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Post by Admin on May 17, 2024 3:44:38 GMT
Due to sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe on Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's economic dependence on China has become conspicuous. Recently, the view that China is assisting Russia in procuring precision equipment to support the Russian military's weapons is rapidly increasing.
Experts from the United States and Europe point out that while China maintains its position of not exporting weapons to Russia, it continues to export semiconductors and optical equipment necessary for Russia's weapons manufacturing. Both are "dual-use" products that can be used for both military and civilian purposes.
The Xi administration is being asked by the United States and Europe to halt the export of products that can be used for military purposes. Last month, US Secretary of State Blinken, who visited Beijing, conveyed these concerns to the Chinese side and requested that exports be halted. China places emphasis on economic relations, but also on relations with the United States and Europe. Mr. Xi also visited France and other European countries from the 5th to the 10th of this month.
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Post by Admin on May 18, 2024 4:13:16 GMT
On the 17th, Russian President Putin held a press conference in Harbin, China, where he was visiting, and clarified that the reason for the Russian military's fierce attack on Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine was the establishment of a "buffer zone." He insisted that Ukraine was solely responsible for attacking Russian territory.
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The night before, Mr. Putin had an informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the press conference, he said, ``We talked about it in quite a lot of detail.'' He said that Mr. Xi had explained his stance on his visit to Europe this month and the invasion of Ukraine, and welcomed that he was ``really aiming to resolve the issue.''
Mr. Putin complained about the newly launched ground operation by the Russian military in Kharkiv Oblast, saying, ``Ukraine is to blame.They attack houses in Belgorod and other (Russian) border regions, and civilians are killed.'' While emphasizing that ``a buffer zone is necessary,'' he also said that ``there are currently no plans'' to occupy Kharkiv.
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Post by Admin on May 18, 2024 16:43:43 GMT
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia could increase its attacks in Ukraine's north east following its recent gains near the city of Kharkiv.
Russian troops have been trying to push forward as Ukraine’s outgunned forces attempt to shore up a weakened front line.
Mr Zelensky admitted that there were issues with military staffing and morale, saying a number of existing brigades were empty.
He also told the AFP news agency the country's air fleet was lacking and renewed calls for allies to send more air defence and fighter jets.
"Today we have about 25% of what we need to defend Ukraine," Mr Zelensky said of Ukraine's air capabilities.
"So that Russia does not have air superiority, our fleet should have 120 to 130 modern aircraft."
The US recently approved a new $61bn (£48bn) aid package for Ukraine, which includes military support.
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Post by Admin on May 18, 2024 18:32:20 GMT
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Post by Admin on May 18, 2024 23:18:50 GMT
'Massive strike' was retaliation for 'terror attack' in Bryansk - Russia
The Russian defence ministry has claimed in the last few minutes that a "massive strike" that devastated Ukraine this morning was "retaliatory".
Moscow claimed it was in response to an alleged terrorist attack on Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia had been hit by a "terrorist attack" in the southern region.
Ukraine in turn accused Russia of staging a false "provocation".
However, Kyiv also appeared to imply some form of operation had indeed been carried out by Russian anti-government partisans.
Mr Putin had accused the perpetrators of opening fire on civilians in a car, including children.
Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said the attack had killed two people and wounded an 11-year-old boy.
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