War Ukraine – Russia, live: Breaking news

French President Emmanuel Macron met Thursday in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, with whom he plans to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine and trade relations. Macron and his wife Brigitte were welcomed by Xi and his partner, Peng Liyuan, at the capital’s Great Hall of the People. The French leader, on his fourth visit to China since coming to power in 2017, is also scheduled to meet with Premier Li Qiang before traveling to Chengdu, where two giant pandas on loan to France were recently returned. Macron has sought to pressure Xi to help reach a ceasefire in Ukraine, whose war with Russia enters its fourth winter. “We are counting on China, like us a permanent member of the Security Council (…), to put pressure on Russia, so that Russia and, in particular, Vladimir Putin, finally agree to a ceasefire,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot declared this week.