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Two leaders spoke via video call and vowed to forge closer ties amid Russia’s war in Ukraine
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China has vowed to maintain what it described as its “objective and fair” stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine following a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
President Xi said Beijing and Moscow should closely coordinate and cooperate in international affairs and emphasised Russia’s willingness to engage in negotiations over Ukraine, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in its report on a call between him and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“The Chinese side has noted that the Russian side has said it has never refused to resolve the conflict through diplomatic negotiations, and expressed its appreciation for this,” Mr Xi was quoted as saying in the video call by CCTV.
Elsewhere, residents in Kyiv were told to rush to air raid shelters as air raid sirens wailed across the capital city at 2am local time. Ukraine’s military said it came under attack from 16 “kamikaze” drones, all of which it had shot down.
In his overnight address, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelemnsky said air commands in central, southern, eastern and western Ukraine repelled 54 Russian missiles and 11 drones on Thursday.
That’s all for our live updates today. Thank you for tuning in.
Since major Western economies responded to the invasion with an unprecedented, coordinated barrage of sanctions, Russia has been forced to seek other markets, and has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the top crude supplier to China.
Bilateral trade has soared and financial ties have been expanded.
On Friday, Russia‘s Finance Ministry doubled the maximum possible share of Chinese yuan in its National Wealth Fund (NWF) to 60 per cent as Moscow tries to “de-dollarise” its economy and end dependency on “unfriendly” nations including the United States, European Union members and Britain and Japan.
Moscow has also publicly backed Xi’s position on Taiwan and accused the West of trying to provoke a conflict over the status of the self-governing island, which China claims as its own.
Putin told Xi: “You and I share the same views on the causes, course and logic of the ongoing transformation of the global geopolitical landscape, in the face of unprecedented pressure and provocations from the West.”
However, Xi has been less vocal in his criticism of Western countries that are China’s key export market, and has appeared cool on Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.
China has refrained from condemnation, instead stressing the need for peace, but Putin in September publicly acknowledged that his Chinese counterpart had “concerns” about Russia‘s actions.
Xi did, however, tell Putin on Friday that China was ready to increase strategic cooperation with Russia against the backdrop of what he called a “difficult” situation in the world at large.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting had been substantive and constructive, but that no date had yet been set for Xi’s visit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he was expecting Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a state visit early next year in what would be a public show of solidarity from Beijing as Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine falters.
But an official Chinese readout of a video summit between the two leaders highlighted differences in approach to their developing alliance, making no mention of a visit and stressing that Beijing, which has declined to back or condemn the invasion, would maintain its “objective and fair” stance.
Since sending troops into Ukraine in February, Russia has turned its back on Western powers that have ostracised it economically and politically and armed Ukraine, courting the rising global power of long-time rival China instead.
“We are expecting you, dear Mr. Chairman, dear friend, we are expecting you next spring on a state visit to Moscow,” Putin told Xi in an effusive eight-minute introductory statement broadcast on state television.
“This will demonstrate to the whole world the strength of Russian-Chinese ties on key issues.”
He also said he aimed to boost military cooperation with China – although there was no mention of this in the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV’s report of the call.
Although Xi called Putin his “dear friend”, his introductory statement, at around a quarter the length of Putin’s, was far more pragmatic in tone.
The two men had signed a “no limits” strategic partnership in February, informed by shared distrust of the West, a few days before Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine in what it terms a “special military operation”.
The United States said after the call that it was “concerned“ by China’s alignment with Russia, and reiterated it had warned Beijing of consequences should it provide Russia with military assistance for its war against Ukraine or assistance in evading Western sanctions.
“We are monitoring Beijing’s activity closely,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Beijing claims to be neutral, but its behaviour makes clear it is still investing in close ties to Russia.”
U.S. officials have consistently said they have yet to see Beijing provide material support to Russia for the war, a move that could provoke sanctions against China.
Russia shelled Ukrainian towns across a long stretch of the frontline from north to south, Ukrainian officials said on Friday, a day after Moscow fired dozens of missiles in its latest barrage against critical infrastructure.
Air attack sirens blared overnight into Friday in the capital Kyiv, and Reuters heard several explosions and the sound of anti-aircraft fire south of the city as Russian forces fired 16 Iranian-made Shahed drones, the officials said.
The Ukrainian military said all the drones had been destroyed. Seven had targeted Kyiv, where an administrative building was damaged, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
In an evening report on Friday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Russian forces had tried to advance near Bakhmut and Avdiivka, the focal points of their slow-moving campaign to take all of Donetsk region in the east.
Russian forces fired on several towns and villages, including Bakhmut, Kudryumivka just to the south, nearby Soledar and also the key town of Kostyantynivka, west of Bakhmut.
Russian forces also fired on Avdiivka, the key nearby town of Maryinka as well as Nevelske, the report on Facebook said. Russian forces shelled settlements further west in Donetsk region, including the town of Vuhledar.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the eastern Donbas region and making small advances in some areas.
“On the whole, we are holding our positions,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Friday. “There are also some areas of the front where we are advancing a bit.”
Russian forces shelled several towns near Kupiansk, in the northeast Kharkiv region recaptured by Ukraine in September, the General Staff report said, as well as settlements in the Luhansk region, where Ukrainian forces hope to advance after the gains of recent weeks.
Areas of Zaporizhzhia region, to the south, also came under Russian shelling, including the contested town of Hulyaipole. There was also shelling in and around Ukrainian-held Nikopol, on the opposite side of the Kakhovka reservoir from the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
On the southern front, there was renewed Russian shelling of infrastructure in the city of Kherson – abandoned by Russian forces last month – and Kachkarivka, further north on the west bank of the Dnipro River.
Russia‘s Defence Ministry said earlier it had carried out a “massive strike” on energy and military industrial targets to disrupt Ukraine‘s ability to repair equipment and move troops. Zelenskiy said the attacks were on energy infrastructure and most were repelled.
Since October, Russia has been launching near weekly mass missile and drone strikes against civil infrastructure across Ukraine, leaving millions of people with no heat or power in the dead of winter. Russia says its aim is to reduce Ukraine‘s ability to fight. Kyiv says the attacks are intended to harm civilians.
Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield reports.
Ukrainian forces are holding their positions against Russian troops in the eastern Donbas region and making small advances in some areas, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
“On the whole, we are holding our positions,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address. “There are also some areas of the front where we are advancing a bit.”
Zelensky also said Ukraine, subject to waves of Russian air attacks, had strengthened its anti-aircraft capability and would further strengthen it in the new year to protect both itself and the entire European continent.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 16 Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Friday, a day after Moscow fired dozens of missiles in its latest barrage against critical infrastructure.
DIPLOMACY
* Russian President Vladimir Putin said he aimed to deepen military cooperation with China and expected Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Russia in spring 2023.
* Xi told Putin the road to peace talks on Ukraine would not be smooth and China would continue to uphold its “objective and fair stance” on the issue, Chinese state media said after a video conference between the two leaders. Their readout did not mention a state visit or military cooperation.
* NATO
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on NATO member states to supply more weapons to Ukraine, according to an interview.
ECONOMY
* The rouble soared in its final session of a volatile year on Friday, but remained on course for hefty losses in December, after fears over the impact of a Western oil price cap on Russia’s export revenues dominated this month’s trading.
* Russia’s finance ministry said the maximum possible share of Chinese yuan in its National Wealth Fund (NWF) had been doubled to 60% as it restructures its rainy-day fund to reduce dependency on currencies from so-called “unfriendly” nations.
* Putin also said Russia had become one of China’s leading suppliers of oil and gas, with 13.8 billion cubic metres of gas shipped to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline in the first 11 months of 2022.
FIGHTING
* Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, said at least three people had been killed in fresh Russian shelling in a border area of northern Chernihiv region and in eastern Kharkiv region.
* Russia launched 16 “kamikaze” drones into Ukraine overnight, Kyiv’s military said after the 2 a.m. air raid alert. All 16 had been shot down by air defences, it said.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said air commands in central, southern, eastern and western Ukraine repelled 54 Russian missiles and 11 drones on Thursday.
* More than 18 residential buildings and 10 critical infrastructure installations were destroyed in Thursday’s attacks, a defence ministry statement said on Thursday evening.
* Russia’s Defence Ministry on Friday described the attack as a “massive strike” on Ukraine’s energy and military-industrial infrastructure using high-precision weapons.
* Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo said the deficit in Ukraine’s energy system was at the same level as before Thursday’s attacks.
* The Kremlin said it was extremely concerned about a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile that it said had been shot down after flying into the air space of its close ally Belarus on Thursday. Ukraine’s defence ministry said it would investigate the incident, suggesting it was a Russian provocation and reserving the right to protect its own skies.
As the sound of exploding artillery echoes in the distance, Senia, a big white bunny, twitches nervously in the arms of his owner, Herbert Villarraga, reports from Yampil, in Ukraine Donetsk Oblast region.
“He’s afraid,” explained the farmer, Yevhennia, stroking the rabbit.
Here in Yampil, a crater-pocked frontline village in east Ukraine recaptured by Ukrainian forces at the end of September after months under Russian occupation, buildings lie in ruins and most people have left. But not Yevhennia and Ivan, who say they could not bear to abandon their rabbits, ducks, chickens and pigeons.
It has not been easy.
“We’ve always kept rabbits. But when (the missiles) started falling down over the maple, in the morning I saw 15 of them on the ground, blood coming from their noses. It’s the stress toll,” said Ivan.
Ukrainian authorities have come with leaflets urging remaining residents to leave. Ivan and Yevhennia aren’t going anywhere.
Farmer Yevheniia Andriivna, 70, who refuses to evacuate in order to look after her and her husband’s animals, holds one of their prized hens, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Yampil
“This is my escape. I have been living here my entire life,” explained Ivan.
Yevhennia said she has been raising poultry since she was a little girl, living on the farm with her mother.
“This love grew with us up until our older years. This is what we do, and we can’t live without our chickens, our rabbits. So we try to do as much as we can physically manage.”
Nearby in the village, a blasted stable strewn with animal bones is a monument to the dark fate of animals in a war zone. Private owners had collected a menagerie of exotic and wild animals there. Residents say the private zoo used to be visited by tour buses of children to see its ostriches, bears, wolves, kangaroos and birds.
The animals died, ran away or were killed during the months of Russian occupation, residents say.
Before the war, “there were excursions from all over Ukraine… Big buses came, with children. It was a culture centre,” said Pavlo, a farmer living nearby.
“But now… it’s gone.”
China has vowed to maintain what it described as its “objective and fair” stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine following a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
President Xi said Beijing and Moscow should closely coordinate and cooperate in international affairs and emphasised Russia’s willingness to engage in negotiations over Ukraine, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in its report on a call between Mr Xi and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“The Chinese side has noted that the Russian side has said it has never refused to resolve the conflict through diplomatic negotiations, and expressed its appreciation for this,” Mr Xi was quoted as saying in the video call by CCTV.
Mr Xi and Mr Putin have in recent years been drawn closer by a shared distrust of the United States and its allies, highlighted by a declaration in early February of a “no-limits” strategic partnership that sent alarm bells ringing across the West.
An Italian theatre on Friday called off a show by a prominent Russian dancer who has three tattoos of president Vladimir Putin on his chest and shoulders, reacting to online protests over the artist’s scheduled appearance.
Sergei Polunin’s 28-29 January show at Milan’s Arcimboldi theatre was cancelled “due to the pressing campaign (against it) on the internet and social media”, the theatre said on its website.
Mr Polunin was due to star in the “Rasputin – Dance Drama” ballet, originally scheduled for 2019 and repeatedly postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The theatre said the cancellation was an act of “political and moral responsibility”, given “a climate of tensions and threats”. A spokeswoman said the theatre had been subjected to an email campaign as well as many negative messages online.
The Arcimboldi, which said it had taken the decision in agreement with the artist’s company, said it was firmly against the war in Ukraine, noting it had staged shows by the Russian dissidents’ group Pussy Riot and Ukrainian artists.
Mr Polunin, one of the biggest names in the dance world and a former principal at the Royal Ballet in London, was born in Ukraine, but acquired Russian citizenship in 2018. There was no immediate reply to a request for comment via his website.
Ten months into Russia’s latest invasion of Ukraine, overwhelming evidence shows the Kremlin’s troops have waged total war, with disregard for international laws governing the treatment of civilians and conduct on the battlefield
Michael Biesecker and Erika Kinetz report:
Ten months into Russia’s latest invasion of Ukraine, overwhelming evidence shows the Kremlin’s troops have waged total war, with disregard for international laws governing the treatment of civilians and conduct on the battlefield
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