Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? Every evening at 7:30 p.m. 20 Minutes takes stock for you. Between the strong declarations, the progress on the front and the dramatic results of the fighting, here is the crux of the day.
The fact of the day
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed his “friend” and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing. China is welcoming representatives from around 130 countries to the “New Silk Roads” forum (officially called “Belt and Road”) until Wednesday. A major diplomatic event whose guest of honor is the Russian President, who makes his first trip to a major world power since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
According to a video released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Putin and Xi met on Tuesday evening at a ceremony opening the summit, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. They also took part in a group photo with other leaders. A meeting between the two heads of state is planned for Wednesday.
Russia, heavily sanctioned by the West for its offensive against Ukraine, is seeking to strengthen its already very close ties with China, which appears to have gained the upper hand in bilateral relations. The New Silk Roads Forum therefore provides an opportunity for Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to reaffirm their understanding. “President Xi Jinping calls me his friend and I also call him my friend,” Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Chinese television before his visit.
Sentence of the day
Yesterday I was informed that three of my lawyers were arrested. These are obviously scandalous and illegal measures.”
These are the words of jailed Russian opponent Alexei Navalny on the arrest of three of his lawyers last week, the latest example of Russia’s intensifying repression. Alexei Navalny spoke from prison via video conference during a hearing on another dispute with his IK-6 penal colony in Melehovo, which he regularly accuses of violations and which he takes to court.
The number of the day
8th. This is the number of people injured in “massive” Russian bombings in Kherson in southern Ukraine, after a Ukrainian drone strike was repelled in annexed Crimea overnight. According to Roman Mrochko, chairman of the Kherson City Council, the city suffered “a new massive bombardment by Russian troops,” in which five people were injured. One was injured in a second attack on a transport company in Kherson. Finally, two women were injured in a third bomb attack in the afternoon.
Today’s trend
This is a new setback in non-proliferation in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and the crisis with the West. Russian MPs agreed in first reading to revoke ratification of the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (TICB). This vote comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for it earlier this month but refused to say whether Russia planned to resume testing. “I am not ready to say whether we should resume testing or not,” he assured, while praising the development of new high-performance missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
On Tuesday, shortly before the vote of Russian deputies, Duma President Vyacheslav Volodin assured that it was necessary to revoke this ratification in order to “defend” Russian citizens and maintain “global strategic parity.” “Washington must understand once and for all that their hegemony will lead to no good,” he added.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, Vladimir Putin has spoken out strongly about the use of nuclear weapons. And this revocation is raising fears of new nuclear tests and an intensification of the arms race. Russia has not conducted any tests since the collapse of the USSR. The last one, led by the USSR, dates from 1990 and that of the United States from 1992.