US officials say China is still considering giving weapons — mainly artillery shells — to Russia for use in Ukraine. US intelligence agencies have concluded that relations between China and Russia have deepened during the war, even as Russia has become isolated from many other nations. When Putin visited Xi in Beijing right before the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, their governments proclaimed a “no-limits” partnership in a 5,000-word statement. Xi has not talked to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, since the war began, much less asked for his perspective on peace talks. Zelenskyy has said he would enter peace talks only if Putin withdrew his troops from Ukrainian territory.

Source: New York Times March 20, 2023 04:33 UTC