in Shanghai » Chinese officials are doubling down on their strict “zero-COVID” strategy in Shanghai. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: Volunteers and government workers put up metal barriers in multiple districts to block off small streets and entrances to apartment complexes. Buildings where COVID patients live have been sealed up so that no one can leave.

The new crackdown prompted angry posts on social media that censors quickly removed.

China reported nearly 22,000 new community transmitted cases on Sunday. Most are asymptomatic and reported in Shanghai.

But officials in one district of Beijing announced a mass testing campaign would begin Monday. The news prompted panic buying Sunday night amid fears of a potential lockdown.

China’s National Health Commission has reported fewer than 5,000 COVID-19 deaths across the country since the pandemic began. But analysts say the real number is likely higher.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

I’m Kristen Flavin. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.