Ukraine issue to dominate Putin, Xi talks

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VLADIMIR Putin and Xi Jinping were set to hold a second day of talks on Tuesday, as the internationally isolated Russian leader said he was open to discussing China’s proposals on the fighting in Ukraine.

The sit-down was to be unexpectedly mirrored in Kyiv, where Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was en route to meet Putin’s nemesis Volodymyr Zelensky.

Xi’s trip to Moscow has been viewed as a major boost for his strategic partner Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court warrant over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.

On Monday, Xi and Putin held four and a half hours of talks, calling each other “dear friend.”

In a rare move, Putin escorted Xi to his car after the talks, and the two were seen smiling together.

During the meeting, the Russian leader said he was open to talks on Ukraine and praised Beijing’s 12-point position paper on the conflict, which includes a call for dialogue and respect for all countries’ territorial sovereignty.

China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington has said Beijing’s moves could be a “stalling tactic” to help Moscow.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Xi’s Moscow visit “suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the president accountable for the atrocities committed to Ukraine.”

“And instead of even condemning, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those great crimes,” he added.

Xi told Putin on Monday that China was ready to

“continue to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement” of the Ukraine crisis, according to

Chinese state news agency

Xinhua.