WARSAW/MOSCOW (Reuters) – China pledged on Wednesday to deepen cooperation with Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden has stressed geopolitical tensions ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has been preparing for talks with NATO’s eastern leaders.
Within Ukraine, schools are class I went online for the rest of the week, fearing a surge in Russian missile attacks a year after the February 24 all-out strike.
Russia is set to begin military exercises with China in South Africa on Friday, sending its flagship frigate armed with a new generation of hypersonic cruise missiles. A Russian officer said Wednesday that Russia would fire artillery, but not missiles.
Chinese diplomat Wang Li, who carried out the highest-level visit to Russia by a Chinese official since the two countries signed a “no restrictions” partnership weeks before the invasion, told President Vladimir Putin that Beijing would strengthen ties. said he was ready to
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In times of crisis, Russia and China needed to “continuously deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership,” Wang said.
Putin said he looked forward to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow and a deeper partnership.
Xi is Be expected I will give a “Peace Speech” on Friday. Kiev has said no talks of peace with Russian forces in Ukraine are possible.
“Russia’s provocative and criminal war against Ukraine, Europe and the democratic world is to clear all of Ukraine from Russian occupation and ensure the long-term security of our country, Europe and the world at large. It must end, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram’s messaging app.
Suspension of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Putin has responded to lack of progress in Ukraine with a veiled threat to use nuclear weapons. He suspended the Nuclear Weapons Control Treaty on Tuesday, accusing Washington of turning the war into a global conflict by arming Ukraine.
Russia’s Foreign and Defense Ministries later said Moscow would continue Restrictions Observance The number of deployable nuclear warheads and the number of nuclear missile carriers are outlined in New Start (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). Russia’s lower house rubber stamped a moratorium on the treaty on Wednesday.
Tensions over Ukraine had already halted treaty-based inspections that require the United States and Russia to check each other’s nuclear weapons.
[1/9] Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with China’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission Director Wang Yi in Moscow, Russia, February 22, 2023. Sputnik/Anton Novoderezhkin/Pool via REUTERS
Biden emphasized his support for Kyiv A surprise visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday has since rallied NATO allies Polandsaid the invasion had tested the whole world, but that Washington and its allies had shown they would defend democracy.
He rejected Russia’s claims that Western allies were trying to control or destroy it, and accused Moscow of crimes against humanity, including targeting and raping civilians. He denies targeting people.
NATO allies and other supporters have sent tens of billions of dollars worth of arms and ammunition to Ukraine. Since the new year, they have promised modern tanks, but have not yet delivered the Western fighters that Kiev asked for.
On Wednesday, Biden will meet with the leaders of nine Bucharest members of NATO, who joined the alliance after years of Cold War-era domination by the then-Soviet Union. They include many strong supporters of military aid to Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Beijing not to supply weapons to Moscow. anger From China.
Finding
Russia suffered three major battlefield reversals in Ukraine last year, but still controls almost a fifth of the country. It has launched major offensives in the eastern provinces in recent weeks and has so far made only modest gains despite suffering the heaviest losses of the war.
The Ukrainian military said the city of Bakhmut, the focal point of the Russian invasion in the eastern Donetsk region, had come under shelling, along with 20 other settlements in the region.
The governor of the neighboring Luhansk region said Ukraine had repulsed heavy Russian attacks around the town of Kreminna further north, destroying several tanks.
“The breakthrough failed and the situation stabilized,” Serhiy Haydai said on Ukrainian television.
Two civilians injured in Russia missile attack Local officials said Wednesday at an industrial complex in Kharkiv, the largest city in eastern Ukraine.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports.
Europe’s largest land battle since World War II displaced millions, devastated cities, towns and villages, and disrupted the global economy. The United Nations Office for Rights 8,000 civilians Numbers killed, described as “the tip of the iceberg”.
Reported by Pavel Polyyuk and Reuters bureau. Written by Grant McCool and Philippa Fletcher.Edited by David Gregorio, Michael Perry and Peter Graff
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