• War Putin and Xi Grow Closer Than Ever in Age of Isolation
  • War in Europe EU approves €2 billion for urgent shipment of ammunition to Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday, hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in neighboring Russia for a three-day visit. The summit duel takes place in the midst of the diplomatic offensive of the eternal rivals. Kishida will meet with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskiy in Kiev on the thirteenth month of war in Ukraine.

President Xi conveyed to his Putin counterpart that "most countries support easing tensions" regarding the "conflict" in Ukraine. The Chinese president is expected to talk after his visit to Russia with President Zelensky, while the West views Chinese mediation attempts with skepticism.

European Union countries agreed tosupply one million artillery shells to Ukraine over the next year, drawing on their own stockpiles and teaming up to buy more. The United States, for its part, announced that it would authorize another $350 million in military aid to Ukraine.

An explosion in Dzhankoi, in the north of the Crimean peninsula, destroyed Russian cruise missiles intended for use by Russia's Black Sea fleet when transported by rail, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

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07.40

Japan, Chinese leaders visit rival cities of Kiev and Moscow

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday morning, hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in neighboring Russia for a three-day stay. The parallel summits were held in full diplomatic offensives by former rivals, reports the AP.

Kishida was scheduled to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital.

He will "express respect for the courage and patience of the Ukrainian people, who stand up to defend their homeland under the leadership of President Zelensky, and show solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine as leader of Japan and chairman of the G-7" during his visit, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in announcing the trip to Kiev.

At the meetings, Kishida will show his "absolute rejection of Russia's unilateral change from the status quo by invasion and force, and will affirm his commitment to upholding the rules-based international order," the ministry statement added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warmly welcomed Xi to the Kremlin, in a meeting the two countries described as an opportunity to deepen their "friendship without limits."

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07.21

Japan says Kishida to visit Ukraine, meet Zelenskiy

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit Kiev for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Japan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. NHK television showed Kishida boarding a train in the Polish border town of Przemysl.

Representing one of the wealthy democracies of the Group of Seven, the Japanese prime minister will express his support and solidarity with Ukraine following the invasion by Russian forces more than a year ago, the ministry said in a statement.

Kishida will convey "his respect for the courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people in defending their homeland."

Japan will host a G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May, and Kishida has already said the summit must demonstrate a firm will to maintain international order and the rule of law in response to the Ukraine war.

Kishida will also hold talks with his Polish counterpart before returning to Japan on Thursday, the ministry said.

Before leaving for Poland en route to Ukraine, Kishida visited India, where he met with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, NHK reported.

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07.08

Xi conveys to Putin that "most countries support easing tensions" in Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during their talks yesterday in Moscow that "most countries support easing tensions" regarding the "conflict" in Ukraine, the Chinese Foreign Ministry collects today.

On the conflict in Ukraine, Xi stressed that "there are constantly rising rational and peaceful voices. Most countries support an easing of tensions."

"They want peace and talks to be promoted, and they oppose adding more fuel to the fire," Xi said during the four-and-a-half-hour conversation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to Xi, "historically, conflicts have always been resolved on the basis of dialogue and negotiation."

The president also recalled that China issued a position paper in which it called for "a political solution", in addition to opposing unilateral sanctions.

"We believe that the more difficult it is, the more room should be left for peace. The more intricate the conflict, the more we must do not to abandon efforts for dialogue," Xi said, according to the statement.

He also stressed that China is willing to "continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the conflict."

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07.00

Ukraine destroys several Russian missiles in occupied Crimea

Ukraine's military intelligence agency reported early this morning what appeared to be an attack on Russian cruise missiles being transported by train on Ukraine's occupied and illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, AP reports.

The governor of the Russian-appointed region reported an incident in the area of the same Crimean city, Dzhankoi, in the northern part of the peninsula, although he did not mention cruise missiles as a target of attack. None of the reports could be independently verified.

A statement by the Ukrainian military agency, published on its website, said multiple Kalibr cruise missiles were destroyed by an explosion, without explicitly saying which Ukraine was responsible or what weapon had been used.

They claim the missiles were being transported by rail and were intended to be launched from submarines. The agency hinted that the Kiev government was responsible, saying the explosion that destroyed the missiles continues "the process of Russia's demilitarization and prepares Ukraine's Crimean peninsula for vacancy."

One possible indication of a Ukrainian attack came from Russian-appointed Crimean Governor Sergei Aksenov. He said on social media that anti-aircraft guns were fired in the vicinity of Dzhankoi, where Ukraine's intelligence agency said cruise missiles were destroyed.

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07.00

Russia convenes UN meeting to discuss 'real situation' of Ukrainian children taken to Russia

Russia plans to hold an informal meeting at the United Nations Security Council in early April to discuss what it called "the true situation" of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, an issue that has gained notoriety after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to his plagiarism.

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told a news conference Monday that Russia planned the council meeting well before Friday's announcement by the ICC. Russia holds the rotating presidency of the council for the month of April, AP reports.

The announcement of the orders against Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for children's rights of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, was described by Ukraine as a first step towards holding Russia accountable for its crimes after its invasion on February 24, 2022. The news was dismissed by Moscow, which is not one of the 123 countries that make up the court, and referred to the measure as "legally invalid" and "outrageous."

The announcement came after the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine released a report Thursday saying there was evidence of illegal transfer of hundreds of Ukrainian children to Russia.

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