China described Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow as a “mission of peace,” and he landed there on Monday for talks with Putin.
The visit is a sign of the growing ties between the two superpowers and comes as Xi tries to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. The United States is against a ceasefire that Xi has asked for and has voiced fears that a peace accord sponsored by China would be biased in favor of Russia, which invaded Ukraine more than a year ago.
After an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Xi reportedly replied, “I am very delighted to come back to the land of our close neighbor.” This was reported by the Russian state-run news outlet TASS. I have full faith that my visit will provide desirable results.
When Xi landed, he was greeted on a red carpet while the national anthems of both nations were performed by a military band. Xi Jinping declared a “new era” and stated relations with Russia will gain “new vigor” during his first state visit there since the outbreak of hostilities. Since the conflict began on February 24, 2022, China’s visit is the country’s most public display of support for Russia.
On Monday, Xi and Putin were set to have a casual conversation before their formal dinner, and on Tuesday, they were to have peace talks. Russia is promoting the visit as proof it has a powerful friend as it has been isolated from the West and the United States and the rest of NATO is keeping a close eye on it.
The circumstances of Xi’s purported contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are similarly sketchy. Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister, called Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, last week.
John Kirby, a spokesperson for the United States National Security Council, told reporters last week that the Biden administration considers a ceasefire advantageous to themselves in their conflict with Ukraine.
A ceasefire would essentially confirm Russia’s triumph, yet it seems fair and desirable in theory. Such truce would essentially give Russia a carte blanche to fortify its positions in Ukraine and reorganize, resupply, and retrain its armed troops to resume operations whenever Moscow sees fit.