Putin scrambles for dwindling ammunition and kit from China for Ukraine war effort

Putin scrambles for dwindling ammunition and kit from China for Ukraine war effort

this is a vital relationship for Vladimir Putin because ultimately it’s one of his only relationships with a with a major world power that he can draw on uh to support his ongoing uh Invasion his ongoing offensive across Ukraine which is having a you know a huge effect on Russia on Russia’s economy on Russia’s on Russia’s uh people in terms of those that are being called up to fight and the effort that’s being put towards the war effort now Putin’s arrived in Beijing to a a pretty impressive welcome ceremony it’s the Russian President’s first International State visit since the start of his really un unpresidented fifth presidential term and the meeting is the third with China this year it comes really as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not only sort of raged on for more than two years um this Russian offensive in Northeast Ukraine has gained some ground Jerome starky the sun’s defense editor is with us Jerome good morning morning roie can you just start by explaining what what Putin is aiming to get out of this visit and sort of this ever growing closer relationship with China well this is in president she’s words I suppose what friendship Without Limits looks like although we really know that there are some limits to this Vladimir Putin essentially wants two things he wants the Kudos that comes from a grand State visit and meeting one of the world’s most powerful leaders but crucially he needs the ammunition and the military support that China has provided discreetly but nonetheless crucially throughout the last two plus years of this war in Ukraine so this is a vital relationship for Vladimir Putin because ultimately it’s one of his only relationships with a with a major world power that he can draw on uh to support his ongoing uh Invasion his ongoing offensive across Ukraine which is having you know a huge effect on Russia on Russia’s economy on Russia’s on Russia’s uh people in terms of those that are being called up to fight and the effort that’s being put towards the war effort yeah Ian it’s you know Western sanctions are really trying to kind of Putin his sort of War Machine does China provide a bit of a Lifeline to to Putin absolutely that’s exactly what it is a Lifeline I mean there’s a debate as how effective the Western sanctions have been that they far-reaching they’re complicated they are you know Myriad and yet Russia’s economy has actually grown over the course of the last two plus years and that’s partly because Russia has sort of warped its economy has invested so much of the state spending into defense into ramping up military production that you know jobs economy productivity has increased in some key areas and that’s because Russia desperately needs more kit to keep its forces in the fight it’s worth reflect on you know the huge losses that Russia has not just suffered but I’d say even more importantly that Russia has absorbed because it’s one thing perhaps for Ukraine and Ukraine’s allies to to to gloat or at least report triumphantly you know the hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers that have been uh killed or injured and the thousands of tanks that have been destroyed and yet as you rightly pointed out in your introduction that hasn’t stopped Russia advancing they are on the Move they’re on the March at the moment and if we know anything from history it’s that Russia can absorb spectacular eyering levels of human casualties they can endure and indeed commit huge amounts of effort to repairing and replacing both people and equipment and that’s partly where China comes in of course is providing that Lifeline of that equipment and just finally Jerome you know where does that leave Ukraine’s current front line you know we heard yesterday zalinsky cancelling foreign RPS clearly um needing to be ever present to try and Stave off what you’ve just described you know those gains from Russia there’s no doubt that the offensive in HEV Russia has gained uh more ground more quickly in North Eastern har that it has elsewhere particularly on the Eastern front in many many months and it’s almost the fastest games that Russia has had perhaps since the very first days of the invasion so from that point of view uh it’s been spectacular it’s it’s been sudden uh it’s and clearly a threat and a concern to Ukraine hence why zinsky staying at the same time this is likely the opening salvos of a large summer counter offense and I don’t think at the moment that harv city is under threat it appears that what Russia is trying to do is to stretch Ukraine’s already overstretch Defenders forcing ke to commit reserves which are scarce to try and stop this assault that’s probably so that Russia can actually continue with its main effort which is further east in the donbass around AV Diva which they recently captured earlier this year to try and once they’ve stretched Ukraine’s Defenders more thinly to try and exploit a gap further east and Advance there which is where they’ve really struggled to make this sort of significant progress quickly Jerome thank you so much Jerome starky the sun’s defense editor taking us through sort of Dynamics at play as Putin gets this Grand welcome in China h [Music] all [Music] [Music] [Music] la la [Music] up [Music] speee foree sit sh thank you [Music] fore for for

“Russia desperately needs more kit to keep its forces in the fight.”

Putin’s relationship is President Xi of China is his “lifeline” for securing military support for his war in Ukraine, says the Sun’s defence editor Jerome Starkey.

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