War in Ukraine: Xi Jinping in Moscow on Wednesday

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected from Wednesday to Saturday in Moscow on the occasion of the commemorations of victory over Nazi Germany alongside Vladimir Putin, with whom he must exchange on Thursday conflict in Ukraine and relations with Washington.

This trip, which illustrates the partnership between Russia and China in front of the West, comes at a time when recent efforts with a view to the end of hostilities in Ukraine seem in the deadlock, and in full commercial confrontation between Beijing and Washington.

The master of the Kremlin refused a 30-day truce proposed by kyiv, announcing instead a unilateral ceasefire between Thursday and Saturday, which was rejected by Ukraine.

During the meeting between MM. XI and Putin on Thursday, “the most important questions will be discussed (…): the Ukrainian file and Russian-American relations,” the Diplomatic Advisor of Kremlin, Iouri Ouchakov told the press.

MM. Putin and Xi will adopt two common declarations, one on their bilateral relations and the other on “global strategic stability”, before speaking to the press.

Xi Jinping will then attend the Great Military Parade on Red Square on Friday on Friday on the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. Chinese soldiers will parade on this occasion, despite the warnings of Ukraine who said he saw any foreign participation as “support for the aggressive state”.

Russia and China have further accelerated them since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in 2022.

In a documentary out of the 25th anniversary of his coming to power released on Sunday, Vladimir Putin notably returned to the “strategic” nature of the partnership with Beijing. “Our national interests coincide,” he said.

For his part, Xi Jinping called Moscow and Beijing to “reject any attempt to disrupt or undermine friendship and mutual trust” between the two countries, according to the official news agency China Nouvelle, which cites an article by the Chinese president published Wednesday in a Russian newspaper.

“With the determination and resilience of Sino-Russian strategic cooperation, we must work together to promote a multipolar world and to build a community of destiny for humanity,” said Xi.

These words highlight the links between the two countries in the face of Westerners and the trade war launched by the US administration of Donald Trump, especially against China.

The 1945 victory was at the heart of the patriotic story of the Kremlin, which often draws parallels with the current Russian offensive in Ukraine, a country that Vladimir Putin claims to want to “denazify”.

On the occasion of the commemorations of the 1945 victory, Vladimir Putin ordered a truce in Ukraine from May 8 to 10, a decision perceived in kyiv as aimed at avoiding potential Ukrainian attacks that can disrupt ceremonies.

This ceasefire was rejected by Volodymyr Zelensky, who described him as “attempted manipulation” and warned that Moscow was “right to worry” for the security of his parade, which the leaders of around thirty countries are expected.

China presents itself as a neutral part and a potential mediator of the conflict in Ukraine, but it remains a key diplomatic and economic partner of Russia, to the point that the member countries of NATO qualified it as “decisive facilitator” of the Russian assault – which Beijing has never condemned.

The Chinese authorities are notably accused of helping Moscow to bypass Western sanctions, allowing him to acquire the technological components necessary for his production of armaments for his offensive.

The Ukrainian president also accused China in April of “providing weapons” to Russia and helping him produce, allegations firmly denied by Beijing.

Mr. Zelensky had also reproached China for being “involved” in the conflict in Ukraine, “several hundred” of Chinese citizens fighting in the ranks of the Russian army, according to him.

Faced with international sanctions, Russia has redirected its exports of hydrocarbons and raw materials to Asia since 2022, especially to the Chinese market.