Japan and China top-level visits to Russia and Ukraine show global re-alignments |

China and Russia are entering a 'new era' of ties, the leaders of both countries said, as they met for a second day of talks hosted by the Kremlin. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin signed a deal to expand bilateral trade and energy ties. Xi is on an official visit in Russia just days after an international court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Xi Jinping is not the only major Asian leader with a stake in the war in Ukraine. Today Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid a unannounced visit to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kishida has been a firm supporter of Ukraine, providing billions of dollars of humaitarian and financial aid to Kyiv. Japan has also joined the sanction regime against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Kishida invited Zelenskyy to address the G7 summit Japan is hosting in the city of Hiroshima in May.