Latest news on the war in Russia and Ukraine: Putin loses over 1,000 soldiers at the front in the last 24 hours, says Ukrainian military

On Wednesday, NATO described China as a “key enabler” of Putin’s war in Ukraine – the alliance’s sharpest rebuke to Beijing.

But Beijing hit back, accusing NATO of bringing the country into disrepute and demanding that the transatlantic alliance stay out of Asia.

“NATO continues to emphasize the interlinkages between European security and the security of the Asia-Pacific region. We call on it to remain true to its role as a regional defense organization in the North Atlantic,” Beijing said.

According to the Ukrainian military, Russian forces have lost 1,030 soldiers killed or wounded on the war front in Ukraine over the past 24 hours.

The losses of Vladimir Putin’s troops include 48 artillery systems and 23 armored combat vehicles, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

According to Ukrainian estimates of Russia’s losses since the start of the large-scale invasion in February 2022, Moscow has lost at least 556,650 soldiers in death and injury on Ukrainian battlefields.

Ukraine called on NATO to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against targets in Russia, arguing that doing so would be a “game-changer” in the ongoing war, while China condemned NATO’s criticism of its support for Russia as biased and malicious.

Andrii Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, told a public forum that Russia faces no restrictions on the use of weapons and that it would be “a real turning point” if Ukraine’s allies could lift all restrictions on the use of weapons they supply to Ukraine.

NATO members have different approaches to how Ukraine can use the weapons they supply to Kyiv. Some have made it clear that Kyiv can use the weapons to attack targets deep inside Russia, while the US has taken a narrower approach, allowing the use of its weapons only just inside the Russian border against targets supporting Russian military operations in Ukraine.

Mr Biden said at a news conference that the United States had allowed Mr Zelensky to use American weapons on a limited basis within Russia’s borders.

“If he were able to attack Moscow, attack the Kremlin, would that make sense? It wouldn’t,” he added.

The new defense minister spoke to journalists at the NATO summit in Washington DC after holding several meetings with the other 31 allies and Ukraine.

He denied that Britain’s attempt to back away from some of the Conservatives’ Brexit deals would lead to the country joining an EU military force, but confirmed that work on a security pact would begin next week when Britain hosts the European Political Council summit.

Four Pacific nations attending the NATO summit issued a joint statement yesterday “strongly condemning” “illegal military cooperation” between Russia and North Korea, showing how the North Atlantic military alliance and its Pacific allies are forging closer ties to address what they see as common security threats.

For the third year in a row, heads of state or their representatives from Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia – which are not NATO members – attended the summit of the 75-year-old military alliance of European and North American countries. In Washington, they launched joint projects on Ukraine, disinformation, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

“We will address our common security challenges, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, China’s support for Russia’s war economy and the growing alignment of authoritarian powers,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a meeting with representatives of the four Pacific partners.

“We must work even more closely together to preserve peace and protect the rules-based international order,” he said. “Our security is not regional. It is global.”

Viktor Orban met with Donald Trump yesterday and the two discussed the “possibilities for peace,” said a spokesman for the Hungarian prime minister, who is pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Trump and Orban met at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida “as the next stop on his peace mission,” Orban’s spokesman said. “The conversation revolved around the possibilities for peace.”

Orban, a longtime Trump supporter, has made surprise visits to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing over the past two weeks as part of a self-proclaimed “peace mission,” angering NATO allies.

His meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in particular angered some other NATO members. They said the trip gave Putin legitimacy because the West wanted to isolate him because of his war in Ukraine.

Orban travelled to Kyiv before his visit to Moscow but did not tell Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about his trip to Russia, Zelensky said, rejecting Orban’s ambitions to play the peacemaker.

Joe Biden made a series of verbal slip-ups last night at the NATO summit in Washington, an unfortunate development for the 81-year-old who is trying to overcome concerns that he is too old to run for re-election.

Verbal slip-ups are not uncommon in the long political career of Biden, who overcame a childhood stutter, but the spotlight has turned to him in the wake of his dismal debate performance against Republican candidate Donald Trump last month.

Mr Biden falsely referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin.”

“And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said at the NATO summit, drawing gasps from those present.

“I’m going to beat President Putin and President Zelensky. I’m so focused on beating Putin,” Biden said, correcting himself.

Joe Biden said he has no reason to talk to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at this time unless the Russian president changes his behavior.

At a solo press conference at the end of the NATO summit, Biden said: “Putin has a problem” because Russia had not been successful in its two-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine.

“I have no good reason to talk to Putin right now,” Biden said.

Asked about Zelensky’s call for more freedom to fight Russian forces, Biden gave no indication of easing U.S. restrictions and said he was following the advice of his defense and intelligence officials.

“If he were able to attack Moscow, attack the Kremlin, would that make sense?” Biden said of Zelensky.

He later added: “We decide from day to day how far they should advance into Russian territory.” Ukraine was the focus of talks between European and North American leaders at the summit of the 75-year-old military alliance. Biden had previously announced a new military aid package on the same day and promised Zelensky: “We will stay by your side, period.”