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• Beijing's special envoy Li Hui said there was no special solution to resolving the Ukraine conflict during a visit to Kyiv earlier this week, but urged all parties to create conditions for peace talks, China's foreign ministry said. READ MORE BELOW

• Ukraine's foreign minister told special envoy Li Hui that Kyiv would not accept any proposals to end the conflict that involved losing territory or freezing the conflict.

• The Kremlin said a delegation from African countries hoping to present their initiative to end the conflict in Ukraine would visit Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they were ready to listen to "any proposals."

• The Ukraine Black Sea grain deal has been extended for two more months, in what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed as "good news for the world," a day before Russia could have quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports.

• On the grain deal, Guterres added that outstanding issues remain that Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye and the UN would continue to discuss.

• Ukraine shot down 29 of 30 missiles launched by Russia in air strikes on Wednesday night but one person was killed in an attack on the southern city of Odesa, the Ukrainian military said.

• A former commander of Russia's Wagner group who sought asylum in Norway after crossing the Russian-Norwegian border in January said he wanted to return to Russia even though he believed this could pose a risk to his life.

• Ukraine's military said it had made new territorial gains in heavy fighting around the eastern city of Bakhmut, despite being outgunned and outnumbered by Russian forces.

• Japan will treat two injured Ukrainian soldiers at a Tokyo hospital run by its military, the Defense Ministry said.

IN DETAIL

China pushes for peace with Ukraine visit

Beijing's special envoy noted there was no special solution to the Ukraine conflict during a visit to Kyiv earlier this week, but urged all parties to create conditions for peace talks.

Special envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui visited Kyiv on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he exchanged views with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian foreign minister and other state leaders on ways to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict through a political settlement.

"China is willing to promote the international community to form the greatest common denominator for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, and make its own efforts to stop the fighting and (establish a) ceasefire and restore peace as soon as possible," a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

"China has always played a constructive role in alleviating the humanitarian situation in Ukraine in its own way and will continue to provide assistance to Ukraine within its capacity."

Ukraine's foreign minister told Li that there were certain conditions they could not accept concerning proposals to end the conflict.

"Dmytro Kuleba briefed the special envoy of the Chinese government in detail on the principles of restoring a sustainable and just peace based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Ukraine ministry said.

"He stressed that Ukraine did not accept any proposals involving the loss of its territories or the freezing of the conflict."

Li, a former ambassador to Russia, will also visit Poland, France, Germany and finally Russia during a multi-day trip. He is the most senior Chinese official to visit Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022.

Both governments agreed that a recent phone call between President Xi Jinping and Zelenskyy had pointed out the direction for the development of relations.

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