Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine's survival is in danger, Pentagon chief warns; Putin could make China his first visit of new term

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin expressed his intention to consider China as his first foreign destination after securing a new presidential term. Putin is expected to travel to China in May to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The leader of the Communist Party, Gennady Zyuganov, suggested that Putin visit Beijing as his first trip. Western governments criticized Putin’s election victory while China and North Korea congratulated him. In a separate development, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that Ukraine’s survival is at stake due to funding issues in the US Congress. Austin emphasized the importance of additional aid for Ukraine and called it a matter of honor for the United States. French officials criticized remarks made by Russia’s foreign intelligence service chief regarding French military assistance to Ukraine. The French government labeled the remarks as an “irresponsible” provocation. Poland’s foreign minister indicated that income earned from Russian assets could be directed towards Ukraine for rebuilding purposes. Foreign ministers in Europe agreed to allocate the income from these assets to Ukraine. The implications of Putin’s re-election for the next six years are a subject of analysis, with focus on the Ukraine conflict, domestic reforms, and potential government reshuffling. Poland’s foreign minister warned that if the Ukraine war continues for another one or two years, the Russian economy could face serious consequences. Finally, Putin instructed Russia’s security services to identify and punish those responsible for cross-border raids from Ukraine into Russia.