Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Beijing’s sincere willingness to help resolve the Ukraine crisis in an interview with Chinese state media ahead of his two-day visit to China.
Putin is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Thursday to meet with his “dear friend” Xi Jinping, aiming to secure greater support from China for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine and its isolated economy.
This visit, which includes a trip to the northeastern city of Harbin for a trade and investment expo, marks Putin’s first trip abroad since his March re-election and his second visit to China in just over six months.
“We appreciate China’s approaches to resolving the crisis in Ukraine,” Putin told the Xinhua state news agency in a Moscow interview, also published in English on the Kremlin website.
Putin highlighted China’s understanding of the root causes and global geopolitical significance of the Ukraine crisis, referencing a 12-point position paper published by China in February 2023 on achieving a political settlement to the crisis.
“The ideas and proposals outlined in the document demonstrate the genuine desire of our Chinese friends to help stabilize the situation,” Putin noted.
Before Russia launched its full-scale military assault on Ukraine in February 2022, Beijing and Moscow announced a “no limits” partnership and have since increased trade to record levels.
Moscow has relied on China as a critical economic lifeline following unprecedented Western sanctions over its military offensive in Ukraine.
China, in turn, has benefited from affordable Russian energy imports and access to abundant natural resources, including consistent gas deliveries via the Power of Siberia pipeline.
However, their close economic ties have faced scrutiny in the West, with the United States threatening to sanction foreign banks and companies that collaborate with Moscow.
