This content was formerly published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and it is now being reprinted with permission.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, praised his strengthening collaboration with China during an a state visit to Beijing, where Xi Jinping pledged to contribute to restoring “peace and balance” to Europe.
The two officials, who declared a” no limits” relationship between their nation immediately before Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, announced during a joint statement on May 16 that they have signed fresh agreements to strengthen cooperation between their nations.
Putin said their marriage is “one of the key stabilizing elements in the global arena,” asking for more help to maintain his country’s isolated economy and war device in Ukraine.
Xi said the two nations were furthering their marriage as” good neighbors, good friends, great lovers”, and that both he and Putin agreed on the need for a “political answer” to the war in Ukraine.
China “hopes for the first return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play a creative role in this,” Xi said while addressing Putin.
China has emerged as the Kremlin’s top foreign supporter despite its showing of neutrality toward the conflict in Ukraine by providing crucial elements for Russian production, oil and gas, and other important commodities that have helped to boost the Russian economy.
The high-profile state explore comes as Russian forces continue to advance in the Kharkiv region of northeast Ukraine, where nearly 8, 000 people are now forced to flee their homes.
In February 2023, China offered a broad , 12- place plan , for harmony describing general guidelines for ending the war in Ukraine, but did n’t provide new details on how Beijing may be prepared to engage with both sides of the conflict.
On the day of Putin’s withdrawal to Beijing, he said in , an interview , with China’s state- run standard Xinhua News Agency that the Kremlin was ready to start negotiations over Ukraine under specific conditions.
In a written interview, Putin was quoted as saying,” We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours.”
Xi just returned from a trip to Europe where he visited France, Serbia, and Hungary and , discussed , the war in Ukraine on his journey with Western leaders.
Putin stated that he would tell Xi about” the state of the Ukrainian crisis” during their casual dinner in the evening, when leaders, along with a significant delegation of top officials, did satisfy behind closed doors.
Before their notes, Xi and Putin , signed , a mutual declaration on deepening their complete proper relationship between their two places.
Xi described discussions as “frank, polite, and substantive”, while Putin said that they had been “warm and businesslike”.
Russia has grown more financially dependent on China as Western sanctions have limited its ability to access much of the world’s trading method, and Putin has stated that Russian and Chinese banks will be strengthening their ties. He even praised Xi’s personal Belt and Road Initiative.
No leaders made any comments on the position of the Power of Siberia- 2 oil pipeline, which would provide China with gas from fields that had formerly served European markets.
Following informal meetings and a condition meal, Putin will go on May 17 to enter an economic forum in Harbin, a city in northern China with solid cultural, historical, and business ties to Russia.
