After Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia,
Beijing's contacts with Moscow will help bring about peace
.
"Russia has carefully studied China's position paper on the political solution to the crisis in Ukraine and is open to peace talks," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
President Vladimir Putin said "Russia appreciates China's consistent stance of upholding fairness, objectivity and balance on major international issues. China will continue to make Sino-Russian relations a priority."
The spokesman explained that
Beijing maintains "communication with all the parties involved"
in the Ukraine crisis.
Without mentioning a possible conversation between President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky, he argued that China will continue to maintain "an objective and fair position" and will "cooperate with the international community", because China's position "has always been clear and can be summed up in one sentence, which is to promote peace and talks".
As for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's criticism
of Beijing's diplomatic cover-up for Moscow, Wang stressed that China "is neither the originator nor part of the crisis in Ukraine, nor has it supplied weapons to either side in the conflict. The US is not qualified to point fingers at China, let alone blame it," he added.
Furthermore, "they say they want to keep the peace, but people don't see any effective steps", while "what everyone sees is that the US continues to supply weapons to the battlefield".
Beijing will continue to make Russian-Chinese relations "a priority"
: Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Moscow.
China and Russia are "neighbouring major powers" and "strategic partners", added Xi who invited Vladimir Putin for a visit to China this year
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Moscow, the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in the Kremlin
The issue of Ukraine is among the topics that Xi addressed with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the first meeting, an informal face-to-face in the Kremlin, before tomorrow's official talks extended to the delegations.
"We look with interest at your proposals to resolve the crisis in Ukraine," Putin said in front of the cameras, sitting side by side with his guest in front of a gold-decorated white marble fireplace.
"We are open to negotiations", he added, stressing however that any solution must take into account the principle of "indivis
ANSA agency
The International Criminal Court: "Putin repatriates children" - World
Appeal to the London conference.
The arrest warrant does not expire (ANSA)
ability of security for all countries". It almost seems like a return to those proposals on European security put forward to NATO and the US in December 2021 which did not get the desired response from Moscow. Two months later the military operation in Ukraine was triggered. Few hours earlier, in an article published in the Russian government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Xi had said that the 12-point Chinese plan brings together the "visions" of different countries, admitting that finding a synthesis "is not easy". with the West, the Chinese president did not distance himself from Putin's assessments, stating that China shares Russia's belief that it is necessary to build a multipolar world, because "no country is superior to the others,no model of government is universal, and no single country should dictate the international order."
ANSA agency
Xi's nesting doll appears on souvenir stalls in Moscow - World
For Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia, the traditional matryoshka appeared among the souvenirs on sale in the center of the Russian capital today, with the replicas stacked one inside the other in order of size, with the president's image there. .. (ANSA)
The US reaction was negative across the board.
The world must not be deceived by any tactical move by China-backed Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned, reiterating the importance of open lines of communication with Beijing.
"Xi and Biden will speak at the right time", added the White House, hoping that after the meeting with the tsar, the Chinese president should also speak with Zelensky "to get his point of view. The head of US diplomacy then stigmatizes the the fact that Xi confirmed his visit even after the arrest warrant for Putin from the International Criminal Court (ICC), thus demonstrating the belief that the Russian leader should not be held responsible for the atrocities in Ukraine. to which Moscow responded by opening a
criminal investigation against the prosecutor of the same CPI, Karim Khan, for his decision judged "illegal".
Putin shows confidence in China's support, with which, he stated in an article in the People's Daily, Russia fights against "common threats".
ANSA agency
Dialogue and ceasefire, the Chinese peace plan - World
The 12 points of the proposal, from the issue of territorial integrity to the prohibition of atomic weapons (ANSA)
Xi seemed to comfort him during the meeting in front of the fireplace in which he called him "dear friend" and called for "close relations" between the two countries, even going as far as an election commercial when he recalled the presidential elections scheduled in a year in Russia and at the same time underlined the "prosperity" guaranteed to the country by Putin.
But it remains unknown how far Beijing will be able to go in strengthening and expanding relations with the Kremlin without affecting its strong economic ties with the West.
If Putin underlined that trade between Russia and China has reached "185 billion dollars", it is also true that this remains a fraction of what the People's Republic has with both the EU and the US.
Meanwhile, Ukraine
Ukraine, Blinken: 'Don't be fooled by Russia-China proposals'
"The first and main clause" of a peace agreement must be "the surrender or withdrawal of the Russian occupation forces", underlined Secretary of the Security Council Oleksiy Danilov.
The position expressed by the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Oleg Nikolenko, is more diplomatic, in respect of his own role.
"Ukraine - he assured him - is closely following the visit of the Chinese president to Russia. We expect Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to make it end the war".
ANSA agency
Seven-course dinner between Putin and Xi in the Kremlin - World
From pancakes with quail to venison to Pavlova (ANSA)