In the coming week, Ukraine struggles to defend its front lines.

U.S. President Biden hosts Kenya's President Ruto for a state visit, and London's High Court decides the fate of Julian Assange.

It's May 16, 2024 in time for the world next week. I'm Bob McMahon.

And I'm Carl Ann Robbins.

Carla, we're going to have to start in Ukraine, a familiar spot, because of new fluid on-the-ground developments there on the front lines. Over the past weekend,

Russia launched a new offensive that focused on the northeast away from the usual southern

and southeastern front lines. Russian troops have overtaken several villages just outside of

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city. The United States and other Western countries have pledged

significant military aid packages. We just had Secretary Blinken doing the same in Kiev.

But will Ukraine be able to hold out and be able to sort of integrate this weaponry before

the situation on the ground changes?

Well, the hope was with U.S. aid flowing, Ukraine could use this year to rebuild its forces,

and the line was, hold this year, rebuild, and in 2025, once again, go on the offensive.

But the enemy gets a say, and as you said, since last Friday, Russian forces have mounted several major pushes, not just in the northeast, but on all of Ukraine's front lines.

Most notably, near Harkiv, the country's second largest city with more than a million residents.

And analysts were describing it as the most relentless advance since the beginning of the war.

Yesterday, the Ukrainian said that advance had slowed, but we need to emphasize beginning of the war. Yesterday, the Ukrainians said that advance had slowed,

but we need to emphasize how uncertain the situation really is. And some analysts are warning

that the Russians may be trying to take villages within artillery range of Kharkiv so they can

set up a siege pounding and pounding the city. The biggest concern is that the Ukrainians had to move troops

from the south and further east, which has left them vulnerable to a major assault on the Donbos,

which Russia has claimed but does not control. They're really, really overstretched,

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