Ukraine war latest: Putin arrives in China for crucial discussions on 'new directions' for cooperation - as Russian military 'advancing in all directions'

Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping are turning to the subject of Ukraine at a news briefing.

The Russian president confirms the pair spoke about the war and says he is grateful to China for its efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

He says that while both carry out foreign policy independently, the pairs' approaches to regional problems were similar.

For his part, Mr Xi says China will continue to uphold a position of non-alliance, non-confrontation and no targeting of a third-party in their foreign policy.  

China hopes Europe will return to peace soon and will play a constructive role, he says.

Former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has said the Russian military is "advancing in all directions" in Ukraine. 

His comments are at odds with Kyiv's, which yesterday said Russian forces were "partially pushed back" near Vovchansk, a Karkhiv town attacked from the northeastern border with Russia.

Mr Shoigu, now the secretary of Russia's Security Council, was side-lined by Mr Putin in a recent cabinet reshuffle, but is attending the visit to China.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have signed a joint statement on deepening the strategic partnership between Russia and China.

The document - more than 30 pages - notes the "special character" of their relationship and outlines further paths for development, Russian presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov told state news agency RIA Novosti.

On signing the agreement, which followed more than two hours of talks, Mr Xi noted that both countries were permanent members of the UN Security Council and were working to form a multipolar world, RIA reported.

The so-called multipolar world policy refers to attempts to shift geopolitical power away from the West.

Mr Putin characterised the talks as "warm and comradely".

On the eve of his visit to China, Vladimir Putin talked up his supposed desire for a "peaceful" solution in Ukraine - despite launching a fresh incursion across the border into Kharkiv last Friday, forcing 8,000 people to flee their homes.

Mr Putin has repeatedly backed so-called peace plans, such as China's proposal last year, that consolidate Russia's territorial gains, while at the same time bombarding Ukraine.

The UN's latest estimates recorded Russia's invasion has killed upwards of 10,000 civilians, as of November last year.

"We have never refused to negotiate. We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours," Mr Putin was quoted as saying by the China's state Xinhua News Agency.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said any negotiations must include a restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression, and security guarantees for Ukraine.

By Nicole Johnston, Asia correspondent

Vladimir Putin's trip to China is part of the great power politics currently being played out between the West and the global south.

In this arena, China's president Xi Jinping is promoting his multipolar view of the world, a realignment of the its geopolitical centre away from the US and Europe, to Asia.

Xi sees China front and centre on the stage, with a coterie of countries to back him up.

China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are at one end of the spectrum, but widen out the view and there is also Brazil, India and South Africa, who all see the world through a lens at odds with the West.

Added to that is the so-called "no-limits" friendship between Russia and China.

Read on here...

Vladimir Putin is embarking on a two-day state visit to China, where he was greeted by Xi Jinping with full military honours on his arrival yesterday.

The Chinese president congratulated Mr Putin on his election to a fifth term in office - both leaders have no credible opposition and have not laid out any plans for any potential successors.

Mr Xi said the two countries were furthering their relationship as "good neighbours, good friends, good partners", according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The Kremlin said that during their talks this week, the leaders will "have a detailed discussion on the entire range of issues related to the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation and determine the new directions for further development of cooperation between Russia and China."

Russia has become increasingly economically dependent on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system. 

In turn, China is seen as having the potential to influence Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Russian-Chinese military ties have strengthened, with the countries holding a series of joint war games in recent years involving air, sea and ground drills. China remains a major market for the Russian military.

The Xi administration claims to take a neutral position in the war, but has backed Moscow's narrative that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West - despite Mr Putin's public desire to re-create Russia's century-old borders.

China's failed 2023 peace plan for Ukraine would have allowed Moscow to cement its territorial gains.

Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

We'll be bringing you all the latest updates and analysis from the visit and the battlefield throughout the day - but before we begin, here is a recap of yesterday's key developments.

• Ukraine "partially pushed back" Russian troops from the town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, where Russia opened a second frontier, the Ukrainian military said;
  
• Analysts agreed the momentum behind the new incursion appeared to have slowed;
• But Vladimir Putin said Moscow's military offensive was "going to plan";
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy postponed all foreign visits due to the attacks in the Kharviv region;
• The US announced an additional $2bn (£1.5bn) in military funding for Ukraine.

And here is latest zones of control from the battlefield...

Vladimir Putin has landed in Beijing for a two-day state visit to China, in what marks a significant show of unity between the two allies.

He was greeted by Chinese officials as he stepped off the plane in the early hours of the morning local time.

Mr Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are not expected to announce any major deals during his visit - but the trip is a sign of the two countries' deepening "no limits" partnership.

Ahead of the visit, the Kremlin said Mr Putin and Mr Xi will "have a detailed discussion on the entire range of issues related to the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation and determine the new directions for further development of cooperation between Russia and China".

We're pausing our live coverage for the day - thanks for following along.

We'll mark any major moments in the blog in the meantime, and will resume our rolling updates tomorrow. 

 By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent 

You've heard of the transatlantic Special Relationship. 

This is the "no limits" partnership - a term coined when Vladimir Putin visited Beijing in February 2022.

It was just days before he ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A lot's changed for Russia since then, of course. It’s now an international pariah. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is China’s support.

Why? For one, Presidents Xi and Putin share a similar outlook. Both oppose external "interference" in domestic affairs, and long for a "multipolar" world.

There are economic benefits for both, too. But this is not an equal partnership. The power lies with Beijing.

"Because of the war, Russia is in desperate need of any kind of partnership", said Alexandra Prokopenko, a Berlin-based fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, adding that Beijing had provided "a real lifeline" for Moscow.

"China is not only a market for Russian oil and gas, which is the major source of the currency for the Russian budget, but also China’s become a very important source of imports to Russia," she said.

Putin won't like being the junior partner, but it’s a role he’s clearly willing to accept, given the benefits.

Last year, trade between the two nations soared to $240 billion - an increase of more than 25%.

Cheap energy flows one way; cars and telephones come back. But the West fears that's not all Russia’s importing.

The US and others believe Chinese products and dual-use goods, like machine tools and microelectronics, are also fuelling the Kremlin's war machine, by filling critical gaps in its military-industrial.

China denies supplying any actual weaponry, and maintains a neutral stance on Ukraine.

But the assertions have done little to dampen suspicions with US secretary of state Antony Blinken reiterating his "deep concern" today.

Putin's entourage might also raise eyebrows. He’ll be accompanied by his new defence minister, Andrei Belousov, with Putin widely expected to push for more support for Russia's militarised economy.

But despite the "no limits" characterisation of the relationship, analysts say it does have boundaries.

"China knows red lines," Prokopenko said, referring to Washington’s concerns over the extent of Beijing's support.

In her view, the partnership between Xi and Putin should be viewed "as part of a big, big game between the US and China".

In that sense, then, this visit is likely to be more symbolic than anything else. It's the first foreign trip of Putin's new presidential term and signals his priorities.

But in terms of the optics - two strongmen leaders defying Western pressure - one of them is clearly stronger than the other.