Xi Jinping is Putin's last hope. Only China can prolong the Kremlin's agony – former Moldova’s Defense Minister Salaru

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel.

"I study everything that is happening in the world around Ukraine. So I can say with confidence that everyone is tired of this war. I really hope that China will make the right decision and convince Putin to stop this war. After all, only China can prolong this agony of the Kremlin. Without their help, Russia's resources will not be enough for a gruelling war," explained Salaru.

Former Moldovan Defense Minister is convinced that Russia has no chance to win the war with Ukraine

"The Russians themselves should be interested in Russia's defeat in the war in the first place. I hope that by the end of this year, Ukraine will be able to regain its territories and defeat the Russian army on the battlefield. There is, of course, a problem that the West has not decided what to do with Russia after its defeat in the war. However, I believe that they will be able to solve this problem very quickly. Because Ukraine will be able to defeat Russia even without Western assistance," he added.

• The WSJ reported that Xi Jinping plans to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.