There ” special relationship between China and Russia enters into a ” new era “assured, Tuesday, March 21, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, at the end of a summit during which the Russian president cautiously supported the peace plan presented by Beijing.
This plan, he said, has elements that can “to serve as a basis for a peaceful settlement [du conflit], when they are ready for it in the West and in kyiv. However, we do not currently observe such a disposition on their side.he added.
In kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had ” guest “ China to be part of the settlement of the conflict and “wait for his response”adding “receiving signals but nothing concrete”. The master of the Kremlin, who rolled out the red carpet for Mr. Xi for this state visit which will end on Wednesday, praised the “special nature of Russian-Chinese relations”.
“Limitless Possibilities”
In a joint statement with Cold War overtones, the two leaders sharply attack Western powers, accusing the United States of “undermine” international security to maintain their “military advantage”and express their ” concern “ in the face of NATO’s growing presence in Asia. They further assert that a nuclear war must not ” Never “ take place.
Vladimir Putin was particularly warm with his Chinese host, giving him ” Dear friend “ and “Comrade Xi”. The two Heads of State even toasted the ” prosperity “ of the Russian and Chinese peoples, during a State dinner. “Russian-Chinese cooperation has truly unlimited possibilities and prospects”exclaimed Mr. Putin.
By making this trip to Moscow, Xi Jinping is clearly expressing his support for the Russian head of state, who has been the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) since last week. Treated as an outcast by Westerners since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, he can count on Beijing to break his isolation. His counterpart thus invited him to go to China this year.
Gas deal
Beyond strategic considerations, the summit focused on strengthening the economic partnership between their two countries, particularly in terms of hydrocarbons. Russia has massively reoriented its economy towards China, in the face of heavy Western sanctions against it.
In this context, Mr. Putin announced on Tuesday that he had reached an agreement with Mr. Xi on the gigantic Siberian Force 2 gas pipeline project, which would eventually allow Russia to supply 50 billion cubic meters of additional gas per year.
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The Russian Head of State, anxious to find new outlets for hydrocarbons boycotted by Europe, had previously assured that his country was “able to meet China’s growing demand for energy”. The Russian giant Gazprom also announced on Tuesday that it had delivered a quantity ” record “ of gas via the cross-border Siberian Force gas pipeline.