As Xi Jinping is preparing for his visit to Russiapresident Wladimir Putin hailed Beijing’s willingness to play a “constructive role” in resolving the “Ukraine crisis.”
What happened: In an article the Kremlin wrote for a Chinese newspaper on the eve of a visit by the Chinese leader, Putin called Xi his ‘good old friend’ and said Russia has high hopes for his visit.
Xi’s trip to Russia on March 20-22 will be his first trip abroad since he won a third term as president Earlier this month — and the first to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine last February.
See also: Zelenskyy bestows the title of “Hero of Ukraine” on prisoners of war executed by Putin’s army with several rifle salvos
“We are grateful for the balanced line of [China] in connection with the events in Ukraine in order to understand their background and true causes. We welcome China’s willingness to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis,” Putin said.
The Chinese top leader’s visit comes at a critical time The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for overseeing the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
Xi will be the first world leader to shake hands with Putin since ICC arrest warrant, which compared Russia to “toilet paper”. Neither China nor Russia are members of the court or recognize its jurisdiction.
During his official visit, the Chinese President is expected to talk about Beijing recently 12 point blueprint releasedproposing a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia and a gradual de-escalation of the situation to pave the way for an end to the war.
Continue reading: US urges Xi Jinping to contact Zelenskyy over peace deal: ‘Hear direct to Ukrainian perspective’
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