The Russian invasion

The Russian invasionThe China-Russia relationship
Putin's focus in China: smoothing over sanctions threats from the US

When Russian President Vladimir Putin visits China and Xi Jinping, it is to nurture a relationship and an economic lifeline, writes AFP.

It is Putin's second visit to China in six months. High on the agenda is trying to counteract the US's attempts to stop China's trade with Russia, writes Bloomberg.

Recently, the US has stepped up its efforts to stifle the inflow of capital into the Russian war coffers. Among other things, they have sent out sharp warnings "about consequences" to Chinese banks and exporters that trade with Russia.

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The Russian invasionThe China-Russia relationship
Putin was met with pomp and circumstance when he landed in China

The red carpet, a military band and a solemn salute. Vladimir Putin received a warm reception when he landed in Beijing early Thursday morning, CNN and AP write.

The two-day meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping will be about how cooperation can be deepened. This will be the fourth time the leaders have met in person since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The New York Times describes it as Russia and China are expected to present a united front, but in fact have different agendas. Putin wants to continue the war in Ukraine and therefore ensure that China is on his side. Xi wants to strengthen strategic cooperation, but is also careful to maintain decent relations with the EU and the US.
 
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The Russian invasion|The world's response
US pivots: Allows weapons to be turned on Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken now allows Ukraine to direct US weapons at Russia. It has previously been a pronounced red line from the US, writes Le Monde.

- We have not encouraged or supported attacks outside of Ukraine, but in the end it is up to Ukraine to make its decisions about how it fights this war, says Blinken on a visit to Kyiv.

All Western countries have been very cautious about encouraging attacks on Russia, fearing that it could further escalate the war.

Le Monde describes it as Britain and Foreign Secretary David Cameron set a new precedent during a visit to Kyiv on May 3. Now the US is saying the same thing, which seems to indicate a coordinated change.

"The Ukrainians have been waiting for this green light for months," writes the newspaper.

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Sweden has sent more medical equipment to Ukraine

Ukraine has received a new delivery of medical equipment from Sweden. This time it is about, among other things, respirators and surgical instruments, writes TT.

"It is equipment that has recently been requested and that is needed during operations," says Taha Alexandersson, emergency manager at the National Board of Health and Welfare, in a press release.

The package is worth SEK 14 million and is the seventh delivery of its kind since February 2022.