It is the Chinese leader’s first trip abroad since being reappointed to an unprecedented third term, as he did when he took power in 2013. not. for the better”, including a war and invasion of Ukraine and an arrest warrant in his name. It is in these circumstances that Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Russia is of particular importance to Vladimir Putin. to try out a new role in the world order, offering itself as an agent for peacemaking in Ukraine, in a balance between the strengthening of relations with Moscow and the declared neutrality in the conflict.
The visit comes nearly a month after Beijing – pressured for months by its diplomatic inaction in the face of the war – presented a 12-point peace plan. Without mentioning Russia or Ukraine, the document calls for a ceasefire, peace talks and an end to sanctions, while defending the sovereignty of all countries.
“We are always open to negotiations,” Putin told Xi at their first informal meeting at the Kremlin, which lasted four and a half hours, followed by dinner, and the summit took place on Tuesday. Earlier, Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov said that “the main thing is negotiations, negotiations and negotiations”.
42% A survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations concludes that 42% of Chinese support an end to the war, even if Ukraine is forced to lose territory. Only 23% believe that Kiev should take back its territory, even if the conflict lasts longer.
In preparation for the meeting, which will culminate in a joint statement and the signing of several agreements, each leader signed a text in a newspaper in the other country. Putin welcomed “old friend” Xi and described the trip as “friendship, cooperation and peace”.
In Kiev, the spokesman for diplomacy asked Beijing to “use its influence in Moscow to end the war of aggression against Ukraine”. However, Washington remains suspicious of Chinese motives and Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Beijing’s initiative could be a “permanent tactic” that could buy Russia time to strengthen in the event of a ceasefire.
TPI shock waves
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has asked the international community for support and “perseverance” in investigating war crimes committed in Ukraine, three days after issuing arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner. -Belova, for the war crime of “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children. “We need collective perseverance to achieve justice,” ICC Attorney General Karim Khan defended at a conference in London hosted by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, with the participation of justice ministers and representatives of more than 40 states.
In retaliation for the ICC initiative, which it said was “legally void”, Moscow announced the opening of a “criminal investigation” against Khan and three ICC judges. Criticism also came from the Chinese regime. The court should “take an objective and impartial stance and respect the immunity of heads of state from jurisdiction based on international law,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, urging the ICC to “abolish politicization and double standards.” to avoid”. Russia and China – like the US and India – are not among the 123 signatory countries of the Rome Statute, which determines the duration of the ICC.
Portugal has been part of the ICC from the beginning and the foreign minister said that “Portugal is assuming its responsibilities as a signatory” to the ICC, which includes the possibility of detaining the Russian leader if he enters Portuguese soil. “And this is our expectation also in relation to the other 122 countries that have signed it.”
The day before, the German Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann had also committed himself to the arrest warrant of the court in The Hague.
European agreement
At a meeting in Brussels, the 27 defense and foreign ministers agreed on an initiative to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells over the next 12 months while restoring stockpiles in member states.
The first part of the EU plan sets aside €1 billion in shared funding to try and get EU states to exploit their stockpiles of ammunition that can be shipped as quickly as possible. In the second part, the European bloc will use another billion euros to order 155mm ammunition for Ukraine in a joint tender aimed at urging EU defense companies to increase production.
Ukraine’s head of diplomacy Dmytro Kuleba praised the EU’s “decisive action”. “Exactly what is needed: urgent delivery plus sustainable joint purchasing,” writes Kuleba. Kiev’s armed forces are rationing firepower at a time when the Russian invasion has turned into attrition and trench warfare and ammunition consumption far exceeds the amount produced by Western allies.
EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said the plan was to buy from European manufacturers and sign contracts for the munitions by the end of May, but Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis publicly expressed doubts about the ability to implement the schedule to get. “Of course this will take time, there is also a lack of materials and so on,” said Finnish minister Pekka Haavisto, after explaining that the production “is for peacetime and this time we are at war in Europe”.
On the same day, the country that spent the most on military aid to Ukraine, the United States, announced its 34th package since August 2021. other material. Norway, for its part, reported that the eight Leopard 2 tanks it had agreed to send to Ukraine had already arrived at their destination. “For Ukraine, donating tanks will be decisive for its ability to conduct offensive operations and recapture Russian-held territories,” said Lieutenant Colonel Lars Jensen, head of the Norwegian armored battalion.
Source: DN
