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Xi Jinping Plans To Visit Russia Next Week Amid Ongoing Bloddy Fight In Bakhmut

A visit by Xi next week, just days after securing a third term as China's leader, would be earlier than previously anticipated, whereas, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has already publicly invited Xi to visit Moscow is likely to portray the visit as a show of support for Russia's war on Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia as soon as next week, while Moscow and Kyiv both reported intense fighting in the war's bloodiest battle over the eastern city of Bakhmut, according to people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

A visit by Xi next week, just days after securing a third term as China's leader, would be earlier than previously anticipated. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has already publicly invited Xi to visit Moscow but has not specified a date, is likely to portray the visit as a show of support for Russia's war on Ukraine.

Given the sensitivity of the issue, the sources briefed on the matter declined to be identified. The Chinese foreign ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment, and the Kremlin declined to comment.

Both sides described relentless fighting in Bakhmut, a small ruined city in eastern Ukraine that has become the focal point of a Russian winter campaign involving hundreds of thousands of newly conscripted reservists and mercenaries.

Last week, Kyiv announced that it had decided to defend Bakhmut rather than withdraw. Russian forces led by the Wagner private army have captured the city's eastern outskirts but have yet to encircle it.

“All enemy attempts to capture the town are repulsed by artillery, tanks and other firepower,” Ukraine's Colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of ground forces who has vowed not to withdraw, was quoted by Ukraine's Media Military Centre as saying.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin described the situation as “tough, very tough” on Sunday.

“The closer we get to the city centre, the more intense the fighting... The Ukrainians have an endless supply of reserves. But we are progressing and will continue to progress,” Prigozhin said in remarks released by his press service.

He also claimed that Russian soldiers were delivering truckloads of ammunition to his troops. He previously claimed that Russia's top brass was deliberately depriving his troops of ammunition, which the defence ministry denied.


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xi jinping vladimir putin bakhmut Ukraine-Russia Conflict

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