As the war enters its 450th day, we take a look at the main developments.Here is the situation as it stands on Friday, May 19, 2023.Ukraine's military and Russia's private Wagner Group reported fresh Russian retreats on the outskirts of Bakhmut, as Kyiv pressed on with its biggest advance for six months ahead of a planned major counteroffensive.
Ukraine tells China envoy peace plan must not lose land to Russia
Ukraine's foreign minister told China's envoy that Kyiv would not accept any peace proposal that involved a loss of territory to Russia or that would freeze the conflict.Ukraine's foreign minister told a top Chinese envoy that Kyiv would not accept any proposals to end the war with Russia that involved Ukraine losing territory or the of the placing the conflict on hold, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.
UK should stay out of talks to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine Lord Owen
The UK should stay out of negotiations to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a former foreign secretary.Lord Owen said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should not talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin and any peace talks should be conducted by the two warring countries.But he added there could be a role for US President Joe Biden as he is the negotiator that really matters.
President Xi's visit to Russia one of 'friendship and peace', says China
China said President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia had been a "journey of friendship, co-operation and peace" and again criticised the US for providing military support to Ukraine. he trip, which ended on Wednesday, signalled no new progress in ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, while shoring up Russian president Vladimir Putin's standing amid growing efforts to isolate him and his government internationally.
China's Xi Jinping to Visit Moscow in Show of Support for Vladimir Putin
BEIJING China says President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday in an apparent show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.The Kremlin on Friday also announced the visit, saying it will take place at the invitation of Vladimir Putin.Xi and Putin will discuss issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China, as well as exchange views in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Ukraine war is hurting Africa, South African President Ramaphosa tells Putin
In this handout photo provided by Photo host Agency RIA Novosti, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pose for a photo during a meeting with a delegation of African leaders and senior officials in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, June 17, 2023.Evgeny Biyatov/AP KYIV, Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday met with a group of leaders of African countries who traveled to Russia on a self-styled "peace mission" the day after they went to Ukraine, but the meeting ended with no visible progress.
Fighting is raging at several points on the front line, Russian and U.S. officials say.
Ukrainian forces stepped up their artillery strikes and ground assaults in a flurry of offensive military activity that by Monday was raging along multiple sectors of the front line, American and Russian officials said.Ukraine has remained silent about military operations after months of preparing for a major counteroffensive in the war.
What are realistic expectations for Ukraine's military offensive?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listens to military commanders as he visits the eastern Donetsk region, an area of heavy fighting, on Tuesday.Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials say a major military offensive is likely to start soon.AP Major military operations are normally shrouded in secrecy.
Ukraine's foreign minister and visiting Chinese envoy discuss peace, but next steps unclear
Ukraine's foreign minister met with a visiting Chinese mediator to discuss how to end Russia's war, but no details were disclosed Wednesday and the next steps were unclear.Over two days, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed with envoy Li Hui ways to stop Russian aggression, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Xi and Putin Bind China and Russia's Economies Further, Despite War in Ukraine
MOSCOW President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and China's top leader, Xi Jinping, declared an enduring economic partnership on Tuesday, promising to bring more Russian energy to China and more Chinese companies to Russia as the two leaders sought to insulate their countries from Western sanctions and other consequences of the war in Ukraine.
'There Surely Will Be Conflict,' China's Foreign Minister Warns, Unless U.S. Changes Course
BEIJING China's foreign minister has warned Washington of conflict and confrontation if it fails to change course in relations with Beijing, striking a combative tone amid conflicts over Taiwan, COVID-19 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Qin Gang's language appeared to defy hopes China's might abandon confrontational wolf warrior rhetoric.
Brutal Killing of Governor Heralds New Round of Violence in Darfur
The killing of a powerful governor in Darfur, in western Sudan, has heightened worries that fighting between the country's warring military factions is pushing a region blighted by genocide two decades ago into a new ethnic civil war.Since April, Sudan's military has been battling the Rapid Support Forces, a well-armed paramilitary group that until recently was part of the national armed forces.
Zelensky Signals Next Phase of War Will Have Grim Consequences
After giving the strongest indication yet that Ukraine's counteroffensive is imminent, President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday urged his compatriots to personally thank the volunteers and soldiers fighting Russian troops, in a sign of how grim the next phase of the war could be.Mr. Zelensky singled out more than a dozen soldiers by name, noting that in his nightly speeches he usually thanks specific units or brigades.
AsUkrainian Attacks Surge,U.S. Officials See Signs of Counteroffensive
Ukrainian forces have stepped up artillery strikes and ground assaults in a flurry of military activity that American officials suggested on Monday could signal that Kyiv's long-planned counteroffensive against Russia had begun.The fighting, which began on Sunday, was raging along several points on the front line, but farther to the east of where many analysts had expected Ukraine's counteroffensive to launch.
China Ukraine envoy urges governments to 'stop sending weapons to the battlefield,' negotiate peace
China's Ukraine envoy appealed Friday to other governments to stop sending weapons to the battlefield and hold peace talks but gave no indication that his trip to the region made any progress toward a settlement.Li Hui's appeal came as Washington and its European allies are ramping up supplies of missiles, tanks and other weapons to Ukrainian forces that are trying to take back Russian-occupied territory.
Russian forces appear to lose steam as Ukraine prepares offensive
Putin strengthens his ties with China's Xi Jinping in the 56th week of the war, but his forces seem to have lost momentum on the battlefield.It was a week of highs and lows for Russian President Vladimir Putin.On Monday, he posed for pictures in Moscow with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, one of few world leaders who will still be photographed with him.
Russia-Ukraine war live: IMF and Ukraine agree $15bn funding deal; US rejects China's impartiality claim
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature On that note: Xi Jinping has just left Moscow following his two-day summit with Vladimir Putin, AFP reports, citing Russian media.On Tuesday, White House national security council spokesperson John Kirby said the US does not see China as capable of being an impartial mediator between Moscow and Kyiv over the war in Ukraine.
Japan's Kishida Makes Surprise Visit to Ukraine as China's Xi Visits Russia
KYIV, Ukraine Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a surprise visit to Ukraine early Tuesday, hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in neighboring Russia for a three-day visit.The dueling summits come as the longtime rivals are on diplomatic offensives.Kishida will meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Ukrainian capital.
Defiant Putin Visits Mariupol, Second Stop in Tour of Occupied Ukraine
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia traveled to Mariupol, his second surprise visit to Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine this weekend, and a defiant gesture soon after an international court had issued a warrant for his arrest.Mr. Putin flew to Mariupol, a major Ukrainian industrial hub on the Azov Sea, by helicopter, the Kremlin said in a statement on Sunday.
African leaders to present peace plan to Putin and Zelenskyy DW 05/16/2023
A delegation of African heads of state will travel to Russia and Ukraine "as soon as possible" to help end Russia's war in Ukraine, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday.He had held separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who agreed to host the African leaders in Moscow and Kyiv to discuss a potential peace plan for the conflict.
As the war enters its 444th day, we take a look at the main developments.Here is the situation as it stands on Saturday, May 13, 2023.Moscow acknowledged that its forces had fallen back north of Ukraine's ruined eastern city of Bakhmut, in a retreat that the head of Russia's Wagner private army called a rout.
Teachers walk out of Lewisham schools in first of nine planned strike days
Teachers at Lewisham's Prendergast schools are set to begin nine days of strike action today, as school leaders and NEU reps hold peace talks (Image: NEU Lewisham) Teachers have walked out of three Lewisham schools today in the first of nine planned strike days, as leaders were set to enter peace talks with unions.
Ukraine says its counteroffensive now delayed while Britain sends cruise missiles to Kyiv
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks broadcast Thursday that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia's occupying forces because Ukraine lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties.His remarks, in an interview with European broadcasters, were aired shortly before Britain said it has sent Ukraine air-launched cruise missiles that would allow pilots to extend their reach farther than possibly any other weapon in their arsenal, to locations deep behind the front line.
Elizabeth Shackelford: In Sudan, many hands could make heavy war - or peace
The war unfolding in Sudan is an internal conflict in danger of going global.Finding a sustainable peace will require convincing many countries with a stake in Sudan's future that they are better off with a partner at peace than one at war.The conflict is a power struggle between Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, who heads the Sudanese army and is the country's de facto leader.
Ukraine delegate punches Russian at Black Sea meeting in Turkey
Ukrainian delegates also scuffled with security officers in Ankara who tried to pull them away as they staged a protest against Russian officials.A Ukrainian delegate has punched a Russian delegate in the face during a meeting of Black Sea nations after his Ukrainian flag was snatched away to stop him from photobombing a video interview.
Shakespeare tale scoops nonfiction winner of winners' prize
Author James Shapiro holds his book 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, which has won the Winner of Winners Award at the 2023 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction.Chris Close (AP) An account of a pivotal year for English history and literature has been named the greatest-ever winner of the U.K.'s leading nonfiction book prize.
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 387th day, we take a look at the main developments.Here is the situation as it stands on Friday, March 17, 2023: The Pentagon released a video of Tuesday's intercept with its drone over the Black Sea, which shows a Russian Su-27 fighter jet coming very close to the United States drone.
Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy makes surprise trip to UK DW 05/15/2023
45 minutes ago45 minutes ago The Ukrainian president is set to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, after weekend talks in Italy, Germany, and France.The tour comes as Ukraine embarks on its spring offensive.Follow DW for more.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday he was en route to Britain for talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
As the war enters its 437th day, we take a look at the main developments.Here is the situation as it stands on Saturday, May 6, 2023: The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary force threatened to pull his troops from the fight for Ukraine's eastern city of Bakhmut.Yevgeny Prigozhin published an expletive-ridden video personally blaming top Russian defence chiefs for losses suffered by his fighters due to a lack of ammunition supplies.
China's Xi heralds 'unbreakable' friendship with Belarus, an ally of Russia
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday.Pavel Orlovsky/BELTA/AFP via Getty Images Chinese leader Xi Jinping met on Wednesday with Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.According to Chinese state media, Lukashenko was welcomed with a 21-gun salute in Tiananmen Square, where he reviewed honor guard troops with Xi, who later declared the China-Belarus friendship "unbreakable."
China will send an envoy to Russia and Ukraine in a quest for peace talks.
A Chinese government envoy will visit Ukraine and Russia next week in an attempt to help negotiate an end to the war, a Chinese government spokesman said on Friday.China had announced its intention to send the official, Li Hui the government's special representative for Eurasian affairs after a phone call last month between its top leader, Xi Jinping, and Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Germany says controversial Chinese stake in Hamburg port to go ahead
At their second meeting in a month, the foreign ministers of the two countries, Qin Gang and Annalena Baerbock, clashed repeatedly over major powers' responsibilities on the world stage.Qin warned the European Union against imposing punitive measures again Chinese companies over Russia, saying it would take action to protect their interests.
China Woos European Leaders on Trip Overshadowed by Kremlin Ties
China's top diplomat set out on a three-nation trip Tuesday to persuade European leaders that they can do business with Beijing, even as the Chinese tried to keep faith with their unlimited partnership with a Russia that has plunged Europe into war.But arriving in Berlin, Foreign Minister Qin Gang was quickly confronted about the war in Ukraine.
China tries to act as mediator in Russia's war with Ukraine
Chinese leader Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that Beijing will send an envoy to Ukraine to discuss a possible political settlement to Russia's war with the country.Beijing has previously avoided involvement in conflicts between other countries but appears to be trying to assert itself as a global diplomatic force after arranging talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March that led to them restoring diplomatic relations after a seven-year break.
Spain's prime minister plans to visit Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping on China's peace framework.
MADRID The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, will travel next week to China for talks with President Xi Jinping, and intends to discuss China's framework for negotiating a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, he announced on Thursday.Mr. Sanchez, speaking to reporters at a European Union meeting in Brussels, said he intended to find out first hand what Mr. Xi's peace framework consists of and to transmit the message that Ukraine must establish the conditions for talks.
Putin applauds China's desire to help end Ukraine war DW 03/20/2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday welcomed China's willingness to play a "constructive role" in ending the war in Ukraine, saying relations between Moscow and Beijing were "at the highest point."In an article released on the eve of a visit to Moscow by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Putin said Russia had high hopes for the visit by his "good old friend."
Shakespeare story wins nonfiction 'winner of winners' prize
File - Author and English professor at Columbia University James Shapiro talks with author William Dalrymple at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012.Shapiro's "1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare" won the Baillie Gifford Prize Winner of Winners award on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
UN passes non-binding resolution calling for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine
The UN General Assembly approved a non-binding resolution on Thursday that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and demands the withdrawal of its forces, sending a strong message on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion that Moscow's aggression must end. he resolution, drafted by Ukraine in consultation with its allies, passed 141-7, with 32 abstentions.
UN approves resolution calling for Russia to leave Ukraine
By Edith M. Lederer and Michael Weissenstein | Associated Press UNITED NATIONS The U.N. General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution Thursday that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and demands the withdrawal of its forces, sending a strong message on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion that Moscow's aggression must end.
Ukraine live briefing: China to send senior diplomat to Kyiv; Russia can fund war another year, documents say
Bombed buildings across Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday.(Libkos/AP)China will send a representative to Ukraine to hold talks with "all parties," in a bid to resolve the ongoing "crisis," Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, in their first phone call since the Russian invasion, according to a readout by China's Foreign Ministry.
China's leader Xi Jinping will meet with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a photograph during their meeting in Beijing, on Feb. 4, 2022 Alexei Druzhinn/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images MOSCOW Chinese President Xi Jinping will head to Moscow for a three-day state visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in which talks are expected to focus heavily on the war in Ukraine.
Spanish PM to talk Ukraine war and peace with China's Xi Jinping
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrives in Beijing for a meeting with Xi Jinping and talks that will also focus on ending the war in Ukraine.Madrid, Spain When Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing this week, they will ostensibly be celebrating half a century of diplomatic relations by discussing economic and trade ties.
Blinken Says Xi's Visit to Moscow Offers Diplomatic Cover' for Putin's War Crimes
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Monday said that the visit to Moscow by China's president days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, amounts to Beijing providing diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit war crimes.President Xi Jinping's visit suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the president accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine, Mr. Blinken said of Mr. Putin.
How Xi Jinping plans to use his meeting with war crimes suspect Vladimir Putin | Observer editorial
The welcome and overdue indictment of Vladimir Putin for war crimes allegedly committed in Ukraine confirms his position as a global outlaw.The decision by the international criminal court (ICC) is unlikely to lead to his arrest and trial in the foreseeable future.But it does ensure that, from now on, Russia's president will be a criminal suspect and wanted man, liable to arrest in the ICC's 123 member states and a huge embarrassment to his country.
Joe Biden plans to visit Belfast to mark Good Friday agreement anniversary
Joe Biden is set to visit Belfast to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement despite the Democratic Unionist party's continued boycott of the power-sharing government that the peace pact established.The US president, who is of Irish heritage, is also expected to travel to Dublin as part of his wish to mark his family connection while in office.
China calls for Russia-Ukraine cease-fire and peace talks
China, a firm Russian ally, has called for a cease-fire between Ukraine and Moscow and the opening of peace talks as part of a 12-point proposal to end the conflict.The plan issued Friday morning by the Foreign Ministry also urges the end of Western sanctions imposed on Russia, measures to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities, the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians, and steps to ensure the export of grain after disruptions caused global food prices to spike.
China calls for a cease-fire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine
Wang Yi, China's director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 18, 2023.One year into Russia's war against Ukraine, China is offering a 12-point proposal to end the fighting.Peter Kneffel/AP BEIJING China is calling for a cease-fire in Ukraine and for peace talks as soon as possible in a much-anticipated position paper released on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 367 of the invasion
The first Polish Leopard tanks have arrived in Ukraine, with the prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, confirming that four tanks had been delivered.Poland and Europe stand by your side.We will definitely not leave you, we will support Ukraine until complete victory over Russia, he said, standing alongside the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, during his visit to Kyiv to mark the the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.
China announces visit from Belarus leader and Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a close ally of the Russian leader, will visit Beijing this week, China's foreign ministry said. he news comes as US concerns grow that China is considering providing military aid to Russia.Spokesperson Hua Chunying said Mr Lukashenko is due to visit on Tuesday, leaving on Thursday, but gave no details of his agenda.
Biden promises Kyiv extra military aid as EU discusses ammunition
Joe Biden has promised further military aid for Ukraine worth $500m (415m) during his unannounced visit to Kyiv, as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss ways to accelerate the provision of ammunition.The US president also said additional sanctions would be announced this week against Russia's elite and companies trying to evade existing sanctions in order to back the Russian war machine.
China's Peace Plan for Ukraine Could Have Dangerous Consequences
With its 12-point plan to end the war in Ukraine, China has taken a significant step toward center stage in international politics.In the past, it has avoided the risks and responsibilities that come with a leadership role on foreign policy questions that aren't directly relevant to China's national security.
Switzerland's parliament is considering a retooling of Swiss neutrality
Switzerland is considering allowing its military hardware to be given to Ukraine.It would be a big change in policy for the traditionally neutral country.A MARTINEZ, HOST: Switzerland's parliament today will consider something that was once unthinkable, a retooling of Swiss neutrality.As NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports, the reason is Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
6 books compete for nonfiction 'winner of winners' prize
LONDON - Books that explore subjects from William Shakespeare and The Beatles to the lure of Mount Everest and life inside one of the world's most secretive states are competing to be named the best-ever winner of Britain's leading nonfiction book prize.Are you on Telegram?Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine.
Putin warns of espionage as Russia presses Ukraine's Bakhmut
As Putin asked the FSB to bolster security, Moscow said it is open to peace talks, but will not give up annexed regions.Russian forces have pressed forward their weeks-long drive to encircle and capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where the commander of Ukraine's ground forces described the situation as extremely tense.
Former Irish premier rejoins political party more than 10 years after quitting
A former Irish premier has rejoined the political party he once led.Bertie Ahern led Fianna Fail from 1994, and served as Taoiseach from 1997.He led Ireland during the peace talks across the Irish border in Belfast, working with then-UK prime minister Tony Blair as the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998.
Two of the papers focus on the drive-by shooting which left a little girl fighting for her life in hospital.The Sun on Sunday and Sunday Mirror report the seven-year-old is in a critical condition following the incident, which also injured another girl and four women.Elsewhere, The Observer says a rift in Cabinet has opened up over calls for more money for NHS staff.
Kyiv rebuffs Russia church head's call for truce in Ukraine
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has called for a 36-hour Christmas cease-fire in Ukraine at the end of this week - but his appeal looks unlikely to bring any breakthrough in halting the war that began nearly 11 months ago with Moscow's invasion.atriarch Kirill has suggested a truce from 12pm on Friday until 12am on Sunday.
Russia now says 89 killed in Ukraine attack, blames mobile phones
Ukraine claims that about 400 Russian soldiers were killed in attack on military quarters in Makiivka on Sunday.Russia's defence ministry has raised to 89 the number of its military personnel killed in a recent Ukrainian rocket raid on a school housing soldiers in Makiivka, in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, and blamed the attack on unauthorised use of mobile phones by its forces.