The chief diplomat for China says that it is going to propose a peace plan for Ukraine
Two World Leaders: The First Step Towards a Common Understanding of the Early Cold War and the Prospects for the Resolution of the Cold War
Editor’s Note: Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She has a weekly opinion piece for CNN, a column for The Washington Post, and a column for World Politics Review. The views are her own, not those of this commentary. CNN has more opinion on it.
The talks were productive. The Chinese called them respectful, honest and constructive. Biden said that they were both very blunt with each other, but agreed to try to avoid a Cold War. It wasn’t “Kumbaya,” the President said, but the two sides are perhaps less likely to start an accidental war against each other.
The geopolitical moment of revolution: Vladimir Zelensky’s triumphant return to Kherson, Ukraine, at the anniversary of Russia’s invasion
There are signs that the democratic world may be starting to reverse the tide of autocracy after years of turmoil and anxiety. It is too early to know how strong the global democratic push will be.
That’s not the only reason, however, why this was the perfect moment — from the standpoint of the United States and for democracy — for this meeting to occur: There’s much more to this geopolitical moment than who controls the US House of Representatives and Senate.
As Biden and Xi were meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an emotional, triumphant return to the devastated, now liberated city of Kherson, the one provincial capital that Russian invaders had conquered.
On the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Mr. Zelensky offered a broad overview of where the war stood, the challenges Ukraine faced and the opportunities in the months ahead.
The world’s leading autocrats, Putin and Xi, looked unstoppable even. There were sometimes violent protests against Covid-19 restrictions in Western democracies. Putin was preparing for triumph in Ukraine. Xi was hosting the Olympics, basking in attention, and preparing to solidify his control of China.
Putin’s adventure turned to disaster as the Ukrainians defended their country with unexpected tenacity and as Biden rallied allies in a muscular push to support Ukraine.
Putin avoided confrontations with world leaders when he chose not to attend the G20 summit.
What’s the man of the year? What does China have to do about it? CNN’s Michael Bociurkiw Opinion
To be sure, Biden is not the only leader with a strong hand. Xi has just secured an unprecedented third term as China’s leader, and he can now effectively rule for as long as he wants. He doesn’t have to worry about elections, about a critical press or a vociferous opposition party. He’s the ruler of a mighty country for a long time to come.
There are a lot of daunting problems for the man of the year, Xi. China isn’t willing to reveal economic data because the economy has slowed down. China’s Covid-19 vaccine, once a tool of global diplomacy, is a disappointment. And partly because of that, China is imposing draconian lockdowns as the rest of the world gradually returns to normalcy after the pandemic.
Also crucial in the epochal competition between the two systems is showing that democracy works, defeating efforts of autocratic countries such as China and Russia to discredit it and proving that unprovoked wars of aggression, aimed at suppressing democracy and conquering territory, will not succeed.
Michael Bociurkiw is a global affairs analyst who is based in Odesa. He is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, and he was a spokesman for the organization in Europe. He contributes to CNN Opinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN.
Zelensky was the brand beyond the man when Putin walked up to the lysée Palace in a chauffeured limousine: A tale of two bullies
It is perhaps easy to forget that Zelensky honed his political muscles earlier in his career standing up to another bully in 2019 – then-US President Donald Trump, who tried to bamboozle the novice politician in the quid pro quo scandal.
When I was in Paris, I witnessed Zelensky pull up to the lysée Palace in a small car, while Putin drove up in an armored limousine. The host hugged Putin but did not shake hands with Zelensky.
Zelensky is the brand beyond the man. These days it’s almost impossible to deny the Ukrainian leader from wearing olive green t-shirts when meeting everyone from military commanders to world leaders.
Failure to demonstrate further progress on the battlefield with billions of dollars worth of military kit could stir unease among Western backers. capitulation to Russia would be a political death sentence.
Zelensky grew up in the rough and tumble neighborhood of Kryvyi Rih in centralUkraine, and learned how to respond to people who were mean to him.
He knew what he needed to do once he got into a situation where he had to fight back against Putin, said Yevhen Hlibovytsky, a former political journalist.
The leader of the US, who when asked to leave as Russia launched a full-scale invasion quipped, “I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/19/opinions/volodomyr-zelensky-profile-ukraine-russia-bociurkiw/index.html
Revisiting the nightclub refitting of Petrovshenko and how Zelensky greeted King Charles in London
It’s been a long, long time since Zelensky thanked his supporters in a refitting nightclub in the middle of war, but it seems like that’s how it’s been now. He looked in a state of disbelief when standing on the stage, after he had defeated Petro Poroshenko.
Mr. Zelensky’s confidence in Ukraine’s victory is premised on the idea that Moscow will not find a way to quickly and robustly rebuild its battered military.
A lot of the people in his bubble were from his previous professional life as a TV comedian. The press conference was held on the platform of a metro station in April and it had perfect lighting and camera angles to emphasize a wartime setting.
As for his skills as comforter in chief, I remember well the solace his nightly televised addresses brought in the midst of air raid sirens and explosions in Lviv.
Zelensky is projecting confidence and competence by wearing T-shirts and hoodies, the youthful, egalitarian uniform of Silicon Valley, rather than suits, to a younger, global audience that recognizes it as such.
Journeying to where her husband can’t, Zelenska has shown herself to be an effective communicator in international fora – projecting empathy, style and smarts. She met with King Charles during his visit to the refugee assistance center at the Holy Family Cathedral in London. Zelenska was missing from the cover of Time magazine and they gave only a passing reference in the supporting text.
Zelensky has a strong international influence despite the subtle signs that it could be waning. Zelensky begged for the cap on Russian crude to be set at $30, but the G7 imposed it at $60 a barrel.
Twelve Months of the War: The Foreign Minister of Ukraine and Russian Embedding in the United States, Secretary of State Sergei Kuleba
Twelve months into this war, Ukraine and Ukrainians have transformed. It’s thought that thousands of people are dead. Millions have been driven from their homes.
Victory will surely depend on the West maintaining a united front against Russia. Zelensky and his envoys abroad have done an enviable job of warning Western leaders that if they don’t support Ukraine in pushing Putin back completely, their own nations’ security could be caught in the crosshairs of Russian aggression.
Zelensky achieved the thing Putin wanted to achieve but failed to do because he wanted to distract from his failures at home. In Putin’s mind, to be shown up by a mere ‘decadent’ comedian must be excruciatingly painful for him,” New York-based geopolitical and business analyst Michael Popow told me.
Zelensky said in a recent nightly video address that no matter what the enemy does, it is the world that determines how events develop.
The foreign minister of Ukraine said on Monday that he hopes to have a peace summit by the end of February and that the UN secretary-general could possibly be a mediation for the anniversary of the war.
The Foreign Minister of Russia told The Associated Press that Russia wouldn’t be able to attend a summit if it faced a war crimes tribunal first.
Kuleba also said he was “absolutely satisfied” with the results of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the U.S. last week, and he revealed that the U.S. government had made a special plan to get the Patriot missile battery ready to be operational in the country in less than six months. Usually, the training takes up to a year.
Kuleba said during an interview at the Foreign Ministry that while diplomacy is important, Ukraine will do anything it can to win the war.
Zelenskyy meets Vladimir Kuleba: A United States Ambassador for Ukraine’s Ground and Air War with the U.N. Security Council
“The United Nations could be the best venue for holding this summit, because this is not about making a favor to a certain country,” he said. “This is really about bringing everyone on board.”
Zelenskyy presented a 10 point peace formula at the Group of 20 summit in November that included the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of prisoners, and a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression.
Kuleba said that he was an efficient mediator and an efficient negotiation, and a man of principle and integrity. So we would welcome his participation.
“They frequently say that they are ready for negotiations, but it is not true because everything they do on the battlefield proves the opposite,” he said.
Zelenskyy’s visit to the U.S. was his first foreign trip since the war started on Feb. 24. Kuleba praised Washington’s efforts and underlined the significance of the visit.
The United States is important to both Ukraine and the US, said Kuleba, who was in the delegation to the U.S.
He said that the US government has developed a program for the missile battery that will allow it to complete its training in less time than usual.
While Kuleba didn’t mention a specific time frame, he said only that it will be “very much less than six months.” And he added that the training will be done “outside” Ukraine.
During Russia’s ground and air war in Ukraine, Kuleba has been second only to Zelenskyy in carrying Ukraine’s message and needs to an international audience, whether through Twitter posts or meetings with friendly foreign officials.
On Monday, Ukraine called on U.N. member states to deprive Russia of its status as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and to exclude it from the world body. Kuleba said that they have prepared for this step to uncover the fraud and deprive Russia of its status.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Foreign Ministry says Russian never went through the legal procedure for membership in the UN Security Council.
State of Ukraine: a NPR Perspective on Zelensky’s Europe tour and the Russian involvement in the Ukraine-Russian invasion of Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise Europe tour, meeting leaders in London, Paris and Brussels, and reiterating his call for allies to send fighter jets to Ukraine.
Russian forces began their next major offensive in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, attacking Ukrainian defensive lines and making marginal advances, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Russian forces are trying to encircle Bakhmut in eastern Ukranian, according to analysts at the Atlantic Council.
Biden’s historic visit came days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, providing a symbolic boost to Kyiv at a crucial juncture in the conflict.
There’s “strong indication” Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the go-ahead to supply anti-aircraft weapons to separatists in Ukraine, according to the international team investigating the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014.
Here you can read past recaps. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more of NPR’s coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR’s State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.
Wang said that Beijing would continue to work for peace and that the sovereignty of every country would be respected in the proposal.
On Friday, Wang Wenbin, a Chinese embassy spokesman, tried to balance the relationship between Russia and Europe while suggesting that the US was at fault for the conflict.
And European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen told CNN on Saturday: “We need more proof that China isn’t working with Russia, and we aren’t seeing that now.”
If China begins supplying the arsenal for Putin’s army, all current thinking about the course of the war could be upended. But it is not just China that Mr. Zelensky is concerned about.
China’s top diplomat will also visit Russia this month, according to its foreign ministry, in the first visit to the country from a Chinese official in that role since the war began.
The War in Ukraine’s East: The Critical Moment of Russian Warfare and a Cold War for the U.S. and China
Many expected Ukraine’s capital to fall within days of the invasion, but Ukrainians fought and pushed Russian troops back. They’ve continued to fight. Russia now wants to take land in Ukraine’s east. Both sides have gained and lost territory over the course of the year, but now the war appears to be at an inflection point.
“I do think this is a critical moment,” Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told NPR. The battlefield is very difficult and bloody, and it will be a factor in President Zelenskyy and President Putin’s decisions as to whether or not to go.
“This is something that leads me to the question of who are we going to document the crimes?” The head of the Center for Civil Liberties told us. “Because I’m not a historian, I’m a human rights lawyer, and we document human pain in order sooner or later to have all these Russians … brought to justice.”
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister said his country is learning from the war in Ukraine and looking out for China.
They have motivation to expand. They want to increase their influence. They want to continue to expand their power. “If they don’t stop, then they will continue to march on,” she said.
Natalia and Vova lost their car in the first day of World War II: A horror story about the Russian-Russian-controlled Cold War
But dismissing Putin’s conspiratorial claims and sense that the West is engaged in a long campaign to topple him would be a mistake. While conventional victory may be beyond Russia, Putin may be able to live with a long grinding war that inflicts devastation on more Ukrainian cities, kills more Ukrainians, ends up costing Western governments billions and gradually hikes pressures on leaders in the US and Europe to pull back.
The United States is facing worse foreign policy crises with its former Cold War adversaries in the Kremlin as well as with its new superpower rival, led by Chairman of the Communist Party of China. Both these rivals are openly challenging the international rule of law and rejecting norms that have underpinned the international system for decades.
Natalia believes that they tried to flee in the first days of the war, but the family car was hit by Russian forces. The husband and nephew were killed. Vova had seven bullets in his body and was hospitalized for months.
Danny Hajek was involved in the creation of the audio for this story. Other editing and production help was given by Carol Klinger. Hanna Palamarenko and Tanya Ustova provided reporting and translation help.
Chinese President Vladimir Putin meets with the Russian Foreign Ministry: a counterexample to the Russian-Prussian crisis and Russia’s military intervention
A Telegram account managed by Russian army and naval servicemembers, Zapiski michmana Ptichkina, noted ironically that Biden had reached Kyiv before Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Almost a year after the beginning of the Special military operation, we are waiting in the Russian city of [Kyiv] for the president of the Russian Federation, but not for the [President of the] United States,” it said.
The two trips take place just days before the one year anniversary of the brutal war between the world’s two powers, illustrating the sharpening of fault lines.
“Our relations have never been directed against third countries,” Mr. Wang told Mr. Putin, according to a Russian translation of his remarks. “Our relations have withstood pressure from the international community and are developing very stably.”
We do not add fuel to the fire, we are against reaping benefits from the crisis, and the US is purposely prolonging the war, so Wang said in a thinly veiled dig.
Beijing has pushed back on those claims, with its Foreign Ministry on Monday saying China was “actively promoting peace talks and the political settlement of the crisis,” while the US was “pouring lethal weapons into the battlefield in Ukraine.”
He urged European officials to think about “what framework should there be to bring lasting peace to Europe, what role should Europe play to manifest its strategic autonomy.”
U.S. officials have warned that China could seek to support Russia with weapons. There was no mention of the situation in Ukraine in the televised portion of Mr. Wang’s meeting with Mr. Putin.
“We have information that they’re considering giving lethal support and we have made very clear to them that it would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship,” he said.
U.S. Reply to China’s Embarrassment of the 2016 Ukrainian Invasion: What Does China Really Do About It?
Responding to the accusations Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry blasted the US for “shoving responsibility, shifting blame and spreading false information.”
He said the US would “reject” any calls for a ceasefire out of the high-stakes meeting as he reiterated that it would not be “in China’s best interest” to provide arms to Ukraine.
“Who is calling for dialogue and peace? Who gives out knives to encourage confrontation? The international community is able to see it clearly.
According to CNN, US officials have been concerned about the intel that they’ve given to their allies and partners. According to a US readout, in his meeting with Wang on the sidelines of the conference Saturday, Blinken raised the issue and warned him about its consequences.
Previously, Beijing had carefully avoided actions that could trigger secondary sanctions, which would deal a devastating blow to an economy hampered by three years of costly zero-Covid policy.
Though Beijing claimed impartiality in the conflict and no advance knowledge of Russia’s intent, it has refused to condemn Moscow and parroted Kremlin lines blaming NATO for provoking the conflict.
Despite its claims of neutrality and calls for peace talks, Beijing has offered Moscow much-needed diplomatic and economic support throughout the invasion.
Chinese officials have often calibrated their narrative to different audiences. Wang may have made some appealing pledges while on the Europe tour, but whether or not they are translated into a consistent message to be delivered to the Russian leader when the two meet at the Kremlin this week is another question.
Biden is in Kyiv. Russian journalist Sergey Mardan commented on his Telegram channel on the humiliation of Russia. There may be scenes of miraculous hypersonics left for children. Just like spells about the holy war we are waging with the entire West.”
Russian army veteran and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer went so far as To suggest that Biden could have visited the fronts of eastern Ukraine and escaped unharmed.
It is likely that the grandfather who is not good for anything but simple provocations will be brought to Bakhmut too. nothing will happen to him.
While providing analysis of the conflict for a large swaths of the Russian population, many of the hardline military theorists have criticized what they consider to be a soft approach on the battlefield by the generals.
Jake Sullivan, the Kremlin’s Special Military Operation, and Russian-Putin Relations after the World-War II Land War
A few hours before he departed, the United States informed Russia of the plans to visit the Ukrainian capital for “deconfliction purposes,” according to Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
Although currently the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, Medvedev has a penchant for making provocative statements in order to shore up his nationalist credentials.
Putin will make a major speech to the Federal Assembly in which he will discuss the ongoing invasion and the debate over Biden’s visit won’t help him.
Participants of what Russia refers to as its “special military operation” will be in attendance but foreign guests or representatives will not be invited, the Kremlin’s spokesperson told reporters Monday.
Almost a year ago, Putin began the biggest land war in Europe since World War II by attempting to take central Ukraine, however he was unsuccessful.
Biden’s dramatic visit to Kyiv Monday amid wailing air raid sirens and his soaring speech in Warsaw a day later reinforced the West’s remarkable support for Ukraine’s resistance to Russia and directly repudiated President Vladimir Putin.
Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, was sent to Moscow where he met with Russian officials and said the only way out of the crisis was through diplomatic negotiation.
Ahead of his visit to Moscow, China’s president wrote in a Russian newspaper that the two countries have forged a new model of major-country relations.
Vladimir Putin in Kiev: What is wrong with America? The problem is not in an alternative reality for the Ukrainian people, but what does the West want to do
And this new and complicated foreign policy picture is not just a problem for American diplomats. Rising challenges abroad as well, as the depletion of US and Western weapons stocks as arms are sent to Ukraine, pose questions about military capacity and whether current defense spending is sufficient. Key Republicans meanwhile are accusing Biden of snubbing voters facing economic and other problems, even as he tries to position Democrats as the protectors of working Americans as the 2024 campaign dawns.
And Biden vowed, “President Putin’s craven lust for land and power will fail, and the Ukrainian people’s love for their country will prevail,” he added.
It is possible that is is the case. In his speech, Putin made clear there was no chance of the war ending soon. In telling Russians the conflict was critical to their own nation’s existence and part of an effort by the West to attack Russia, he set the stage for months more bloodshed and narrowed even further already distant avenues for some kind of face-saving exit if Russia does not prevail.
Putin seems to be living in an alternate reality. And Biden contradicted his claims of Western imperialism, saying, “I speak once more to the people of Russia. Europe and the United States don’t want to control or destroy Russia. Putin said the west wasn’t planning to attack Russia.
Comments made by Republican politicians like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy show that while Biden can promise the US is with Kyiv, he can’t guarantee it. The 2024 election may be as crucial for Ukraine as it is for the United States.
On Fox, DeSantis said the fear of Russia going into NATO countries has not come close to happening. They seem to have shown themselves to be a third-rate military power.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/21/politics/president-biden-vladmir-putin-china-ukraine/index.html
Russian’s START note: Russia’s suspension on the new strategic arms reduction treaty is in serious danger, and it threatens the US/Russia red line
Biden’s trip also demonstrated that the estrangement between the US and Russia – a factor that will shape global politics for years – is almost complete.
Russia’s START note: Russia handed an official note to the United States on Tuesday on the suspension of Moscow’s participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state media RIA Novosti Wednesday. The note said that Russia would comply with the treaty’s central provisions, according to RIA. The last remaining treaty that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals is in serious jeopardy after Putin signed a law suspending Russia’s participation. The US is still in compliance with the treaty, but State Department spokesperson Ned Price suggested that could change depending on “how Russia chooses to proceed.”
Given that its economy is struggling, and its conventional forces are under extreme pressure, Russia also lacks resources to ignite a new nuclear arms race with Washington. But the collapse of one of the last building blocks of a post-Cold War thaw between Russia and the US exemplifies the almost total lack of communication between the rivals.
The Biden administration’s accusation that Russia had committed crimes against humanity last week ensured there would be no return to normal relations between Washington and Moscow.
Any time the top two nuclear powers are not talking is dangerous — one reason why US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday Washington was willing to discuss the nuclear situation with Russia no matter what else was going on.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, warned on CNN Sunday that such a step would cross a US red line but she didn’t mention what consequences would be.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin meets Wang Yi in Moscow during the first anniversary of the Ukrainian Warsaw conflict and urged dialogue between the US and China
China, which has its own economic problems, may be unwilling to risk US sanctions that could result from sending arms to Moscow. But Beijing may also have an interest in the war being prolonged in the belief that it could distract the US and its military resources from Biden’s growing efforts to respond to China’s dominance in Asia.
There is a chance of a long-dragging conflict driving differences between the US and Europe. And it could further incite political dissent in Washington, weakening Biden’s capacity to fulfill his foreign policy goals on the global stage.
In this photograph, provided by Russian state media, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is meeting with Wang Yi, China’s top foreign policy official, at the Kremlin in Moscow on Wednesday.
As the first anniversary looms of the Ukraine war, Mr. Putin wants to shore up alliances so that Russia can retain its foothold in the region. As Mr. Putin and Mr. Wang met, President Biden was gathering with NATO members from the alliance’s eastern flank in Warsaw in a display of unity.
Mr. Putin predicted that the trade volume between China and Russia could grow to $200 billion this year, compared to $185 billion last year.
“Everything is moving forward, developing, we are reaching new frontiers,” Mr. Putin said. “And above all, we are talking, of course, about economic issues.”
Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a deal to reestablish diplomatic relations with the help of China. The Chinese government published a paper laying out principles of resolving the Ukraine conflict. And on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China would “play a constructive role in urging peace and promoting talks.”
Kamyshin and the Russians: It was a magic day for Ukranian Railways, or What we learned from the Battle of Kherson
Two days after Russian troops left Kherson, Alexander Kamyshin, CEO of Ukranian railways, came to the city accompanied by a small team of railway workers. The regular army arrived to secure the city but they got to work at the central train station before they did. The first train rolled into liberated Kherson six days later.
“It was a magic day,” Kamyshin says. People were waving their hands while seeing the train. Trust me, it was unforgettable. That’s one of the days to remember forever.”
All that work has taken place under near constant attack. The Russians shell everything, according to Kamyshin. “Two hundred and fifty people died, 800 people injured. That’s only railwaymen and women. That’s the price we paid in this war.”
As the war began last year, the railways main focus was on moving aid into cities and towns that were being damaged or killed by Russian troops. After taking refugees west toward the Polish border, passenger trains carried supplies back to the front.
Rail workers were able to get trains in and out of Mariupol, a port city close to the Russian border that was bombarded relentlessly until the resistance finally collapsed in May 2022. Two trains are still stuck, even though the crews were able to leave by road.
The role of Beijing in the resolution of the Ukraine crisis: a Singaporean perspective on the “cold war mentality” of Russia and its influence on Ukraine
The paper stated that dialogue and negotiation was the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. Efforts must be encouraged and supported in order to end the crisis peacefully.
“There isn’t much leverage involved. The document lays out broad, general principles, but no real reason why you might want to cease and desist, right? There’s no big appeal that you’re getting something. There’s no big cost if you don’t comply,” said Ian Chong, associate professor of political science at National University of Singapore.
But the Chinese position paper also took several digs at the West for its approach to the war. It says that the “cold war mentality” needs to be abandoned because it creates more problems.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he was confident his country could defeat the Russian invasion within the year if Ukraine’s allies remained united in their support.
Not one to shrink from questions or to shy away from calling out even allies if he feels they could be doing more to help Ukraine, he nevertheless tread carefully when talking about China.
Mr Zelensky initially ignored the question about the reports of Beijing possibly giving Moscow lethal weapons. When it was raised a second time, he said that working to ensure China did not arm Russia was one of his top priorities.
Mr. Zelensky had a second translator translate and then asked the reporter if she was interested in geography or politics, but she said that it was more about basic principles.
Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko meets Chinese leaders in Beijing on the sideline of SCO summit in Uzbekistan: The role of the Cold War in resolving the Ukrainian crisis
Does China believe that innocents should not be killed? I don’t think a nuclear power plant should be occupied. An invader should withdraw from a nation if they have respect for the rights of that nation.
He emphasized his openness to direct talks with China before he switched to English and said that he was starting public diplomatic relations here. “We have so many common issues, we have to speak between us with no one else.”
Mr Zelensky was careful not to make a potential ally uncomfortable. The public support for Israel’s targets in Iran is probably less important than the targets themselves.
He said that he understood Israel’s long and complex history with Russia but said that he had wished for Israel to take a firmer stance against it since the start of the war.
The Ukrainian leader stated that it was the most horrible moment of the war when he saw atrocities committed by Russian soldiers for the first time. He said it was horrible.
There were a lot of questions about how and whenUkraine could win the war, even if that answer was only determined on the battlefield.
China is preparing to welcome a key autocratic ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a state visit, amid warnings from United States officials that Beijing may be considering aiding Moscow in its ongoing assault on Ukraine.
Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese officials in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China’s Foreign Ministry announced Sunday.
Putin was present at a meeting between the two leaders on the sideline of the SCO summit in Uzbekistan, where they agreed on an all-weather strategic partnership.
While burgeoning economic ties between China and Belarus are expected to be a key component of talks this week, the conflict in Ukraine will loom over discussions.
In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua released ahead of his visit, Lukashenko is cited as saying the position paper was a testimony to China’s peaceful foreign policy and a new and original step that would have a far-reaching impact.
Belarus already had fraught relations with Western powers, with the European Union not recognizing the results of Lukashenko’s 2020 election win – which sparked mass pro-democracy protests in the country and were followed by a brutal government crackdown.
It is reported that trade between the two has gone up by over 3% year on year to $5 billion, due to China’s Belt and Road initiative.
In a call between Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Belarussian counterpart, Sergei Aleinik, Qin promised that China would oppose any interference by outsiders in the country’s internal affairs and illegal sanctions against it.
The Russian Embassy to China during the Xi-Russia Summit and the “Cosmology Journey” of Cooperation and Peace in the Afterglow of Serb Crime
A commander says that Ukrainian forces are mostly holding their positions in the eastern part of the country but at a high price.
After the last Serbian who was part of the mercenary group’s fighters left the area two months ago, the boss of the group said there aren’t any Serbians in the group. The comments came after Serbia’s president accused Wagner of trying to recruit Serbs to fight in Ukraine.
But in many Western capitals the optics of the visit will look very different – two autocrats who have long described themselves as firm friends shaking hands and banqueting while a conflagration in Europe rages.
And it comes just days after China scored a major diplomatic victory by brokering a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, helping the two archrivals restore diplomatic ties.
Arrest warrants were issued for both Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova. The court alleged the two were responsible for the war crime of deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
China’s top leader will now be dining with a suspected war criminal whom he has called a “best friend,” and affirming his “no limits” partnership with a global pariah whose brutal invasion has killed tens of thousands of people and wreaked havoc on the global economy.
The Russia trip presents a good chance to strengthen relations with a key neighbor and partner of convenience for China’s president, who just wrapped up a third term. The visit could help China’s case as a global powerhouse.
The officials said they would keep an eye out for signs of China giving weapons to Russia during the summit between Xi and Putin.
As he seeks to present China as a peace broker while forging closer relations with Russia, he will be walking a diplomatic tightrope, as Beijing has sought to woo away from the US.
A Russian state media article states that the upcoming visit by China’s Xi will be a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace.
The People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party’s official publication, had a letter from Putin that was full of praise for “Comrade” and his view that Western powers will one day come for China.
BrianHart, a fellow with the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the trip was intended to show that China is a leader in the world and able to shape global events.
He said the Chinese leader was able to use Beijing’s recent diplomatic win in the Middle East to shape the trajectory of the war in Ukraine.
“But the war will be a much taller task. The question is whether or not there is an attempt by China to influence Russia in the war going forward.
Days before the visit, the Russian defense military said Russia, China and Iran have completed three-way naval exercises in the Arabian Sea – sending a powerful message of defiance to the Western alliance.
Western officials criticized the plan for lacking substance and failing to recognize Russias violation of Ukraine sovereignty, even though Moscow and Kyiv gave it a warm reception.
John Kirby is a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.
“Neither Moscow nor Kyiv appear ready to make the concessions needed to bring the war to an end, and that is not something Beijing can fundamentally change,” he said.
Beijing as a peacemaker: How the Biden administration looks at the six party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program and the Russian-Russian nuclear program
The Biden administration said it is keeping a close watch on the trip to Moscow by China’s president, as top officials express concerns about calls for a ceasefire.
“These are two countries that don’t have a heck of a whole lot of trust between one another, but they find common cause in pushing back on the West, in pushing back on American leadership,” he said.
On Monday, the leader of China is going to Moscow to show support for Putin and look at possible peace moves in Ukraine.
“He can cast his visit to Moscow in the context of some grand international diplomacy, [yet] he doesn’t actually have to achieve much to accomplish this goal,” said Paul Haenle, a China expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former director on the National Security Council under presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
The mood has been set. The framework has been set. It has been established that China might be the peacemaker that goes where other countries can’t. The solution still looks vague and more fluid than it actually is.
The Chinese are not really aiming to be “the real problem solver here,” according to Yun Sun, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C.
Haenle, of the Carnegie Endowment, says during the Six Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, in which he took part, Beijing excelled at bringing negotiators to the table. He says Chinese officials would not push any of the parties to move the ball.
“We always had the sense that the United States, South Korea, Japan, we were really aggressively trying to find a way to solve the North Korean nuclear issue, where the Chinese were really looking for a process to manage the North Korean nuclear issue,” he said.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative and Russia’s response to the Russia-Ukraine annexation of the Kremlin peninsula
” I think it’s unlikely that they’ll play a role in ending the conflict, and that is probably something that we won’t see here soon,” he said.
“The benefits will definitely weigh over the costs,” Zhao said. He’s the most fundamental foreign policy objective right now, he’s trying to defend China’s interests.
The International Monetary Fund made a rule change that could allow the country of Ukraine a multi-billion dollar loan.
Most governments condemned and considered the annexation of the peninsula to be illegal, but Putin traveled to commemorate the ninth anniversary.
The American planes crashed into the Black Sea after being hit by a Russian warplane. U.S. officials said the drone was flying in international airspace when two Russian fighter jets intercepted it, one of them clipping the drone’s propeller. Russia’s government denied the collision but awarded the pilots of the two fighter jets.
Poland and Slovakia will be the first NATO countries to send warplanes to fight Russian forces in Ukraine. The U.S. has refused Ukraine’s request for F-16s.
Russia and Ukraine extended the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to safely ship Ukrainian grain and seed abroad, which was due to expire Saturday.
Embracing the Cold War: The Russian-Russia War on the Origins of Nuclear Matter and its Relations with the Kremlin
Leaders of Belarus and Iran hailed their countries’ ties in meetings in Tehran. Belarus is a Kremlin ally and has already warmed up to Iran and China, two of Russia’s closest allies.
According to Gallup, the approval rating for Russia has fallen to its lowest level in over a decade, with just 9% of the American people saying they have a favorable view of the country.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making a surprise trip to Ukraine on Tuesday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – a day after Chinese leader Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
There is deep divisions in northeastern Asia about the war in Ukraine, with Japan and China together supporting a man who is now a suspected war criminal.
The Japanese government pledged $5.5 billion in aid toUkraine on the eve of the invasion’s one-year anniversary.
According to a report by the Associated Press, during his visit to New Delhi, Kishida announced a new $75 billion investment plan to counter China’s influence in the region.
India is the only Asian nation that has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion and continues to purchase Russian oil.
Modi told Putin last September that it was not the time for war, in an apparent criticism – although India has continued to maintain pivotal ties with Moscow.
