Putin to Meet Xi Jinping in Beijing
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for a two-day meeting next week, as announced by the Kremlin on Saturday.
This news comes shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his own state visit to China, where trade issues and U.S.-Israel relations related to Iran were discussed.
Putin’s trip, planned for May 19-20, will mark the 25th anniversary of the 2001 China-Russia Treaty of Friendship, according to the Kremlin’s statement.
The agenda for their talks will include enhancing bilateral relations and addressing “significant international and regional matters,” along with discussions on economic collaboration.
In recent years, China and Russia have strengthened their ties, particularly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022. Western sanctions against Russia have accelerated this shift, deepening its reliance on China for trade and support.
During Putin’s last visit to China in September 2025, Xi described him as an “old friend,” while Putin reciprocated by calling Xi a “dear friend.”
Later this year, in November, Putin is also expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference in Shenzhen.
In a related development, Ukraine has recently repatriated the remains of fallen soldiers following a prisoner exchange with Russia. The Ukrainian POW processing coordination headquarters reported that 528 bodies, believed to be of Ukrainian military personnel according to Russia, have been returned.
Experts are preparing to take necessary steps to identify the deceased. This repatriation follows an earlier exchange that involved 205 prisoners last Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described this as the first step in a larger plan to exchange 1,000 prisoners, noting that some Ukrainians have been held by Russia since 2022 and have faced intense combat during the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, local authorities reported a nighttime drone attack by Russia in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine. Regional director Ole Kiper stated that drones targeted both a five-story apartment building and a one-story house, resulting in two injuries, while also causing damage to the city’s port.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that out of 294 drones launched overnight by Russia, 269 were intercepted. On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its military successfully shot down 138 drones from Ukraine over 14 regions, including Moscow, and in areas like Crimea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov.
