Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin posed as peacebrokers during a chummy visit in Moscow on Tuesday, again touting a supposed plan to end Russia’s raging war in Ukraine that has been panned by the United States as a one-sided attempt to hand the Kremlin leader cover as he presses on with his invasion.
Putin on Tuesday backed the Chinese leader’s proposal for a “peaceful settlement in Ukraine,” in a show of unity at the Kremlin that raised the prospect of a strengthened anti-Western bulwark at the international level.
But those overtures have been roundly ignored as a serious framework for peace. China’s plan – which calls for a ceasefire and talks, but includes no provision that Moscow withdraw its troops from Ukrainian land – was drawn up without any involvement from Kyiv. The US meanwhile, warned on Monday that Xi’s visit provided “diplomatic cover” for Russia’s war.
And there was little indication that Tuesday’s display of closeness at the Kremlin had done anything to impact the state of the war in Ukraine, where Putin’s ground offensive remains bogged down in slow-moving trench warfare.
The Russian president claimed China’s plan “can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, when the West and in Kyiv are ready for it.”
“All our talks today and yesterday in one to one format and with delegations were successful and took place in friendly atmosphere,” Putin said at a joint statement to the media during the second day of Xi’s state visit to Moscow.
“I’ve built a close relationship with President Putin in the past 10 years,” Xi added. “We agreed that the relations between our two nations go way beyond ourselves. They are crucial to the world order and all mankind’s future and destiny.”
According to a readout, Russia spoke positively about China’s “objective and fair” stance on Ukraine, and both sides opposed any country or group of countries’ harming the “legitimate security interests of other countries in pursuit of military, political or other advantages.”
China in recent weeks has repeatedly attempted to portray itself as an aspiring broker of peace, reiterating its calls for a ceasefire and peace talks in a vaguely-worded position paper released last month, even as Russia continues an onslaught that has triggered a mass humanitarian crisis and left tens of thousands dead.
But Western countries have viewed Beijing’s intentions with deep suspicion, and NATO’s chief said Tuesday that the alliance has seen “some signs” that Russia is pressing China to provide lethal aid.
Alongside overtures on Ukraine, the two leaders emphasized their shared strategic visions and signaled a desire to boost ties on a number of issues, including energy.
“China has become a leader in the import of Russian oil, while Russia is ready to increase uninterrupted oil supplies for the needs of the Chinese economy,” Putin said.
Putin added that further growth in Russian gas exports to China was discussed, including “implementation of the initiative to build the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline through the territory of Mongolia.”
The pair raised a toast at the beginning of Tuesday’s state dinner, during which the Putin proclaimed in a speech that “Russia-Chinese relations are at the highest point ever.”
(With inputs from agencies)