Russia intercepts two US warplanes over the Baltic. The Chinese president affirms his "unwavering" support for its "core" interests

Kremlin: Moscow is not interested in stopping the war in Ukraine and negotiations with Kiev are impossible

Shoigu chairs a meeting of the Council of the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. Reuters

The Kremlin announced yesterday that Russia is not interested in stopping the war in Ukraine, stressing the continuation of its "special" military operations until the end. While Moscow said it would respond "very firmly" to future armed incursions and interception of two U.S. warplanes over the Baltic, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated Beijing's support for Moscow's "core" interests.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was not interested in stopping the war with Ukraine.

Russia's TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying yesterday that Russia is continuing its "special military operations" to the end until it asserts its interests and achieves its goals, either through combat or through "other available means."

According to Peskov, there are currently no signs of a possible peaceful solution. He added that negotiations with Kiev are impossible because the Ukrainian leadership itself "has banned negotiations of any kind with Russia."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky considered "the withdrawal of Russian forces from occupied Ukrainian territory a prerequisite for peace talks."

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of the "growing turmoil in the world" in light of the war he ordered nearly a year and a half ago, in a video message addressed to a security conference in Moscow.

Russia's Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine, was attacked by a "large number" of drones, authorities said.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said cars, apartment buildings and administrative buildings had been damaged in the city of Belgorod itself and elsewhere in the region. Most of the drones were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire.

The New York Times reported that at least three U.S. armored vehicles appear to have been used in the attack on Belgorod. The newspaper reported Tuesday, after analysing photos and videos on Telegram, that two of the three vehicles had been confiscated by Russian forces.

The Russian military said Tuesday it had "crushed" with its air force and artillery the group that attacked the area the day before, in the largest incursion into Russian territory since the conflict began. Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow would respond "very firmly" to future armed incursions, a day after an attack by groups that crossed from Ukraine into Russian territory.

Shoigu explained during a meeting with senior military officials: "We will continue to respond quickly and very firmly to such actions."

On the other hand, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it sent one of its warplanes to intercept two US bombers over the Baltic Sea that were approaching the Russian border, which Washington confirmed.

"After the withdrawal of the two foreign warplanes from the Russian border, the Russian fighter returned to its air base," the Defense Ministry said on Telegram, without any incident.

The two planes in question were U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bombers and "were approaching the Russian border," the ministry said, adding that it sent a Su-27 fighter jet to intercept them.

The Pentagon confirmed the interception of the planes. Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder said the bombers were taking part in a "long-scheduled exercise in Europe."

In Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his country's support for Moscow's "core" interests during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

China and Russia have in recent years stepped up economic and diplomatic cooperation, and their rapprochement has grown closer since the Ukraine war, despite Beijing's insistence it is neutral on the conflict.

Mishustin's visit is the highest-level visit by a Russian official to China since the war last year.

Xi said in a transcript of his remarks carried by the official Xinhua news agency that the two countries will continue to "unwavering support each other on issues related to each other's core interests, and strengthen cooperation in multilateral forums."

In Geneva, WHO member states voted overwhelmingly yesterday to condemn Russia's war in Ukraine and Russian attacks on health care facilities, in a new gesture of support for Kiev.

The member states of the organization, meeting in Geneva, voted 80 to nine, with 52 abstentions, to "condemn in the strongest terms the continued aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including attacks on health care facilities, as well as large-scale attacks on civilians and vital civilian infrastructure."