World
China denies fuelling Russia-Ukraine war tensions, says it supports peace
Comments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia and China of attempting to undermine Swiss peace summit.
China has said it believes “all efforts” should be recognised in supporting peace measures around the Russia-Ukraine war, rejecting accusations from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that it was trying with Russia to undermine this month’s planned peace summit in Switzerland.
China has never “fanned fire or fuelled the flames”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday after she was asked about the peace summit that is scheduled to take place on June 15-16.
Mao said China’s position on the peace conference was “open and transparent”.
“We believe that we can get the understanding and support of all parties,” she added.
More than 80 delegations have confirmed they will attend the summit in Burgenstock that Switzerland hopes will lay the groundwork for a peace process more than four years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking in Singapore on Sunday, Zelenskyy said China and Russia were putting pressure on other countries and their leaders not to attend the upcoming talks. He did not say which ones.
“Russia, using Chinese influence in the region, using Chinese diplomats also, does everything to disrupt the peace summit,” he said at a news conference at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a closely-watched security forum.
China maintains it is neutral in the war, although it has deepened ties with Moscow since the invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing last month where he enjoyed a ceremonial welcome and sipped tea with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Its trade with Russia has grown, easing the economic impact of Western-led sanctions. US, Ukrainian and other intelligence agencies say there is evidence that Chinese parts are winding up in Russian weaponry, even if China is not directly arming its neighbour.
The Swiss had been hoping China would attend the peace conference, but Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made clear last week that Beijing would not participate.
Beijing has been calling for a peace conference with “equal participation” of all sides, including Russia, which has not been invited.
Ukraine’s peace plan calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, the restoration of its 1991 post-Soviet borders and bringing Russia to account for its actions.
China has also released a peace plan that Putin last month said showed Beijing understood the conflict’s “root causes” and “global geopolitical meaning”. The 12-point plan got a lukewarm reception when it was first released a year after the Russian invasion, with analysts noting a lack of concrete proposals.
“There is still a clear gap between the arrangements for the meeting and the demands of the Chinese side, as well as the general expectations of the international community,” Mao said. “This makes it difficult for China to participate in the meeting.”
new video loaded: Moscow Tanker Blast Most Likely Russian Missile, Video Shows
By James McManagan, Paul Sonne, Malachy Browne and Jackeline Luna
June 19, 2026
World
Man charged with attempted murder, released after allegedly forcing toddler into crocodile enclosure at zoo
Man FORCES child into crocodile enclosure
A British man has been arrested after allegedly forcing a 3-year-old boy into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo. The child suffered critical injuries, and authorities say the suspect did not know the boy as the investigation continues.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A man was released from custody on Friday after he was charged with attempted murder for allegedly forcing a 3-year-old boy into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo.
Cambridgeshire police said that the man, who remains unidentified, wasn’t fit to be interviewed.
The boy suffered critical injuries in the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Huntingdon, England, north of London.
The 30-year-old man will remain on bail until Sept. 30, pending further inquiries.
GEORGIA MOM’S WALMART TRIP DEVOLVES INTO ‘TUG-OF-WARRING’ IN DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SAVE HER SON
A crocodile rests inside an enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Old Hurst, Cambridgeshire, Britain, on April 14, 2026. (Dorota Dee Trajdos/Reuters)
“The man, who is not known to the victim, was assessed as not being fit for interview,” police said in a statement.
The boy is in stable condition, after reportedly suffering a broken arm and pelvis.
He was saved from the crocodile by Tracey Johnson, the wife of the zoo’s owner.
MOTHER JUMPS INTO WATER TO SAVE 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO FELL BETWEEN CRUISE SHIP AND DOCK
“I know Tracey very well and she’s a lovely lady and it’s nothing more than I’d expect from her,” a local told BBC News. “She’d always put her own life at risk to save someone else. She’s an extraordinary lady and very brave.
The villager added that Johnson put herself in “immense danger” during the rescue.
The owners said their tropical house would remain closed until further notice.
Crocodiles rest inside an enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst farm and zoo in Old Hurst, Cambridgeshire, Britain, on April 14, 2026. (Dorota Dee Trajdos/Reuters)
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today,” the owners wrote on social media.
Johnsons of Old Hurst is a farm and zoo north of London in Huntingdon, England. (Google Maps)
Huntingdonshire district councillor Charlotte Lowe said she couldn’t “fathom how it’s happened because they’ve got all the right protection and safety equipment, for want of a better word, in there,” The Guardian reported.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Cambridgeshire Constabulary for comment.
Published on
US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his comments on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying she asked him “over and over” for a photo when the pair met at the G7 summit in France earlier this week.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Following the summit, Trump told an Italian journalist that he “felt sorry for Meloni” after she “begged me to take a picture with her”.
Meloni hit back in a video posted to social media, branding Trump’s claims as “completely made up” and insisting that neither she nor Italy begs anyone for anything.
The once close pair’s relationship has grown increasingly fractious in recent months, particularly since Rome refused to provide the US support for its operations in Iran and after Meloni defended Pope Leo XIV, who was criticised by the Trump administration over his remarks on the war and the US’s immigration policies.
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Saturday. “She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon”.
“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her “numbers up.” No thanks!!!” Trump added.
-
Detroit, MI1 minute agoTigers top Chicago White Sox 4-1; Detroit pitcher Troy Melton allows 1 hit in 6 innings
-
San Francisco, CA13 minutes agoMLB Rumors: Latest Intel on Potential Matt Chapman Trade for San Francisco Giants
-
Dallas, TX15 minutes agoDallas’ Fair Park to Get $2.5M Boost From McKesson – Dallas Weekly
-
Miami, FL21 minutes agoAir quality alert in effect in Miami-Dade and Broward counties: National Weather Service
-
Boston, MA28 minutes agoBoston Signs Big Blueliner Rylind MacKinnon To One-Year Extension
-
Denver, CO31 minutes agoFire destroys home under construction in northwest Denver
-
Seattle, WA36 minutes agoWe can stop pretending that a suburban stadium would be better for soccer in Seattle
-
San Diego, CA43 minutes agoNASCAR Cup San Diego starting lineup: Shane van Gisbergen rockets to pole
