Beijing will continue to make Russian-Chinese relations "a priority ": Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his visit to Moscow . China and Russia are "neighbouring great powers" and "strategic partners", added Xi, who then invited Putin to visit Beijing.
China , as reiterated by Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, responding to the criticisms of the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the diplomatic cover given by Beijing to Moscow, therefore does not feel " neither creator nor part of the crisis in Ukraine ", nor would it « supplied arms to either side of the conflict ».
Furthermore, Wang added with reference to the US, "they say they want to keep the peace, but the people don't see any effective steps", while " what everyone sees is that the US continues to supply weapons to the battlefield ".
Meanwhile, the Moscow Defense Ministry has announced that yesterday one of its Su-35 fighters intercepted two US B-52H strategic bombers flying towards the Russian border over the Baltic Sea: the jet returned after the bombers had left .
The episode follows the March 14 downing of a US drone over the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian fighter jets. Moscow said the Su-35 flight was strictly in line with international rules on the use of airspace. "No violations were allowed" of Russia's state border, he stressed.
This morning there was an attack by Ukrainian drones on Zhankoi, in the Crimea , where the most important railway hub for Russian supplies to the peninsula is located. According to the Crimean governor, a drone was shot down and a civilian was injured by the falling debris.
(Unioneonline/vl)