Ukraine live briefing: China’s Xi will meet Putin in Moscow on Monday, in first visit since war began
By Andrew Jeong
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Updated March 17, 2023 at 6:38 a.m. EDT|Published March 17, 2023 at 2:00 a.m. EDT
Before the trip was confirmed, the Wall Street Journal reported that Xi was expected to have a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following any planned trip to Russia, in what would be their first conversation since the conflict began. A Ukrainian presidential spokesman said Friday the issue was under discussion.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Key developments
- Putin and Xi will have a one-on-one meeting on Monday afternoon, followed by an informal lunch, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. Xi’s visit is seen as part of his efforts to ramp up Beijing’s diplomatic efforts and position China as a leader in a new global order. Asked about reports that Zelensky and Xi will speak by phone after the visit, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov told The Post in a text message: “There are no specific agreements about this yet. But this topic, among others, was discussed by foreign ministers of Ukraine and China. So we can say that the work is in progress.”
- Slovakia has joined Poland in announcing it will supply Kyiv with fighter jets, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said Friday. Heger said his government approved a decision to send 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 jets, a day after Poland said it would send four in the coming days. Agreement to transfer the fighter jets marks a new level of Western aid to Ukraine, and Poland and Slovakia have called on other countries to follow their lead as part of an international coalition.
- The United States has not changed its stance on not supplying Kyiv with F-16 jets, despite respecting Poland’s decision, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday. Poland’s “sovereign” decision “doesn’t affect and does not change our own sovereign decision-making” on F-16s, he said.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave state awards to the pilots who forced down a U.S. drone earlier this week, according to his ministry, which claimed the pilots had prevented the drone from “violating” the airspace of Russian military activity in Ukraine. However, U.S. officials said the drone was flying over international waters of the Black Sea when it was forced down, and they have released footage of the collision. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Wednesday that the United States is investigating the incident, calling it “reckless and unsafe.”
- Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is in Turkey for the second day, where he is expected to hold talks with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Finland requires Turkey’s approval to join NATO, having announced its intention to join following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Earlier this week, Sweden’s prime minister said it was increasingly likely that Finland would join NATO first, due to Turkey’s opposition to his country’s bid.
Battleground updates
- A U.N.-backed inquiry found evidence that Russian authorities committed human rights violations, many of which “amount to war crimes,” according to a newly released report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. The commission was established a year ago by the U.N. Human Rights Council. Russia’s use of torture and attacks on energy-related infrastructure “may amount to crimes against humanity,” the report’s authors wrote.
- A Ukrainian commander was demoted after saying in an interview with The Post that ill-trained troops were weakening Ukraine’s position on the battlefield. He later quit his position, The Post reported. The commander said some troops went into battle without having thrown a grenade or knowing how to handle weapons. His supporters said he should be reinstated and that the military leadership should be willing to hear difficult truths.
Global impact
- A fire broke out at a building belonging to Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, killing at least one person and injuring at least two, The Post reported. The Russian governor of the Rostov region said the fire had spread over roughly 9,000 square feet, causing two walls to collapse. The FSB is Russia’s main domestic security service, responsible for border security, surveillance and counterterrorism.
- U.S. officials released footage of this week’s collision between a U.S. drone and a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea. The footage, declassified and released on Thursday, shows a Russian jet releasing fuel and then colliding with the drone, according to a U.S. military statement. After the jet collided with the U.S. aircraft, the drone’s camera feed was lost temporarily, U.S. officials said. When the feed returned, new damage could be seen on the drone’s propeller, they said.
From our correspondents
Loss of U.S. drone clipped by Russian jet was a twist in a broader pattern: Russia’s forced downing of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea this week shed light on a little-known geopolitical reality, Claire Parker reports — close calls between U.S. and Russian aircraft aren’t unusual.
But collisions during intercepts are rare, even when involving drones. Analysts and officials warn that the war in Ukraine has only heightened the stakes, and the incident has fueled concern about the potential for the war in Ukraine to escalate into direct conflict between the two superpowers.
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