Will the deadlock in the Ukraine war be broken in Bakhmut or Beijing? At the moment, all eyes are focused on the much-trailed Ukrainian counter-offensive – which is likely to begin soon. But there are also significant developments on the diplomatic front.

Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping called his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. On a recent visit to Kyiv, I was surprised by the eager anticipation – in both the President’s office and the foreign ministry – of that conversation with China’s leader. Now the Xi-Zelensky call has finally taken place and, according to the Ukrainian President, it was “long and meaningful”. Beijing later announced that it would appoint an envoy to work towards a peace settlement.