Xi arrives in Moscow, giving Putin boost amid Ukraine invasion

CHINESE President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday (Mar 20), state TV reported, for talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, including Beijing’s proposals to end the war in Ukraine.

Putin will give a detailed account of his view of the year-old invasion and discuss China’s 12-point proposal for resolving it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Tass. The presidents are scheduled to hold one-on-one talks followed by an “informal” dinner on Monday, with more negotiations and state dinner set for Tuesday, according to the Kremlin.

Xi’s trip to Moscow marks his most ambitious effort yet to play the role of peacemaker as he seeks to broker an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Kyiv has been cool to Beijing’s plan, while the US and its allies have rejected it outright. 

The Chinese president is expected to deliver a strong message of support to Putin with the three-day visit, his first trip abroad since securing a third term at Beijing’s annual parliamentary meeting earlier this month.  

For Putin, Xi is by far the most significant international leader to visit since the Feb 24, 2022 invasion, which triggered Europe’s deadliest war since World War II and waves of sanctions by the US and its allies. Xi’s arrival comes just days after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest on charges of war crimes. Russia has dismissed the move, and China on Monday called for the court to avoid politicisation.

Ahead of the visit, Putin and Xi published articles in each other’s state newspapers praising bilateral ties. Xi called his trip “a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace” while Putin called the Russia-China relationship “the cornerstone of regional and global stability.” Xi said his position on a settlement of the war in Ukraine “reflects the broadest common understanding of the international community on the crisis.”

The two leaders are expected to discuss China’s peace blueprint, a document dismissed by the US and its allies. The criticism of the plan was more muted from Kyiv, which has sought talks at a leader level with China since the war broke out. Xi has agreed to hold his first conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after meeting Putin.  

China’s ceasefire paper has little detail and largely consists of broader foreign policy positions long espoused by Beijing. While its embrace of the principle of territorial integrity won praise in Kyiv, which seeks to drive Russian forces back across the border, a call for freezing forces in current positions is a non-starter. 

China and Russia need to boost two-way trade, foster more convergence of interests and areas of cooperation, as well as raise both the quality and quantity of investment and economic cooperation and step up policy coordination, according to a signed article by Xi carried by Xinhua News Agency Monday.

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The Chinese leader last visited Russia in mid-2019, while Putin went to Beijing in early 2022 to attend the opening of the Winter Olympics. At that meeting the two leaders agreed to a “no limits” friendship and signed a series of long-term energy supply deals. 

The two met in September last year at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Forum, where Putin said he understands Beijing’s “questions and concerns” about his invasion of Ukraine, a rare admission of tensions between the diplomatic allies. BLOOMBERG