Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a two-day visit to Beijing on May 19-20, as announced by the Kremlin. This visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship, highlighting the strengthening ties between the two nations.
The announcement follows U.S. President Donald Trump's recent state visit to China, where he discussed trade issues and the ongoing conflict in Iran with Xi. According to the Kremlin's statement, Putin and Xi will engage in discussions on bilateral relations, as well as key international and regional issues, and economic cooperation.
Relations between China and Russia have notably deepened, particularly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The invasion has left Moscow isolated on the global stage, prompting it to rely heavily on Beijing for trade due to extensive Western sanctions. During Putin's previous visit to China in September 2025, Xi welcomed him as an "old friend," and the Russian leader reciprocated with the term "dear friend."
Additionally, Putin is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for November, further solidifying collaboration between the two countries.
In the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Ukraine recently repatriated the bodies of fallen soldiers following a prisoner exchange with Moscow. Russia returned 528 bodies that it claims may belong to Ukrainian servicemen, as stated by Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Experts are now tasked with identifying the repatriated remains.
This body exchange follows an earlier agreement on Friday, involving the swap of 205 prisoners of war, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicating it is the first phase of an extensive plan to exchange 1,000 POWs from each side. Some of the Ukrainian individuals swapped had been detained since 2022 and participated in some of the conflict’s most intense battles.
Meanwhile, Russia conducted drone attacks overnight on Saturday against Ukraine's southern Odesa region, leading to injuries for at least two individuals. Reports indicate that Russian drones targeted a five-story apartment complex and a single-story residential building, also causing damage to the city’s port. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that out of 294 drones launched, 269 were intercepted.
Conversely, Russia claimed to have shot down 138 Ukrainian drones across 14 regions, including areas surrounding Moscow and the annexed Crimean peninsula, as well as over the Black and Azov seas.
Amid these tensions, Ukrainian attacks in Russia's Belgorod region resulted in the deaths of two civilians, with one being killed due to a drone strike and another in the destruction of a home in a separate event. Local officials also reported damage to an apartment block due to Ukrainian attacks.
For ongoing coverage of the Ukraine conflict, readers can follow updates at this link.
