China has vowed not to accept “criticism or pressure” over its ties with Russia, after Washington warned that it will hold Beijing responsible if Moscow makes gains in Ukraine.
Associated Press reports:
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday that Washington would “not sit by and say everything is fine” after Beijing renewed pledges of cooperation with Moscow during a visit by Russia’s top diplomat.
In response, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning insisted:
China and Russia have the right to engage in normal economic and trade cooperation.
This kind of cooperation should not be interfered with or limited, and China also does not accept criticism or pressure.
The two countries have in recent years ramped up contacts, and their strategic partnership has only grown closer since Moscow’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
Analysts say China holds the upper hand in the relationship with Russia, with its sway growing as Moscow’s international isolation deepens as its war drags on.
On Tuesday, the two said they would strengthen strategic cooperation as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with President Xi Jinping and top diplomat Wang Yi.
Beijing said on Wednesday that it has “always played a constructive role” in seeking a resolution to the war in Ukraine.
Mao said:
If any country is truly concerned about peace in Ukraine, and hopes for an early end to the crisis, they should first reflect on the root causes of the crisis.
A drone has attacked the city of Taganrog in the Rostov region of southern Russia, the head of the city administration Andrei Fateyev has said via his channel on the Telegram messaging app.
Rachel Hall
Good morning and welcome to the Ukraine blog.
We kick off with the news that Ukraine’s air force has reported that Ukraine downed 14 of 17 attack drones launched by Russia and two of several guided missiles targeting Odesa and the Mykolaiv region.
Ukraine Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on the Telegram messaging app early on Wednesday morning that Russia also launched two Iskander-K cruise missiles and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, but he did not say what happened to those weapons.
Two Kh-59 guided air missiles that Russia launched towards the Black Sea port of Odesa were destroyed, Oleshchuk said on the Telegram messaging app.
The south command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Telegram that 12 drones were downed over the Mykolaiv region and two over Odesa.
Energy infrastructure in Mykolaiv was damaged as a result of the attack, disrupting power supply for several hours. There were no casualties in the attacks, the military said.
Here are the key developments from yesterday:
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David Cameron’s attempt to persuade Donald Trump to permit the US Congress to push through $60bn in military aid for Ukraine appears to have failed.
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Russia claimed that Ukraine attacked the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for a third day with a drone but Ukrainian officials denied that Kyiv had anything to do with the attacks.
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday in a sign of mutual support and shared opposition to Western democracies amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Earlier Lavrov met China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, underlining the ever-friendly relationship between Moscow and Beijing.
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A woman and a child have been killed in the Russian village of Klimovov by shelling, the region’s governor has said.
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Three people were killed in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region by Ukrainian shelling on Monday, the Russian-installed regional head Vladimir Saldo said on Tuesday.
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Ukraine’s military spy agency GUR struck a main production facility of a Russian aviation factory in Voronezh region, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters.
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Ukraine’s air defence systems destroyed all 20 attack drones that Russia launched targeting Ukraine, Ukrainian air force commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, said on Tuesday.
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A Ukraine-launched, anti-ship Neptune missile was destroyed over the Black Sea, and four drones were downed over the Belgorod and Voronezh regions, the Russian Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
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An extraordinary meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors called by Russia to discuss attacks on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine is due to be held on Thursday, three diplomats said.
