Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has commented that the relationship between Beijing and Moscow is at an unprecedented high level. He made these comments before signing several memorandums of understanding and bilateral agreements with China in Beijing on Wednesday. The agreement calls for mutual commercial investment cooperation between the two countries, export of Russian agricultural products to China and increased cooperation elsewhere.
Mishustin, a high-ranking Russian official, is visiting Beijing for the first time since February 2022, when Russia launched an attack on neighboring Ukraine. During his two-day visit, he held a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. After that he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Russian state news agency RIA reported that Mishustin told the Chinese president that Moscow and Beijing would work together to roll back sanctions imposed by the West. China and Russia will firmly support each other, Xi Jinping said.
Meanwhile, the United States is distancing itself from the attack last Monday in the Belgrade region of Russia, which borders Ukraine. This is one of the biggest cross-border attacks into Russia since Russia began its offensive in Ukraine. Russia released photos of several Western vehicles abandoned or damaged by the attackers, including US-made Humvee armored vehicles. The United States says it has neither encouraged nor supported attacks inside Russia.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press conference on Tuesday that how the war is waged there is entirely up to Ukraine. Villages near the Belgrade border have been evacuated after shelling began. RIA reported on Wednesday that more than 70 militants, four armored vehicles and five pickups were destroyed. Moscow claims that the victims came from Ukraine. However, Ukraine has denied involvement in the incident.
They claim that two paramilitary forces opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin are behind the attack. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that there will be a strong response to the Belgrade attack. On the other hand, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he is ready to support Kiev throughout the year. He said this while addressing a defense conference in London.
Denis Pushilin, head of the Russian-backed self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic (DPR), visited the city after Ukraine’s Bakhmut fell under Moscow’s control. It will henceforth be known as ‘Artemovsk’, he said during a tour of the city on Tuesday. Bakhmut had this name in Soviet times. Meanwhile, the director of one of Russia’s top science institutes and two hypersonic missile technology experts have been arrested on suspicion of treason. They have been charged with treason for leaking classified information to China. News from BBC, AFP and Reuters.