Vladimir Putin wants to talk with Xi Jinping about the Chinese peace plan for Ukraine | War in Ukraine
The Chinese president could speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once he returns to China, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Moscow on Monday to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Putin said he was “open” to discussing China's peace plan for Ukraine on Monday with Xi Jinping, who in turn hailed the “close relations” between Russia and China at the start. of a long-awaited meeting in Moscow.
Xi's three-day state visit to Russia began on Monday comes just over a year after the outbreak of Russia's offensive against Ukraine, which caused upheaval geopolitical and economic.
Despite its privileged relations with Moscow in the midst of tensions with the West, Beijing, which claims diplomatic influence to match the weight of the economy China, poses as a mediator and last month proposed an initiative to settle the conflict.
We are always open to a negotiation process. We will undoubtedly discuss all these issues, including your initiatives, which we treat with respect, Mr. Putin said at the start of an informal meeting with Mr. Xi in the Kremlin, broadcast on Russian television. /p>
For his part, the Chinese president praised the close relations between Beijing and Moscow, which have comprehensive strategic cooperation, according to the official Russian translation of his remarks.
< p class="e-p">For Mr. Putin, Mr. Xi's visit in the form of support is all the more important as he is increasingly isolated and targeted since last week by a warrant for his arrest. International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Moscow welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping with a ceremony on Monday. Above, he is accompanied by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.
The Kremlin said their informal tete-a-tete would be followed by dinner, before more formal talks on Tuesday, with the expected signing of agreements to deepen Russian-Chinese cooperation.
If China, strong from its role in the recent reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, puts forward its plan for Ukraine, it has a hard time to convince Western countries.
London nevertheless said on Monday it hoped Mr. Xi would press Mr. Putin to end the atrocities in Ukraine.
The United States for its part accuses China of to deliver weapons to Russia, which Beijing strongly denies.
Kyiv, which politely welcomed the Chinese peace plan, on Monday urged Xi to use his influence on Moscow to put an end to the war of aggression.
According to the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, Xi Jinping could have a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once he returns to China.
As if to show his support for Kiev in the face of Beijing's support for Moscow , the European Union announced on Monday that it has released two billion euros to purchase and deliver artillery ammunition to Ukraine.
But this summit also aims to display the understanding between Russia and China, at a time when these two countries are experiencing strong tensions with Westerners, even if Moscow seems more dependent on Beijing than the other way around.
In an article in a Russian newspaper, Xi Jinping described his trip as a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace.
We have a lot of tasks and tasks. x27;common goals, Putin stressed to Xi on Monday.
In an article published in a Chinese daily, Putin said Russian-Chinese relations have reached the culmination of their story.
Isolated in Europe and now under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mr. Putin can once again count on the support of Beijing.
Chinese diplomacy on Monday called on the ICC, headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, to avoid politicization and respect the immunity of heads of state.
Moscow, for its part, reacted by announcing on Monday a criminal investigation against several magistrates of the ICC.
As a sign of defiance, Mr. Putin traveled this weekend to Mariupol, a Ukrainian city devastated by Russian bombing.
Vladimir Putin visited Mariupol, a port city occupied by the Russian army since the beginning of the offensive in Ukraine
Beyond diplomatic support for Russia, which has massively reoriented its economy towards China in the face of Western sanctions linked to the conflict in Ukraine, the visit of Mr. Xi is also of economic importance.
Russia has notably increased its hydrocarbon exports to Asian giants, such as China, to compensate for European embargoes . This makes it increasingly dependent on Beijing, according to analysts.
According to the Kremlin, MM. Putin and Xi will sign several documents, including on Russian-Chinese economic cooperation by 2030.
