The United States has urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to use his upcoming official talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to pressure Putin to cease committing “war crimes” in Ukraine. Mr. Xi’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday will be his first since the invasion. The White House’s National Security Council spokesman has called for Mr. Xi to request Putin’s withdrawal of troops from Ukraine.
John Kirby remarked that solely pursuing a ceasefire would not be sufficient.
“We hope that President Xi will press President Putin to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals and schools, to halt the war crimes and atrocities and to withdraw his troops,” he said.
“But we are concerned that instead China will reiterate calls for a ceasefire that leaves Russian forces inside Ukraine’s sovereign territory and any ceasefire that does not address the removal of Russian forces from Ukraine would effectively ratify Russia’s illegal conquests.”
Meanwhile, Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, has made a surprise visit to Ukraine to demonstrate solidarity and support for the country in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion. As regional rivals, Japan and China have taken different approaches to the conflict.
Japan has provided humanitarian aid, financial assistance, and non-lethal military support to Kyiv. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held informal talks on Monday, with more formal discussions scheduled for Tuesday. There are concerns that China’s current support for Russia, which is focused on technology and trade, could escalate to include military assistance, including artillery shells. Putin has agreed to consider a 12-point plan proposed by Xi to settle the crisis in Ukraine and expressed his willingness to engage in negotiation, describing Xi as a “dear friend.”
Source: BBC
