March 20, 2023 - Xi and Putin meet in Moscow as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said late Monday night that a strike hit and destroyed Russian Kalibr cruise missiles – while they were being transported by train –in the town of Dzhankoi in the north of Russian-occupied Crimea.

The strike serves to further “demilitarize Russia and prepare the Crimean peninsula for de-occupation,” Ukrainian authorities said.

Sergei Askyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, seen here in a file photo from 2020, confirmed there was a strike and that the air defense system in Dzhankoi was activated. 

Meanwhile, the Russian-installed head of the annexed peninsula confirmed there was a strike and that the air defense system in Dzhankoi was activated. One person was injured and two buildings were damaged in the strike, Sergei Askyonov said. 

The Russian-installed head of the annexed peninsula confirmed there was a strike and that the air defense system was activated. One person was injured and two buildings were damaged, Sergei Askyonov said. 

Amateur video geolocated by CNN shows a large explosion and resulting fireball. An individual is heard saying off-camera that the strike hit the train station. However, the video did not clearly show what had been hit, and CNN hasn’t been able to confirm the exact location of the strike.

Some background: “Dzhankoi and Gvardeyskoye are home to two of the most important Russian military airfields in Crimea,” the UK Ministry of Defense said in 2022. “Dzhankoi is also a key road and rail junction that plays an important role in supplying Russia’s operations in southern Ukraine,” it said.

China’s leader Xi Jinping underlined the country’s willingness to play a role in finding a political solution to Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to a readout of the meeting Xi had with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday. The meeting marked the first of a three-day visit to Russia.

The readout, as published by Chinese state news agency Xinhua, said China and Russia “shared similar goals” and Xi and Putin “exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine issue” during their conversation.

Xi emphasized that “voices of peace and reason are constantly gathering, and the majority of countries support easing tensions, advocating reconciliation and talks, and oppose fueling the fire,” according to the readout.

It also said “conflicts eventually need to be resolved through dialogue and negotiation,” reminding that China had recently issued a paper calling for a political solution to end the conflict, which the readout refers to as the “Ukrainian crisis.” 

The readout added that China’s proposal on a political solution “opposes Cold War mentality, and opposes unilateral sanctions” and it is “willing to continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the Ukraine issue.”

China’s readout said Putin appreciated China’s “fair, objective and balanced position” on international issues and that Russia “holds an open attitude towards peace talks, and welcomes China’s constructive role in that regard.”

Chinese leader Xi Jinping began a three-day visit to Moscow on Monday, his first since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Talks between the two leaders lasted more than four hours and the leaders are expected to continue more formal meetings Tuesday.

Here are the latest headlines:

Moscow meeting: During the meeting, Xi told Putin that China and Russia have “similar goals” and he expressed support for Putin to be reelected. US officials, for their part, were paying close attention to the talks. John Kirby, the National Security Council communications coordinator, said the US remains concerned that Xi would reiterate calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine that would only benefit Moscow by allowing Russian forces to remain inside Ukrainian territory.

Tanks delivered: Norway delivered eight Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the Norwegian Armed Forces announced. Training for Ukrainian soldiers on the tanks is underway in Poland. Last month, Norway announced its decision to send the German-manufactured tanks, with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre noting “several allied countries have also done the same.” At the beginning of February, the Norwegian government also announced it had decided to order 54 German Leopard 2 tanks to strengthen its own defense capabilities which were expected to be delivered in 2026.

Ammunition and aid for Ukraine: Eighteen European nations have agreed to jointly procure ammunition to “aid Ukraine and replenish national stockpiles,” the European Defence Agency said in a news release on Monday. The Biden administration also authorized an additional $350 million in security aid, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced. The Presidential Drawdown includes “more ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS and howitzers that Ukraine is using to defend itself, as well as ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, HARM missiles, anti-tank weapons, riverine boats, and other equipment,” Blinken said in a statement.

For perspective: The US has committed more than $32 billion in Presidential Drawdown funds to aid Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began more than one year ago.

Latest on Bakhmut: The chief of Russia’s Wagner private military group Yevgeny Prigozhin said Monday in an open letter to the Russian defense minister that the mercenary force controls around 70% of Bakhmut. A months-long battle continues in the eastern city and earlier this month, Prigozhin acknowledged that the situation was “difficult, very difficult, with the enemy fighting each other for each meter.”

Also today:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said EU plans to accelerate the supply of ammunition to Ukraine gives him “confidence in our unity.” 

“This decision is worth 2 billion euros. It provides for both immediate delivery and production of ammunition. This is a strategic move,” he said in his nightly address on Monday.

More on this: Earlier today, Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said that following a meeting in Brussels, European Union member states agreed on the joint procurement of one million rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition for Ukraine. Seventeen EU member states and Norway agreed to jointly procure ammunition to “aid Ukraine and replenish national stockpiles,” the European Defence Agency (EDA) explained later in a news release.

In his nightly address, Zelensky also reiterated his thanks to the United States for its latest military aid package announcement. He called the $350 million package “all that is truly necessary to support our soldiers”.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday.

The White House maintained its skeptical view of this week’s summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, suggesting there was little evidence the talks could yield positive developments for Ukraine.

John Kirby, the National Security Council communications coordinator, told reporters the US remains concerned that Xi would reiterate calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine that would only benefit Russia by allowing Russian forces to remain inside Ukrainian territory.

He said there wasn’t evidence yet that Beijing was moving forward with providing Moscow with weapons, but he said the option hasn’t been taken off the table.

He told CNN’s Phil Mattingly the US views Russia as China’s “junior partner.”

A prospective phone call between Xi and President Biden remains in the cards, but will only occur at the “most appropriate time,” Kirby said.

In the meantime, the administration still hopes for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit Beijing and is working on arranging economic visits by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to China.

US President Joe Biden, right, and China's President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali on November 14, 2022.

US President Joe Biden is interested in talking again with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to John Kirby, the National Security Council strategic communications coordinator.

Xi is currently in Moscow on a three-day visit hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Nothing has been scheduled between the US and Chinese leaders yet, Kirby said. US officials want to make sure “it’s at the appropriate time,” he added.

Biden met with Xi for three hours in November on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. It was their first in-person encounter since Biden took office. At the time, the president told reporters he was “open and candid” with Xi about the range of matters where Beijing and Washington disagree.

Kirby also said the US wants to reschedule Secretary of State Blinken’s visit to Beijing. It was postponed in February in response to the flying of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.

Blinken intends to travel to China “at the earliest opportunity when conditions allow,” a State Department official said last month, though the official did not elaborate on what conditions the US is watching for.

Kirby also said the US is having “active discussions” with China about Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo visiting the country.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday thanked President Joe Biden “and the American people” after the US administration authorized an additional $350 million in security aid for Ukraine.

Some more on this: On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the Biden administration has authorized an additional $350 million in security aid for Ukraine.

The aid includes “more ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS and howitzers that Ukraine is using to defend itself, as well as ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, HARM missiles, anti-tank weapons, riverine boats, and other equipment,” Blinken said. 

Drawdown packages are pulled directly from US weapons stocks and can be shipped quickly to Ukraine. 

Blinken on Monday reiterated that the US will stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”

There is currently no evidence that China is supplying weapons to Russia, a Ukrainian intelligence official said Monday.

Yusov spoke as Putin was hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a three-day visit to Moscow.

Western leaders have expressed skepticism about China’s potential role as a peacemaker and its claimed neutrality.

The United States and its allies have also been warning that China is considering sending lethal aid to Russia for its war effort, which Beijing has denied.

The United States hopes that Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, advocates for a resolution to the war in Ukraine that includes a complete withdrawal of Russian troops, the White House said.

John Kirby, the National Security Council strategic communications coordinator, pointed to China’s own peace plan that includes the principle of respecting the sovereignty of all countries.

He encouraged Xi to “advocate for this exact, essential key point, which must include the withdrawal” of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory “consistent with the UN charter.” Ukrainian leaders have also put together a peace plan “which draws again on the same UN principles,” Kirby said during a press briefing at the White House.

He said the war could end immediately if Putin withdrew troops from Ukraine.

On Monday, after Xi arrived in Moscow, US Secretary of State Blinken reiterated these concerns, saying any plans for a ceasefire without the removal of Russian forces would “allow President Putin to rest and refit his troops, and then restart the war at a time more advantageous to Russia.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 20.

Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping – who arrived in Moscow on Monday for a three-day visit – have concluded, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

The talks lasted for 4.5 hours, according to RIA.

The two leaders are expected to hold further formal meetings tomorrow.

Norway has delivered eight Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the Norwegian Armed Forces announced on Monday.

Training for Ukrainian soldiers on the tanks is underway in Poland, the Norwegian Armed Forces added.  

Norway last month announced its decision to send the German-manufactured tanks, with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre noting “several allied countries have also done the same.” 

At the beginning of February, the Norwegian government also announced it had decided to order 54 German Leopard 2 tanks to strengthen its own defense capabilities which were expected to be delivered in 2026.

More background on the tanks: Germany announced in January that it would provide Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv’s troops after weeks of geopolitical squabbling. The announcement was matched by the US, with President Joe Biden saying that he was providing 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

CNN’s Rob Picheta contributed reporting to this post. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a briefing on the 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices at the State Department in Washington, DC, on Monday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow shows China’s intent to provide “diplomatic cover” for Russia’s “atrocities committed in Ukraine” instead of condemning them.

However, Blinken said that “elements” of China’s peace proposal for the war were in line with efforts the US would support. 

“China’s proposal includes elements that we have long supported, including ensuring nuclear safety, resolving the humanitarian crisis, protecting civilians and, indeed, the first element calls for upholding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all counties,” said Blinken.

But he said any calls for a ceasefire “that does not include the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest” as it would “allow President Putin to rest and refit his troops, and then restart the war at a time more advantageous to Russia.” 

A view of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is seen on March 15.

The chief of Russia’s Wagner private military group Yevgeny Prigozhin said Monday in an open letter to the Russian defense minister that Wagner forces control around 70% of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

A months-long battle continues in the city and earlier this month, Prigozhin acknowledged that the situation in Bakhmut was “difficult, very difficult, with the enemy fighting each other for each meter.”

“At the moment, Wagner units control around 70 percent of the city of Bakhmut and are continuing operations to complete the liberation of the city,” Prigozin wrote Monday in the letter published on Telegram. 

Prigozhin asked Shoigu to take measures to prevent a potential upcoming offensive by Ukrainian troops in late March or early April, which Prigozhin said will cut off Wagner forces from Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. 

What Ukraine is saying: Prigozhin’s comments come after Ukraine’s military on Saturday claimed Wagner mercenaries have suffered “colossal losses” in the battle for Bahkmut and have had to seek reinforcements from Russian paratroopers.

“According to what we see Bakhmut will be the last battlefield for the infamous military actions of PMC Wagner because of this extensive offensive, where they ‘throw in’ all of their mercenaries and then the ex-prisoners,” Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said while speaking on national television. “Now we see that they are reinforced by units of the regular army. First of all, the airborne troops.” 

CNN is unable to independently verify Prigozhin’s claims or Ukrainian claims of Russian casualties.

Meanwhile, Prigozhin announced on Saturday that he plans to recruit about 30,000 new fighters by mid-May, according to a voice message published on Telegram.

Seventeen EU member states and Norway have agreed to jointly procure ammunition to “aid Ukraine and replenish national stockpiles,” the European Defence Agency (EDA) said in a news release on Monday.

Earlier Monday, Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said that following a meeting in Brussels, European Union member states had agreed on the joint procurement of one million rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition for Ukraine.

“The project opens the way for EU Member States and Norway to proceed along two paths: a two-year, fast-track procedure for 155mm artillery rounds and a seven-year project to acquire multiple ammunition types,” the European Defence Agency said.

The 18 European nations include: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.

The EDA said that this project “sends a clear message to industry and strengthens the EU’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s war of aggression,” adding that more countries have expressed intent to join the initiative.

According to the EDA, the agency has been working since November of last year to identify critical shortfalls on three areas: ammunition, soldier systems and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) equipment.

This project provides a seven-year framework “to commonly procure multiple types and calibers of ammunition (5.56 mm to 155 mm) to replenish national stocks.”

The State Department’s human rights report this year highlights the war crimes and other atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine which have resulted in “massive death and destruction,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken writes in the report’s preface.

The report comes just days after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia. It says that “thousands” of Ukrainians have been subject to forced deportation to Russia.

Russia’s authoritarian political system is “dominated by President Vladimir Putin,” the report says. But it does not draw specific connections between Putin and the war crimes committed in Ukraine.  

The report highlights the Kremlin’s efforts to shut down dissent, specifically highlighting the government’s “severe suppression of free expression and media,” use of “excessive force and other harsh tactics” to detain antiwar protestors, and specific efforts to penalize students who voiced opposition to the war. 

“According to human rights organizations, hundreds of university students were expelled during the year for their political views. For example, on March 9, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reportedly ordered Saint Petersburg State University to expel 13 students who participated in antiwar protests,” the report says.

The report says that Russian law enforcement officers used “torture, including sleep deprivation, as a form of punishment against detained opposition and human rights activists, journalists, and critics of government policies.”

A Ukrainian police officer takes cover in front of a burning building that was hit in a Russian airstrike in Avdiivka, Ukraine, on March 17.

The situation in the town of Avdiivka, located north of the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, is “really difficult and hard to control,” Special Forces soldier Maj. Maksym Morozov told Ukrainian television on Monday.

Morozov, who is in the Avdiivka area, said Russian forces are “advancing despite huge losses” and are “pushing from both sides,” meaning the north and the south of the town.

“They are gaining success because they are attacking in waves — first there goes the ‘cannon fodder’ and then professionals are going behind them, the special forces who are trying to strike our firing lines,” he said.  

“Russians are using various tactics — night infantry attacks, armoured groups supported by a tank or aviation, rocket strikes. Our armed forces are bravely repelling the attacks,” Morozov added.

Meanwhile, Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, said Monday that “the enemy offensive is ongoing in several directions,” noting offensive action in Bilohorivka, Avdiivka, Vuhledar and Mariinka. She said the Ukrainian army is “making progress in certain areas.”

Some background: There are about 2,000 civilians remaining in Avdiivka, according to Ukrainian officials. Several children had been evacuated, and over the past three weeks alone, 150 people had left the town, Vitaliy Barabash, head of the Avdiivka Civil-Military Administration, told local TV channel Espresso.

CNN’s Svitlana Vlasova and Tim Lister contributed reporting to this post.

The Biden administration has authorized an additional $350 million in security aid for Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday.

The Presidential Drawdown includes “more ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS and howitzers that Ukraine is using to defend itself, as well as ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, HARM missiles, anti-tank weapons, riverine boats, and other equipment,” Blinken said in a statement.

Drawdown packages are pulled directly from US weapons stocks and can be shipped quickly to Ukraine. 

Blinken on Monday reiterated that the US will stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”

More context: The last Presidential Drawdown of US equipment for Ukraine was announced earlier this month, and was valued at $400 million. That package included, for the first time, Armored Vehicle Launched Bridges, a system used to launch bridges to cross trenches and narrow water obstacles.

The US has committed more than $32 billion in Presidential Drawdown funds to aid Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than one year ago.

Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium, on March 20.

European Union member states have agreed on the joint procurement of one million rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition for Ukraine, Estonia’s Defense Minister said Monday.

Following a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels, Hanno Pevkur tweeted that “political consensus had been reached – 1 million rounds of 155mm to Ukraine.”

As the war stretches into its second year, Ukraine is burning through ammunition faster than the US and NATO can currently produce it.

Speaking after the meeting in Brussels, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he was confident ammunition production can be increased quickly.

Pistorius said he will be awaiting offers from ammunition manufacturers until the end of March, noting the importance of speed when it comes to supplying Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the meeting “the highest priority need is artillery ammunition. It is not only about the quantity, but also about the speed of delivery. The sooner we get as many shells as possible, the more lives will be saved,” according to a readout from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. 

Before the meeting, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell told reporters he was confident production capacity could be increased to provide 2 billion euros (or about $2.1 billion) worth of ammunition.

The European Union’s 2 billion euro ammunition plan for Ukraine is “a very strong step to protect European security,” Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, tweeted Monday in response to the announcement.

The EU has not yet provided further details of the agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 20.

China and Russia “share similar goals,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday during a visit to Moscow.

“I’m very happy that I can visit Russia again, at your invitation. And that Russia is the first country that I visited after my re-election as China’s President,” Xi told Putin.

Xi also expressed support for Putin to be reelected.

“I know that the Russia presidential election is next year. Russia’s development has significantly improved under your firm leadership. I believe that the Russian people will continue to strongly support you,” he said.

Xi said China “highly values” China-Russia ties and that both countries can cooperate to fulfill their development goals.