Vladimir Putin had tea with his “dear friend” Xi Jinping in the Kremlin on Monday, demonstrating his rapport with his most powerful ally just days after an international court ordered his arrest for war crimes in Ukraine.
US condemned Xi’s visit, claiming that the timing demonstrated that China was helping Moscow with “diplomatic cover” to perpetrate additional crimes.
It was Xi’s first trip abroad since winning an extraordinary third term last month. Even as he strengthens economic ties with his closest partner, the Chinese leader has attempted to present Beijing as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine.
Putin and Xi greeted each other as “dear friend” as they met in the Kremlin on Monday afternoon before a dinner, with formal talks scheduled for Tuesday.
Putin told Xi that he was “somewhat envious” of China’s “extremely effective system for building the economy and strengthening the state,” and that he viewed China’s recommendations for resolving the Ukraine crisis with respect.
Xi, for his part, complimented Putin and predicted that Russians would re-elect him next year.
“Under your strong leadership, Russia has made great strides in its prosperous development,” he said.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin this week for deporting children from Ukraine, complicating the symbolism.
Russia denies illegally deporting Ukrainian children, claiming that it has taken in orphans to safeguard them. It filed a criminal complaint against the prosecutor and judges of the court. According to China, the warrant displayed double standards.
According to the West, the warrant should make Russian President Vladimir Putin a pariah.
“The fact that President Xi is visiting Russia just days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“Instead of even condemning them it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those grave crimes,” he added.
Russia, China, and the United States are not among the 123 countries obligated to arrest Putin if he enters their country.
Xi wants to portray China as a peacemaker while still strengthening ties with his closest ally, Putin. China has presented a 12-point proposal to resolve the Ukraine conflict, which the West has widely dismissed as a tactic to buy Putin more time to reorganise his forces and strengthen his grip on occupied territory.
Washington has expressed concern in recent weeks that China may transfer weaponry to Russia, a claim Beijing has denied.
