China calls for Russia-Ukraine ceasefire over ‘grave’ conflict
- Premier Li Keqiang says the situation is worrying and must be stopped from spiralling out of control
- Putin approves deployment of volunteers from the Middle East to fight with Russian-backed rebels
Doubling down on an invasion that the West says has been losing momentum, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the green light for thousands of volunteers from the Middle East to be deployed alongside Russian-backed rebels in Ukraine.
The move, just over two weeks since Putin ordered the invasion, allows Russia to deploy battle-hardened mercenaries from conflicts such as Syria without risking additional Russian military casualties.
At a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said there were 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East who were ready to fight alongside Russian-backed forces in the breakaway Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Also on Friday, the European Union proposed doubling financing for military aid to Ukraine, adding another €500 million (US$551 million) to help Kyiv’s forces.
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China’s delicate position on Russia-Ukraine crisis and its opposition to Western sanctions
China, meanwhile, has repeatedly called for the crisis to be resolved through diplomatic means, but Beijing’s ties with Moscow – described by the two nations as “without limits” – has raised suspicions in the West.