The United States is skeptical about the trip Xi Jinping is planning to Moscow next week, and particularly about any attempt by the Chinese president to mediate to agree a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine at this time.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby clarified this Friday: “His so-called peace plan [de Pekín] of 12 points calls for a ceasefire. A truce would now come to confirm Russian conquest, recognizing Russia’s achievements and its attempt to seize its neighbor’s territory by force, and allowing Russian troops to continue occupying Ukrainian sovereign territory.
Moreover, such a result would be “another violation of the UN Charter,” he added. Russia “would be free to use a ceasefire simply to strengthen its positions in Ukraine and to reorganize and refresh its armed forces to launch attacks against Ukraine again at any time. It is not a step towards a just and lasting peace,” the spokesman said.
More information
The Chinese President is expected to meet his counterpart and strategic partner Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, in a visit that will take place just three days after this Friday, when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader over “deportation of illegal children”. Ukrainians to Russia. It will also come a week after Russian planes shot down an American drone over the Black Sea. The trip will also be Xi’s first to the Russian capital in four years.
The meeting between the two leaders will come at sweet time for Chinese diplomacy, the intermediary in the deal announced last week between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after years of confrontations. Beijing has also presented a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine, which the United States, NATO and the European Union are scrapping, believing it aligns with Moscow’s positions.
Subscribe to EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.
subscribe to
Before or after the meeting with Putin, the Chinese President wants to call his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, which the White House fully supports. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitro Kuleba on Thursday.
“We think it’s very important that Xi also listens to the Ukrainian side, not just Putin and the Russian perspective,” Kirby said. A lasting and just peace – the goal Washington claims it wants in the conflict – must “fully incorporate the Ukrainian perspective and respect the basic idea of sovereignty”. A ceasefire at this point, he muses, “although it may sound good, we don’t think it would have that effect.”
The United States has accused China of considering the possibility of sending weapons to Russia for use in the war, although it also states that “at the moment” it has not determined that Beijing has taken steps in that direction.
Follow all international information on Facebook and Twitteror in our weekly newsletter.
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits