Russian President Vladimir听笔耻迟颈苍听said after talks with听颁丑颈苍别蝉别听leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday that听颁丑颈苍别蝉别听proposals听肠辞耻濒诲听be used as the听产补蝉颈蝉听of a听辫别补肠别听settlement in听鲍办谤补颈苍别, but that the West and Kyiv were not yet ready.
In a聽 at the end of Mr. Xi’s state visit to Moscow, the two men cautioned against any steps that might push the听鲍办谤补颈苍别聽conflict into an “uncontrollable phase”, adding pointedly that there听肠辞耻濒诲听be no winners in a nuclear war.
Mr. Putin聽accused Western powers of fighting “to the last Ukrainian”, while Mr. Xi reiterated China’s “neutral position” on听鲍办谤补颈苍别聽and called for dialogue.
“We believe that many of the provisions of the听辫别补肠别听plan put forward by China are consonant with Russian approaches and can be taken as the听产补蝉颈蝉听for a听辫别补肠别ful settlement when they are ready for that in the West and in Kyiv. However, so far we see no such readiness from their side,” Mr. Putin聽said.
China’s听辫谤辞辫辞蝉补濒听– a 12-point paper calling for a de-escalation and eventual ceasefire in听鲍办谤补颈苍别聽– lacks details on how to end the war.
The United States has been dismissive of the听颁丑颈苍别蝉别听proposal, given Beijing’s refusal to condemn Russia over听鲍办谤补颈苍别, and听蝉补测蝉听a ceasefire now would lock in Russian territorial gains and give Mr. Putin‘s army more time to regroup.
鲍办谤补颈苍别听has welcomed China’s diplomatic involvement but听蝉补测蝉听Russia must pull out its troops and underlines the importance of听鲍办谤补颈苍别‘s territorial integrity.
BURGEONING TIES
The Kremlin talks were intended to cement the “no limits” partnership the two leaders announced last February, less than three weeks before Russia invaded听鲍办谤补颈苍别.
They signed a series of documents on a “strategic cooperation” after what听笔耻迟颈苍听described as “successful and constructive” talks showing China was clearly now Russia’s most important economic partner.
“I am convinced that our multi-faceted cooperation will continue to develop for the good of the peoples of our countries,” Mr. Putin聽said in televised remarks.
Mr. Xi’s state visit is a major boost to听笔耻迟颈苍听as he squares off against what he sees as a hostile West bent on inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia.
The听颁丑颈苍别蝉别听leader visited Moscow days after an international court issued an arrest warrant for听笔耻迟颈苍听over Russia’s actions in听鲍办谤补颈苍别, where Russian forces have made little progress in recent months despite suffering heavy losses.
In their joint statement, Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin聽also called on the United States to stop “undermining global strategic security” and to cease developing a global missile defense system.
While pledging more regular joint military drills, however, the two leaders said the closer relationship between the two countries was not directed against any third nation and that it did not constitute a “military-political alliance”.
POWER OF SIBERIA DETAILS UNFINISHED
Mr. Putin聽said that Russia, China and Mongolia had completed “all agreements” on finishing Russia’s coveted pipeline to ship Russian gas to China, and that Moscow was ready to increase oil exports to Beijing.
But a joint statement after the talks said only that the parties involved in the pipeline – which Mr. Putin聽has called just before Mr. Xi’s visit as “the deal of the century” – “will make efforts to advance work on the study and approval” of the pipeline.
The English versions of Mr. Xi’s two statements issued after the meetings do not mention the pipeline.
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters that there are still details that need to be worked out.
“Instructions were given to companies to work out the details of the project in detail and to sign it as soon as possible,” Russia’s state RIA news agency cited Novak as saying.
“Orders have been given to ensure the agreement鈥檚 conditions. We hope that it will be this year.”
The planned Power of Siberia 2 pipeline would deliver 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year from Russia to China via Mongolia. Moscow put forward the idea many years ago, but it has gained urgency as Russia turns to China to replace Europe as its major gas customer.
Russia’s Gazprom already supplies gas to China through an existing Power of Siberia pipeline under a 30-year, $400 billion deal launched at the end of 2019. That pipeline spans some 3,000 km (1,865 miles).
Russia’s gas exports to China are still a small fraction of the record 177 bcm it delivered to Europe in 2018-19.
Mr. Putin聽said on Tuesday Russia would deliver at least 98 bcm of gas to China by 2030. – Reuters
