‘Dear friends’ talk peace in Ukraine
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin told his ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping that Russia was open to discussing China’s proposals to end the fighting in Ukraine at the start of highstakes talks in the Kremlin.
The summit comes as China seeks to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington warned the world should not be fooled by Beijing’s moves.
Xi’s three-day trip also serves as a show of support from the Chinese president for internationally isolated Putin, days after a war crimes tribunal issued a warrant for his arrest over accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.
“We are always open to negotiations,” Putin told the Chinese leader, who was on his first visit to Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
But Kyiv reiterated calls for Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine. “We expect Beijing to use its influence on Moscow to make it put an end to the aggressive war against Ukraine,” Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told AFP.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced scepticism over Xi’s Ukraine proposals, warning they could be a “stalling tactic” to help Russia.
“Russia alone could end its war today. Until Russia does, we will stand united with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Blinken said later in a statement.
Xi and Putin came together on Monday in part to discuss China’s 12-point position paper on the Ukraine conflict, which includes a call for dialogue and respect for all countries’ territorial sovereignty.
During his initial meeting with Putin, Xi hailed “close ties” with Russia and the Russian leader said the two countries had “plenty of common objectives and tasks”.
Washington has said China was considering supplying weapons to Russia and warned Beijing against such a move. China has dismissed the accusations but Xi’s visit will be watched closely for any signs that Beijing is prepared to offer support for Putin’s struggling army.
Unnamed US officials confirmed before Xi’s trip that Putin’s forces were using Chinese ammunition in Ukraine, according to Kyodo News, a Japanese media outlet. It was unclear if the ammunition had been provided by China or if Russia had obtained it through other means.
Speaking at the Kremlin on Monday before more substantive talks on Tuesday,, Putin and Xi addressed each other as “dear friend”.
Xi praised Putin’s “strong” leadership and said there was a “historical logic” to good relations between Beijing and Moscow.
“We have many identical or similar aims,” he said.
The two later spoke for more than four hours behind closed doors before a lavish dinner at the Kremlin.
China and Russia signed a “no limits” partnership last year shortly before Putin ordered tanks into Ukraine, causing the biggest conflict in Europe since the end of WWII.
China has not imposed sanctions on Russia over the war and has boosted imports of Russian oil and gas, throwing the Kremlin an economic lifeline.
Both leaders spoke out on the eve of their meeting against what they said was Washington’s attempt to seek global dominance.
China has accused Nato of provoking the war in Ukraine.