Vladimir Kara-Murza faces up to 25 years in prison for criticising the war in Ukraine; China’s defence minister Li Shangfu tells Russian president Vladimir Putin their countries have ‘already entered a new era’
Vladimir Putin and China’s defence minister Li Shangfu have vowed to deepen military cooperation between China and Russia after the men met in Moscow over the weekend.
Li, who met the Russian president on Sunday on his first trip overseas in the role, said China was willing to work with Russia to have close strategic communications between their militaries.
He said China was prepared to strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation with Russia, according to state-run CCTV news.
“China is willing to work with Russia to make new contributions to the maintenance of world and regional security and stability,” Li said, according to the report.
He said ties between Russia and China “surpass the military-political alliances of the cold war era”, in translated remarks broadcast on Russian TV.
“This is my first overseas visit since taking over as China’s defence minister. I specifically chose Russia for this in order to emphasise the special nature and strategic importance of our bilateral ties,” Li said.
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A Russian court is due to deliver a verdict in the case against opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is being tried for treason for his criticism of the Ukraine offensive.
His high-profile trial is the latest in a string of cases against opposition voices in Russia in a crackdown that has intensified since the start of the war in Ukraine.
AFP reports:
Kara-Murza, 41, is accused of treason, spreading “false” information about the Russian army and being affiliated with an “undesirable organisation”.
Prosecutors have called for Kara-Murza to be sentenced to 25 years in jail.
In his last words in court following a closed-door trial, Kara-Murza said he stood by his political statements, including against Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.
“I subscribe to every word that I have said, that I am incriminated for today,” Kara-Murza said in comments published by journalist Alexei Venediktov.
“Not only do I not repent for any of it – I am proud of it,” he added.
Kara-Murza was detained in April last year on charges of spreading what the authorities consider false information about the Russian army over an address to members of the lower house of the Arizona legislature last March.
