US think tank sees differences
China is apparently dissatisfied with Russia
8/8/2023, 2:10 p.m
How much does Beijing support the Kremlin’s course? After the Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, the US think tank ISW stated: The Chinese-Russian relationship has its limits. However, according to insiders, Beijing is reluctant to “engage in political and diplomatic bickering with Russia.”
After the Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia at the weekend, US experts stated that China was dissatisfied with the Russian war of aggression. According to that US Institute for War Studies ISW Contrary to what the Kremlin wants, the relationship between Beijing and Moscow is not a partnership without borders.
At the meeting in Jeddah, high-ranking representatives from around 40 countries discussed a peace plan for Ukraine. Russia was not invited. The main focus was on the so-called ten-point peace formula presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which also stipulates that Russian troops should be withdrawn from Ukraine before negotiations begin. Other states such as China had also proposed their own peace plans.
The “Financial Times” quoted a European diplomat present at the talks as saying that “the mere presence of China shows that Russia is becoming more and more isolated”. The Chinese delegation has therefore also signaled its willingness to take part in the next meeting of a similar format.
According to Russian insiders, to which the ISW refers, some Beijing officials also pointed out that Moscow was unwilling to stick to the Chinese peace plan. “Unofficially, there are indications that the plan approved by President Xi has essentially been dumped by the Russian Federation,” the source cited said. “The Chinese elites don’t like that.” However, China will not make any loud statements because no one aims to “engage in political and diplomatic bickering with Russia. But certain conclusions have been drawn,” the insiders said.
In previous assessments, the ISW concluded that China is not fully aligned with Russia on the Ukraine issue and that relations between Russia and China are not the “borderless partnership” the Kremlin would like.
Talks are to be continued
The head of the Presidential Office in Kiev, Andriy Yermak, said that for Ukraine only Zelenskyy’s peace formula was the basis for discussion. He also acknowledged that while there was much agreement, for example on respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, there were also some differences of opinion. According to Yermak, the talks should be continued so that the summit of heads of state and government on the peace formula can ultimately be prepared.
According to earlier statements by Yermak, the summit should be organized by the end of the year. A suitable continent and country is now being sought, he said on Monday. At a second summit, Russia should also be involved. According to the president’s office in Kiev, it hopes that Russia will have capitulated by then.
By contrast, Russia, which launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has repeatedly stated that peace talks are meaningless without Moscow’s participation. Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin had also repeatedly shown himself confident of winning the war. Russia has declared that it wants to take complete control of the annexed Zaporizhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. After the illegal annexation, Putin had included the areas in the constitution as parts of Russia. No country in the world recognizes that.