Vladimir Putin on Monday praised his ‘dear friend’ President Xi Jinping during the Chinese leader’s visit to Moscow, saying that he was willing to discuss Beijing’s plan to end the war in Ukraine, a move that has been met with scepticism in Kyiv and the West.
‘We are always open to negotiations,’ Putin told Xi during the visit, which came mere days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian despot over war crimes in Ukraine. ‘We will certainly discuss all these issues, including your initiatives which we treat with respect, of course.’
China has not offered any concrete proposals to end the war other than a 12-point ‘peace plan’ which included calling for an end to Western sanctions, negotiations that would see Ukraine ceding territory, a NATO pull-back from its eastern borders and reconstruction efforts that are likely to benefit Chinese contractors.
And despite its calls for peace, Beijing has continued to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Russia and parroted the Kremlin’s talking points about NATO expansionism.
Indeed, Xi cosied up to Putin today and stroked the Russian leader’s ego by saying he was ‘convinced’ the despot enjoyed the Russian people’s support ahead of a presidential election scheduled for next year.
Beijing and Moscow are friendly neighbors and reliable partners, the Chinese President said on his arrival in the Russian capital on the State visit.
“It gives me great pleasure to once again set foot on the soil of Russia, our friendly neighbor, and pay a state visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin,” the Chinese leader said.
“On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I wish to extend warm greetings and best wishes to the Russian government and people,” he added. “China and Russia are friendly neighbors and reliable partners connected by shared mountains and rivers,” Xi Jinping stressed.
“Ten years ago, I paid my first state visit to Russia as Chinese President, and together with President Putin, opened a new chapter in the all-round development of China-Russia relations,” the president said.
“Over the past decade, our two countries have consolidated and grown the bilateral relationship on the basis of no-alliance, no-confrontation and not targeting any third party, and set a fine example for developing a new model of major-country relations featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation,” he stressed.
The two countries have deepened political mutual trust, expanded practical cooperation and they continue close and efficient cooperation on the global arena, the Chinese leader went on to say.
China and Russia have “forged a longstanding friendship” between their peoples,” Xi stressed. “The growth of China-Russia relations has not only brought tangible benefits to the people of our two countries, but also made important contributions to the development and progress of the world,” he said.