Moscow and Beijing recall their “very strong ties”. The new Chinese Minister of Defense Li Shangfu assured, Sunday, April 16, during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, that the links between China and Russia “surpass the military-political alliances of the Cold War era”. For his first visit abroad, Li Shangfu claims to have chosen “specifically Russia, in order to emphasize the special nature and strategic importance of our bilateral relations”, without however mentioning the conflict in Ukraine. Follow our live.
More than 100,000 Ukrainians live in France. “Since the beginning of conflict, about 180,000 Ukrainians passed through France”, said Didier Leschi, director of the French Office for Immigration and Integration, on franceinfo. And to estimate that the number of Ukrainians who remained on French territory was “around 100,000, maybe 110,000”.
Russia changes warlord. In his daily reportI’Institute for the Study of War (ISW) argues that responsibility for Russian offensive operations appears to have been transferred to the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) led by Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky. However, he was dismissed from his post in January 2023.
Brazil wishes to relaunch the negotiations. Brazilian President Lula hoped that China and the United Arab Emirates would be part of an international mediation that would try to resolve the conflict. According to him, “I‘Europe and the United States continue to contribute to the continuation of the war’.