22 minutes ago
China’s Xi invites Putin to visit China this year
Russian President Vladimir Putin shivers with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow March 20, 2023. Xi said he had invited Putin to visit China this year, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday.
Sergei Karpukhin | Sputnik | via Portal
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday he had invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to visit China this year, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday.
“Yesterday I invited President Putin to visit China at a convenient time for him this year, as China will host the third international forum under the Belt and Road Initiative this year. President Putin has attended the two previous forums,” Xi said in comments reported by Russian state news agency Tass.
Xi also invited Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, with whom he held talks Tuesday morning, to visit China soon, RIA Novosti news agency reported. Earlier today, Mishustin Xi reportedly said he was grateful for “the great personal attention you devote to the development of Russia-China friendship and partnership.”
Xi is expected to hold further talks with Putin on Tuesday afternoon, with the leaders expected to sign a joint statement deepening their strategic cooperation and possibly other agreements to expand their economic ties.
— Holly Ellyatt
Before an hour
Xi-Putin Summit: What to Expect on Day 2
It is the second day of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Moscow. Xi and his host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, are expected to hold further talks and sign a series of bilateral agreements today.
The presidents reportedly held talks for at least four hours on Monday. The deepening of strategic cooperation and the war in Ukraine as well as a peaceful solution to the conflict are on the official agenda.
Analysts will be watching closely for statements and agreements that could be signed today to gauge the level of collaboration and closeness leaders forged during this meeting.
Ahead of the summit, Putin’s assistant Yuri Ushakov said Putin and Xi would issue a joint statement on their “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation as we enter a new era,” and then the leaders would also issue a “joint statement on the plan for the… Development” sign key areas of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation until 2030.”
“In addition to these two documents, there are many other documents in very different areas of cooperation – over 10 documents at different stages of maturity, which are said to be signed on the sidelines of the visit,” Ushakov said, according to a report by the Russian state news agency Tass.
Ukraine has been noticeably tight-lipped about the Sino-Russian summit ahead of an alleged virtual meeting between Xi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
— Holly Ellyatt
7 hours ago
Japan says Kishida will visit Ukraine and hold talks with Zelenskyy
The Japanese Foreign Ministry confirmed that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is visiting Ukraine.
“As a G-7 [chair]Prime Minister Kishida will directly express our solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement.
Kishida will visit Poland after his trip on Wednesday and return to Japan on Thursday, the ministry said.
Japan’s prime minister left India after meeting his counterpart there, Narendra Modi. The two leaders discussed stronger ties between their countries – both democracies – amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Last month, Ukraine’s ambassador to Japan told CNBC he was optimistic that Kishida would visit Ukraine before she hosts the G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May.
– Jihye Lee
12 hours ago
UK hosts international meeting in support of Ukraine’s war crimes investigation
One person died and several others were injured in a Russian missile attack on the center of Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on March 14. (Photo by Ignacio Marin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ignacio Marino | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
According to a British ad, Britain held a meeting with more than 40 nations to discuss ways to provide additional support for war crimes investigations in Ukraine.
The meeting was hosted by British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and Dutch Justice and Security Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius.
Ahead of the meeting, the UK proposed funding to provide psychiatric care to witnesses of war crimes, to send UK experts to train ICC investigators and to help those ICC staff gather evidence of potential crimes.
The meeting follows the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over possible crimes in Ukraine.
– Amanda Macias
13 hours ago
White House spokesman says Putin and Xi have ‘marriage of convenience’
White House national security spokesman John Kirby described the relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping as an alliance based on shared global interests as opposed to true friendship.
“It’s more of a marriage of convenience than affection,” Kirby said of Putin and Xi.
Xi dined with Putin at the Kremlin on Monday as part of a three-day visit to Moscow. Beijing has yet to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but has not sent any military support to Russia either.
When asked if the two countries see eye to eye, Kirby said, “They’re really their real partners in terms of that relationship.”
– Emma Kinery
13 hours ago
Zelenskyy thanks EU, USA for new weapons packages
Signaling that Kiev is preparing its soldiers for counter-offensives, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the soldiers for defending the country despite the “insane pressure” Russian forces are putting on them.
Julien DeRosa | swimming pool | Portal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the European Union and the United States for new arms packages as the Ukrainian military tries to repel a fierce Russian attack in the eastern part of the country.
He said a €2 billion EU plan to strengthen Ukraine’s ammunition stockpiles would help “both in the immediate supply and in the production of ammunition,” according to an NBC translation of his telegram mail.
Zelenskyy also noted that a US $350 million aid package “contains everything that is really needed to support our soldiers in Ukraine.”
— Jacob Pramuk
16 hours ago
The Wagner mercenary group says their forces control about 70% of besieged Bakhmut but warns of an imminent Ukrainian counter-offensive
Visitors in military camouflage stand at the entrance of the ‘PMC Wagner Center’, which is associated with the founder of private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, during the official opening of the office building on National Unity Day in St. Petersburg on November 4, 2022.
Olga Maltseva | AFP | Getty Images
The Wagner group said their forces control nearly 70% of Bakhmut and will continue fighting until the entire city is captured.
The Russian mercenary group also said Ukrainian forces are preparing to launch a “large-scale offensive.”
“In late March/early April, the enemy plans to launch a full-scale offensive and carry out flank-cutting strikes to cut off Wagner-PMC units from the main body of the Russian armed forces,” Wagner said on his official Telegram channel, according to a translation of NBC News.
In a separate letter to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin warned that Ukraine’s counteroffensive could have “negative consequences” for Russia.
– Amanda Macias
20 hours ago
Putin and Xi meet and call each other a ‘dear friend’
In this video snapshot, China’s President Xi Jinping (left) speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Monday, March 20, 2023.
Russian pool via AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Moscow on Monday, with both leaders exchanging pleasantries ahead of talks on Ukraine and expanding cooperation between the nations.
When the two leaders held an informal meeting before talks began behind closed doors, Putin called Xi his “dear friend” when welcoming him to Russia. He also praised China’s growth under Xi’s leadership and said Russia was “slightly jealous” of China’s rapid development, Portal reported in comments.
Putin said China has taken a “balanced approach” to the international situation and said leaders would discuss China’s latest proposals to find a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.
For his part, President Xi replied that Putin was also his “dear friend” and said he was delighted to be in Moscow for talks.
— Holly Ellyatt
16 hours ago
According to Russian state media, talks between Putin and Xi are running after four hours
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin March 20, 2023 in Moscow, Russia.
Sergei Karpukhin | Sputnik | Via Portal
Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were underway after four hours, Russian state media said, according to a translation of NBC News.
The talks are part of Xi’s three-day state visit to Russia. Leaders were expected to discuss strengthening economic and political ties while Ukraine and its allies observe whether China will provide Moscow with military support.
— Jacob Pramuk
2 hours ago