Putin Starts New War Phase After China Summit, The Times Says

Putin has started a new phase of the war against Ukraine after the summit in China, writes The Times. According to the publication, after his visit to Beijing, where Putin declared an "unprecedented level" of relations with China and received a demonstrative show of support alongside Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un during a military parade, a Russian missile hit the Ukrainian government building for the first time during the war.

Analysts believe this is a signal to move to strikes on "decision-making centers," which Russian "hardliners" have long demanded. Incidentally, the President of Belarus had addressed the topic earlier in one of his interviews.

Lukashenko had noted that many in Russia had proposed striking Ukraine's "decision-making centers," not sparing Zelenskyy either, but Putin had strictly forbidden it. The Times notes that after returning from Beijing, Putin has become noticeably "more self-confident," and his rhetoric no longer includes even a hint of readiness for negotiations.