Putin warns UK it is ramping up war with its ‘nuclear component’ arms for Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has accused Britain of escalating the war in Ukraine after it emerged that the UK will send Kyiv depleted uranium shells. The Russian president was speaking at a joint press conference with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, where he said the delivery of the armour-piercing shells showed the West was not ready for peace. Roland Oliphant writes that Putin got very little out of Xi’s big visit except pomp and ceremony.

Vladimir Putin toasted Xi Jinping at a reception in the Kremlin Credit: AFP