Isolated by the West over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has instead strengthened its connections to China, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Wednesday.
Mishustin met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing to sign agreements for energy exports and other trade deals. While Western sanctions have cut Russia off from most markets, it continues doing business with China. The Western sanctions are aimed at punishing Russia for invading Ukraine.
Speaking Wednesday, Mishustin did not mention the 15-month-old war but instead focused on Russia-China cooperation aimed at countering the United States’ global leadership.
Developments:
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The head of the Russian private army Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says his force lost more than 20,000 fighters in the drawn-out battle for Bakhmut, a high number given official estimates by Russia that it has lost only 6,000 fighters during the entire invasion.
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A group of Russians who say they oppose the Ukraine invasion have claimed responsibility for an attack within Russian territory in the Belgorod region, the New York Times reported. The “Free Russia Legion” said it began attacking Monday with drones and vehicles, the Times reported.
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A U.S. aircraft carrier arrived Wednesday in Oslo in preparation for joint exercises with the Norwegian military. Norway shares a 123-mile-long border with Russia, which objected to the exercises. The nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is making its first foreign port visit after launching in 2017. Prompted in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, neighboring Finland joined NATO in April.
Japan to give Ukraine 100 military vehicles
Japan held a ceremony on Wednesday marking a planned donation of about 100 military vehicles and 30,000 food rations to Ukraine.
Japan’s government is seeking to ease its military equipment transfer policy under a new national security policy that allows its military a greater offensive role, which is a significant break from its post-World War II self-defense-only principle.
Japanese Vice Defense Minister Toshiro Ino handed a document to Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Korsunsky listing the three types of vehicles included in the donation in a a ceremony at the Defense Ministry.
“We hope the invasion ends as soon as possible and peaceful daily lives return,” Ino said. “We will provide as much support as we can.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine live updates: Russia strengthens ties to China amid isolation