Chinese president Xi Jinping to visit Russia: Kremlin
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia this week and join his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at commemorations of the Allied victory against Nazi Germany.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia on May 7-10 and join his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at commemorations of the Allied victory against Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said.
The visit coincides with heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington over US trade tariffs and Mr Putin’s order for a three-day truce in Ukraine, to coincide with Russia’s World War II Victory Day on May 9.
Moscow and Beijing declared a “no limits partnership” weeks before Mr Putin announced his Ukraine offensive in February 2022, and the two countries have since expanded their trade and military ties in an alliance that has worried the West.
The Russian president’s office said Xi would hold bilateral talks with Mr Putin on “developing partnerships and strategic ties” and on “issues on the international and regional agenda”.
“The governments and ministers... are expected to sign a series of bilateral documents,” it added.
In an interview with state television, Mr Putin said Russia’s and China’s interests were “aligned”.
“They are truly strategic in nature, profound,” Mr Putin said of relations with Beijing.
The Russian leader has ordered a temporary halt in fighting in neighbouring Ukraine from May 8 to 10, a move which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed as theatrics.
China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in the three-year conflict, although Western governments say its close ties to Russia have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky in April accused China of supplying arms to Russia, and alleged Beijing knew of at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces.
Beijing has called allegations of its involvement in the conflict “irresponsible remarks”.
A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry emphasised the country’s historic and strategic ties with Russia at a time when “the international order is undergoing profound adjustments”.
“China and Russia will further strengthen close collaboration in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organiation and the BRICS countries,” Chinese state television CCTV quoted the spokesman as saying.
“(They will) unite the vast global South, lead global governance in the correct direction, firmly oppose unilateralism and bullying acts, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalisation.”
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RUSSIA ACCUSES ZELENSKY OF ‘DIRECT THREAT’
Russia has accused Volodymyr Zelensky of threatening the security of its World War Two commemorations on May 9, after the Ukrainian president said Kyiv would not “take responsibility” for ensuring safety on the day.
Vladimir Putin wants to temporarily halt fire from May 8 to 10 in order to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War Two along with Xi Jinping, but Mr Zelensky slammed the proposal.
“This is more of a theatrical performance on his part. Because in two or three days, it is impossible to develop a plan for the next steps to end the war,” he said.
On Saturday, the Kremlin accused Mr Zelensky of making a “direct threat”.
“He is threatening the physical safety of veterans who will come to parades and celebrations on the holy day,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.
“His statement ... is, of course, a direct threat.”
Ukraine has demanded a permanent ceasefire, as has US President Donald Trump.
ZELENSKY SAYS MINERALS DEAL ‘TRULY EQUAL’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a landmark minerals deal with the United States offered “equal” benefits for both sides even though the accord offered no concrete security guarantees for Kyiv.
Russia later launched a large-scale drone attack on the central industrial city of Zaporizhzhia, ripping open a Soviet-era residential building and wounding 14 people after Mr Zelensky urged allies to step up pressure on Moscow to end its invasion.
The agreement, which has taken months to negotiate, would see Washington and Kyiv jointly develop and invest in Ukraine’s critical mineral resources.
PThe agreement “changed significantly” during negotiations, Mr Zelensky said in an address.
“Now it is a truly equal agreement that creates an opportunity for quite significant investment in Ukraine.”
“There is no debt in the deal, and a fund - a recovery fund - will be created that will invest in Ukraine and earn money here,” he added.
Kyiv and Washington planned to sign the agreement in February, but a White House clash between US President Donald Trump and Mr Zelensky derailed the talks.
Ukraine hopes the deal will pave the way for the United States to give security guarantees as it seeks to safeguard against future Russian attacks following Moscow’s invasion.
The agreement still needs to be ratified by Ukraine’s parliament. Trump initially described the arrangement as “money back” for the wartime aid Ukraine received under his predecessor Joe Biden.
Ukraine says the agreement is not linked to any past “debt” however, and US officials stressed that the accord signalled US support for Ukraine.
Moscow has kept up its attacks on Ukraine unabated, despite President Trump’s efforts to broker a ceasefire.
The United States warned that this week would be “critical” in determining whether it would walk away from efforts to broker an end to the conflict.
US Vice President JD Vance said that he was “optimistic” about securing a halt to fighting but said it would ultimately be up to Kyiv and Moscow.
“They’re the ones who have to take the final step,” he said in comments carried on Fox News.
And Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was possible the United States could walk away from the peace process given “we’ve got so many - and I would argue - even more important issues going on around the world.”
“I would say what’s happening with China is more important in the long-term for the future of the world,” he said Thursday on Fox News.
Vladimir Putin has declared a surprise three-day truce from May 8-10, coinciding with Moscow’s large-scale celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of World War II Victory Day.
KREMLIN BLASTS US-UKRAINE MINERALS DEAL
The Kremlin has blasted the United States’ historic mineral rights deal with Ukraine, sarcastically praising the US President for making a deal with a nation that will soon “disappear.”
“Trump has finally pressured the Kyiv regime to pay for US aid with mineral resources,” Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Telegram.
“Now, the country that is about to disappear will have to use its national wealth to pay for military supplies.”
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the deal offered “equal” benefits for both sides, despite falling short of the explicit security guarantees Kyiv had sought.
Mr Zelensky added that more pressure was needed on Russia after Kyiv and other towns were hit with missile strikes shortly after the deal was signed that left at least two dead and 15 wounded.
The agreement, which has taken months to negotiate, would see the United States and Kyiv jointly develop and invest in Ukraine’s critical mineral resources.
Donald Trump initially described the arrangement as “money back” for the wartime aid Ukraine received under his predecessor Joe Biden.
Ukraine said the new agreement is not linked to any past “debt” however. And US officials stressed that the accord signalled US support for Ukraine.
“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centred on a free, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in Washington.
Why the deal?
President Trump had demanded compensation for US aid given to Ukraine under his predecessor Joe Biden’s administration since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
The US leader had sought $US500bn ($A784bn) – around four times the amount that the United States has paid out to Ukraine, which currently stands at $US120bn ($A188bn), according to Germany’s Kiel Institute.
Mr Zelensky rejected that version of the deal, saying he would not sign an accord that “10 generations” of Ukrainians would have to pay off.
Ukraine has agreed to the minerals deal as a way to secure long-term US investment, after Mr Trump drastically scaled back US security commitments around the world.
The US leader has baulked at offering security guarantees to Ukraine and rejected its bid to join NATO – but he has said a US presence on the ground would benefit Ukraine.
How will it work?
The two countries will establish a joint Reconstruction Investment Fund, with each side having equal voting rights.
The agreement covers 57 types of resources, which include oil and gas. The fund’s profits will be invested exclusively in Ukraine, which will not be asked to pay back any “debt” for the billions of dollars in US support since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
When Washington provides new military aid, it will be counted as its contribution to the fund, the agreement said.
Ukraine says it will have full control over its subsoil, infrastructure and natural resources.
The deal will exclusively finance mineral, oil and gas projects as well as infrastructure and processing in Ukraine for the first 10 years, after which profits “may be distributed between the partners,” Kyiv says.
Ukraine says the agreement will not impact its bid for integration with the European Union.
What resources does Ukraine have?
Ukraine holds about five per cent of the world’s mineral resources and rare earths, according to various estimates.
But work has not yet started on tapping many of the resources and a number of sites are in territory now controlled by Russian forces.
Ukraine also has around 20 per cent of the world’s graphite, an essential material for electric batteries, according to France’s Bureau of Geological and Mining Research, and is a major producer of manganese and titanium.
It also says it possesses one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe, which is yet to be extracted.
Kyiv says “rare earth metals are known to exist in six deposits” and an investment of US$300 million would be needed to develop a deposit at Novopoltavske, which it claimed was one of the world’s largest.
What does US support mean for Ukraine?
Ukraine has said any deal would need to include long-term and robust security guarantees that would deter Russia from attacking again.
But the text does not place any specific security commitments on the United States.
It simply says that the United States “supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain the security assurances necessary to build a lasting peace.”
However, a US Treasury statement notably mentioned Russia’s “full-scale invasion” of Ukraine – diverging from the Trump administration’s usual formulation of a “conflict” for which Kyiv bears a large degree of responsibility.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the deal provided a chance for Washington to get “compensation” for its funding and weapons throughout the war, and showed “that the US has an economic interest in Ukraine.”
“It’s a signal to the Russian leadership,” he told Fox News.
– with AFP
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Originally published as Chinese president Xi Jinping to visit Russia: Kremlin
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