French President Emmanuel Macron urged Xi Jinping to use his influence to help restore peace to Ukraine, saying the Chinese leader could bring all sides together to discuss a way to end the Russian invasion.
(Bloomberg) — French President Emmanuel Macron urged Xi Jinping to use his influence to help restore peace to Ukraine, saying the Chinese leader could bring all sides together to discuss a way to end the Russian invasion.
Battles are continuing in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region around Avdiyivka, Maryinka and Bakhmut where Russian troops are still attempting to gain full control of the city that’s been the focus of intense fighting for months, the Ukrainian General Staff said in a Facebook statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, as the Kremlin continues preparations to station tactical nuclear weapons in the neighboring country.
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Key Developments
- Ukraine Has Decimated Its Oligarchs But Now Fears New Ones
- US Summoned Russian Ambassador Over WSJ Reporter’s Detention
- Biden Aide Who Helped Design Russia Oil Price Cap Exits Treasury
- Macron Says China Can Play Role in Ukraine, Rejects Decoupling
(All times CET)
Macron Urges Xi to help start Negotiations (11:15 a.m.)
“I know I can count on you to bring Russia back to reason and everybody to the negotiation table,” Macron told Xi during a meeting in Beijing on Thursday.
While Macron doesn’t expect China to drop its close partnership with Russia, he does see room for potentially significant moves from Beijing, according to a senior French official. Macron was also expected to warn Xi against supplying Russia with weapons.
Ukraine’s Foreign Reserves Highest in 11 Years (11:10 a. m.)
Ukraine’s foreign exchange and gold reserves neared $31.9 billion as of beginning of April, the highest level since November 2011, according to the central bank’s data.
The nation’s international coffers gained 10% in March, as foreign aid from western allies keeps flowing, while the central bank and the government are spending less foreign currency to support hryvnia and serve the country’s external debt.
US Summons Russian Ambassador Over Reporter’s Detention (5:47 a.m.)
The US summoned Russia’s ambassador for a meeting last week, a State Department spokesperson said, as the Biden administration pressures Moscow over the arrest and detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges.
Ambassador Anatoly Antonov was called to the State Department on March 30, where he met with Victoria Nuland, the under secretary for political affairs, the spokesperson said, declining to add details citing privacy concerns. The meeting was reported earlier Wednesday by the New York Times.
Ukraine to Produce Ammunition With Poland (5:45 p.m.)
Ukraine and Poland agreed to set up the joint production of weapons and ammunition, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was says during a press conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw.
NATO Approves Long-Term Aid Program for Ukraine (4:30 p.m.)
NATO agreed to start work on a multiyear assistance program for Ukraine to signal support for the nation over the long-term, the head of the alliance said after a two-day meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
NATO wants to ensure that when the war ends, Ukraine has the highest level of interoperability with allied structures and it’s able to move its military from Soviet era standards to NATO’s, Jens Stoltenberg said, adding that it would be important for Ukraine’s eventual membership to the alliance.
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