With China involved, serious negotiations could begin by the end of the year, "the elder statesman" said | Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has told CBS News that the conflict in Ukraine may be approaching a turning point, and that Chinese-brokered peace talks could begin by the end of 2023. ● "Now that China has entered the negotiation, it will come to a head, I think by the end of the year," the 99-year-old diplomat told CBS in an interview broadcast on Sunday. By that time, he continued, "we will be talking about negotiating processes and even actual negotiations." ● With the release of its ‘Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis’ in February, China put itself forward as a potential mediator between Moscow and Kiev. The Chinese plan was rejected outright by the US and EU, while Russian President Vladimir Putin described some of its 12 points as “in tune” with Moscow’s position, and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky welcomed only a handful of its points, but maintains that Kiev will not compromise with Russia in any way.

A Russian Su-34 frontline bomber has struck at the deployment point of foreign mercenaries in the Kharkov region with guided bombs, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik. |  ● "The crew of a Su-34 fighter-bomber, using universal modules for planning and correcting aerial bombs, struck at a temporary deployment point of foreign mercenaries near the village of Ivanovka [Ivanivka]," the spokesperson said. In addition, in the Kupyansk direction, Russia forces have located and destroyed two Ukrainian sabotage reconnaissance groups and have thwarted three attempts of enemy troop rotation, the spokesperson said. ● The spokesperson also told Sputnik that a combat vehicle of the Osa anti-aircraft missile system was destroyed using the Lancet precision loitering munition near the village of Velykyi Burluk. An Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer used by Ukrainian troops was also destroyed by Russian forces. ● Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.