When Xi Jinping visits Moscow on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin will expect him to stand against Western hegemony. At the same time, Xi will pitch China as a global mediator seeking to stop the Ukrainian crisis.
Xi will be the first international leader to shake Putin’s hand after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday for deporting Ukrainian children to Russia since the conflict. Moscow denies.
Russia will use Xi’s first trip since winning an unprecedented third term this month to show that it has a major ally to fight a hostile West that it claims is aiming to isolate and destroy it.
Xi will walk a diplomatic tightrope as China releases a 12-point plan to resolve Ukraine while expanding ties with its partner.
Xi wrote at the start of his Moscow visit that China’s proposal, announced last month, represents world viewpoints and strives to neutralize repercussions, but that solutions are difficult.
“The paper acts as a positive component in mitigating the crisis’s effects and fostering a political settlement,” Xi wrote in Rossiiskaya Gazeta, a Russian government-owned daily, according to Reuters’ translation.
“Complex issues have complex answers,” stated Xi.
Ukraine and its Western allies would likely view any truce as a ruse to buy Putin time to fortify and postpone a widely predicted Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Once Russian soldiers leave Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy will explore peace solutions.
China’s plan makes no specific suggestions for ending the year-long war that has killed tens of thousands, damaged cities, and displaced millions.
Putin said he had great hopes for the visit by his “good old buddy” Xi, with whom he forged a “no boundaries” strategic alliance last year, in a Chinese newspaper piece published on the Kremlin website. He appreciated China’s mediation.
“We appreciate the balanced coverage of Ukraine’s events and their origins. We appreciate China’s readiness to help resolve the problem, “Putin.”
China has refused to denounce Russia and given it an economic lifeline while other nations impose sanctions, so the US and its allies are suspicious of its motivations.
The US and NATO have cautioned China against selling armaments to Russia. China denies them.
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