A senior UK national security official briefed the government on Tuesday, April 19, just as Russia intensified its fight for control of the eastern Donbass region. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said the intelligence service found it “unlikely” that the increased number of Russian troops was in itself a crucial element in winning over the Ukrainian resistance. The British believe, among other things, that Ukraine has remained “in danger” ever since
“Putin is determined to achieve victory, regardless of the human cost”
. A few hours later, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu replied that she believed it was the West that wanted to prolong the war.
As western tensions mount, Russia is forging closer ties with China in the east. In fact, they met in Beijing on Monday, April 18th
Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Yucheng and Russian Ambassador Andrey Denisov
. The Chinese side said it would “further strengthen strategic coordination with Russia.” And this will happen according to a statement from the ministry “regardless of how the international situation will change in order to promote a new model of international relations and a community with a common future for mankind”.
The note also contains some data on relations between the two states. In particular, in the first quarter of 2022, the volume of bilateral trade between China and Russia i
$38.2 billion
, with an increase of almost 30%. According to the Chinese, this has fully demonstrated “the great resilience and endogenous dynamic of cooperation between the two countries.” For his part, Ambassador Denisov said that Russia has always considered the development of relations with China a “diplomatic priority”.