Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed close ties with Russia during the second day of his visit to Moscow, as he offered closer cooperation on issues ranging from trade to technology.
(Bloomberg) — Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed close ties with Russia during the second day of his visit to Moscow, as he offered closer cooperation on issues ranging from trade to technology.
“It fits the historical logic that Chinese leaders take Russia as a primary choice for their overseas visits,” Xi said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency, as he invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Beijing this year. Xi offered an expansion in trade, investment, supply chains, mega projects, energy and hi-tech areas, Xinhua said.
During the Chinese leader’s three-day visit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Kyiv for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, making him the final Group of Seven leader to travel to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began over a year ago.
Key Developments
- Xi Hails Ties With Russia as He Starts More Talks With Putin
- US Will Speed Up the Delivery of Abrams Tanks to Ukraine
- Japan Leader Kishida Visits Ukraine for Talks With Zelenskiy
- Only Seven NATO Allies Meet Spending Goal Despite Russia’s War
- New Kings of Russian Oil Were These Six Traders in December
(All times CET)
Russia Raids Nobel-Winning Human Rights Group (4:12 p.m.)
Russian police raided the homes of several leaders of human rights group Memorial and opened a criminal case against one of them, the organization said on its Telegram channel.
Oleg Orlov, co-chairman of Memorial, faces up to three years in prison on charges of repeatedly violating the law against “discrediting” the army’s actions in Ukraine. Russian authorities last year ordered the closure of Memorial, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in October, amid a campaign of repression against critics of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia Extends Pledged Oil Cuts Through June: Novak (3:49 p.m.)
Russia will keep its oil production at a reduced level through June, taking into account the current market situation, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said.
The country last month pledged to cut its crude-only output by 500,000 barrels per day in March in response to western energy sanctions. Russia is currently close to making this pledged cut, Novak in a statement, without providing any further details.
NATO Sees Russia-China Ties Moving ‘Closer and Closer’ (3:10 p.m.)
The meeting between Xi and Putin is “part of a pattern” of China and Russia coming “closer and closer,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.
Stoltenberg said China needs to understand Ukraine’s perspective and to engage Zelenskiy if it wants to be serious about brokering peace, noting Beijing still hasn’t condemned Russia’s illegal war of aggression. Still, China’s proposal includes some elements he supports, including on nuclear safety and the importance of territorial integrity, he said.
The alliance chief said NATO still hasn’t seen any proof of China delivering lethal aid to Russia, despite requests from Moscow and signs Beijing is considering whether to comply with those demands.
Only Seven NATO Allies Meet Spending Goal Despite Russia’s War (2:42 p.m.)
Only one more NATO ally met the military alliance’s goal to spend at least 2% of economic output on defense last year, with a total of seven countries achieving the commitment despite new pledges following Russia’s invasion.
The US, UK and Poland are in line with NATO’s target, along with Estonia, Greece and Latvia. The new entry is Lithuania, according to spending estimates in NATO’s 2022 annual report published Tuesday. The total is up from three allies when the pledge was agreed in 2014.
US Will Speed Up Abrams Deliveries to Ukraine (2:11 p.m.)
President Joe Biden’s administration will speed up delivery of the US’s M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine by nine months, with Kyiv’s forces now expected to receive them by autumn, people familiar with the matter said.
The people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations, said the Pentagon was set to announce the accelerated timetable later Tuesday. The move underscores the urgency the US and its allies feel in their support of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s sustained missile and artillery barrages. The US has said it will send 31 Abrams to Kyiv.
Read More: US Will Speed Up the Delivery of Abrams Tanks to Ukraine
Ukraine Approves $14 Billion Boost in Defense Spending (1:21 p.m.)
Ukraine’s parliament approved an increase in the state budget for defense by 518 billion hryvnia ($14 billion), lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said on Facebook. The money will be used for military needs, including compensation for servicemen, purchases of food and equipment including drones.
Russia Flies Bombers Over Sea of Japan (11 a.m.)
Russia sent two strategic bombers on a planned flight over international waters of the Sea of Japan as Kishida was scheduled to visit Zelenskiy in Ukraine on Tuesday.
The flight lasted more than than seven hours and was carried out in compliance with international rules, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said in its Telegram channel.
Xi Meets Russian Prime Minister After Long Chat With Putin (9:40 a.m.)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a major topic for the leaders, according to both sides, with Putin saying before the meeting that he’s ready to discuss China’s initiative for ending the war. Xi also invited Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to visit China, Interfax reported.
The US and its allies have rejected those proposals as biased toward Russia, and Ukraine has been cool, as well. Xi is expected to speak to Zelenskiy for the first time since the February 2022 invasion after his Russia visit. Xi had more than four hours of conversations the day before with Putin.
Russian Missiles Destroyed in Crimea Explosion (8:20 a.m.)
Russian missiles being transported by rail in Crimea were destroyed in an explosion, Ukraine’s military intelligence said on Facebook. The “mysterious” blast in Djankoi which hit Kalibr missiles “continues the process of Russia’s demilitarization” and prepares Crimea for “deoccupation,” it said.
Russian officials said anti-aircraft batteries downed drones in the Djankoi area, where a state of emergency was declared. The wreckage injured one person and damaged a home and a store but didn’t affect the railway network, officials said.
Japan Leader Kishida to Visit Ukraine for Talks With Zelenskiy (8:10 a.m.)
Kishida intends to show his support for Ukraine during the visit, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Japanese premier had been on a trip to India, where he condemned Russia’s invasion in a policy speech and sought to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to the G-7 nations’ position on the war.
The visit is the most visible symbol yet of support from Tokyo for Zelenskiy, who has spoken with Kishida at online conferences and addressed Japan’s parliament through a video link in March of last year.
(An earlier version corrected the spelling of Xi.)
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