Xi arrives in Moscow for meeting with Putin
Mike Brest
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On Monday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow, where he’ll meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking Xi’s first visit to Russia since the country invaded Ukraine more than a year ago.
Xi’s visit, which will continue until Wednesday, comes after the International Criminal Court released an arrest warrant for Putin for his role in the deportation of thousands of children from Ukraine. The visit marks a significant moment for their growing alliance while the United States is concerned about their growing partnership.
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Chinese leaders have called for peace in the war with Ukraine, though it would occur on Russia’s terms, not Ukraine’s. Specifically, they released a 12-point peace plan for the war in Ukraine that called for, among other things, a ceasefire that would freeze the current battlefield positions in place, effectively solidifying Russia’s current gains permanently.
“One way or another, the topics that were touched upon in this plan, of course, will inevitably be raised during the exchange of views on Ukraine. Of course, Ukraine will feature on the agenda,” Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian state media outlet TASS. “One can safely assume that one way or another [this topic] will be brought up.”
Both leaders released statements ahead of their meeting that praised their relationship while expressing optimism for continued growth.
Xi said the proposal “takes into account the legitimate concerns of all parties and reflects the broadest common understanding of the international community on the crisis. It has been constructive in mitigating the spillovers of the crisis and facilitating its political settlement. There is no simple solution to a complex issue.”
Putin described the proposal as “well-balanced,” saying: “We appreciate the well-balanced stance on the events in Ukraine adopted by the PRC, as well as its understanding of their historical background and root causes. We welcome China’s readiness to make a meaningful contribution to the settlement of the crisis.”
U.S. officials have preemptively denounced any possible peace proposal that comes out of the Xi-Putin meeting, arguing that any deal would intrinsically benefit Russia.
“We do not believe that this is a step towards a just and durable peace. And as we’ve all talked about, a just and durable — a sustainable peace has got to be one that is not one-sided, and that fully incorporates Ukrainian perspectives and respects the basic idea of sovereignty,” National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said last Friday, noting that Chinese leaders may raise the idea of a ceasefire to portray themselves as “peacemakers.”
Putin and Xi have known each other for more than a decade and have met about 40 times during that time, according to the Russian president.
U.S. leaders have warned for weeks about intelligence that indicated China could provide lethal aid to Russia for use in Ukraine, though they have reiterated as recently as last week that they haven’t seen it happen yet. U.S. officials have warned that doing so would not be in their interest and would incur consequences.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said last month that the relationship between the Kremlin and the Chinese Communist Party has “no limits” and that officials have “growing concern about that partnership.”
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Over the weekend, Putin visited the besieged and captured Ukrainian city of Mariupol, a city far from the front lines of the war currently, though it’s one where fighting ensued for months until the city was left in rubble. Russia has controlled the city since last May.
U.S. leaders have urged Xi to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the war in addition to the meeting with Putin, though there have been no announcements made yet.