Xi-Putin meeting: China’s president arrives in Moscow for talks

(CNN) President Xi Jinping has landed in Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin. It is the first time President Xi Jinping has visited a strategic partner in his neighbor since Russia launched its unilateral invasion of Ukraine.

Xi’s visit comes days after the International Criminal Court in The Hague accused Putin of war crimes in Ukraine and issued an arrest warrant.

Ukraine is expected to be a key point of discussion during President Xi’s three-day visit, with careful attention to its potential impact on the deep-seated conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and sparked a massive humanitarian crisis. will be monitored.

In some Western capitals, Xi’s visit to China faces international condemnation of his war unless Chinese leaders manage to make concrete diplomatic breakthroughs under Russian leadership. likely to be viewed as strongly supportive of

“For some reason, the topic touched on in [Beijing’s peace] Of course, this plan will inevitably be mentioned during the exchange of views on Ukraine. [between Putin and Xi]”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

“Of course, since President Putin will explain thoroughly, [Chinese] President Xi Jinping can look straight at the situation from the Russian side,” he added.

The Chinese government has described the visit as a “journey of friendship, cooperation and peace” as it seeks to assert itself as a major proponent of conflict resolution.

But Western leaders have expressed skepticism about China’s role in creating peace and China’s claims to neutrality. Instead, the United States and its allies have warned since last month that China is considering sending deadly aid to Russia in its war effort, which Beijing denies.

on the table

President Xi Jinping’s visit is expected to provide the two countries with a platform to further deepen their close strategic ties spanning diplomatic coordination, joint military exercises and robust trade.

“In the face of a turbulent and changing world, China vows to continue working with Russia to firmly safeguard the international order,” the Chinese leader said in a statement issued after Xi’s landing on Monday. I don’t mind,’ he said.

Upon arrival at Vnukovo airport near Moscow, Xi was greeted by Dmitry Chernyshenko, one of Russia’s ten deputy prime ministers.

Putin and Xi Jinping published separate letters in both countries’ state media ahead of their talks, highlighting the “new impetus” the talks would bring to bilateral relations.

Both sides also used the letter to denounce “hegemony.” This alludes to a common purpose to oppose what is perceived as a US-led world order.

Xi needs to act cautiously during his visit to Moscow. China’s leaders said it was important for China to counter perceived U.S. dominance without alienating Europe, which has become increasingly wary of China-Russia relations. Whether you can strengthen the relationship with the partner you are looking at.

Putin kicked off his Invasion Day last February after he and Xi declared a “no limits” partnership.

China has since advocated neutrality, but has supported the Kremlin’s rhetoric of blaming NATO for the conflict, refusing to condemn aggression, and making Moscow financially less vulnerable by significantly increasing its purchases of Russian fuel. continued to support

China has recently positioned itself as an advocate of peace, defending its relationship with Russia as good for world stability and seeking to renew its image. Last month, the Chinese government released a vaguely worded opinion paper on a “political solution” to the Ukrainian conflict.

On Friday, following Xi’s announcement of a visit to Moscow, the White House expressed concern that a potential proposal from China would be “one-sided and reflecting only the Russian perspective.”

For example, China’s repeated calls for a ceasefire offer only provide a way for Russia to regroup before launching retaliation, said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

Kiev is also expected to keep an eye on the process, reiterating on Monday that any plan for peace must begin with a Russian withdrawal.

The head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, tweeted on Monday: “A formula for the successful implementation of China’s ‘peace plan’. First and foremost: The surrender or withdrawal of Russian occupation forces from Ukrainian territory in order to restore sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed interest in speaking with Xi about the conflict in the past, although communication between the two countries has not reached above Ukrainian ministerial level since the war began.

Ukrainian, Chinese and U.S. officials all declined to confirm a potential virtual meeting between Zelensky and Xi Jinping last week. Afterwards, the two planned to speak for the first time.

intimate relationship

By contrast, this week’s state visit marks the 40th meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping since the Chinese leader took power in 2012.

The personal chemistry between the two authoritarian leaders has been widely seen in recent years as a key driving force in strengthening ties between the two countries, and will also come under close scrutiny during the visit. .

Past summits between the leaders have seen Putin presenting Xi with ice cream for his 66th birthday during a meeting in Tajikistan in 2019, and the two together beside a forum in Vladivostok on a Russian tour. The relationship of trust was fully demonstrated in the photo shoot, such as cooking pancakes. 2018.

The two last met in person at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in September, which was part of Xi Jinping’s first trip abroad after nearly three years without travel during the pandemic.

Putin, who called Xi a “good old friend” in a letter published in Chinese state media, is expected to highlight the meeting domestically as proof that Russia is not alone on the world stage. ing.

But with the war in Ukraine imminent on this visit, it remains to be seen how much Xi intends to emphasize these views.

But the two leaders are already making preparations to strengthen bilateral cooperation at the meeting.

In a letter published in Russian state media, President Xi Jinping said during his visit that he would “provide a new vision, a new blueprint and new measures to grow the China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the coming years.” We will jointly adopt it,” he said.

A Kremlin spokesman said last week that talks would begin with one-on-one talks, followed by an “informal lunch” on Monday, with negotiations scheduled for Tuesday.

CNN’s Anna Chernova contributed to the report