Ukraine awaits not without apprehension Xi Jinping’s visit to the Kremlin this Monday, March 20, fearing that Beijing, Russia’s strategic ally, may ultimately decide to deliver arms to Moscow, and thus influence the outcome of the war, in the 387th day of the conflict. At the same time, Moscow is carrying out intense air raids in eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian forces are trying to regain ground in Bakhmout.
Xi Jinping visits Moscow
Russia will receive a visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday. What are they going to talk about? The two leaders openly mentioned that the war in Ukraine would be at the heart of the discussions with in particular the “Chinese plan” to settle the conflict, announced the Kremlin on Monday. Best ally of Moscow, according to Putin, China dreams of mediating the conflict, and sees its trip as a “journey of friendship, cooperation and peace”.
In an article published Monday in a Chinese newspaper, Vladimir Putin hails “China’s willingness to play a constructive role in the settlement” of the conflict and believes that “Russian-Chinese relations have reached the highest point in their history”. According to the American daily The wall street journalXi Jinping could even talk to Volodymyr Zelensky after his trip.
While the United States has signaled that such talks are welcome to end the conflict, in February it accused China of considering supplying arms to Russia, whose invasion has turned into a quagmire. . “We are convinced that the Chinese leadership is planning to supply lethal material” to Russia, CIA director William Burns told CBS television.
For its part, Ukraine insists on a “withdrawal” of Russian forces from its territory, declared a senior Ukrainian official shortly before the arrival in Moscow of Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country does not mention this condition in its plan of peace.
Ukrainian forces carried out counterattacks in Bakhmut
25 counter-attacks were reportedly carried out by the Ukrainian army on the territory of Bakhmout, the most disputed city in Ukraine, which has become a symbol to delight, thanks to fierce fighting in recent weeks. An assertion emanating from the Ukrainian Defense, confirmed by the Institute for the Study of War, in a report published this Sunday, speaking however of a single successful counter-offensive.
EU finalizes €2 billion aid plan for Ukraine
The European Union is finalizing this week a plan of 2 billion euros to finance joint purchases of artillery ammunition which Ukraine desperately needs to counter the offensive of Russian troops. The project should make it possible to supply the Ukrainian forces with at least one million 155 mm shells and to replenish the strategic stocks of EU countries, some of which are close to exhaustion.
“We have entered the dangerous phase of the war. The Russians have more than 300,000 fighters massed for an offensive and we must help the Ukrainian forces to resist”, explained a senior European official. “Two member states, the Bas and Italy still have reservations, but there is no blockage,” said another diplomat. The agreement will then be submitted to EU leaders for their summit on Thursday and Friday.
The International Criminal Court in search of means
Several countries are to announce on Monday the mobilization of additional resources to support the investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) into alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine, during an international conference of justice ministers in London .
On Friday, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the war crime of “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children.
An “extremely important” decision, said French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in an interview published on Sunday. “It means that anyone responsible for war crimes or crimes against humanity will have to be held accountable, regardless of their status or rank,” said the head of French diplomacy in an interview with Sunday newspaper.