Ukraine peace plan
Putin in Mariupol: A warning signal to China’s head of state Xi
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Beijing President Xi travels to Russia on Monday
Against the background of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Russia next week for a summit with Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin. At the invitation of Putin, Xi will pay a state visit to Russia from Monday to Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
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Putin is looking for proximity to China – not just economically, but also militarily. However, before Xi Jinping’s visit, he draws red lines.
Moscow. These are eventful days for Russian President Vladimir Putin: first the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, which Moscow however, is not taken very seriously – then from Monday the three-day state visit of the Chinese President Xi Jinping. And the weekend before, a short trip to the Crimean peninsula and to the almost completely destroyed Mariupol on the Azov Sea.
It was a “work visit” Putin informed about the situation during a tour and also talked to residents of the city, reports the state news agency Tass. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Marat Chusnullin informed him about the status of the reconstruction work. In Crimea, Putin had previously attended the opening of an art school in Sevastopol.
The surprise “working visit” is certainly a sign in the right direction Jinping and his peace plan for Ukraine. Because this will probably also be a topic of conversation. Through his trip to eastern Ukraine and Crimea, Putin made one thing unmistakably clear: from the Russian perspective, the territories annexed in violation of international law are now part of the Russian Federation. That is non-negotiable.
Moscow rates China’s peace initiative for Ukraine positively
Presidential Advisor Shows Uschakow said before the meeting: “I am sure that both our leader and the Chinese leader will exchange their assessments on the current situation related to the development of the conflict in Ukraine.” One must “see what thoughts will arise afterwards” , Ushakov said, according to the Interfax news agency. Moscow rates the Chinese peace initiative to resolve the Ukraine conflict positively. Beijing shows “understanding of the real causes of the crisis”.
Also read: China is no good as a peace angel in the Ukraine war
A sensitive issue is possible Chinese arms deliveries to Russia. According to a report by the US magazine Politico, companies from China are said to have delivered weapons to Russia several times in the past year – including a thousand assault rifles that were declared as “civilian” hunting rifles. According to Politico, there were also Chinese spare parts for combat drones and more than twelve tons of protective equipment. Some of them were brought to Russia via Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Responding to journalists’ questions as to whether arms deliveries would also be discussed during the talks between the two presidents, Presidential Advisor Ushakov said: “You’re asking such a simple question. I will answer you that military-technical cooperation is indeed being discussed.”
Chinese tourists will start visiting Russia again from March
The focus of the talks will also be on the economy. China is Russia’s largest trading partner, the trade volume in 2022 was about $185 billion, the annual growth in the previous two years was about 30 percent. “Given this pace, we believe that the goal set by the two leaders to reach US$200 billion in trade turnover will not be achieved in 2024 as planned, but in 2023,” the presidential adviser said.
Also interesting: What is behind China’s Russia strategy
After the supply chains to and from the west were broken off, Russia is looking to close ranks with China. And tourism also plays a role. After the long Corona break, Chinese tourists will visit Russia again from March.
State visit to Moscow: that is the schedule of Xi and Putin
On Monday, Putin will hold a one-to-one talk with Xi. On Tuesday, the big group will continue in the Kremlin. In addition to Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, many other government officials will be present at the negotiations.
Two documents are to be signed. First, a joint statement by the Russian Federation and China on “deepening ties of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction.” On the other hand, a joint declaration on the “Development plan for key areas of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation until 2030”. A dinner with Russian business representatives will round off the negotiations.
Ukraine war – background and explanations for the conflict
