Putin receives Xi – that’s behind it

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Before meeting his friend Xi Jinping, 69, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, 70, is demonstratively calm behind the wheel of a car in the occupied territories of Ukraine. For the first time since the start of the war, Putin visited not only the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea on Saturday, marking the ninth anniversary of the annexation. Before the arrival of China’s party and head of state Xi Jinping for a three-day state visit this Monday, Putin was also driving through the devastated Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, which had been occupied by Russian troops. The 70-year-old was informed about the reconstruction.

Loaded with impressions from his first trip to the war zone, Putin meets Xi Jinping at banquets and negotiations, who is making his first trip abroad since the start of his third term in office to neighboring Russia. For Putin, who received an arrest warrant for war crimes in Ukraine from the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Friday, the timing of the long-planned visit comes in handy. With the visit of his powerful friend, who, like Russia, sees the United States as the mastermind behind the conflict in Ukraine, Putin wants to show once again that he is not isolated internationally.

China wants to make peace

Like Russia, China does not recognize jurisdiction in The Hague. Putin and Xi are therefore likely to ignore the issue of arrest warrants, but not the war in Ukraine. China had recently spoken out in favor of negotiations and a ceasefire. Russia also welcomes peace initiatives. But it is also clear that Moscow has not abandoned its war goals and wants to achieve a military victory. According to the Kremlin, Putin is planning an article about Ukraine in Chinese newspapers next Monday — as an “important signal” ahead of negotiations. In turn, Xi Jinping has prepared an article for Russian media, it said.

However, it remains unclear if and how Xi Jinping will use his influence over Putin to broker peace. The 69-year-old had also warned of nuclear threats. At the Munich security conference, China’s leading foreign politician Wang Yi (69) presented a 12-point plan for a “political solution to the Ukraine crisis”, which, however, met with disappointment, especially in Europe.

It is also about military cooperation

The state visit is the “most important event” in the Russian-Chinese partnership, Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said. The negotiations should give a “powerful boost” to relations between the two countries – not just for economic cooperation. The signing of documents to build a “comprehensive partnership” and “strategic cooperation” is planned.

China, hungry for raw materials, depends on oil and gas from the energy superpower. Russia, on the other hand, hopes for help from China, especially with the supply of microchips and other technological components and technical equipment, under economic pressure from Western sanctions.

After reports of a lack of ammunition and weapons for the war, Russia is probably counting on China here too. “The question of military-technical cooperation will undoubtedly be discussed,” Ushakov said Friday announcing the state visit. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (67) was also invited to the talks.

Xi and Putin will initially meet only for talks and dinner this Monday, according to the Kremlin. That’s where the most sensitive issues and the common appearance on the international stage are concerned, Ushakov said. In declaring war on the “dictatorship of liberalism” in the West – led by the US – and in the fight for a new world order, Putin is mainly targeting China. Negotiations in a comprehensive and then a very large format with the governments are scheduled for Tuesday, Ushakov said.

Balancing exercise for Xi

For Xi Jinping, the visit is seen as a balancing act. According to many commentators, the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Putin is not least a signal to China not to get involved with a suspected war criminal. China’s state media, on the other hand, has long since made up its mind: Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow will be a “journey of peace, friendship and cooperation”.

The two heads of state are linked by a close friendship that has repeatedly been celebrated in public: Xi and Putin spent birthdays together, toasted with vodka and ate pancakes with caviar and Russian milk ice cream. Now they meet for the 40th time since Xi Jinping took office more than a decade ago.

The news portal “Politico” recently published a report on Thursday citing customs data: according to this, Chinese companies allegedly delivered weapons to Russia several times in 2022, including a thousand assault rifles declared as “civilian” shotguns. In addition, Chinese spare parts for combat drones and more than 12 tons of protective equipment have reached Russia – partly via Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Many observers believe that an open commitment by China to supply Russia with arms and ammunition would be a triumph for Putin in the negotiations. The price for Beijing to fall under Western sanctions could be very high. (SDA)

Source: Blick