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| Putin: China peace plan could be basis to end war | Putin: China peace plan could be basis to end war |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| President Putin and President Xi in Moscow on Tuesday | President Putin and President Xi in Moscow on Tuesday |
| China's peace plan for Ukraine could be used as a basis to end the war, Vladimir Putin has said. | China's peace plan for Ukraine could be used as a basis to end the war, Vladimir Putin has said. |
| The Russian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the conflict, and relations between the two countries. | The Russian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the conflict, and relations between the two countries. |
| Mr Putin said the peace initiative could be put forward "when they are ready for it in the West and in Kyiv". | |
| But China's plan - published last month - does not call for Russia to leave Ukraine. | But China's plan - published last month - does not call for Russia to leave Ukraine. |
| Listing 12 points, it calls for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty. | |
| It also condemns "unilateral sanctions", in what is seen as a veiled criticism of Ukraine's allies in the West. | |
| Ukraine has insisted on Russia withdrawing from its territory as a condition for any talks. | Ukraine has insisted on Russia withdrawing from its territory as a condition for any talks. |
| And the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said calling for a ceasefire before Russia withdrew "would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest". | And the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said calling for a ceasefire before Russia withdrew "would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest". |
| In a joint news conference after talks with Mr Xi ended, Mr Putin said: "Many provisions of the Chinese peace plan can be taken as the basis for settling of the conflict in Ukraine, whenever the West and Kyiv are ready for it." | |
| But Russia had yet to see such "readiness" from the other side, he added. | |
| Standing alongside the Russian leader, Mr Xi said his government was in favour of peace and dialogue and that China was on the "right side of history". | Standing alongside the Russian leader, Mr Xi said his government was in favour of peace and dialogue and that China was on the "right side of history". |
| He again claimed that China had an "impartial position" on the conflict in Ukraine, seeking to cast Beijing as the potential peace-maker. | |
| The pair also discussed growing trade, energy and political ties between the two nations. | The pair also discussed growing trade, energy and political ties between the two nations. |
| "China is the leading foreign trade partner of Russia," President Putin said, pledging to keep up and surpass the "high level" of trade achieved last year. | |
| There are growing concerns in the West that China might provide military support for Russia. | There are growing concerns in the West that China might provide military support for Russia. |
| "We haven't seen any proof that China is delivering lethal weapons to Russia but we have seen some signs that this has been a request from Russia, and that this is an issue that is considered in Beijing by the Chinese authorities," Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels. | |
| A joint statement released by China and Russia after the meeting between the two leaders said the close partnership between the two countries did not constitute a "military-political alliance". | |
| Relations "do not constitute a bloc, do not have a confrontational nature and are not directed against third countries," they added. | |
| On Tuesday morning, Mr Xi was given a fanfare welcome when he arrived at the Kremlin for a second day of talks. | |
| He said he was "very happy" to be in Moscow and described talks with President Putin as "frank, open and friendly". | |
| His visit to Russia came days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin on war crimes allegations. | His visit to Russia came days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin on war crimes allegations. |
| The state visit was mirrored by Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's surprise visit to Kyiv - making him the first leader of Japan to visit a country in conflict since World War Two. | The state visit was mirrored by Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's surprise visit to Kyiv - making him the first leader of Japan to visit a country in conflict since World War Two. |
| In the Ukrainian capital, Mr Kishida promised unwavering support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with talk of reconstruction and humanitarian aid. | |
| President Zelensky told a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he had asked China to get involved in talks but was waiting for an answer. | |
| "We offered China to become a partner in the implementation of the peace formula," he said. | |
| "We invite you to the dialogue; we are waiting for your answer." | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Russia-Ukraine war | Russia-Ukraine war |
| China | China |
| Russia | Russia |