Closing summary
It’s nearly 9pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand:
Military honours, tributes and praise welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, to Poland on Monday. Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, were welcomed in Warsaw by President Andrzej Duda, who awarded Zelenskiy with Poland’s oldest and highest civilian distinction, The Order of the White Eagle.
Poland would send 14 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Duda said at a joint news appearance with Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy thanked the Polish leader, government and people for standing “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine and giving fleeing Ukrainians shelter. Poland has led the way in mobilising western military and political support for Kyiv since the start of Russia’s full-fledged invasion 13 months ago.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, met Russian officials in Kaliningrad on Wednesday for talks on the Moscow-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Grossi visited the plant last week, where he said the situation had grown worse and military activity around the site had intensified in recent months.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukrainian troops face a difficult situation in the eastern city of Bakhmut, but that Kyiv will take the “corresponding” decisions to protect them if they risk being encircled by Russian forces. The Ukrainian president, at a news conference in Poland on Wednesday, said Kyiv’s troops in Bakhmut sometimes advanced a little only to be pushed back by Russian forces, but that they remained inside the city.
The president of Belarus and close ally of Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, arrived in Moscow for a meeting with the Russian leader, Belarusian state-run Belta news agency has reported. Lukashenko and Putin will hold a meeting on Wednesday evening, where the pair will “discuss a broad range of matters concerning Belarusian-Russian relations”, it said.
The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus demonstrated that a Russia-China joint statement amounted to just “empty promises”. The Nato chief noted that Russia was becoming more and more dependent on China, partly as a result of international sanctions imposed on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
France’s president Emmanuel Macron has warned that anyone helping “aggressor” Russia in the Ukraine conflict would become an “accomplice”. The French leader arrived in Beijing for a three-day state visit during which he hopes to dissuade Xi Jinping from supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while also developing European trade ties with Beijing.
The six Leopard 2A4 tanks Spain has promised to send to Ukraine will leave the country in the second half of April, defence minister Margarita Robles told state broadcaster TVE on Wednesday, pushing back the estimated shipment date. The German-made battle tanks have not been used since the 1990s and had been mothballed in reserve, requiring refitting and battle readiness tests after initial doubts as to whether they could go into combat again.
Updated
It would be “very hard” to lift Russia’s suspension from UEFA until the war in Ukraine ends, the president of the European football governing body has said.
Aleksander Čeferin, at a news conference in Lisbon, said:
My personal opinion is: that, until the war stops, it will be very hard for us to change anything.
Both UEFA and world football’s governing body, FIFA, suspended all Russian international and club teams from their competitions in February 2022.
Footage being shared on social media shows a small plume of black smoke rising from the Russian defence ministry’s headquarters following state media reports that a fire has broken out at the building in the centre of Moscow.
There have been no details on any casualties or the cause of the fire.
‼️Russian Defence Ministry building in #Moscow on fire, Russian media reported. pic.twitter.com/QVmY492xHS
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) April 5, 2023
🔥 In the center of #Moscow, one of the buildings of the Russian Defense Ministry is on fire
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 5, 2023
Russian media report that one of the rooms on the floor caught fire. The video shows thick black smoke coming out of the building. pic.twitter.com/VZhE9c7f07
Fire at Russian defence ministry building in Moscow - state media
A fire has broken out at a building belonging to Russia’s defence ministry in the centre of Moscow, the Russian state-run Tass new agency is reporting, citing emergency services.
More details to follow.
Here are some of the latest images we have received from the news wires of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s official visit to Poland.
Lukashenko arrives in Moscow for talks with Putin
The president of Belarus and close ally of Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, has arrived in Moscow for a meeting with the Russian leader, Belarusian state-run Belta news agency has reported.
Lukashenko and Putin will hold a meeting this evening, where the pair will “discuss a broad range of matters concerning Belarusian-Russian relations”, it said.
The pair will also discuss “the international situation and the measures being taken to ensure security”, Belta said.
The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus demonstrated that a Russia-China joint statement amounted to just “empty promises”.
Moscow and Beijing issued the joint statement following talks between Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in the Russian capital last month. In the statement, both countries said it was necessary to halt actions that further fuelled the conflict in Ukraine.
Just days later, Putin said Moscow had reached an agreement with Minsk to station tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.
Stoltenberg, speaking to reporters at Nato’s headquarters in Brussels today, said the Russian leader’s announcement followed Moscow and Beijing jointly declaring countries should not deploy nuclear weapons outside their borders.
He said this showed such statements are “empty promises and what we need to watch closely is what Russia is doing”.
The Nato chief noted that Russia was becoming more and more dependent on China, partly as a result of international sanctions imposed on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
Summary of the day so far
It’s 6pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand:
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Poland for an official visit to a close ally that has led the way in mobilising western military and political support for Kyiv since the start of Russia’s full-fledged invasion 13 months ago. Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, were welcomed by President Andrzej Duda, who awarded Zelenskiy with Poland’s oldest and highest civilian distinction, The Order of the White Eagle.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukrainian troops face a difficult situation in the eastern city of Bakhmut, but that Kyiv will take the “corresponding” decisions to protect them if they risk being encircled by Russian forces. The Ukrainian president, at a news conference in Poland on Wednesday, said Kyiv’s troops in Bakhmut sometimes advanced a little only to be pushed back by Russian forces, but that they remained inside the city.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has met Russian officials in Kaliningrad for talks on the Moscow-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Grossi visited the plant last week, where he said the situation had grown worse and military activity around the site had intensified in recent months.
France’s president Emmanuel Macron has warned that anyone helping “aggressor” Russia in the Ukraine conflict would become an “accomplice”. The French leader arrived in Beijing for a three-day state visit during which he hopes to dissuade Xi Jinping from supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while also developing European trade ties with Beijing.
Poland’s agriculture minister Henryk Kowalczyk has formally resigned from his post, saying he decided to quit the position due to the European Commission’s decision to extend duty free imports for Ukrainian grain until June 2024. Export bottlenecks caused by Russia’s invasion mean large quantities of Ukrainian grains, which are cheaper than those produced in the EU have ended up in central European states, hitting prices and sales of local farmers.
A Ukrainian drone has crashed near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia’s state-run RIA news agency cited a Russian officer as saying on Wednesday, as the chief of the global nuclear watchdog was expected in Russia for talks on the plant’s security.
The six Leopard 2A4 tanks Spain has promised to send to Ukraine will leave the country in the second half of April, defence minister Margarita Robles told state broadcaster TVE on Wednesday, pushing back the estimated shipment date. The German-made battle tanks have not been used since the 1990s and had been mothballed in reserve, requiring refitting and battle readiness tests after initial doubts as to whether they could go into combat again.
Blinken has 'no doubt' journalist Gershkovich is being 'wrongfully detained'
The United States is working through the process to determine if Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich’s detention by Russia is “wrongful”, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, adding that it would soon be completed.
“It’s something that we’re working through very deliberately, but expeditiously as well. And I’ll let that process play out. In my own mind, there’s no doubt that he’s being wrongfully detained by Russia,” Reuters reports Blinken said at a press conference in Brussels.
Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, is reporting that explosions have been heard in Kherson.
US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Wednesday she had spoken with her Russian counterpart Vassily Nebenzia to demand the immediate release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Gershkovich was arrested and charged with espionage in Russia last week. Reuters reports Thomas-Greenfield said she spoke with Nebenzia on Tuesday.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukrainian troops face a difficult situation in the eastern city of Bakhmut, but that Kyiv will take the “corresponding” decisions to protect them if they risk being encircled by Russian forces.
The Ukrainian president, at a news conference in Poland, said Kyiv’s troops in Bakhmut sometimes advanced a little only to be pushed back by Russian forces, but that they remained inside the city. He said:
We are in Bakhmut and the enemy does not control it.
He added:
For me, the most important is not to lose our soldiers and of course if there is a moment of even hotter events and the danger we could lose our personnel because of encirclement – of course the corresponding correct decisions will be taken by generals there.
The more ammunition Kyiv receives from western partners, the faster it would be able fight back in Bakhmut and elsewhere, he added:
There is success in some districts of Bakhmut – we’re going forward. Or there’s no (success) and we’re again leaving for positions.
Vladimir Putin has attended a ceremony at the Kremlin where he met the new ambassadors to Moscow and accepted their diplomatic credentials.
Among the 17 new ambassadors attending the ceremony on Wednesday was Lynne Tracy, the US’s new ambassador to Russia. Putin told Tracy in an address that US support for a revolution in Ukraine in 2014 had led to the current situation where Russia and Ukraine were in conflict.
Relations with Washington were in a deep crisis that was “based on fundamentally different approaches to the formation of the modern world order”, the Russian leader said.
Putin accepts the credentials of the new US ambassador Lynne Tracy (and other ambassadors) and then proceeds to lecture her on “color revolutions," "support for the 2014 state coup in Kyiv" (and other things). (source: https://t.co/Hf2WCcI2AM) pic.twitter.com/vFgBm0TafU
— Mike Eckel (@Mike_Eckel) April 5, 2023
Updated
IAEA chief holds talks with Russian officials
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has met Russian officials in Kaliningrad for talks on the Moscow-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
I met high level officials from several 🇷🇺agencies today in Kaliningrad. I continue my efforts to protect the #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. My recent visit to #ZNPP confirmed the urgent need to achieve this vital objective, which is in everyone’s interest. pic.twitter.com/iaudoqRZjC
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) April 5, 2023
An IAEA spokesperson said earlier this week that Grossi would visit the Russian Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad on Wednesday to discuss the safety of the nuclear plant, which is near the frontline of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Grossi visited the plant last week, where he said the situation had grown worse and military activity around the site had intensified in recent months.
Updated
Here’s more from Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who said he would discuss developments in the Ukraine war with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, during his visit to Turkey this week.
Ankara is working with the UN to solve issues regarding grain and fertiliser exports via the Black Sea, Çavuşoğlu added.
Updated
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Poland for an official visit to a close ally that has led the way in mobilising western military and political support for Kyiv since the start of Russia’s full-fledged invasion 13 months ago.
Zelenskiy and Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, were welcomed in Warsaw with military honours, tributes and praise from President Andrzej Duda, who awarded Zelenskiy with Poland’s oldest and highest civilian distinction, The Order of the White Eagle.
Маємо важливий візит із @ZelenskyyUa до Польщі. Рада знову зустрітися зі справжніми однодумцями України – паном Президентом @AndrzejDuda та першою леді Агатою Корнгаузер-Дудою. Попереду спільні зустрічі щодо наших 🇺🇦🇵🇱 проєктів та ініціатив. pic.twitter.com/ZeujSZpavo
— Олена Зеленська (@ZelenskaUA) April 5, 2023
Duda told Zelenskiy that he was a“unique man” and that he had “no doubt that your attitude, together with the bravery of the nation, has saved Ukraine”.
Poland will send 14 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Duda said at a joint news appearance with Zelenskiy:
Four MiG-29s that remained in storage have been handed over to the Ukrainian armed forces in recent months. Four MiGs are now being given, so eight in total.. We are ready... to give six more that are currently being prepared. We assume they could be transferred soon.
Zelenskiy thanked the Polish leader, government and people for standing “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine and giving fleeing Ukrainians shelter. He said:
You have not abandoned Ukraine, you stood with us shoulder to shoulder, and we are grateful to you. We believe this is a historic relationship.
The visit – Zelenskiy’s first official visit to Poland since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 – stood out from his previous visits to the US, Britain, France and Belgium because it was announced in advance, without the secrecy of past trips. It is also unusual because the Ukrainian president is joined by his wife.
Poland has taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees since Russia invaded, and has played an instrumental role in persuading other western powers to supply battle tanks and other weaponry to Ukraine. It was also the first country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine.
During his visit, Zelenskiy is expected to meet with Duda and Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, and sign bilateral agreements. Polish officials had previously said talks would focus on developments on the Ukrainian front lines, international support and economic cooperation.
Zelenskiy will also speak to Ukrainian refugees and Polish members of the public as well as business leaders who could be involved in rebuilding Ukraine.
Updated
Anyone supporting Russia in Ukraine conflict is an ‘accomplice’, warns Macron
Here’s more from President Emmanuel Macron, who has arrived in Beijing for a three-day state visit. Speaking to journalists, the French leader said anyone helping “aggressor” Russia in the Ukraine conflict would become an “accomplice”.
Macron said:
We have decided since the beginning of the conflict to help the victim, and we have also made it very clear that anyone helping the aggressor would be an accomplice in breach of international law.
He added that it was not in China’s interest to provide weapons to Russia in its war against Ukraine:
China’s interest isn’t to have a lasting war.
Updated
Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, has awarded his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy with the Order of the White Eagle during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw.
The order is “the oldest and highest Polish award” and is presented to “outstanding individuals,” Duda said at the ceremony.
Updated
Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, has said Sweden needs to take further steps for Ankara to ratify its Nato membership bid.
Çavuşoğlu also told reporters that he had discussed Sweden’s Nato bid and developments regarding Ankara’s purchase of F-16 fighter jets with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken.
Çavuşoğlu and Blinken met on the sidelines of a Nato meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, on the day that Finland formally joined the military alliance.
China can play 'major role' in Ukraine war because of close relationship with Russia, says Macron
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has said China can play a “major role” in the war in Ukraine because of its close relationship with Russia.
Macron, speaking shortly after he landed in Beijing for a state visit, said maintaining dialogue with China was essential and that Moscow could not be allowed to have an exclusive dialogue with Beijing.
He told reporters at the French embassy in Beijing:
We hear increasingly loud voices expressing a strong concern about the future of relations between the west and China that in some form lead to the conclusion that there is an inescapable spiral of mounting tensions.
The French leader, who touched down ahead of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is on his first trip to China since 2019 and hopes to refute any sense of an “inescapable spiral” of tension between Beijing and the west.
Both Macron and Von der Leyen have said they want to persuade China to use its influence over Russia to bring peace in Ukraine, or at least prevent Beijing from directly supporting Moscow.
Hello everyone. It’s Léonie Chao-Fong here taking over the live blog from Martin Belam. If you’d like to flag something you think we’ve missed, or have any questions about our coverage, or would simply like to point out a typo, click the “send us a message” option under our bylines on the top of the page.
Updated
Summary of the day so far …
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is visiting Poland, while Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen are in China.
Poland’s agriculture minister Henryk Kowalczyk has formally resigned from his post, saying he decided to quit the position due to the European Commission’s decision to extend duty free imports for Ukrainain grain until June 2024. Polish farmers had called for the introduction of tariffs. Export bottlenecks caused by Russia’s invasion mean large quantities of Ukrainian grains, which are cheaper than those produced in the European Union have ended up in central European states, hitting prices and sales of local farmers.
A Ukrainian drone has crashed near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia’s RIA news agency cited a Russian officer as saying on Wednesday, as the chief of the global nuclear watchdog was expected in Russia for talks on the plant’s security. International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi was due to travel to Russia’s Kaliningrad region on Wednesday, a week after visiting the Zaporizhzhia facility in southern Ukraine, which is controlled by Russian forces.
The six Leopard 2A4 tanks Spain has promised to send to Ukraine will leave the country in the second half of April, defence minister Margarita Robles told state broadcaster TVE on Wednesday, pushing back the estimated shipment date. The German-made battle tanks have not been used since the 1990s and had been mothballed in reserve, requiring refitting and battle readiness tests after initial doubts as to whether they could go into combat again.
That is it from me, Martin Belam, for now. I will be back later. Léonie Chao-Fong will be here shortly to take you through the next few hours of our live coverage.
The first images have arrived of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Warsaw where he and his wife, Olena Zelenska, have met Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and his wife, Agata Kornhauser-Duda.
Key event
Turkish coastguards were searching for nine missing crew members of a Ukraine-bound commercial ship that sank close to Turkey’s southern province of Antalya.
The Guinea Bissau-flagged ship had sailed from Turkey’s Iskenderun port for Ukraine’s Izmail port, the coast guard said.
Reuters report five crew members were rescued by helicopters and other ships passing by the area, it said in a statement.
Updated
Spain delays sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine
The six Leopard 2A4 tanks Spain has promised to send to Ukraine will leave the country in the second half of April, defence minister Margarita Robles told state broadcaster TVE on Wednesday, pushing back the estimated shipment date.
The German-made battle tanks have not been used since the 1990s and had been mothballed in reserve, requiring refitting and battle readiness tests after initial doubts as to whether they could go into combat again.
Spain last month said it expected to send the tanks after the 9 April Easter holiday.
It had committed to sending a total of ten tanks to Ukraine, and Reuters reports Robles said the armed forces had started repairing the remaining four.
Poland's agricultural minister resigns in row over cheap Ukrainian grain imports
Poland’s agriculture minister Henryk Kowalczyk has formally resigned from his post, saying he decided to quit the position due to the European Commission’s decision to extend duty free imports for Ukrainain grain until June 2024. Polish farmers had called for the introduction of tariffs.
“As it is clear that this demand will not be met by the European Commission at this point, I decided to resign from the post of agriculture minister,” Kowalczk said.
Export bottlenecks caused by Russia’s invasion mean large quantities of Ukrainian grains, which are cheaper than those produced in the European Union have ended up in central European states, hitting prices and sales of local farmers.
Reuters reports the prime ministers of five states including Poland wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday to demand action on Ukrainian agricultural imports. They said tariffs may have to be reintroduced if the influx of grain and other products from Ukraine cannot be stopped by other means.
Reuters has a quick snap to report that Polish agriculture minister Henryk Kowalczyk will resign from his post amid rising anger among farmers over the impact of Ukrainian grain imports on prices.
The move coincides with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visiting Poland, a trip which some farmers have threatened to disrupt.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images that have been sent to us over the news wires, showing Ukrainian troops in Donetsk oblast.
Emmanuel Macron arrives in Beijing
French president Emmanuel Macron is currently arriving at Beijing airport for his state visit to China.
Updated
The UK’s Ministry of Defence’s intelligence briefing about the Ukraine war today concentrates on the finances of the Russian state.
The UK suggests that Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin’s recent announcement that “a move to issuing some of Russia’s sovereign debt in foreign currencies was ‘under development’” indicates that Russia is anticipating financial support from other countries, which could go to help support the war effort.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 5 April 2023.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) April 5, 2023
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/CIS3mejzmb
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/nf4EsjV7Kb
The German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said on Wednesday at the Nato summit in Brussels that the defence alliance needs to strengthen its relations with global like-minded partners.
After Finland joined Nato yesterday, the Nato summit in Vilnius in July should welcome Sweden to the alliance, Reuters reports Baerbock added.
Updated
Message us your views
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The regional authority in Ukraine’s Sumy oblast has reported that the night passed without any shelling, according to Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster.
After more than 1,200 days in charge of the European Commission, which forms and enforces policy for 450 million Europeans, Ursula von der Leyen is in the final third of her term. It has been a tumultuous period: she took office in 2019 with ambitious pledges to tackle the climate emergency, but was soon confronted by a once-a-century pandemic and the biggest war on European soil since 1945.
In previous crises “the EU realised that it is still very much a legislative machine, and there was no headquarters, no general to lead the crisis management”, said one senior EU official. “Now in two consecutive crises, Covid and Ukraine, we have the headquarters and we have the general.”
As Von der Leyen heads to China, read our profile of the EU Commission president:
Ukrainian drone crashes near Zaporizhzhia power plant – Russian media
A Ukrainian drone has crashed near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia’s RIA news agency cited a Russian officer as saying on Wednesday, as the chief of the global nuclear watchdog was expected in Russia for talks on the plant’s security.
International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi was due to travel to Russia’s Kaliningrad region on Wednesday, a week after visiting the Zaporizhzhia facility in southern Ukraine, which is controlled by Russian forces.
According to the Russian military officer cited by RIA, a Polish-made drone weighing more than 2 kg (4.4 pounds) had crashed near the plant. The news agency did not say when.
Grossi has been pushing for a demilitarised zone around Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which has come under repeated shelling, with Russia and Ukraine have blamed on each other.
Zelenskiy has arrived in Poland
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has crossed the border and is now in Poland ahead of his official visit to the capital Warsaw, the Polish president’s foreign policy adviser said on Wednesday.
“I can say that President Zelenskiy has crossed the Polish border,” Marcin Przydacz told private broadcaster TVN24. We’ll have more shortly.
Updated
More now on Zelenskiy’s trip to Poland:
The Polish public overwhelming supports Ukrainians in their war with Russia. An Ipsos poll said 82% of Poles think Nato and EU countries should back Ukraine until it wins.
Nonetheless, Zelenskiy’s visit takes place amid mounting anger in rural Poland over the impact of imports of Ukrainian grain, which have pushed down prices in several states in the EU’s eastern wing.
“During talks with President Zelenskiy, we will certainly discuss Ukrainian grain and various agricultural products, because we want any trade with Ukraine not to destabilise our market,” Morawiecki said.
Tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural imports may need to be reintroduced if an influx of products pushing down prices in EU markets can’t be halted by other means, the premiers of five eastern states said in a letter published on Friday to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Washington to provide an additional $2.6bn in military assistance
Washington unveiled $2.6bn more in military assistance for Zelenskiy’s government on Tuesday, including three air surveillance radars, anti-tank rockets and fuel trucks.
The Russian embassy in Washington reacted to the announcement by accusing the United States of wanting to drag out the conflict as long as possible, Russian news agency TASS said.
The United States has pledged more than $35.2bn worth of security assistance since the start of the war.
Macron and von der Leyen to arrive in China
European Union executive head Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron land in China today, where they will be hoping to “reset” ties with an important economic partner while broaching thorny issues like Ukraine and trade risks.
Macron last visited China in 2019 while it will be Von der Leyen’s first trip since becoming European Commission president that year.
Since then, China’s strict pandemic controls forced all diplomatic meetings online as relations with Europe soured: first due to a stalled investment pact in 2021 and then Beijing’s refusal to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Macron’s adviser said was an attempt to “reset” diplomatic and economic relations with China.
“It’s not the time to announce business deals or big new investments,” said Noah Barkin, an analyst with Rhodium Group. “It would essentially be a vote of confidence in the Chinese economy and send the message that France is not on board with the US approach.”
Von der Leyen has said the EU must cut risks in ties with Beijing, including limiting Chinese access to sensitive technology and reducing reliance for key inputs such as critical minerals, as well as batteries, solar panels and other clean tech products.
Macron invited Von der Leyen on the trip as a way to project European unity, after French officials criticised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for going solo to China late last year.
Updated
Zelenskiy heads to Poland
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to visit Poland today, the Polish president’s foreign affairs adviser Marcin Przydacz said on Monday.
“The visit will take place at the invitation of President (Andrzej) Duda. There will be long, broad talks, not only about the security situation, but also about economic and political support”, Przydacz told private radio RMF. “It will be an official visit.”
He added Zelenskiy would meet Poles and Ukrainians who have taken refuge in Poland on Wednesday at Warsaw’s Castle square.
Zelenskiy last met his Polish counterpart in December 2022 during his trip home from the United States.
Poland is Ukraine’s neighbour and the two countries have deep historical ties. Many Ukrainians fled their country after Russia’s invasion last year, with a large number seeking safety in Poland.
Opening summary
Welcome back to our continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine. My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the latest.
Our top story this morning: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to visit Poland today, the Polish president’s foreign affairs adviser Marcin Przydacz said on Monday. Zelenskiy last met his Polish counterpart in December 2022 during his trip home from the United States.
French president Emmanuel Macron and European Union executive head Ursula von der Leyen arrive in China on Wednesday seeking to “reset” ties while broaching thorny issues like Ukraine and trade risks. US President Joe Biden on Tuesday held a call with Macron to discuss the visit, the White House said, adding that they also spoke about maintaining support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Here are the other key recent developments:
Finland has become the 31st member of Nato after its foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto, signed an accession document and handed it to the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, at a ceremony in Brussels. Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, said the accession of Finland increased the risks of wider conflict. US president Joe Biden welcomed Finlands’ ascension and urged Turkey and Hungary to conclude their ratification processes for Sweden to join.
Ukraine hopes to receive two more tranches worth $1.8bn from the International Monetary Fund this year under its newly approved four-year lending program, top Ukrainian central bank officials said on Tuesday. Ukraine this week received the first $2.7bn tranche under the program, which is a part of a bigger $115bn global package of support.
Britain has blocked the UN webcast of an informal Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday, at which Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights is due to speak. The international criminal court wants to arrest the commissioner on war crimes charges. Such meetings are not held in the Security Council chamber and all 15 council members have to agree to allow it to be webcast by the United Nations.
The US is trying to wreck Russia’s planned summit with African countries as part of efforts to isolate Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Tuesday. Moscow is preparing for its second summit with African countries, scheduled for the end of July in St Petersburg.
A Ukrainian soldier pleaded “partly guilty” on Tuesday at Russia’s first trial for war crimes in connection with its military campaign in Ukraine.
Russian investigators formally charged Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old woman, with terrorism offences over the killing of the pro-war military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a bomb blast in St Petersburg.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested and charged with espionage in Russia last week, met his lawyers for the first time on Tuesday, editor-in-chief Emma Tucker said in a message to staff. “Evan’s health is good, and he is grateful for the outpouring of support from around the world,” Tucker said in the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.
Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, will travel to Moscow on Wednesday for two days of talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has said.
Lithuania’s parliament decided on Tuesday to ban Russian nationals from purchasing real estate in the Baltic country, citing risks to national security.
Polish farmers are threatening to derail a visit to Warsaw by Volodymyr Zelenskiy over claims that Ukrainian grain is flooding their market, in a move that would provide Russia with valuable evidence of a crack in western solidarity.
Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency has reported that the number of people injured in the St Petersburg cafe explosion that killed the prominent military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky has risen to 40.
