Throughout a friendly visit to Moscow on Tuesday, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin pretended to be peacemakers while promoting a reported plan to stop Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which the US has criticized as a misguided effort to provide the Kremlin leader cover when he continues his assault.
In a display of solidarity at the Kremlin on Tuesday, Putin supported the Chinese president’s call for a “peaceful resolution in Ukraine,” opening the possibility of a more vital anti-Western bulwark at the global level.
Yet as a serious peace plan, those efforts have been ignored. The plan put forward by China asks for discussions and a cease-fire, but it does not mention Moscow removing its soldiers from Ukrainian territory.
However, the US issued a warning on Monday, claiming Xi’s visit served as “diplomatic cover” for Russia’s conflict.
Furthermore, there was less evidence that Tuesday’s gesture of friendliness at the Kremlin had already had any effect on the situation in the battle in Ukraine since Putin’s ground effort is still tied down in trench warfare that moves slowly.
