Ukraine is sending reinforcements to the devastated japanese metropolis of Bakhmut, main extra troops right into a bloody crucible that has already value either side staggering losses, the place Russian forces have steadily tightened their grip.

A Ukrainian deputy protection minister, Hanna Maliar, mentioned Wednesday that her authorities had begun deploying new fighters to Bakhmut, web site of essentially the most protracted battle of the struggle, however she didn’t say what number of have been being despatched. Extra critically, Ms. Maliar, talking on Ukrainian tv, didn’t say what their function could be, in a battle that has left the ravaged Bakhmut a metropolis in title solely.

The brand new forces might be used to dig in and attempt to maintain onto the territory, exacting the utmost casualties on the Russians, who’ve misplaced hundreds of troops in repeated, futile assaults on Ukrainian positions. They is likely to be used to tie down Russian forces so they can not redeploy to different battles. Or they is likely to be there to supply logistical assist for Ukraine’s long-rumored withdrawal from Bakhmut.

That final rationalization appeared to achieve some floor this week when one other Ukrainian official, the financial adviser Alexander Rodnyansky, laid out the challenges in an interview with CNN.

“Our army is clearly going to weigh all the choices,” he mentioned. “To date, they’ve held the town however, if want be, they are going to strategically pull again. As a result of we aren’t going to sacrifice all of our folks only for nothing.”

Moscow turned its consideration to Bakhmut final summer time, however Ukrainian troopers have held on the market for months, whilst Russian forces have steadily captured surrounding territory, practically reducing off the town. Russia has rushed giant numbers of troops to the entrance traces, together with many newly mobilized, ill-trained recruits, giving Ukraine alternative to inflict hundreds of casualties — although at a excessive value to its personal fighters.

“Essentially the most tough state of affairs continues to be Bakhmut,” Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, mentioned in his nightly handle on Tuesday. A day earlier, he mentioned Ukrainian forces have been dangerously uncovered.

“The enemy is consistently destroying every little thing that can be utilized to guard our positions, to achieve a foothold and guarantee protection,” Mr. Zelensky mentioned.

Video recorded within the metropolis exhibits apocalyptic scenes of buildings decreased to rubble or charred, hollowed-out shells, with streets marked by the burned-out stays of autos however few indicators of human life.

In an audio message launched on social media on Wednesday, the top of the Wagner mercenary power that has spearheaded the Russian offensive in Bakhmut mentioned there was no signal that Ukrainian forces have been withdrawing from the town.

The skirmishing was not simply on the battlefield.

On a visit to Uzbekistan on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken tried to win over — or no less than not lose floor in — Russia’s yard. He was the primary Biden administration cupboard official to go to Central Asia, a area of former Soviet republics that Moscow considers inside its sphere of affect.

The nations have sought to keep a impartial stance on Russia’s struggle, they usually all have shut financial, safety and diplomatic ties with Moscow, though some leaders and senior officers within the area have made current skeptical remarks concerning the invasion.

Mr. Blinken mentioned at a information convention in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, that the US noticed “zero proof” that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was ready to interact in severe peace talks, regardless of rising calls from some nations for such negotiations to begin.

“On the contrary, the proof is all within the different route,” Mr. Blinken mentioned.

Mr. Blinken’s feedback got here as he was making ready for confrontations over the struggle at a gathering of high diplomats from the Group of 20 nations in India. Each Russia and China are sending their international ministers to the convention in Delhi, with the principle classes happening on Thursday.

The USA and its European allies insist that their precedence for now could be to extend army support to Ukraine in order that it may possibly take again its territory and be in a greater place if substantial talks ultimately begin. Solely then would there be an opportunity for a “simply and sturdy” peace, Mr. Blinken mentioned.

However a number of of the nations urging peace talks quickly have expressed some assist for speaking factors on negotiations that China issued on Friday, the anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

The 12 factors in that “peace plan” have been reiterations of bland statements of precept that China has made all through the battle, together with China’s longstanding declaration that there ought to be a cease-fire, and that each one nations ought to respect each other’s inviolable sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The truth is, neither aspect has proven any willingness to barter besides on the idea of the opposite’s capitulation. Russia says its annexation of Ukrainian territory have to be the baseline for talks; Ukraine says its precondition is retaking that territory.

On Wednesday, China’s high chief, Xi Jinping, welcomed one of many Kremlin’s closest allies, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus, amid U.S. warnings that Chinese language assist for Russia and its struggle in Ukraine was rising.

After a welcoming ceremony on the Nice Corridor of the Folks in Beijing, the 2 leaders mentioned enhancing enterprise ties and sharing expertise, based on Belarusian state information media. There was no specific point out of the struggle, based on the report.

American officers have been dismissive of China’s proposals for peace talks, pointing to its lack of detailed concepts and arguing that it’s aligned too carefully with Russian pursuits. Even one thing as seemingly innoccuous as a cease-fire, they are saying, would simply solidify Russia’s unlawful features.

Mr. Zelensky has been cautious to not criticize the Chinese language proposal, and as an alternative seized on its launch to name for his personal assembly with Mr. Xi to debate methods to finish the struggle. China has but to reply.

If Beijing have been to supply arms to Russia, it may considerably alter the form of the year-old battle and provides Moscow a much-needed lifeline in a struggle that has proved far tougher for it than predicted.

“I actually wish to consider that China is not going to provide weapons to Russia,” Mr. Zelensky mentioned at a information convention in Kyiv final week. “I’m doing every little thing to stop this.”

“So far as I do know, China traditionally respects territorial integrity, which suggests it ought to do every little thing to get the Russian Federation out of our territory,” he mentioned. “As a result of it’s what respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is all about.”

Mr. Blinken mentioned Wednesday that he had no plans to fulfill along with his Chinese language and Russian counterparts on the sidelines of the G20 convention. He made clear the Biden administration was deeply skeptical of any dialogue of imminent negotiations, forward of an anticipated push by China for the warring sides to interact in peace talks.

American officers say China is making an attempt to supply Russia a smoke display screen that may permit Russia and its companions to painting themselves because the cheap events within the struggle.

Many countries are more and more anxious concerning the struggle, particularly given the financial impression, with world surges in meals and vitality costs, and have caught to a impartial stance. These embody the 5 Central Asian nations, two of which Mr. Blinken has been visiting, in addition to some Group of 20 nations, together with India.

Kazakhstan, which Mr. Blinken visited on Tuesday, mentioned final Saturday that China’s initiative “deserves assist as an finish to bloodshed.”

One huge query looming over the convention on Thursday is how India will steer the discussions of the struggle — whether or not it’s going to assist cautious condemnation of it, and to what diploma it’s going to encourage the principle events within the battle to enter into negotiations, although Ukraine is not going to be represented in Delhi.

Vinay Kwatra, the international secretary of India, mentioned at a information convention in Delhi on Wednesday that “this isn’t the period of struggle,” repeating a line that Prime Minister Narendra Modi first used final September at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Group, a regional safety group through which China and Russia are essentially the most highly effective nations.

In conversations Mr. Modi has had during the last 12 months with leaders of many countries, Mr. Kwatra mentioned, the Indian president “has clearly said that dialogue and diplomacy is the best way ahead to resolve the battle.”

Reporting was contributed by Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Mujib Mashal, David Pierson, Marc Santora and Eric Nagourney.