Live: Ukraine’s energy infrastructure under ‘massive’ attack from Russia

Ukraine war ‘could have been avoided’, says China’s foreign minister

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated China’s stance of supporting conflict resolution through political negotiations at a press conference on Friday. Wang said that in hindsight, the Ukraine conflict “could have been avoided”.

“All parties should learn something from the crisis,” he said. “Among many other things, security should be mutual and equal, and no country should build its security on the insecurity of another.”

China wants to achieve a “fair, lasting and binding peace agreement” in Ukraine that is acceptable to all parties, Yi added.

Wang stressed that China-Russia relations are as strong as ever despite recent consultations between the US and Russia on ending the Ukraine war. He said Beijing and Moscow are planning joint celebrations this year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

• Ukraine’s energy minister says the country’s energy and gas infrastructure was “under massive missile and drone shelling” by Russia on Friday
• European leaders on Thursday backed plans to spend more on defence and pledged to continue to stand by Ukraine
• The text, which stressed that “there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine”, was supported by all 27 member states except for Hungary

Ukraine energy infrastructure under ‘massive’ attack by Russia: minister

Ukraine’s energy and gas infrastructure was “under massive missile and drone shelling” by Russia on Friday, a Ukrainian minister said.

“The energy and gas infrastructure in various regions of Ukraine is under massive missile and drone shelling again,” energy minister German Galushchenko said in a post on Facebook.