![]() ![]() "We are certainly talking about the longer duration, because clearly Ukrainian policy challenges are not going to evaporate any time soon."Įarlier this week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said his country hopes to agree a $15bn multi-year program with the Fund - which would be the largest loan package for Ukraine since the war began. She continued: "We are in the process of discussing with Ukrainian authorities what will be the components of the programme, the duration of the programme. "Based on the performance of the Ukrainian authorities, we are confident that it could be a sizeable support from us," managing director Kristalina Georgieva said. The director of the International Monetary Fund has said Ukraine could get "sizeable support" from a new, longer-term programme - and its economy could see a gradual recovery over the course of the year. Later in the day, Mr Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will take part in a meeting of the Bucharest Nine (B9) countries from NATO's eastern flank. ![]() China's top diplomat is in Russia and is set to meet the country's defence minister - with Vladimir Putin expected to hold a rally in Moscow later.Ĭhina has been positioning itself as a peace broker, despite US claims Beijing could be planning to provide weapons to Russia. He said NATO was more united than ever and lauded the fact that Ukraine remains independent almost a year into the conflict. While the Russian president made his speech in front of politicians at the Federal Assembly, Mr Biden was given a rockstar welcome in front of a huge crowd in Warsaw, Poland. In his two-hour-long speech, Mr Putin announced Russia would withdraw from a landmark nuclear treaty with the US - which drew condemnation from the West. Yesterday saw historic speeches from the presidents of two major powers, with Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin both giving key addresses. Meanwhile, the censors do not intervene when Putin is lauded as a "tough guy" standing up to the West on Chinese social media. Internally state media has shown only sanitised versions of what is happening in Ukraine and for a long time it was referred to as Russia's "special military operation". The reality is that while China has refrained from directly condoning the invasion and has not sold weapons to Russia, it has provided indirect financial aid and considerable diplomatic cover. The fact China abstained rather than voting with Russia on key UN resolutions relating to the war was interpreted as a good sign.īut much of that optimism was not only misplaced, but based on a misunderstanding of China and its motivations. There was a time right at the start of the war when Western diplomats harboured hope that China would be a good mediating force in the conflict, perhaps even exerting influence on Putin to pressure him to change course. ![]() Any shift in position will have been carefully calculated along these lines.Īnd there are reasons that China might not want an early peace or a defeated Russia. They have allowed it to play the long game, carefully watching how the conflict and the related geopolitics play out.īut be in no doubt, China's key interest in this conflict is China. Or rumours President Xi is going to give a speech pushing for "peace" while simultaneously being accused by the Americans of preparing to sell arms to Russia.īut mixed signals have worked reasonably well for China over the course of this war. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, visiting multiple European capitals for instance, only to conclude his tour in Russia. Indeed, during this anniversary week, there has been a flurry of mixed signals. China has spent the last year walking a very careful line when it comes to the Ukraine conflict, offering tacit support to Russia without ever overtly condoning its invasion. ![]()
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