With American reliability in doubt, some European nations and other countries may seek alternative partners and markets, possibly in China, current and former Western diplomats say.

President Donald Trump is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House Friday. Follow for live updates.

It cited Shoigu, Russia's former defence minister, as saying he was in China on behalf of President Vladimir Putin and noting how aligned Moscow and Beijing were when it came to various international issues.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be in Washington this week to sign a framework to a deal granting the U.S. access to some of its mineral reserves.

BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s abrupt reversal of three years of American policy toward Ukraine has raised concerns China might become emboldened to push its territorial claim on Taiwan, though experts say Beijing is most likely in a wait-and-see mode right now to see how the situation in Europe plays out.

US attempts to sow discord between China and Russia were "doomed to fail", Beijing said on Thursday, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to outline Washington's strategy to dilute ties between the two nuclear-powered neighbours.

Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, has held talks in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Friday. It cited Shoigu, Russia's former defence minister,