Seven civilians were reported killed by Ukrainian artillery strikes in Russian-controlled areas as the battle for Bakhmut, the devastated eastern city that has become a symbol of Kyiv's defiance of Russia, raged with no end in sight. A top Russian official said there was no chance of peace talks this year as French President Emmanuel Macron urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to persuade Russia to negotiate an end to Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War Two.

Following talks in Beijing with Macron and European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen, Xi said he hoped Russia and Ukraine could hold negotiations as soon as possible and warned all countries against using nuclear weapons.He did not express a willingness to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, although Von der Leyen said Xi had told her a conversation could happen when the "conditions and time are right".

There are no talks going on aimed at ending the war, and Dmitry Suslov, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted in Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper on Thursday as saying there was "zero" chance of talks happening in 2023. Putin says Russia's "special military operation" was necessary to eliminate Ukrainian Nazis and defend Russia from a hostile West. Ukraine and its allies call it an unprovoked war of conquest. The war has cost thousands of lives, wrecked cities, driven millions from their homes and destabilised the global economy.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP