Putin Heads to China for Talks with Xi Following Trump’s Visit
According to sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to engage in discussions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a two-day visit to Beijing next week. The announcement follows closely on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s state visit to China, during which he engaged with Xi on matters of trade and the ongoing US-Israel conflict in Iran. The Kremlin announced that Putin’s upcoming visit, set for May 19-20, is timed to align with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship. The two leaders are expected to engage in discussions regarding their bilateral relations, alongside addressing significant international and regional matters, as well as economic collaboration.
The relationship between China and Russia has strengthened significantly in recent years, especially following Russia’s comprehensive military actions in Ukraine that began in early 2022. This situation has resulted in Moscow facing international isolation and becoming increasingly dependent on Beijing for trade as a consequence of Western sanctions. During Putin’s visit to China in September 2025, Xi greeted his counterpart as a long-standing associate. Putin referred to Xi as a “dear friend.” The leader of Russia is set to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, this coming November. Ongoing labor actions and the repatriation of remains occurred as Ukraine brought back the bodies of its deceased soldiers on Saturday, subsequent to a prior exchange with Moscow that included prisoners of war.
According to a statement from Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Russia has returned 528 bodies that, as per the Russian perspective, may be associated with Ukrainian servicemen. Authorities will implement all essential actions directed towards the identification of the deceased individuals who have been repatriated. Following the recent exchange, Russia and Ukraine have returned 205 prisoners of war as of Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that this marks the initial phase of a proposed exchange involving 1,000 prisoners of war from both sides. A portion of the Ukrainian individuals had been detained by Russia since 2022 and participated in some of the most intense confrontations of the conflict, he noted. In the latest developments, regional authorities reported that Russia conducted drone strikes targeting Ukraine’s southern Odesa region overnight on Saturday.
According to regional head Oleh Kiper, a five-story apartment block and a one-story residential building were targeted by Russian drones, resulting in injuries to two individuals. The port of the city sustained damage, he noted. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia deployed 294 drones during the night, with 269 of them intercepted and neutralized. According to statements from Russia’s Ministry of Defence, its military successfully intercepted 138 Ukrainian drones during the night across 14 regions, including the capital, Moscow. Drones were reported destroyed over the annexed region of Crimea, in addition to the Black and Azov seas, according to the statement.
