Several new Defence Department officials have disputed contention that supporting Ukraine's defence could deter Beijing's plans for Taiwan While the Pentagon awaits Senate confirmation of its new chief amid fresh allegations of the nominee's history of abuse,

Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed to take his country’s ties with Russia to a new level this year in a video conference with counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, hours after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.

As China continues to boost Russia's war effort in Ukraine, Taiwan is grappling with rising Chinese pressure boosted by growing military cooperation from Russia. The deepening partnership is set to pose a new threat for U.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Europe it could be sidelined by the US, Russia and China, a day after Mr Trump returned to the White House and called on the Kremlin to “make a deal” to end a war that was “destroying Russia”.

Whether it is over TikTok, fentanyl or trade, Beijing might welcome a compromise to buy time to address its ailing economy and bolster its position globally.

The Taliban chases Chinese cash, U.S. energy sanctions on Russia trickle down, China in the Arctic crosshairs, and much more.

The two leaders have developed strong personal ties that helped boost relations between Moscow and Beijing, growing even closer after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022.

During his first term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump applied his particular brand of diplomacy with Washington's adversaries, publicly befriending Russia and North Korea while separately piling pressure on China and Iran.

Ukraine recently received a new Chinese ambassador, Ma Shengkun, and a new Ukrainian ambassador, Olexander Nechytaylo, has been appointed to China, although he has yet to receive agreement. Perhaps this development could bring some new dynamics to the Sino-Ukrainian relations.

The U.S. and its allies have accused China of fueling Russia's war machine by continuing to ship goods such as electronics, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) parts and machine tools to Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed on Tuesday how to build ties with Donald Trump, prospects for a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine and Moscow’s firm support for Beijing’s position on Taiwan.