Putin receives warm welcome from Xi, the two countries reaffirm “borderless” partnership as offensive in Ukraine continues

Chinese President Xi Jinping received his counterpart Vladimir Putin with the highest state honors during his first foreign visit since beginning his fifth term in office.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for China’s role in trying to resolve the crisis in Ukraine.

During a joint appearance in Beijing, the two heads of state and government and other high-ranking officials from both sides signed documents on deepening mutual cooperation between the two countries.

Putin said the negotiations between the two delegations were cordial and businesslike, he also spoke of a world order.

“Together we support the principles of justice and a democratic world order that reflects multipolar realities and is based on international law.”

Xi said the two countries would promote their relations as “good neighbors, good friends, good partners” and China hoped for the early restoration of peace and stability in Europe. He said his country would continue to play a constructive role.

Putin on Thursday thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping for China’s proposals to end the war in Ukraine, which have been rejected by Ukraine and its Western backers as largely toeing the Kremlin’s line.

At their summit, Putin and Xi reaffirmed a “borderless” partnership that has deepened as both countries face rising tensions with the West and criticized US military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region.

Putin’s two-day state visit to one of his staunchest allies comes at a time when his country’s armed forces are launching an offensive in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine, the most significant border assault since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022.

China claims a neutral position in the conflict, but has backed Moscow’s claims that Russia was provoked by the West to attack Ukraine and continues to supply Russia with key components Moscow needs for its weapons production.

In a joint statement following the meeting between Putin and Xi, it was said that both sides were convinced that “a lasting solution to the Ukraine crisis requires the elimination of its root causes”.

Russia has continued its propaganda that the war was triggered not only by the threat to Russia from Ukraine and its supporters, but also as necessary to supposedly “eliminate Nazism in Ukraine”.

The Kremlin has repeatedly insisted on linking Ukraine’s leaders to Nazism, despite the country having a democratically elected Jewish president who lost relatives in the Holocaust, and despite the desire of many Ukrainians to strengthen the country’s democracy, reduce corruption and move closer to Nazism in the West.

It was not clear whether the wording of the joint statement meant that China explicitly supported Russia’s claim to Nazi influence in Ukraine.

China proposed a broad peace plan in 2023 that called for a ceasefire and direct talks between Moscow and Kiev. But the plan was rejected by Ukraine and the West as it did not commit Russia to withdrawing from the occupied parts of Ukraine.

The largely symbolic visit highlighted the partnership between the two countries, which face challenges in their relations with the US and Europe.

While both leaders said they were seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, they made no new proposals in their public comments on Thursday afternoon.

Putin said he would brief the Chinese leader in detail on “the situation in Ukraine” and said: “We appreciate the initiative of our Chinese colleagues and friends to improve the situation.”

He added that the two planned to hold further foreign policy talks at an informal meeting later on Thursday. /The Geopost/