Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Mariupol the city was destroyed last year in a deadly Russian siege, defying an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court about suspected war crimes in Ukraine. It was his second weekend trip to occupied Ukraine, just several tens of kilometers from the battlefront, and the Kremlin press service described it as a “business trip” on Sunday.
On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping will begin a state visit to Moscow, where he will meet Putin with the strongest show of support since the start of the war. The Kremlin said they would discuss “deepening cooperation between Russia and China.” Beijing, which claims to be neutral in the conflict and has sought to present itself as a potential mediator, said Xi was promoting peace talks.
Here’s the latest on the war and its repercussions around the world.
China’s Xi will meet Putin in Russia this week: Xi’s visit to Moscow is his first since the start of the war in Ukraine. Xi’s decision to travel to Russia is a sign of defiance as the United States increasingly criticizes Beijing’s “no-limits” partnership with Moscow, writes Lily Kuo.
The trip highlights Russia’s growing dependence on China, one of its few remaining friends and trading partners.