Prior to the announcement of the training, the Chinese state-run Global Times published an interview on July 10 with Serbian Lieutenant Colonel Dalibor Aleksic, who commands an air defense unit operating two China-supplied weapon systems: the FK-3 and the HQ-17AE.

Angela Stent, senior fellow at Brookings Institution, says Russian President Vladimir Putin counted on Chinese President Xi Jinping's support when he invaded Ukraine – and continues to count on Beijing's economic support and diplomatic support on a global stage.

An internal admission from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reveals Beijing's concern over Russia's defeat in Ukraine, raising alarm among EU officials and exposing China's deeper involvement despite public neutrality.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned India, China, and Brazil of potential secondary sanctions if they continue trade with Russia. Rutte urged these nations to pressure Putin for peace talks.

US Senators Graham and Blumenthal are pushing for sanctions against countries like India, China, and Brazil for trading with Russia, potentially imposing tariffs up to 500%. This follows Trump's announcement of possible 100% secondary tariffs on Russia if the Ukraine war doesn't end in 50 days.

Russia and China's foreign ministers on Sunday discussed their relations with the United States and the prospects for ending the war in Ukraine, Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. President Vladimir Putin's foreign minister,