Source: ISW
Verbatim from the report: "The Kremlin is likely trying to portray the People's Republic of China (PRC) as being more aligned with its position on the war in Ukraine than the PRC is willing to publicly admit."
Details: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Summit in South Africa on February 20.
The official statement from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that Wang Yi emphasized that the PRC's approach to resolving the war in Ukraine focuses on addressing the "root causes of the war."
However, analysts point out that the official statement from the PRC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding this meeting significantly differs and claims that Lavrov stated that Russia, not the PRC, seeks to eliminate the "root causes of the war."
Verbatim ISW: "The likely deliberate error from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reflects an attempt by the Russian Federation to fully align the PRC's position on the war with its own, thereby strengthening its international authority and shaping the domestic perception of Russia's relationship with China."
Details: The report notes that Russian officials have clearly defined the "root causes" of the war as NATO's alleged failure to adhere to commitments not to expand eastward in areas near the Russian border, indicating that the Kremlin continues to seek to impose its will and security interests on the United States and Europe and is not interested in compromising on this demand.
Key findings from ISW for February 20:
- The Financial Times (FT) published an investigation confirming ISW's long-standing assessment that Russian military commanders are either complicit in or directly allow their subordinates to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war, which is a clear violation of international law.
- The FT investigation suggests that higher-ranking Russian commanders may also be involved in issuing orders for the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
- Senior representatives of Ukrainian intelligence reported that North Korean troops are conducting joint operations with Russian forces in the Kursk region and acquiring new combat capabilities.
- U.S. Special Representative for Russia and Ukraine, Kurt Kellogg, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on February 20.
- The Kremlin is likely trying to present the People's Republic of China as being more aligned with its position on the war in Ukraine than the PRC is willing to publicly acknowledge.
- Ukrainian forces have made advances near Pokrovsk, while Russian forces are advancing near Pokrovsk and Velika Novosilka.
- Reports indicate that Russia is increasing the production of glide bombs and modernizing its cruise missiles.