The Kremlin has high expectations for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 19-20). Meanwhile, Moscow rejects claims by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about plans for a Russian attack against a NATO country through Belarus territory.
Russia expects “serious results” from Putin’s China visit – Kremlin dismisses Zelensky’s NATO attack claims
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit China on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 19-20), with Moscow holding high expectations for this visit, as both countries will have the opportunity to strengthen their “privileged cooperation,” the Kremlin announced on Monday (May 18).
“We have very serious expectations from this visit,” stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The “limitless” China-Russia relationship has strengthened after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. “We and our Chinese friends consider it a particularly privileged and strategic partnership,” Peskov said characteristically, adding that the Russian delegation includes deputy prime ministers, ministers, and heads of companies.
It should be noted that Putin’s visit to China takes place just days after that of his American counterpart, Donald Trump, who held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kremlin on Zelensky and Russian NATO attack scenarios: “We don’t believe it’s worth commenting on”
Moscow rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claims that Russia is considering launching an attack against a NATO member country from Belarus.
It is recalled that on Friday (May 15), the Ukrainian president said Russia seeks to drag Belarus deeper into the war it is waging against Ukraine and is considering plans to use Belarusian territory to attack northern Ukraine or a NATO member country. Belarus borders Ukraine to the south and Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia – NATO member countries – to the north and west.
When asked about Zelensky’s claim, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “such statements are nothing more than an attempt at further provocation aimed at prolonging the war and escalating tensions,” adding that “we don’t believe it’s worth commenting on.”
On Monday (May 18), Belarus’s Defense Ministry announced that the country’s Armed Forces, in cooperation with Russia, are conducting exercises to test the military’s readiness to deploy nuclear weapons. It added that this exercise does not target any other country and does not pose a threat to regional security.
Ukraine war: Moscow awaits restart of peace process
Dmitry Peskov, commenting on statements by the American president about the Ukraine war, said he expects a restart of the peace process, which has reached a deadlock.
It should be noted that on Friday, Donald Trump emphasized to reporters that a Russian missile strike against an apartment building in Kyiv that cost the lives of 24 people, including three children, has delayed peace efforts.
For his part, the Kremlin spokesman stressed that public attention should turn to Ukrainian strikes against civilian targets in Russia. It is recalled that last weekend at least three people were killed in the Moscow region, in the largest nighttime drone attack Ukraine has launched against the Russian capital in more than a year.
