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.
Xi’s three-day visit to Moscow is a major coup for Putin — and comes days after a war crimes tribunal in The Hague issued a warrant for the Russian president’s arrest over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.
On Monday, Putin and Xi 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 for 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, but Washington has warned the world should not be misled by Beijing’s moves, which could be a “stalling tactic” to help Moscow.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Chinese leader’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 Monday that China is ready to “continue to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement” of the Ukraine crisis, according to official Chinese agency Xinhua.বিস্তারিত