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Russia’s pact with China also ‘worrying’, Ursula von der Leyen says on visit to Japan; Nato allies reportedly expect Finland to be granted membership quicklyUkraine prosecutors ready to launch first war crimes trials of Russia conflictFinland expected to announce bid to join NatoKherson’s military administrators to call for Russian annexationInside the Azovstal steelworks – in picturesRussia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 78 of the invasionRussia “is today the most direct threat to the world order with the barbaric war against Ukraine, and its worrying pact with China,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said after talks with Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida.Von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel are in Japan for talks that have touched on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but also growing concerns about China’s role in Asia and beyond, AFP reports.Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not just a matter for Europe, but it shakes the core of the international order including Asia. This must not be tolerated,” said Kishida, whose government has joined tough sanctions on Moscow, including on energy.Our cooperation in Ukraine is critical in Europe, but it’s also important in the Indo-Pacific and we also want to deepen our consultation on a more assertive China,” said Michel.China must stand up to defend the multilateral system that it has benefitted from in developing its country. Continue reading...