Putin Visits Kursk Region for First Time Since Ejecting Ukrainian Forces 

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Talent and Success Foundation as he visits the Sirius educational center near Sochi in the Krasnodar region, Russia, May 19, 2025. (Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Talent and Success Foundation as he visits the Sirius educational center near Sochi in the Krasnodar region, Russia, May 19, 2025. (Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters)
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Putin Visits Kursk Region for First Time Since Ejecting Ukrainian Forces 

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Talent and Success Foundation as he visits the Sirius educational center near Sochi in the Krasnodar region, Russia, May 19, 2025. (Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Talent and Success Foundation as he visits the Sirius educational center near Sochi in the Krasnodar region, Russia, May 19, 2025. (Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the western Kursk region for the first time since Russian forces ejected Ukrainian troops from the area last month.

The Kremlin said that during the visit on Tuesday Putin met volunteer organizations in the region and visited the Kursk-II nuclear power plant.

State television showed Putin meeting volunteers and local officials in the region including acting governor Alexander Khinshtein. Putin was accompanied by Sergei Kiriyenko, Kremlin first deputy chief of staff.

Russia said in late April that it had ejected Ukrainian troops from Kursk region, ending the biggest incursion into Russian territory since World War Two.

Just over two years after Russia's 2022 invasion, Ukraine on Aug. 6 launched its boldest attack, smashing through the Russian border into the Kursk region, supported by swarms of drones and heavy Western weaponry.

At its height, Ukrainian forces claimed nearly 1,400 square kilometers of Kursk.



China Says Premier Li to Visit Brazil for BRICS Summit, Egypt

China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS
China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS
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China Says Premier Li to Visit Brazil for BRICS Summit, Egypt

China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS
China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit Brazil for a meeting of BRICS countries and then Egypt next week, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

"Li Qiang will attend the 17th BRICS Summit upon invitation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 5 to 8," a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

Beijing and Moscow have hailed the BRICS club as a counterweight to what they see as Western hegemony on the world stage, according to AFP.

A loose grouping of countries named after founding members Brazil, Russia, India and China, its members pledge to boost trade and cooperation, though it is not a trade pact and has few institutional ties.

"The BRICS cooperation mechanism is one of the most important platforms for solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries in today's world," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

"It is a vital force in promoting a more equal and orderly multipolar world and an inclusive and beneficial economic globalisation," she added.

The Kremlin said last week, however, that President Vladimir Putin would not travel to Brazil for the upcoming summit due to the outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant on the Russian president.

Following his visit to Brazil, Li will then "pay an official visit to Egypt from July 9 to 10", Beijing said.

"During the visit, Premier Li Qiang will have in-depth exchanges of views with Egyptian leaders on the development of China-Egypt relations, the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation, and issues of common concern," Mao said.