Putin will try to use meeting in China as “permission” to continue war - Zelensky

This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference following his meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

"Everyone agrees that strength for Ukraine is strength for peace. That is why we are actively working to ensure our strength and resilience right now. Everyone can see that Russia rejects every peace initiative, and there is still no agreement on peace from Putin. There is also a very specific impression after the meeting in China, which Putin will obviously try to use as a kind of permission to continue the war. And in general, Putin is trying to show with his behavior that the pressure on him does not seem to affect him. In fact, we believe that the situation is fundamentally different," he said.

Zelensky emphasized that sanctions pressure on Russia is working. He noted that the situation is becoming more difficult for the Russian economy and for those who trade with Russia. The president noted that Ukraine's partners will continue with sanctions. In particular, according to him, new restrictions on Russia and special tariffs were discussed during the meeting.

As reported by Ukrinform, a large-scale military parade was held in the Chinese capital on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. The military parade in Beijing will be attended by leaders from more than 20 countries, including Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

On Tuesday, September 2, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Putin in the Chinese capital Beijing, during which they discussed the issue of Ukraine.