In an article published on the evening of a meeting by his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin praised China’s commitment to play a “positive role” in resolving the “conflict” he referred to as Ukraine.
The Russian president hailed Xi his “dear old buddy” and claimed Russia has great expectations for his visit, the Chinese leader’s visit to Russia because Putin began his campaign in Ukraine the previous year, in what the Kremlin claimed was an essay prepared for a Chinese publication on Sunday.
The ICC in The Hague recently granted a request of arrest for Putin for arranging the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, motivating Xi’s visit. China and Russia are not parties to the court and do not accept its jurisdiction.
As in the article, Putin stated: “We are thankful for China’s balanced approach regarding the actions occurring in Ukraine, for knowing their history and natural causes. We appreciate China’s commitment to contributing positively to the issue’s conclusion.
A “no limits” collaboration contract was agreed upon by Xi and Putin just weeks before an attack the previous year. While criticizing the sanctions placed by the west against Russia and maintaining its close links to Moscow, China has held a public neutral position in the dispute.
