China

Russia's offensive in Ukraine could consist of several waves, the first of which would be directed at the Kharkiv region, where Russian troops advanced but were eventually stopped by Ukrainian forces.

A Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire and an emergency shutdown of the tuapse oil refinery in russia, damaging the liquefied natural gas unit but leaving the crude oil distillation unit intact.

Ukraine is working to involve China at the highest level in the upcoming Peace Summit, as China is an influential country that can influence the aggressor Russia, said the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak.

Oil prices stabilized, with Brent rising for the first time in three weeks due to positive economic data from China and the US, which increased expectations of demand growth, while the decline in global crude and oil product inventories contributed to positive demand sentiment.

Many of the goods used by Russia to manufacture weapons are produced by order of companies of the sanctions coalition in third countries.

Putin said that Russia's actions in the Kharkiv region are aimed at creating a "sanitary zone" in response to Ukrainian shelling and rejected plans to seize Kharkiv.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva will not attend the Peace Summit on Ukraine, as he sees no "point" in participating in an event that does not involve the two conflicting parties.

During his visit, Putin plans to emphasize growing trade ties with China near the Russian border.

Russia and China have announced a strategic partnership agreement that strengthens ties in energy, trade, security, and geopolitics, counteracts alleged U. S. attempts to upset the strategic balance, and supports each other on Ukraine and North Korea.

Xi Jinping said that China believes that political settlement in Ukraine is "the right direction", reaffirming China's position of respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and legitimate security interests of all countries.

Russia and China issued a joint statement in which, according to media reports, they expressed concern about the growing risks due to the deterioration of relations between the nuclear powers and promised to deepen military cooperation and expand joint exercises.

Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping touched upon the topic of Ukraine at a briefing.

Putin and Xi signed a joint statement defining new large-scale tasks and long-term prospects for deepening the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in China for a two-day visit to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, his first foreign visit since his re-election.

France and the Netherlands propose that the EU impose sanctions on any financial institution worldwide that helps the Russian military obtain prohibited goods or dual-use technology.

China is indirectly supporting Russia in rebuilding its military-industrial complex by providing most of the military electronics components that help Russia produce more missiles, tanks and armored vehicles for its aggression against Ukraine, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.

Blinken noted that the decision to negotiate with Russia should be made by Ukraine, not the United States or any other country, as Putin demonstrates completely different intentions every day, despite the fact that he claims to support the Chinese plan for a peaceful settlement.

On Wednesday, the price of bitcoin fell slightly to $62,000, despite the weakening dollar and a small positive movement.

Diplomats are trying to secure the participation of the Global South in the Peace Summit for Ukraine by focusing on a narrow set of goals. More than 160 countries have been invited to the Summit, which will take place on June 15-16.

Putin supports China's plan to resolve the war in Ukraine, saying that Beijing understands the conflict.

The US has raised tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, including semiconductors, batteries, solar panels, electric vehicles, steel, aluminum, and medical equipment, with some tariff rates more than tripling to counter China's unfair trade practices.

Extreme weather conditions in China, including an unusually warm winter followed by torrential spring rains, destroyed nearly half of this year's $4 billion lychee crop.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the upcoming Global Peace Summit in Switzerland will not discuss the process of ending the war in Ukraine, but will discuss issues such as nuclear safety, grain exports, prisoner exchange and the taboo on the use of nuclear weapons.

Last month, the U. S. and Taiwanese navies conducted joint exercises in the Pacific Ocean, which were not disclosed, practicing basic operations such as communications, refueling and resupply, Reuters reported.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic expressed support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, but did not commit to sanctions against Russia.

Gazprom, once Russia's most profitable company, is facing a prolonged period of poor performance due to the loss of gas sales to Europe, trying to compensate for this at the expense of the domestic market and exports to China.

In April 2024, Ukrainians bought nearly 1,200 cars imported from China, with electric vehicles accounting for 77% of the total, according to the Ukravtoprom association.

Scholz hopes that Arab countries, India, South Africa, Brazil, and China will take part in the Peace Summit in Switzerland, which could be an important step toward resolving the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear threats are a bluff, and that he has nothing to gain from the use of nuclear weapons, but can lose everything.

Ukraine insists on the presence of state leaders, not representatives, at the Global Peace Summit, according to Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva.