Ukraine demoted commander who gave interview about ill-trained troops
KYIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian battalion commander who gave an interview to The Washington Post describing how ill-trained troops were weakening Ukraine’s position on the battlefield quit his post this week, after his superiors demoted him because of his remarks, he said.
The commander, a lieutenant colonel who goes by the call sign Kupol, served in the 46th Air Assault Brigade. He declined to provide further details or to grant another interview.
He said that he decided to speak out, despite the risks, hoping the United States would ensure better training for Ukrainian soldiers, including some who have gone into battle without knowing how to throw a grenade or handle their weapons. Some abandoned their positions while under Russian fire, he said in the interview.
Ukrainian military and government officials did not immediately respond on Thursday evening to request from The Post for comment on Kupol’s status.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian battalion commander who gave an interview to The Washington Post describing how ill-trained troops were weakening Ukraine’s position on the battlefield quit his post this week, after his superiors demoted him because of his remarks, he said.
The commander, a lieutenant colonel who goes by the call sign Kupol, served in the 46th Air Assault Brigade. He declined to provide further details or to grant another interview.
He said that he decided to speak out, despite the risks, hoping the United States would ensure better training for Ukrainian soldiers, including some who have gone into battle without knowing how to throw a grenade or handle their weapons. Some abandoned their positions while under Russian fire, he said in the interview.
Ukrainian military and government officials did not immediately respond on Thursday evening to request from The Post for comment on Kupol’s status.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- About “25 million metric tonnes of grain and foodstuffs have been moved to 45 countries” since the deal was enacted in July, United Nations spokeswoman Stephane Dujarric said Saturday morning. Turkish and U.N. officials did not specify the duration of the extension.
- Moscow said this week that it did not object to another extension, but only for 60 days.
- Countries in the Middle East and Africa had been watching the negotiations with concern.
- The ICC on Friday issued warrants for Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, accusing them of participating in the abduction and deportation of children from Ukraine to Russian-occupied territories.
- Putin visited Crimea on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Russia’s illegal 2014 annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine, whose leaders want to recapture the territory.
More live updates here.
- About “25 million metric tonnes of grain and foodstuffs have been moved to 45 countries” since the deal was enacted in July, United Nations spokeswoman Stephane Dujarric said Saturday morning. Turkish and U.N. officials did not specify the duration of the extension.
- Moscow said this week that it did not object to another extension, but only for 60 days.
- Countries in the Middle East and Africa had been watching the negotiations with concern.
- The ICC on Friday issued warrants for Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, accusing them of participating in the abduction and deportation of children from Ukraine to Russian-occupied territories.
- Putin visited Crimea on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Russia’s illegal 2014 annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine, whose leaders want to recapture the territory.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Xi’s visit comes at a thorny moment, just after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin on Friday, accusing him of committing war crimes by illegally deporting children from Ukraine.
- A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said in a Telegram post that Ukraine’s peace plans are “nothing more than a set of ultimatums and demands from Russia that are disconnected from reality.”
- The ICC’s arrest warrant is largely symbolic: Russia, like the United States, does not recognize the international court’s jurisdiction.
More live updates here.
- Xi’s visit comes at a thorny moment, just after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin on Friday, accusing him of committing war crimes by illegally deporting children from Ukraine.
- A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said in a Telegram post that Ukraine’s peace plans are “nothing more than a set of ultimatums and demands from Russia that are disconnected from reality.”
- The ICC’s arrest warrant is largely symbolic: Russia, like the United States, does not recognize the international court’s jurisdiction.
More live updates here.
Analysis: 20 years later, U.S. invasion of Iraq hangs over war in Ukraine
For months, U.S. and European officials have cast the conflict in Ukraine in stark moral terms. If Putin can succeed with a war of aggression across his borders, the argument has gone, then a dark agenda of territorial conquest and might making right wins out. President Biden has framed the contest as a clash between “all democracies” and Putin’s authoritarian project. Last November, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described the collective efforts of Ukraine’s Western allies as a reflection of “how much countries around the world value and respect the rules-based international order.”
The legacy of Iraq undermines this rhetoric. For many people in the Middle East and elsewhere in the global South, the U.S. invasion is the most glaring recent episode in a long history of Western meddling and U.S. hypocrisy on the world stage.
Read the full story here.
For months, U.S. and European officials have cast the conflict in Ukraine in stark moral terms. If Putin can succeed with a war of aggression across his borders, the argument has gone, then a dark agenda of territorial conquest and might making right wins out. President Biden has framed the contest as a clash between “all democracies” and Putin’s authoritarian project. Last November, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described the collective efforts of Ukraine’s Western allies as a reflection of “how much countries around the world value and respect the rules-based international order.”
The legacy of Iraq undermines this rhetoric. For many people in the Middle East and elsewhere in the global South, the U.S. invasion is the most glaring recent episode in a long history of Western meddling and U.S. hypocrisy on the world stage.
Read the full story here.
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Putin visits Mariupol in show of bravado
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to occupied Mariupol, the Kremlin said early Sunday. His trip to the Ukrainian city, which was devastated last year in a deadly Russian siege and is about 60 miles from the battlefront, is a show of defiance following the arrest warrant that the International Criminal Court issued for him over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. It was Putin’s second foray into occupied Ukraine this weekend, following a visit to the Crimean peninsula.
Putin’s itinerary in Mariupol was largely spontaneous, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Sunday. The Russian leader visited an apartment complex, spoke to residents about their concerns and drove a car about the city, Peskov said. “We won’t bother you, please excuse us for dropping by so unexpectedly,” Putin told the inhabitants of a three-bedroom Mariupol apartment after appearing with television cameras, according to state TV.
Read more in our live updates here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to occupied Mariupol, the Kremlin said early Sunday. His trip to the Ukrainian city, which was devastated last year in a deadly Russian siege and is about 60 miles from the battlefront, is a show of defiance following the arrest warrant that the International Criminal Court issued for him over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. It was Putin’s second foray into occupied Ukraine this weekend, following a visit to the Crimean peninsula.
Putin’s itinerary in Mariupol was largely spontaneous, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Sunday. The Russian leader visited an apartment complex, spoke to residents about their concerns and drove a car about the city, Peskov said. “We won’t bother you, please excuse us for dropping by so unexpectedly,” Putin told the inhabitants of a three-bedroom Mariupol apartment after appearing with television cameras, according to state TV.
Read more in our live updates here.
Russia oil revenues plummeted in February as war penalties hit
Russia’s revenue from oil exports dropped by nearly half in February compared to last year after a European Union embargo and new price caps intended to punish Moscow for its war in Ukraine went into effect, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency. But it is unclear if the measures are seriously hampering President Vladimir Putin’s war machine.
Moscow earned $11.6 billion from oil exports last month, down from $14.3 billion in January and a 42 percent drop from $20 billion earned in February 2022, according to the IEA. The IEA is an intergovernmental policy advisory body based in Paris, whose 31-member countries are also part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Read the full story here.
Russia’s revenue from oil exports dropped by nearly half in February compared to last year after a European Union embargo and new price caps intended to punish Moscow for its war in Ukraine went into effect, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency. But it is unclear if the measures are seriously hampering President Vladimir Putin’s war machine.
Moscow earned $11.6 billion from oil exports last month, down from $14.3 billion in January and a 42 percent drop from $20 billion earned in February 2022, according to the IEA. The IEA is an intergovernmental policy advisory body based in Paris, whose 31-member countries are also part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to occupied Mariupol, the Kremlin said early Sunday. His trip to the Ukrainian city, which was devastated last year in a deadly Russian siege, is a show of defiance following the arrest warrant that the ICC issued for him over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
- German authorities will arrest Putin if he sets foot in their country, in accordance with the ICC warrant, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann told the Bild newspaper. Officials in Moscow described the warrant as unlawful and said they were investigating the German minister’s statement, according to Russia’s state-run Tass news agency.
- Ukrainian officials criticized Putin’s visit as a carefully orchestrated stunt, undertaken in darkness to minimize the damage his forces had wreaked on the city during a months-long siege. The Russian leader traveled at night “as befits a thief,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry tweeted.
More live updates here.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to occupied Mariupol, the Kremlin said early Sunday. His trip to the Ukrainian city, which was devastated last year in a deadly Russian siege, is a show of defiance following the arrest warrant that the ICC issued for him over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
- German authorities will arrest Putin if he sets foot in their country, in accordance with the ICC warrant, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann told the Bild newspaper. Officials in Moscow described the warrant as unlawful and said they were investigating the German minister’s statement, according to Russia’s state-run Tass news agency.
- Ukrainian officials criticized Putin’s visit as a carefully orchestrated stunt, undertaken in darkness to minimize the damage his forces had wreaked on the city during a months-long siege. The Russian leader traveled at night “as befits a thief,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry tweeted.
More live updates here.
China's Xi to visit Putin in Russia, in first trip since Ukraine war.
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping is arriving in Moscow on a state visit that begins on Monday. Officials in Western capitals are eyeing the trip — his first since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine — for signs it could exacerbate global tensions, by providing Putin with a morale boost and a tacit endorsement of his brutal invasion of Ukraine.
- President Zelensky did not mention Xi’s upcoming visit to Russia in his nightly address Sunday, focusing instead on a decision by the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes. The ICC warrant effectively makes Putin a wanted man in 123 countries.
- China launched a public diplomacy offensive to wrest control of the narrative about its role in the invasion, trying to clear itself of accusations that it has sided with Russia while accusing the United States of turning the conflict into a “proxy” war.
Follow our live updates.
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping is arriving in Moscow on a state visit that begins on Monday. Officials in Western capitals are eyeing the trip — his first since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine — for signs it could exacerbate global tensions, by providing Putin with a morale boost and a tacit endorsement of his brutal invasion of Ukraine.
- President Zelensky did not mention Xi’s upcoming visit to Russia in his nightly address Sunday, focusing instead on a decision by the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes. The ICC warrant effectively makes Putin a wanted man in 123 countries.
- China launched a public diplomacy offensive to wrest control of the narrative about its role in the invasion, trying to clear itself of accusations that it has sided with Russia while accusing the United States of turning the conflict into a “proxy” war.
Follow our live updates.
What is China’s relationship with Russia, and with Ukraine?
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Russia this week to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
The visit will last from Monday to Wednesday and is set to attract close scrutiny in Western capitals intent on discerning developments in the increasingly warm relationship between the two countries, both of which are nuclear-armed, permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
More than a year into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin is a pariah at most international meetings and has relatively few powerful allies abroad.
China has not endorsed Russia’s war on Ukraine and has promoted a 12-point proposal for ending it. But Beijing has stopped far short of condemning Russia’s aggression, and the visit is likely to be interpreted in some corners as a tacit endorsement of Russia’s actions.
Read the full story here.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Russia this week to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
The visit will last from Monday to Wednesday and is set to attract close scrutiny in Western capitals intent on discerning developments in the increasingly warm relationship between the two countries, both of which are nuclear-armed, permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
More than a year into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin is a pariah at most international meetings and has relatively few powerful allies abroad.
China has not endorsed Russia’s war on Ukraine and has promoted a 12-point proposal for ending it. But Beijing has stopped far short of condemning Russia’s aggression, and the visit is likely to be interpreted in some corners as a tacit endorsement of Russia’s actions.
Read the full story here.
Xi arrives in Russia to stand with Putin against West amid Ukraine war
Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Russia on Monday for a much-anticipated three-day state visit, taking a joint stand with President Vladimir Putin against the West even as the Russian leader stands accused by the International Criminal Court of war crimes in Ukraine.
The two men, each positioned as “leader for life” of a nuclear power, celebrated their “no limits” relationship in Beijing together in early 2022, just weeks before Putin ordered his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and they have met about 40 times. But Monday’s visit, the first by Xi since the invasion, represents a display of tacit support for the war by China and a personal triumph for Putin, who is eager to show he is not isolated on the world stage.
At an initial meeting on Monday afternoon, the leaders appeared relaxed, smiling as they shook hands. “Dear friend, welcome to Russia,” Putin said.
Read the full story here.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Russia on Monday for a much-anticipated three-day state visit, taking a joint stand with President Vladimir Putin against the West even as the Russian leader stands accused by the International Criminal Court of war crimes in Ukraine.
The two men, each positioned as “leader for life” of a nuclear power, celebrated their “no limits” relationship in Beijing together in early 2022, just weeks before Putin ordered his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and they have met about 40 times. But Monday’s visit, the first by Xi since the invasion, represents a display of tacit support for the war by China and a personal triumph for Putin, who is eager to show he is not isolated on the world stage.
At an initial meeting on Monday afternoon, the leaders appeared relaxed, smiling as they shook hands. “Dear friend, welcome to Russia,” Putin said.
Read the full story here.
As Xi visits Russia, Putin sees his anti-U.S. world order taking shape
RIGA, Latvia — For Vladimir Putin, the state visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which begins on Monday, provides a giant morale boost and a chance to showcase the much-vaunted new world order that the Russian leader believes he is forging through his war on Ukraine — in which the United States and NATO can no longer dictate anything to anyone.
Xi’s visit to Russia, just after cementing his precedent-breaking third term in power, brings together two men who have positioned themselves as leaders for life — and it sets the scene for global confrontation, with Beijing willing to use its partnership with Moscow to counter Washington, even if that means granting tacit approval to Putin’s brutal, destabilizing war.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — For Vladimir Putin, the state visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which begins on Monday, provides a giant morale boost and a chance to showcase the much-vaunted new world order that the Russian leader believes he is forging through his war on Ukraine — in which the United States and NATO can no longer dictate anything to anyone.
Xi’s visit to Russia, just after cementing his precedent-breaking third term in power, brings together two men who have positioned themselves as leaders for life — and it sets the scene for global confrontation, with Beijing willing to use its partnership with Moscow to counter Washington, even if that means granting tacit approval to Putin’s brutal, destabilizing war.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday for three days of talks, in the strongest show yet of support for Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.
- Chinese officials have remained tight-lipped on whether Xi will also speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while on this week’s state visit, but Ukrainian officials have been signaling their willingness for such talks.
- China has not formally endorsed Russia’s invasion but has stopped far short of condemning its aggression against Ukraine. In an article published in a Russian newspaper ahead of the visit, Xi said Beijing has “always taken an objective and impartial position” on the conflict.
- Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said at a news conference in Washington on Monday that Xi’s visitindicated an unwillingness to hold Russia to account for atrocities committed in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday for three days of talks, in the strongest show yet of support for Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.
- Chinese officials have remained tight-lipped on whether Xi will also speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while on this week’s state visit, but Ukrainian officials have been signaling their willingness for such talks.
- China has not formally endorsed Russia’s invasion but has stopped far short of condemning its aggression against Ukraine. In an article published in a Russian newspaper ahead of the visit, Xi said Beijing has “always taken an objective and impartial position” on the conflict.
- Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said at a news conference in Washington on Monday that Xi’s visitindicated an unwillingness to hold Russia to account for atrocities committed in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from China's Xi Jinping visit to Russia:
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin early Tuesday — a figure who has been subject to U.S. and European Union sanctions for his role in Russia’s government supporting the Ukraine war.
- Beijing has billed the trip — Xi’s first since Russia’s invasion — as a peace mission but has not yet indicated if a formal call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will take place.
- China and Russia are expected to agree to formally deepen relations and economic cooperation during Xi’s visit. Moscow has becoming increasingly dependent on Beijing to keep its economy afloat, as the war curbs its exports of oil and other commodities.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference in Washington that any truce that doesn’t force Russian troops to withdraw from internationally recognized Ukrainian territory “would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest.”
More live updates here.
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin early Tuesday — a figure who has been subject to U.S. and European Union sanctions for his role in Russia’s government supporting the Ukraine war.
- Beijing has billed the trip — Xi’s first since Russia’s invasion — as a peace mission but has not yet indicated if a formal call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will take place.
- China and Russia are expected to agree to formally deepen relations and economic cooperation during Xi’s visit. Moscow has becoming increasingly dependent on Beijing to keep its economy afloat, as the war curbs its exports of oil and other commodities.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference in Washington that any truce that doesn’t force Russian troops to withdraw from internationally recognized Ukrainian territory “would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest.”
More live updates here.
Japan’s leader in Kyiv to back Ukraine as China’s Xi visits Russia
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, becoming the first post-war Japanese leader to visit an active war zone and the final leader of the Group of Seven advanced nations to make the trek to Ukraine’s capital to show support.
Kishida’s arrival, as reported by Japanese news outlets NHK and Kyodo, comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping holds meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It is Xi’s first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, in another show of support for Moscow as a war crimes arrest warrant increasingly isolates the Russian leader, Xi also invited Putin to China for a visit.
Read the full story here.
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, becoming the first post-war Japanese leader to visit an active war zone and the final leader of the Group of Seven advanced nations to make the trek to Ukraine’s capital to show support.
Kishida’s arrival, as reported by Japanese news outlets NHK and Kyodo, comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping holds meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It is Xi’s first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, in another show of support for Moscow as a war crimes arrest warrant increasingly isolates the Russian leader, Xi also invited Putin to China for a visit.
Read the full story here.
U.S. could sanction Chinese firms if Beijing sends arms to Russia
When U.S. officials looked for ways to punish Iran for supplying Russia with drones for the war in Ukraine, they soon encountered a problem: The Iranian manufacturer of the pilotless aircraft had already been hit with Washington’s toughest financial penalties.
But, the officials learned, the drone-maker’s Chinese suppliers had not been. So the Treasury Department this month placed five Chinese companies and one of their employees on a blacklist, freezing their assets in the United States and barring U.S. companies or individuals from doing business with them.
The Chinese network was responsible for the sale and shipment of “thousands of aerospace components” to Iran, including some that can be used in unmanned aerial vehicles like those that ended up in Russia, the department said.
Read the full story here.
When U.S. officials looked for ways to punish Iran for supplying Russia with drones for the war in Ukraine, they soon encountered a problem: The Iranian manufacturer of the pilotless aircraft had already been hit with Washington’s toughest financial penalties.
But, the officials learned, the drone-maker’s Chinese suppliers had not been. So the Treasury Department this month placed five Chinese companies and one of their employees on a blacklist, freezing their assets in the United States and barring U.S. companies or individuals from doing business with them.
The Chinese network was responsible for the sale and shipment of “thousands of aerospace components” to Iran, including some that can be used in unmanned aerial vehicles like those that ended up in Russia, the department said.
Read the full story here.
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Drone strikes, sabotage, shelling: Russia’s war on Ukraine comes to Russia
Three drones buzzed through the night sky on Feb. 27 over Belgorod, a Russian city just a couple dozen miles from the Ukrainian border. One drone smashed through the window of an apartment. The other two crashed on nearby streets.
Ten days later, workers at an oil-pumping station in Novozybkovo, a small town in Russia’s Bryansk region, found a small bomb that officials said was probably dropped from a drone. Later that day, in Rostov-on-Don, a building of the Federal Security Service exploded in flames — the latest in a string of mysterious fires across western Russia.
More than a year after President Vladimir Putin unleashed his invasion, Russia’s war in Ukraine is also being fought on Russian soil, and Moscow is scrambling to protect its borders. The war Putin expected to win quickly now encroaches daily on the lives of Russian citizens, with frequent reports of fires, drone attacks and shelling.
Read the full story here.
Three drones buzzed through the night sky on Feb. 27 over Belgorod, a Russian city just a couple dozen miles from the Ukrainian border. One drone smashed through the window of an apartment. The other two crashed on nearby streets.
Ten days later, workers at an oil-pumping station in Novozybkovo, a small town in Russia’s Bryansk region, found a small bomb that officials said was probably dropped from a drone. Later that day, in Rostov-on-Don, a building of the Federal Security Service exploded in flames — the latest in a string of mysterious fires across western Russia.
More than a year after President Vladimir Putin unleashed his invasion, Russia’s war in Ukraine is also being fought on Russian soil, and Moscow is scrambling to protect its borders. The war Putin expected to win quickly now encroaches daily on the lives of Russian citizens, with frequent reports of fires, drone attacks and shelling.
Read the full story here.
Xi and Putin showcase their alliance but offer no path to peace in Ukraine
RIGA, Latvia — Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping met for a second day of talks in Moscow, and proclaimed their plans to deepen Sino-Russian political and economic cooperation for years to come — sending a message to the West about their determination to push back against the global domination of the U.S.
But as the leaders wrapped up their discussions, there was no visible progress on China’s cease-fire plan for Ukraine.
With the ornate meeting rooms of the Kremlin providing an aura of pomp and ceremony, despite the background of Putin’s war, Xi described his visit as marking “a new chapter” in strengthening Beijing’s relations with Moscow.
Xi’s visit was portrayed in China as part of a bold initiative to create a new world order, and Xi on Tuesday invited Putin to visit China later this year, signaling that their most assertive joint stand against the West was just getting started.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping met for a second day of talks in Moscow, and proclaimed their plans to deepen Sino-Russian political and economic cooperation for years to come — sending a message to the West about their determination to push back against the global domination of the U.S.
But as the leaders wrapped up their discussions, there was no visible progress on China’s cease-fire plan for Ukraine.
With the ornate meeting rooms of the Kremlin providing an aura of pomp and ceremony, despite the background of Putin’s war, Xi described his visit as marking “a new chapter” in strengthening Beijing’s relations with Moscow.
Xi’s visit was portrayed in China as part of a bold initiative to create a new world order, and Xi on Tuesday invited Putin to visit China later this year, signaling that their most assertive joint stand against the West was just getting started.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping departed Russia on Wednesday, and is expected to hold talks with President Zelensky after returning from the three-day trip.
- Zelensky said during a news conference Tuesday that Kyiv had suggested Beijing sign on to a Ukrainian peace formula to end the conflict, but that he was still waiting for an answer.
- The U.S. does not want to see a cease-fire in the near term, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, because that would give Putin “the time and space he needs to try to reequip.”
- Putin has criticized British plans to send tank ammunition to Ukraine that includes depleted uranium, valued for its ability to pierce armor.
More live updates here.
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping departed Russia on Wednesday, and is expected to hold talks with President Zelensky after returning from the three-day trip.
- Zelensky said during a news conference Tuesday that Kyiv had suggested Beijing sign on to a Ukrainian peace formula to end the conflict, but that he was still waiting for an answer.
- The U.S. does not want to see a cease-fire in the near term, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, because that would give Putin “the time and space he needs to try to reequip.”
- Putin has criticized British plans to send tank ammunition to Ukraine that includes depleted uranium, valued for its ability to pierce armor.
More live updates here.
Xi’s cocoon in Moscow: A Chinese-owned hotel over Red Square opulence
On his much anticipated state visit to Moscow, Chinese President Xi Jinping steered clear of the extravagant five-star hotels surrounding Red Square, instead opting for a presidential suite in a Chinese-owned hotel on the northern outskirts of the city, forcing major traffic closures for his commute to the Kremlin.
The Soluxe Hotel, located inside a massive gated Chinese business center with a Forbidden City-style 12 acre park, held its grand opening last year after changing ownership.
The hotel is a metaphor for Sino-Russian relations, which have grown substantially closer since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the West’s imposition of punishing sanctions.
Read the full story here.
On his much anticipated state visit to Moscow, Chinese President Xi Jinping steered clear of the extravagant five-star hotels surrounding Red Square, instead opting for a presidential suite in a Chinese-owned hotel on the northern outskirts of the city, forcing major traffic closures for his commute to the Kremlin.
The Soluxe Hotel, located inside a massive gated Chinese business center with a Forbidden City-style 12 acre park, held its grand opening last year after changing ownership.
The hotel is a metaphor for Sino-Russian relations, which have grown substantially closer since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the West’s imposition of punishing sanctions.
Read the full story here.
U.S. will speed transfer of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, Pentagon says
The Pentagon, in a significant shift, said Tuesday that it will send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine by the fall, after facing scrutiny for initially saying it could take a year or two to procure the powerful weapons and get them to the battlefield.
The new plan calls for refurbishing tank hulls already in the U.S. arsenal, officials said. President Biden, under intensifying pressure from Ukrainian officials, agreed in January to pledge 31 M1 tanks as part of a long-term arrangement that afforded German leaders political cover so that they could approve the immediate provision of Leopard battle tanks.
Read the full story here.
The Pentagon, in a significant shift, said Tuesday that it will send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine by the fall, after facing scrutiny for initially saying it could take a year or two to procure the powerful weapons and get them to the battlefield.
The new plan calls for refurbishing tank hulls already in the U.S. arsenal, officials said. President Biden, under intensifying pressure from Ukrainian officials, agreed in January to pledge 31 M1 tanks as part of a long-term arrangement that afforded German leaders political cover so that they could approve the immediate provision of Leopard battle tanks.
Read the full story here.