The Week in Review: June 10-16, 2023

The Ukrainian counteroffensive begins, Blinken visits China, and more

This week, heavy fighting resumed in Sudan after the expiration of last weekend’s 24-hour ceasefire. Ukrainian officials claimed that their long-awaited counteroffensive had taken around 100 square kilometers of Russian-held territory, while Russian officials countered that the counteroffensive had been a total failure. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to visit China, the highest level of contact the two nations have had since the Chinese spy balloon incident. More details emerged regarding the “nuclear deal lite” that the US and Iran are discussing. And, the US is reportedly pushing for an expansion of the United Nations Security Council.