????Live: Japanese PM Kishida to meet Zelensky in surprise visit to Kyiv

Issued on: 21/03/2023 – 07:48Modified: 21/03/2023 – 07:54

7:00am: Japan says PM Kishida to visit Ukraine, meet Zelensky in show of solidarity

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Japan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, with broadcaster NHK showing Kishida boarding a train at the Polish border town of Przemysl. Kishida, as a member of the Group of Seven nations, will voice solidarity and support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion more than a year ago, the ministry said.

Kishida will show “his respect for courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people standing up to defend their homeland”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

5:46am: Putin and Xi talks to continue Tuesday

Vladimir Putin and his “dear friend” Chinese leader Xi Jinping planned more talks on Tuesday after a Kremlin dinner where the isolated Russian president curried favour with his most powerful ally in the face of Western opposition to the war in Ukraine.

Coming just days after an international court accused Putin of war crimes, Washington denounced Xi’s visit, saying it showed Beijing was providing Moscow with “diplomatic cover” to commit more crimes.

Making his first trip abroad since obtaining an unprecedented third term earlier this month, Xi has been trying to portray Beijing as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine, even as he deepens economic ties with his closest ally.

Moscow has been publicly promoting plans for a visit by Xi for months. But the timing gave the Chinese leader’s personal support new meaning, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on Friday accusing Putin of warcrimes for deporting children from Ukraine.

2:14am: Ukraine says explosion in Crimea destroyed Russian missiles

Ukraine‘s defence ministry said on Monday that an explosion in Dzhankoi in the north of the Crimean peninsula destroyed Russian cruise missiles intended for use by Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

A Russia-installed official in the peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014, said the blast was caused by drones laced with sharpnel and explosives and targeted civilian sites. 

One person was injured.

A statement by the intelligence directorate of Ukraine’s defence ministry said: “An explosion in Dzhankoi city in the north of temporarily occupied Crimea destroyed Russian Kalibr-KN cruise missiles as they were being transported by rail”.

The statement on social media said the missiles, designed to be launched from surface ships in Russia’s Black Sea fleet, had an operational range of more than 2,500 kms (1,550 mile) on land and 375 kms (233 miles) at sea.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)