Russian president Vladimir Putin has met Xi Jinping for the start of a summit in Beijing, just days after a similar visit by US president Donald Trump.
Putin and Xi will meet to discuss key international issues during talks over tea that officials characterised as an intimate tete-a-tete between "old friends".
Russia said it had "serious expectations" for the visit, and that it will include the signing of a 47-page document making various commitments about Russia-China relations.
After landing last night in China, Putin was greeted by foreign minister Wang Yi and an honour guard alongside Chinese youths waving China and Russia's national flags.
Earlier, China outright denied Xi had told Trump that Putin might come to regret invading Ukraine – reports that had threatened to overshadow the Russian leader's visit.
Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a reporter: “The information you mentioned does not match the facts and is completely fabricated out of thin air.”
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Key Points
- Russia considers joint projects with US and China, says Kremlin official
- Xi tells Putin 'imperative' to end the US war in Middle East
- 40 documents, tea session: What to expect from Putin's meeting with Xi today
- Ukraine is Europe's 'number one priority', says top EU military chief
- Russians covertly trained by China return to fight in Ukraine – report
- EU considering Draghi or Merkel for potential talks with Putin to end war in Ukraine – report
What to expects from the Putin-Xi summit
07:30 , James ReynoldsRussian President Vladimir Putin met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, days after Xi had talks with US President Donald Trump.
Here’s what to expect:
- The leaders will sign joint statements and a number of other bilateral agreements, with economic cooperation in focus.
- They they have an opening ceremony for a bilateral education initiative.
- Putin will meet Chinese premier Li Qiang to discuss trade and more economic cooperation.
- Putin and Xi will have a tea session to discussion foreign issues, according to a Kremlin aide.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, said Russia is also considering the possibility of joint projects with the US and China.
Putin's large-scale meeting with Xi has ended
07:17 , James ReynoldsChina’s China Central Television is reporting that the large-scale meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping has ended.
Russian attacks kill two in Ukraine
06:57 , Arpan RaiAt least two people were killed and 19 injured in Russia attacks on Ukraine overnight, local officials said this morning, while Ukraine sent drones to strike industrial areas in central Russia.
In Ukraine, two people were dead and six injured after Russia hit the southeastern city of Dnipro with missiles, drones and artillery, local authorities said on Telegram.
Another 13 injuries were reported in the northern Sumy region and the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, including three children, authorities added.
Russia's defence ministry claimed its forces downed 273 drones over the country overnight, TASS state news agency said.
In Russia, drones attacked industrial areas around Nevinnomyssk in the southern Stavropol region, its governor said on Telegram, adding there was no damage reported so far but the attacks were continuing.
The area is home to Nevinnomyssky Azot, a large chemical plant, which has been a target of drone attacks from Ukraine before.
Trump's envoy Witkoff to visit Russia soon, announces Kremlin
06:41 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the "near future", according to a senior Russian official.
Vladimir Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, made the remark during Vladimir Putin's visit to China on Wednesday, according to a Kremlin pool reporter.
Dmitriev has been a key figure in talks between the US and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Nato officer doesn't expect more American drawdowns beyond the 5,000 troops
06:32 , Arpan RaiNato’s top military officer said he doesn't expect any more drawdowns of American troops from Europe — at least not anytime soon — beyond the 5,000 that US president Donald Trump announced would leave the continent.
The remarks by US Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich follow Trump's surprise announcement of the move early this month. The US leader has bickered with allies over the Iran war and called for changes.
The Pentagon later said it would draw down thousands of troops in Europe by canceling deployments to Poland and Germany as opposed to yanking out forces already stationed there.
Trump's announcement blindsided Nato and came despite US promises to coordinate military moves with its allies and avoid creating security gaps.
NATO’s top officer doesn’t expect more American drawdowns beyond the 5,000 troops
Putin and Xi wrap up first meeting with statements hailing mutual relations
06:25 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have wrapped up the first meeting of their summit in Beijing, where they exchanged warm words regarding their two countries' relationship.
The two lauded the progress in their strategic ties, as they met in Beijing for summit talks where Moscow is expected to push for stronger energy links.
Here’s what Xi and Putin told each other:
- Putin called the talks substantial, and told Xi that his aim is to enhance the well-being of both Russians and the Chinese people
- Putin called the bilateral partnership “exemplary” and vowed to continue its development
- Xi told Putin that China and Russia relations had entered a new stage progress and that their foundation of mutual trust is growing stronger
- The Chinese leader said he would unswervingly promote long-term, healthy and stable development
- Putin assured Xi that the two countries would work together on international platforms
Russians realise they aren’t safe as Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow bring war close to home
06:15 , Arpan RaiIt’s getting harder for officials in the Kremlin to cast the war in Ukraine – now in its fifth year – as something so distant that it doesn’t affect the daily routines of Russian civilians.
From irritating internet disruptions to this month’s scaled-down Victory Day parade and a massive weekend aerial attack in the Moscow region that killed three people, Russia’s full-scale war no longer seems a distant conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cast the attack in Moscow’s suburbs as a just retribution for the relentless and deadly Russian missile and drone strikes on the capital of Kyiv and other cities last week.
All these assaults have come only days after President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump both suggested that the war in Ukraine was nearing its end.
Russians realise they aren’t safe after Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow
Russians covertly trained by China return to fight in Ukraine – report
06:03 , Arpan RaiChina's armed forces secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel in China late last year and some have since returned to fight in Ukraine, according to three European intelligence agencies and documents seen by Reuters.
The covert training sessions, which predominantly focused on the use of drones, were outlined in a dual-language Russian-Chinese agreement signed by senior Russian and Chinese officers in Beijing on 2 July last year.
While China and Russia have held a number of joint military exercises since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has repeatedly stated that it is neutral in the conflict and presents itself as a peace mediator.
The agreement, reviewed by Reuters, said about 200 Russian troops would be trained at military facilities in locations including Beijing and the eastern city of Nanjing. The sources said around this number subsequently trained in China.
The agreement also said hundreds of Chinese troops would undergo training at military facilities in Russia. By training Russian military personnel at an operational and tactical level who then participate in Ukraine, China is far more directly involved in the war on the European continent than previously known, one intelligence official said.
The Russian and Chinese defence ministries did not respond to requests for comment on the details outlined in this article.
"On the Ukraine crisis, China has consistently maintained an objective and impartial stance and worked to promote peace talks, this is consistent and clear and is witnessed by the international community," China's foreign ministry said in a statement to Reuters.
"Relevant parties should not deliberately stoke confrontation or shift blame."
The intelligence agencies spoke on condition they not be identified in order to discuss sensitive information.
EU considering Draghi or Merkel for potential talks with Putin to end war in Ukraine – report
05:24 , Arpan RaiEuropean Union governments are discussing whether former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi, or former German chancellor Angela Merkel, could represent the bloc in potential negotiations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, the Financial Times reported this morning.
Foreign ministers will discuss the merits of possible candidates at an EU meeting in Cyprus next week, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Independent has not verified the report.
Xi tells Putin 'imperative' to end the US war in Middle East
05:13 , Arpan RaiIn his opening remarks of high-level talks, Chinese president Xi Jinping has told his ally that it is critical to end the US and Israel’s war on Iran.
“It is imperative to stop the fighting,” Xi said, speaking on the situation in the Middle East.
He added that the cessation of the war will help reduce disruption to stability of energy supply and international trade order.
China says report that Xi said Putin would regret invasion is ‘completely fabricated out of thin air’
05:08 , Arpan RaiChina has refuted claims Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin could regret invading Ukraine, as the Russian leader arrived in Beijing on Tuesday.
Mr Xi is reported to have made the remarks during wide-ranging talks between the US and Chinese delegations in Beijing last week, according to the Financial Times.
“The information you mentioned does not match the facts and is completely fabricated out of thin air,” foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters.
An X account for the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs’ spokesperson added: “Completely false”, alongside a picture of the headline.
Mr Putin’s two-day visit comes less than a week after the US leader’s high-profile attendance and is his 25th to China.
China says report that Xi said Putin would regret invasion is ‘completely fabricated’
Watch: Xi welcomes Putin to Beijing with grand ceremony
05:04 , Arpan RaiXi and Putin say Russia-China ties at 'unprecedented level'
04:58 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have given their opening remarks at the start of talks in Beijing – here’s what the two leaders have said in their first exchange:
- Putin told Xi that ties between Russia and China are at an unprecedented level as he invited him to visit Russia next year
- Xi tells Putin the world is in danger of reversing into the law of the jungle
- Xi says the China-Russia relations have reached this level because the two sides have been able to deepen political mutual trust and strategic cooperation
- Putin tells Xi that Russia and China’s relations are helping global stability and that they are at an unprecedented level
- To his biggest energy importer, Putin says Russia remains a reliable energy supplier amid the ongoing war in the Middle East
- Xi tells Putin that China and Russia should promote the construction of a 'more just' and reasonable global governance system
Putin and Xi greet each other with smiles at welcoming ceremony
04:45 , Arpan RaiRussian leader Vladimir Putin was greeted by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as he arrived at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing this morning.
The two leaders walked side by side on a carpet laid out for the welcome ceremony under tall flags of Russia and China.
They also inspected an honour guard during the welcoming ceremony, eerily similar to the pomp Xi had thrown for the US president Donald Trump just last week.
Xi then took his Russian counterpart to meet with his cabinet leaders lined at the steps of the Great Hall of the People.
China's Xi begins meeting with Putin
04:32 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have started their meeting, state media reported.
Putin arrived at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and met his Chinese counterpart around 11am local time.
Putin was greeted with a welcome ceremony which featured an honour guard and the playing of both countries' national anthems.
40 documents, tea session: What to expect from Putin's meeting with Xi today
04:03 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin is accompanied by a delegation including deputy prime ministers, ministers and heads of state corporations and major banks.
Putin and Xi will likely seek to display the so-called "no limits" partnership between China and Russia as strengthened since the West imposed sanctions to punish Russia for the war in Ukraine.
- The Kremlin has set "serious expectations" for Putin's visit, which, alongside talks, will include a signing ceremony and a banquet followed by a tea where the two leaders will discuss key international issues in an informal setting.
- Some 40 documents are expected to be signed and a 47-page joint statement on their strengthening partnership will be issued, according to the Kremlin.
- Putin and Xi are also expected to adopt a joint declaration on establishing a multipolar world order and a "new type of international relations", a Kremlin aide said.
- Negotiations on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which is due to link Russia to northern China, are also likely to be on the cards, industry experts said.
- Energy supply shortages linked to the conflict in Iran may back Russia's case for the pipeline as a long-term gas source, but Beijing may want to stick to its supply diversification strategy.
Russia considers joint projects with US and China, says Kremlin official
03:56 , Arpan RaiRussia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Russia's sovereign wealth fund, was quoted as saying by state media this morning.
In a few hours, Russian president Vladimir Putin will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, days after Xi had talks with US president Donald Trump.
"Within the framework of the Russian Direct Investment Fund we are also looking at certain projects, including those involving both China and the US", Dmitriev, Putin's special envoy and a key figure in talks between Moscow and Washington, said.
Ukraine is Europe's 'number one priority', says top EU military chief
03:00 , Alex CroftThe European Union’s top military general Sean Clancy has said that Ukraine remains its top priority on Tuesday.
“The extraordinary resilience of the Ukrainian armed forces and the Ukrainian people has transformed Ukraine into a fortress nation,” Clancy told Euro News arguing that Ukraine’s security is now “integral to the future security of Europe.”
He said Ukraine remains the EU’s “number one priority”.
Watch: Moment Russia ‘attacks Chinese ship’ heading for Ukraine recorded on marine tracker
02:00 , Alex CroftRussian lawmaker urges end to conflict as country cannot sustain war
01:01 , Alex CroftRenat Suleimanov, a Russian lawmaker and state Duma representing the country’s Communist party has called for “the quickest possible end” to the country’s war with Ukraine.
“It is absolutely obvious that the economy will not withstand a prolonged continuation of the special military operation,” Suleimanov said to Kontinent using the Kremlin’s term for the war.
“Officially, 40 per cent of the federal budget is defense and security. What kind of development, investments, and capital expenditures can we talk about?”
He said that the war “has already lasted longer than the Great Patriotic War (World War II)“ and said that “the quickest possible end” to the conflict was “simply necessary.”
US remains committed to Poland, says Polish minister after Hegseth call
Wednesday 20 May 2026 00:01 , Alex CroftThe process of redeploying US military forces and assets in Europe is underway, but no decision has been made to reduce the US military capabilities in Poland, Polish defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on Tuesday on X.
"The U.S. Secretary of War confirmed that the United States' commitment to Poland's defence and security remains unchanged," he also wrote after his conversation with Pete Hegseth.
Russia warns Latvia against letting Ukraine launch drones and draws sharp US rebuke
Tuesday 19 May 2026 23:01 , Alex CroftRussia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, on Tuesday said Moscow had information that Ukraine planned to launch military drones from Latvia and other Baltic states, warning that membership in NATO would not protect those countries from retaliation.
Nebenzya, speaking during a UN Security Council meeting on security in Ukraine, claimed Kyiv had already dispatched Ukrainian drone forces to Latvia.
Latvia's envoy to the Security Council, Sanita Pavluta-Deslandes, immediately rejected the remarks as "pure fiction." Tammy Bruce, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the UN, warned that the UN was "no place for threats against a council member" and said the U.S. would keep all its NATO commitments.
Analysis: Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending
Tuesday 19 May 2026 22:00 , Maira ButtPausing, turning and pointing, like hounds catching a new scent, Europe’s leaders are picking up a blood trail from the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin’s forces were once the hunters – now they are bleeding and Ukraine has the whiff of victory in its nose.
In the latest sign that Ukraine’s systematic new policy of trying to kill at least 50,000 Russians a month is working, Putin has told his people that the end of the war he started is near.
And, in an act that was both desperate and doomed, he suggested that Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, could act as Europe’s envoy in talks.
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending
China says report that Xi said Putin would regret invasion is ‘completely fabricated out of thin air’
Tuesday 19 May 2026 18:00 , Maira ButtChina has said claims that Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin could come to regret invading Ukraine during their summit are “completely fabricated”, as the Russian leader arrived in Beijing.
Xi is reported to have made the remarks during wide-ranging talks between the US and Chinese delegations in the capital last week, according to the Financial Times.
“The information you mentioned does not match the facts and is completely fabricated out of thin air,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters on Tuesday.
China says report that Xi said Putin would regret invasion is ‘completely fabricated’
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos for the Russian army
Tuesday 19 May 2026 13:50 , Maira ButtUkraine's strategic deployment of medium-range drones is inflicting significant damage on Russia's struggling war effort, experts have said as Moscow’s ground offensive stalls.
By targeting Russian air defences and logistics dozens of kilometres behind front lines, Ukraine is disrupting Russia's battlefield advances and opening the way for long-range strikes on Russian oil and military facilities, Ukrainian officials say.
More resources have in recent months been poured into "middle strikes", typically ranging between 30 km (19 miles) and 180 km behind front lines.
Read the full story below.
How Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos for the Russian army
Russian lawmaker urges end to conflict as country cannot sustain war
Tuesday 19 May 2026 13:25 , Maira ButtRenat Suleimanov, a Russian lawmaker and state Duma representing the country’s Communist party has called for “the quickest possible end” to the country’s war with Ukraine.
“It is absolutely obvious that the economy will not withstand a prolonged continuation of the special military operation,” Suleimanov said to Kontinent using the Kremlin’s term for the war.
“Officially, 40 per cent of the federal budget is defense and security. What kind of development, investments, and capital expenditures can we talk about?”
He said that the war “has already lasted longer than the Great Patriotic War (World War II)“ and said that “the quickest possible end” to the conflict was “simply necessary.”
Ukraine warns Putin could announce mass recruitment after elections
Tuesday 19 May 2026 12:54 , Maira ButtAs Russia suffers heavy battlefield losses, Ukraine has predicted that Russia could announce a nationwide mobilisation effort following the forthcoming state Duma elections.
Asked whether Russia could move to a mass recruitment drive after the elections, Brigadier General Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, told Ukraine’s 24 Kanal broadcaster: “Quite possibly. We do not exclude such a development.”
Stray Ukrainian drone in Estonia shot down by Nato fighter jet
Tuesday 19 May 2026 12:28 , Maira ButtA Nato military jet shot down a drone of apparent Ukrainian origin over Estonia on Tuesday, the Baltic nation's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Delfi news website.
The incident marks the latest in a series of airspace violations in the region bordering Russia.
Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said a Romanian fighter jet shot down the drone that entered Estonian airspace was most likely a stray Ukrainian drone and confirmed it was not directed against Estonia.
Pevkur added that officials are currently conducting a search for the drone and need to ensure it poses no threat to anyone.
Pevkur told local media: "We received advance information from our Latvian colleagues, and our radar also detected a drone moving into southern Estonia.”
Stray drone shot down by Nato fighter jet
China denies comment that Putin would 'regret' Ukraine invasion
Tuesday 19 May 2026 12:04 , Maira ButtChina has denied a claim reported by the Financial Times that president Xi Jinping said that Vladimir Putin would regret his invasion of Ukraine during wide-ranging talks with President Donald Trump during his visit to Beijing last week.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a reporter: “The information you mentioned does not match the facts and is completely fabricated out of thin air.”
In pictures: Putin lands in Beijing for two-day summit with close ally
Tuesday 19 May 2026 11:55 , Maira Butt
