China’s Xi Jinping in Russia for Victory Day amid exchange of fire with Ukraine
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Russia to participate in the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, as the country traded fire with Ukraine just hours before.
The Chinese and Brazilian premiers are in Russia to attend the commemoration of the end of World War 2 on the occasion of Victory Day.
However, the Victory Day celebrations come amid an exchange of fire between Russia and Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s President Zelensky, Russia attacked Ukraine with ballistic strikes and more than 140 attack drones overnight.
He said that air raid sirens sounded across Kyiv and other cities almost all day, and people were killed and injured in the attacks. Rescue efforts were carried out all day in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kyi, he said.
“It is entirely fair that the Russian sky—the sky of the aggressor—is not calm either today. Ukraine’s proposal for a ceasefire of at least 30 days still stands, we are not withdrawing it, as it offers a real chance for diplomacy. But it is Russia that the world sees giving no answer—no response except for new strikes. This clearly and obviously shows who is the source of this war,” he said in a post on X.
Ukraine also attacked Russia and the latter shot down nine drones flying towards Moscow, said Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, according to the Bloomberg report.
The exchange of fires came a day ahead of Russia’s proposed three-day ceasefire truce was about to come into effect. Zelensky has not committed to Russia’s truce proposal but has put forth his own 30-day truce proposal.
During Xi’s Russia visit, he is expected to hold bilateral talks with Putin on Thursday and discuss Ukraine war and Russia-US ties along with other things, said Kremlin’s official Yuri Ushakov, according to the Interfax news service.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also invited to be part of the Victory Day parade in Russia, however, he had to turn down the offer amid escalating tensions with Pakistan.
