Xi-Putin meeting: Russia and China leaders play peacemakers on Ukraine, pledge closer ties

(CNN) Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin pose as peace brokers during a friendly visit in Moscow on Tuesday to end Russia’s bitter war in Ukraine, which has been panned by the US as a unilateral attempt to hand over cover to Kremlin leaders. He continues his invasion.

Putin on Tuesday backed the Chinese leader’s proposal for a “peaceful settlement in Ukraine” in a show of solidarity at the Kremlin that raised prospects for strengthening the anti-Western bulwark at the international level.

But these overtures have been ignored as a serious framework for peace. China’s plan for a ceasefire and talks, which does not include a clause for Russia to withdraw troops from Ukrainian soil, was drawn up without Kiev’s involvement. warned that it provided “diplomatic cover” for

And there was little indication that Tuesday’s display of intimacy in the Kremlin had affected the state of the war in Ukraine, where Putin’s ground attack remains bogged down in slow-moving trench warfare.

The Russian president argued that China’s plans “can be seen as the basis for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine once they are ready in the West and in Kiev.”

In a joint statement to the media on the second day of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, Putin said, “The one-on-one meetings with the delegation today and yesterday were all successful and in a friendly atmosphere. It was done,” he said.

“Over the past ten years, I have developed a close relationship with President Putin,” Xi added. “We agreed that the relationships between our two countries go far beyond our own. They are critical to the world order and the future and destiny of all mankind.”

According to the documents, Russia spoke positively of China’s “objective and fair” stance toward Ukraine, stating that any country or group of Opposed to undermining “legitimate security interests”.

China has repeatedly tried in recent weeks to present itself as an aspiring peace broker, even as Russia continues its onslaught that has sparked a massive humanitarian crisis. and left tens of thousands dead.

But the West views Beijing’s intentions with deep suspicion, and NATO’s secretary-general said Tuesday there were “some signs” that Russia was pressuring China to provide deadly aid. said they were in an alliance.

Along with overtures on Ukraine, the two leaders underscored their shared strategic vision and expressed their desire to strengthen ties on many issues, including energy.

“China will become Russia’s oil import leader, and Russia is ready to increase its uninterrupted oil supply to meet the needs of the Chinese economy,” Putin said.

Putin added that further growth in Russia’s gas exports to China was discussed, including “implementation of the initiative to build the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline through Mongolian territory.”

The two gave a toast at the start of Tuesday’s state dinner, during which Putin declared in a speech that “relationships between Russia and China are at their best ever.”

“Diplomatic cover”

There is widespread skepticism about China’s position on resolving the dispute, and concerns that Beijing’s offerings so far do not reflect Ukraine’s demand that all Russian troops withdraw from its territory. is central.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday condemned Xi’s visit, days after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin.

A top diplomat in Washington said, “China does not feel responsible to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine, and instead of blaming them, it is doing diplomatic work to ensure that Russia continues to commit just those crimes.” We would like to provide a comprehensive cover.

“A call for a ceasefire that does not include the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory would, in effect, endorse the ratification of Russia’s conquest,” he said, adding that “Putin will rest and regroup his forces. , because it would allow us to resume the war at once “more favorable for Russia,” he added.

The secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Committee Oleksiy Danilov also tweeted the same day that the “successful implementation” of China’s “peace plan” must begin with the “surrender or withdrawal” of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. said no.

Xi’s visit to Moscow coincided with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

Xi also invited Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to visit China during talks on Tuesday morning, adding that Mishustin had already accepted the invitation, according to TASS.

NATO, meanwhile, said it was aware that Russia likely requested deadly aid from China to intensify Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“While we have seen no evidence that China is providing lethal weapons to Russia, we have seen some indication that this is a request from Russia and an issue that Chinese authorities are considering in Beijing. It was,” Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday.

“China should not provide lethal aid to Russia. It would be supporting an illegal war,” Stoltenberg warned.

CNN’s Michael Conte, Kylie Atwood, Svitlana Vlasova, Anna Chernova, Duarte Mendonca, Xiaofei Xu and Wayne Chang contributed to this report.