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Ukraine-Russia news – live: Cruise missile shipment destroyed in Crimea, says Kyiv

A shipment of Russian cruise missiles has been destroyed in Russia-occupied Crimea, officials from Ukraine’s defence ministry have said.

“An explosion in the city of Dzhankoy in the north of the temporarily occupied Crimea destroyed the Russian Kalibr NK cruise missiles during their transportation by rail,” the ministry said, though it did not claim responsibility for the attack on Russia’s stockpile.

The explosion, if confirmed, is the first such Ukrainian attack on Russian munitions on Crimean soil.

It comes as Vladimir Putin met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for two days of talks in Moscow.

Mr Putin greeted China’s Mr Xi at the Kremlin yesterday, with the two presidents calling each other “dear friend” as they shook hands at the outset of the latter’s first state visit to Moscow in four years.

The high-level diplomatic visit comes just days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Mr Putin’s arrest over war crimes in Ukraine.

The pair held informal one-on-one talks yesterday as well as enjoying a seven-course state banquet, and will today hold further discussions involving their full delegations.

Key points

  • Shipment of Russian cruise missiles destroyed in Crimea, says Ukraine

  • Vladimir Putin says he will ‘certainly discuss’ China’s peace plan for Ukraine ...

  • ... as Xi Jinping arrives for first state visit to Moscow in four years

  • China warns ICC to avoid ‘double standards’ over Vladimir Putin arrest warrant

  • Justice ministers meet in London to build support for ICC after Putin warrant

  • ‘Criminal’ Putin visits destroyed Mariupol

Shipment of Russian cruise missiles destroyed in Crimea, says Ukraine

04:47 , Arpan Rai

An explosion in Russia-occupied Crimea has destroyed a shipment of Russian cruise missiles, officials from Ukraine’s defence ministry said yesterday.

“An explosion in the city of Dzhankoy in the north of the temporarily occupied Crimea destroyed the Russian Kalibr NK cruise missiles during their transportation by rail,” the ministry said, though it did not claim responsibility for the attack on Russia’s stockpile.

It said that the cruise missiles destroyed in the explosion would have been used to supply ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

“The range of such a weapon is more than 2,500 kilometres against land targets and 375 kilometres against sea targets,” it said.

Russia’s stock of Kalibr, Iskander, and Kinzhal missiles depleting – Ukrainian intelligence

06:28 , Arpan Rai

The frequency of large Russian missile attacks has decreased in recent days, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s main intelligence agency (GUR) has said.

Russia does not have many Kalibr, Iskander, and Kinzhal missiles left, but still has many S-300 surface-to-air missiles, the official said.

A recent assessment showed that Russian forces continue to deplete their missile arsenal and that this may constrain how often and at what scale Moscow can conduct strikes going forwards.

But it will likely continue to threaten critical Ukrainian infrastructure as well as civilians, the US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank said.

Putin sticks to protocol during Chinese leader Xi's visit

06:00 , Eleanor Noyce

In case you missed it...

President Vladimir Putin wasn’t waiting at the end of the red carpet to greet Chinese leader Xi Jinping upon his arrival in Russia on Monday for a high-profile visit.

But it wasn’t a snub.

Russia’s standard protocol for visiting dignitaries calls for them to be welcomed at the airport by a lower-ranking Cabinet official.

Many observers argue that the fighting in Ukraine has made Russia increasingly dependent on China for support as the country becomes isolated from the West.

But Putin didn’t deviate from the script, and the start of Xi’s trip was like that of any visiting leader.

Vladimir Isachenkov reports:

Putin sticks to protocol during Chinese leader Xi's visit

Fumio Kishida makes a solidarity visit to Ukraine

05:49 , Arpan Rai

Prime minister Fumio Kishida is set to reach Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Japan’s foreign ministry said today.

Tokyo’s broadcaster NHK showed Mr Kishida boarding a train at the Polish border town of Przemysl.

The Japanese leader, who has been Ukraine’s close ally in the war against Russian forces, will voice solidarity and support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion more than a year ago, the the country’s foreign ministry said.

Kishida will show “his respect for courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people standing up to defend their homeland,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

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

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

Countries urged to rally behind court probes in Ukraine

05:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine’s justice officials and the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court appealed Monday to countries around the world to boost funding and support for the global court’s investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine to ensure Russia is held accountable.

Justice ministers from over 40 countries travelled to London for the war crimes conference, jointly hosted by Britain and the Netherlands, aimed at rallying extra support for the International Criminal Court’s probes into atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

The conference came days after the global court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility in the abduction of children from Ukraine. Friday’s move was the first time the court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

“We share the belief that President Putin and the wider leadership must be held to account,” Britain’s Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said as he opened the meeting. “Let’s make sure that we back up our words with deeds, that we back up our moral support with practical means to effectively investigate these awful crimes.”

Britain pledged an additional 395,000 pounds ($484,000) in support for the ICC, bringing its funding for the court to 1 million pounds. The U.K. government said other countries were also expected to pledge funding for the court’s investigations.

Sylvia Hui reports:

Countries urged to rally behind court probes in Ukraine

Is Putin desperate enough to let Xi get his way over Ukraine?

04:20 , Arpan Rai

Every day that goes by gets worse for Russia, with little or no route to victory in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, writes Timothy Ash.

Russia and China are now aligned, but no deal is possible without the agreement of Ukraine; and Ukraine still feels it can win this war. But China’s 12-point peace plan did include some elements that Kyiv appreciated, including talk of “territorial integrity”.

A sticking point could well be Ukraine giving up on ambitions for Nato membership, but that might well be assuaged by US-Israel style security guarantees from senior Nato states. The problem here is that Putin invaded Ukraine not because of its Nato aspirations, but simply because he wants Ukraine.

Agreement over Nato member security guarantees for Ukraine would mean, in effect, Russia has lost Ukraine forever. Is Putin so desperate to save his own skin as to accept that? We might soon find out.

Read the full story here:

Is Putin desperate enough to let Xi get his way over Ukraine? | Timothy Ash

Fumio Kishida raises Ukraine war with Modi: ‘Japan strongly condemns Russia’s aggression’

04:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida said he raised the issue of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine during his meeting with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi – who stopped short of mentioning the war in his own remarks.

Mr Kishida, who began a two-day visit to India on Monday, has an expansive new plan set out for an open and free Indo-Pacific region. This includes cooperation between the two Quad partners as witnessed in Tokyo’s efforts to forge stronger partnerships with south Asian countries to counter China’s growing assertiveness.

The Japanese leader was expected to convince Delhi to forge a broader and stronger coalition to call out Russia for its invasion of Ukraine during his meeting with Mr Modi and referred to his Indian counterpart’s earlier rebuke of Mr Putin.

“I reiterate that Japan strongly condemns Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and will never recognise it,” Mr Kishida said while delivering the 41st Sapru House lecture. “Prime minister Modi too expressed to president Putin that today is not the era of war. Japan opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by force anywhere in the world.”

He delivered the lecture in the presence of a gathering of top diplomats, envoys and experts hours after he held bilateral talks with Mr Modi for the strengthening of India and Japan’s “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.

Read more:

Kishida raises Ukraine war with Modi: ‘Japan strongly condemns Russia’s aggression’

Russia to hold own UN meeting on Ukrainian child abductions

03:52 , Arpan Rai

Russia is looking to hold an informal meeting of the UN Security Council in early April on what it calls “the real situation” of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, officials said.

This comes in the wake of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to the abduction of children.

Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia claimed in a news conference that Moscow planned the council meeting long before Friday’s announcement by the ICC.

From April, Russia also holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.

The arrest warrant for Mr Putin has been issued as he “is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of (children) and that of unlawful transfer of (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation,” the ICC said.

Russia to hold UN meeting on Ukraine kids taken to Russia

Ukraine firing thousands of artillery shells in Bakhmut, burning through its munition stock – report

03:37 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian forces are fast burning through their ammunition piles to retain Bakhmut and are firing thousands of artillery shells in a day across the 600-mile frontline in their bid to stop Russia from snatching the mining city, two US officials have said.

The Pentagon raised concerns about this with Kyiv recently as the forces in the embattled city saw several days of nonstop artillery firing, the officials said, according to a report by The New York Times.

The US has warned Ukraine against wasting ammunition at a key time as the war-hit nation looks at a decisive spring offensive.

Officials from the Pentagon have highlighted the tension between Ukraine’s move to protect Bakhmut from Russia at all costs and its hopes for taking back some more territory in the spring, where the sludgy swathes of land from receding winter will make way for a dry battlefield.

The speed at which Ukraine is burning through its munition stockpiles is unsustainable and could imperil its springtime campaign, American and European officials have warned.

Japan PM Kishida leaves for Ukraine after meeting Modi in New Delhi

03:16 , Arpan Rai

Japan prime minister Fumio Kishida has left for Ukraine today where he will meet Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, reported Japanese broadcaster NHK News.

The Japanese leader has already departed from India where he met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi and is directly reaching Ukraine, the report said citing unnamed sources.

EU's top diplomat hails deal on artillery shells for Ukraine

03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

European Union countries have endorsed a fast-track procedure aimed at providing Ukraine with sorely needed artillery shells to repel Russia’s invasion forces, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday, as Moscow maintains its focus on attacking the industrial east of the war-ravaged country.

As he chaired a meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers in Brussels, Borrell took to Twitter to hail what he described as “a historic decision” for the 27-nation bloc and Norway to send Ukraine 1 million 155-millimetre artillery shells within 12 months.

“We are taking a key step towards delivering on our promises to provide Ukraine with more artillery ammunition,” he said, and noted that 18 countries had signed up to a European Defense Agency, or EDA, project to place joint orders for ammunition with the defence industry.

Borrell said that he had won approval for his proposal to provide 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to encourage member nations to provide artillery shells from their stocks and any orders for new rounds that they might have placed with industry.

A further 1 billion euros would also be used to fast-track new orders and encourage countries to work together on those purchases through the EDA or in groups of at least three nations. Germany has already called for countries to join its own effort, which Berlin believes will go faster.

Read more:

EU's top diplomat hails deal on artillery shells for Ukraine

UK to ‘consider’ backing tribunal to look into potential war crimes in Ukraine

02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The UK will “consider” backing a special tribunal to look into potential war crimes in Ukraine, after the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky urged nations to support the idea.

It comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrest, accusing him of bearing personal responsibility for the abduction of children from Ukraine.

Speaking during a conference at Lancaster House in central London, where justice ministers from around the world were gathered, Karim Khan KC demanded Russia “return” children to Ukraine as alleged war crimes were detailed.

Concluding the meeting, Mr Zelensky, appearing in a pre-recorded message, urged delegates to back a tribunal to look into Russian “aggression”.

Ted Hennessey reports:

UK to ‘consider’ backing tribunal to look into potential war crimes in Ukraine

How US secretary of state Antony Blinken became a major player in the Ukraine war

01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

When secretary of state Antony Blinken made a personal appeal to Volodymyr Zelensky, hoping to convince him that a Russian invasion was imminent, Ukraine’s president didn’t believe him.

The warning lacked specificity, Zelensky recalled in an interview after the invasion. Moreover, if the Americans truly believed the situation was as dire as Blinken intimated, why hadn’t they begun to send more powerful weapons months sooner?

This discreet meeting, occurring on the sidelines of a climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021, revealed the limitations of Blinken’s influence over the Ukrainian leader and Zelensky’s innate scepticism of US intelligence. But in the time since, Blinken’s rapport with Zelensky and his top aides has evolved substantially, and the top US diplomat has become one of Kyiv’s most trusted champions and interlocutors.

The diplomat is ‘completely synchronised with us in terms of vision’, say Zelensky’s advisers, while detractors say he must be bolder in brokering negotiations. John Hudson profiles one of Joe Biden’s most influential allies:

How US secretary of state Antony Blinken became a major player in the Ukraine War

Putin appears to be heckled during Mariupol visit

Monday 20 March 2023 23:59 , Eleanor Noyce

Vladimir Putin appeared to be heckled by a Mariupol resident during his visit to the annexed city on Sunday (19 March).

According to The Telegraph, as the president of Russia met with supposedly grateful Ukrainians, a woman can be heard shouting: “It’s all lies, it’s all just for show.”

In the footage, which was broadcast on television, Mr Putin’s security team appear to begin frantically looking around to try and locate the disturbance.

The president was meeting residents of a reconstructed apartment block, with one of those he spoke to describing Mariupol as “paradise”.

Watch:

Putin appears to be heckled during Mariupol visit

Putin warns Russia could drop grain deal after 60 days

Monday 20 March 2023 23:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed on Monday that Moscow has agreed to extend a deal allowing the exports of Ukrainian grain to global markets only for 60 days and could drop it altogether if its conditions aren’t met.

Speaking at a parliamentary meeting in Moscow attended by lawmakers from African countries, Putin emphasized that Russia expects the facilitation of exports of its own agricultural products as part of a package agreement.

“A fair and comprehensive implementation of the Black Sea grain deal can only be ensured if our position is taken into account, and depending on that we will deal with the issue of our further participation in it,” Putin said.

The U.N. and Turkey brokered July’s agreement that allowing Ukraine — one of the world’s key breadbaskets — to ship food and fertilizer from three of its Black Sea ports. The 120-day agreement was renewed last November. Russia agreed to extend it again when it expired Saturday, but noted that it has only accepted a 60-day extension.

Ukraine has charged that the 60-day extension contradicts the deal, but the agreement allows the parties to roll it over or “modify” it — as Russia did. The United Nations and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the extension, but neither said how long it would last, reflecting their inability to force Russia’s hand.

Read more:

Putin warns Russia could drop grain deal after 60 days

Putin welcomes ‘dear friend’ Xi for hours of talks at Kremlin

Monday 20 March 2023 22:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Vladimir Putin held more than four hours of talks with ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping of China at the Kremlin on Monday, showing off the relationship with his most powerful ally just days after an arrest warrant was issued over his war in Ukraine.

It was the first trip abroad for Xi since he obtained an unprecedented third term last month. He has been trying to portray Beijing as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine.

The two major powers have described Xi’s three-day visit as an opportunity to deepen their “no-limits friendship.”

Putin and Xi greeted one another as “dear friend” and shook hands as they met in front of the cameras. More than four hours later, they were said to be still in discussion. “The conversation is still going on,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

My colleague Alistair Jamieson reports:

10-Putin flaunts alliance with Xi as ‘dear friends’ meet in Kremlin

Zelenksy thanks Ireland for support in phone call with Taoiseach

Monday 20 March 2023 21:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine‘s president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Ireland for its support for his country.

Mr Zelensky spoke to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar by telephone on Monday.

A government spokesman said Mr Varadkar pledged continued support and solidarity with Ukraine.

Mr Varadkar told Mr Zelensky that Ireland is backing Ukraine‘s application for European Union membership, and is examining how additional help can be provided to help Ukraine rebuild its civilian and energy infrastructure.

He also briefed Mr Zelensky about discussions he held with US President Joe Biden and others regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during his recent visit to the US, where he thanked them for their steadfast support and encouraged them to continue it for as long as it takes.

Mr Zelensky extended his wishes for a happy St Patrick’s Day to Ireland, and wished peace and good luck to Ireland and Irish people.

Watch as Dominic Raab and Dutch justice minister speak after Ukraine war crimes conference

Monday 20 March 2023 21:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Watch as Dominic Raab and Dutch justice minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius hold a joint address after an international conference on accountability for war crimes in Ukraine.

Last Friday, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin’s arrest, accusing him of bearing personal responsibility for the abduction of children from the war-torn nation.

Mr Raab, the deputy prime minister, said that the decision represented a “historic moment” in the conflict as he spoke at the conference earlier on Monday (20 March).

“On Friday, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for President Putin and his children’s rights commissioner, over the alleged abduction of hundreds of Ukrainian children taken forcibly from their parents and deported to Russia,” he said.

“It sends a much stronger and far-reaching message right around the world to despots and dictators everywhere - that they will be brought to justice and they will be held to account.”

Read more:

Watch: Raab and Dutch justice minister speak after Ukraine war crimes conference

Russia on the “wrong side of history”, says Canada following Putin’s meeting with China

Monday 20 March 2023 20:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Following President Putin’s meeting with President Xi on Monday, Canada has warned that Russia is on the “wrong side of history.”

Urging China to be mindful of the “stakes” in the Ukraine War, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland made the comments on Monday evening.

“Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is the strongest challenge in a generation to the rules-based international order...I’m not going to anticipate what President Xi will say or do in Moscow, but China and China’s leadership needs to understand the stakes here,” Ms Freeland told reporters in Oshawa, Ontario.

Is Putin desperate enough to let Xi get his way over Ukraine?

Monday 20 March 2023 20:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Outwardly the summit in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping is an attempt to send a strong signal to the West that the “partnership without limits” agreement – signed between the two men at the Beijing Winter Olympics on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – is still just that.

However, Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine hangs over the summit, and will likely dominate proceedings.

Russia is losing badly in Ukraine. It has already suffered a colossal loss of manpower, military equipment and prestige for Putin. It has also caused a sizeable economic hit to the Russian economy as sanctions have pushed it into recession, forced a brain drain and capital flight and seen close to $400bn in its assets frozen in the West.

Every day that goes by gets worse for Russia, with little or no route to victory. Putin hoped his autumn mass mobilisation and winter offensive would allow him to seize the initiative again, but these hopes have gotten stuck in the mud of the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and dogged resistance from Kyiv’s forces. An expected Ukrainian counter-offensive planned for the spring could turn the war in favour of Ukraine. Putin desperately wants an off-ramp; an escape route.

Timothy Ash reports:

Is Putin desperate enough to let Xi get his way over Ukraine? | Timothy Ash

Countries urged to rally behind court probes in Ukraine

Monday 20 March 2023 19:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine’s justice officials and the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court appealed Monday to countries around the world to boost funding and support for the global court’s investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine to ensure Russia is held accountable.

Justice ministers from over 40 countries travelled to London for the war crimes conference, jointly hosted by Britain and the Netherlands, aimed at rallying extra support for the International Criminal Court’s probes into atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

The conference came days after the global court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility in the abduction of children from Ukraine. Friday’s move was the first time the court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

“We share the belief that President Putin and the wider leadership must be held to account,” Britain’s Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said as he opened the meeting. “Let’s make sure that we back up our words with deeds, that we back up our moral support with practical means to effectively investigate these awful crimes.”

Britain pledged an additional 395,000 pounds ($484,000) in support for the ICC, bringing its funding for the court to 1 million pounds. The U.K. government said other countries were also expected to pledge funding for the court’s investigations.

Read more:

Countries urged to rally behind court probes in Ukraine

EU's top diplomat hails deal on artillery shells for Ukraine

Monday 20 March 2023 19:00 , Eleanor Noyce

European Union countries have endorsed a fast-track procedure aimed at providing Ukraine with sorely needed artillery shells to repel Russia’s invasion forces, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday, as Moscow maintains its focus on attacking the industrial east of the war-ravaged country.

As he chaired a meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers in Brussels, Borrell took to Twitter to hail what he described as “a historic decision” for the 27-nation bloc and Norway to send Ukraine 1 million 155-millimetre artillery shells within 12 months.

“We are taking a key step towards delivering on our promises to provide Ukraine with more artillery ammunition,” he said, and noted that 18 countries had signed up to a European Defense Agency, or EDA, project to place joint orders for ammunition with the defence industry.

Borrell said that he had won approval for his proposal to provide 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to encourage member nations to provide artillery shells from their stocks and any orders for new rounds that they might have placed with industry.

A further 1 billion euros would also be used to fast-track new orders and encourage countries to work together on those purchases through the EDA or in groups of at least three nations. Germany has already called for countries to join its own effort, which Berlin believes will go faster.

Lorne Cook reports:

EU's top diplomat hails deal on artillery shells for Ukraine

Russia says it will end grain export deal if sanctions are not lifted

Monday 20 March 2023 18:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia will end its Black Sea grain export deal if the sanctions against it are not lifted by the West, the foreign ministry has confirmed.

It wants farm machinery supplies, foreign assets and accounts held by agricultural companies unblocked. Furthermore, the foreign ministry has demanded that access to the financial messaging system, SWIFT, be restored for the state-owned agriculture bank Rosselkhozbank.

The current deal, which sees grain exported via the Black Sea, is set to expire on 18 May.

Notably, some Middle Eastern and African nations rely on grain imports from Ukraine, threatening already worsening food security.

Putin has previously said that this Black Sea deal unjustly prioritises “well-fed European markets” over “especially needy African countries.”

ICC demands Russia ‘return’ children to Ukraine as justice ministers meet in UK

Monday 20 March 2023 18:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has demanded Russia “return” children to Ukraine as alleged war crimes were detailed at a meeting in London.

It comes after the ICC issued a warrant for Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s arrest, accusing him of bearing personal responsibility for the abduction of children from Ukraine.

Speaking during a conference at Lancaster House, where justice ministers from around the world were gathered, Karim Khan KC said the move marked “a really sombre occasion”.

Read the full story:

ICC demands Russia ‘return’ children to Ukraine as justice ministers meet in UK

How US secretary of state Antony Blinken became a major player in the Ukraine war

Monday 20 March 2023 17:30 , Eleanor Noyce

When secretary of state Antony Blinken made a personal appeal to Volodymyr Zelensky, hoping to convince him that a Russian invasion was imminent, Ukraine’s president didn’t believe him.

The warning lacked specificity, Zelensky recalled in an interview after the invasion. Moreover, if the Americans truly believed the situation was as dire as Blinken intimated, why hadn’t they begun to send more powerful weapons months sooner?

This discreet meeting, occurring on the sidelines of a climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021, revealed the limitations of Blinken’s influence over the Ukrainian leader and Zelensky’s innate scepticism of US intelligence. But in the time since, Blinken’s rapport with Zelensky and his top aides has evolved substantially, and the top US diplomat has become one of Kyiv’s most trusted champions and interlocutors.

The diplomat is ‘completely synchronised with us in terms of vision’, say Zelensky’s advisers, while detractors say he must be bolder in brokering negotiations. John Hudson profiles one of Joe Biden’s most influential allies:

How US secretary of state Antony Blinken became a major player in the Ukraine War

Officials: US to send ammunition, tanker trucks to Ukraine

Monday 20 March 2023 17:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The U.S. is poised to announce that it will send Ukraine $350 million in weapons and equipment, U.S. officials said Monday, as fierce battles with Russian forces continue for control of the city of Bakhmut, and troops prepare for an expected spring offensive.

The latest package of aid includes a large amount of various types of ammunition, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, and an undisclosed number of fuel tanker trucks and riverine boats, according to the officials. Officials said it will be announced later Monday.

It comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday, giving a political lift to Russian President Vladimir Putin against the West just days after an international arrest warrant was issued for the Kremlin leader on war crimes charges related to Ukraine.

Officials said the American aid will be taken from Pentagon stocks through the presidential drawdown authority, so it will be able to be delivered quickly to the warfront. The U.S. has provided more than $32.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been publicly announced.

Read more:

Officials: US to send ammunition, tanker trucks to Ukraine

US envoy hails 'historic' EU-brokered Serbia-Kosovo deal

Monday 20 March 2023 16:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States envoy for the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue on Monday welcomed the European Union-facilitated deal on normalising relations between neighbouring Kosovo and Serbia as an “important and historic agreement.”

Gabriel Escobar said the weekend deal between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Ohrid, North Macedonia “sets the conditions for normalisation between Serbia and Kosovo on European terms.

On Saturday EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Vucic and Kurti agreed on an 11-point EU plan to normalise relations following their 1998-1999 war and Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008.

The plan calls for them to maintain good neighbourly relations and recognise each other’s official documents and national symbols. If implemented, it would prevent Belgrade from blocking Kosovo’s attempts to seek membership in the United Nations and other international organizations. But it doesn’t explicitly call for mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia.

“This agreement is a legally binding obligation on both parties … (and) will continue to be the basis of our policy for the United States going forward and the basis for European engagement in the region,” Escobar said in an online briefing.

Read more:

US envoy hails 'historic' EU-brokered Serbia-Kosovo deal

Putin claims he will ‘certainly discuss’ China’s peace proposals with ‘dear friend’ Xi

Monday 20 March 2023 16:04 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin claimed he would “certainly discuss” China’s peace proposals for the Ukraine war with “dear friend” Xi Jinping, as he sought to put on a show of close ties with Beijing.

"We are always open to negotiations," Mr Putin told Mr Xi as he greeted him at the Kremlin, adding: “We will certainly discuss all these issues, including your initiatives which we treat with respect, of course.”

Seeking to heap praise on his guest, the Russian president added that was also “slightly envious” of China’s rapid development in recent decades.

“China has created a very effective system for developing the economy and strengthening the state. It is much more effective than in many other countries,” he said.

EU member states agree on ammunition deal for Ukraine

Monday 20 March 2023 15:24 , Andy Gregory

European Union member states have reached an agreement on the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine, German defence minister Boris Pistorius has said.

“Today, we will sign the respective documents,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels, adding that Germany would also open its national framework contracts with the defence industry to other partners as speed was of the essence in supplying Kyiv.

“Our goal has to be to ship a significant amount of munitions to Ukraine before the end of this year,” Mr Pistorius said.

Xi’s arrival in Moscow

Monday 20 March 2023 14:30 , Sam Rkaina

 (via REUTERS)
(via REUTERS)
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 (AP)
(AP)

Xi and Putin greet one another as “dear friend”

Monday 20 March 2023 14:26 , Sam Rkaina

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met his “dear friend” Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow.

Mr Xi was the first leader to meet the Russian president since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia during its year-old invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow said the charge was one of several “clearly hostile displays” and opened a criminal case against the ICC prosecutor and judges. Beijing said the warrant reflected double standards.

Russia is presenting Mr Xi’s trip, his first since securing an unprecedented third term this month, as evidence that it has a powerful friend in its standoff with a hostile West.

The two men greeted one another as “dear friend” when they met in the Kremlin on Monday afternoon before a dinner, to be followed by formal talks on Tuesday.

Mr Putin told Mr Xi he viewed China’s proposals for a resolution of the Ukraine conflict with respect and was also “slightly envious” of China’s rapid development in recent decades.

“China has created a very effective system for developing the economy and strengthening the state. It is much more effective than in many other countries,” he said.

 (via REUTERS)
(via REUTERS)
 (AP)
(AP)

Xi should use Moscow trip to urge Putin to halt ‘atrocities’ in Ukraine, says No 10

Monday 20 March 2023 13:48 , Andy Gregory

China’s president Xi Jinping should use his visit to Moscow to urge Vladimir Putin to halt its bombings and other “atrocities” in Ukraine, Downing Street has said.

Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “China has spoken previously about the importance of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity in Ukraine. We would like to see President Xi advocate for this point when he speaks to Putin.

“This war and its assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty could end today if Russia withdrew its troops from Ukraine. So we hope President Xi uses this opportunity to press President Putin to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals, schools, and to halt some of these atrocities that we are seeing on a daily basis.”

Putin vows to provide free grain to African nations if Black Sea deal not extended in May

Monday 20 March 2023 13:24 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has said that Russia would provide grain to African countries for free if the Black Sea grain deal is not extended in May.

Speaking by video link to delegates at a Russia-Africa parliamentary conference, the Russian president said that only a small amount of grain exports unblocked under the deal had reached Africa, and that the fulfilment of Russian conditions for the deal’s renewal was in Africa’s interest.

Russia launches criminal case against ICC judges who issued Putin arrest warrant

Monday 20 March 2023 12:58 , Andy Gregory

Russia's Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case against the International Criminal Court prosecutor and judges who have issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges.

The committee, responsible for investigating serious crimes, said heads of state enjoyed absolute immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign states, and insisted there were no grounds for criminal liability on Mr Putin’s part.

The ICC prosecutor’s actions showed signs of being crimes under Russian law, the committee claimed – knowingly accusing an innocent person of a crime, and “preparing an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection, in order to complicate international relations”.

Voices | Putin’s disaster in Ukraine has fundamentally altered his relationship with Xi

Monday 20 March 2023 12:34 , Andy Gregory

Writing for Independent Voices, Timothy Ash of Chatham House suggests that Xi Jinping likely assumed that any war between Russia and Ukraine would be short, provide a swift kick in the face for the US and its Nato allies, and – As the war dragged on – sap the strengths of both Russia and Nato.

He adds: “Something seems to have changed. China’s foreign minister has unveiled a 12-point peace plan on the one-year anniversary of the invasion on 24 February. Xi’s plans for a trip to Moscow next week were then unveiled, and a call reportedly lined up with President Zelensky of Ukraine after his meeting with Putin. China now seems to want peace, and is willing to try and broker that.

“What has changed? Likely Xi has concluded from Putin’s failed offensive in Bakhmut that Russia cannot win – and may now fear that a devastating defeat for Putin in Ukraine could threaten regime change in Moscow.

“It is extremely unlikely, but would be a nightmare scenario for Beijing as the emergence of a pro-Western administration in Moscow would leave China encircled. As such, Xi would want a peace in Ukraine which can save Putin’s skin.”

You can read his thinking in full here:

Putin’s disaster in Ukraine has altered his relationship with Xi | Timothy Ash