China’s Xi to visit Russia for Victory Day and talks with Putin

MOSCOW - Chinese President Xi Jinping will make an official visit to Russia from May 7 to 10, where he will participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said on May 4.

In a statement on Telegram, the Kremlin said that Mr Xi will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin the development of the two countries’ strategic partnership, as well as sign a number of documents.

“During the talks, the main issues of further development of relations of

comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction

, as well as current issues on the international and regional agenda will be discussed,” the Kremlin said.

The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War II but pushed Nazi forces back to Berlin, where Hitler committed suicide and the red Soviet Victory Banner was raised over the Reichstag in 1945.

Several other national leaders are expected at the celebrations, including the presidents of Brazil and Serbia, and the prime minister of Slovakia.

Mr Putin has proposed a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine around the May 9 celebration, one of the most important in the Russian calendar.

Responding to Moscow’s offer of the three-day ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready

as long as the ceasefire would be 30 days in length

, something Mr Putin had already ruled out in the near term, saying he wants a long-term settlement not a brief pause.

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine, given the continued war with Russia, could not guarantee the safety of any foreign dignitaries who came to Moscow for the traditional May 9 victory parade.

He has in recent weeks upped criticism of China, which he has said is providing weapons and gunpowder to Russia.

Russian state news agency RIA cited Mr Putin, in a documentary film marking 25 years since his first inauguration as Russian president aired on May 4, as saying that Russia’s relations with China were: “truly strategic in nature, deep-seated”.

“Our national interests coincide”, it quoted him as saying. REUTERS