Newsletters
Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China on May 19 for a two-day visit, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his own trip to Beijing, the Kremlin announced Saturday.
According to a Kremlin statement, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss ways to “further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Moscow and Beijing.
The two leaders are also expected to “exchange views on key international and regional issues” and sign a joint declaration following their talks.
As part of the visit, Putin is scheduled to hold separate discussions with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, focusing on economic and trade cooperation.
The announcement came one day after Trump wrapped up the first visit to China by a sitting U.S. president in nearly a decade.
Although Trump received a high-profile welcome in Beijing, major disputes between Washington and Beijing remained unresolved, including tensions surrounding the Ukraine-Russia war, Taiwan, trade and the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Trump and Xi reportedly discussed both the Ukraine war and the broader Middle East crisis during their meetings, but no major diplomatic breakthrough was announced.
China has repeatedly called for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine while presenting itself as a neutral party in the conflict.
However, Beijing has never condemned Russia’s military operation launched in February 2022 and has rejected Western accusations that it supports Moscow’s defense industry with military-related supplies and components.
Chinese officials instead accuse Western countries of prolonging the conflict through military support for Ukraine.
China has become Russia’s most important economic partner since Western sanctions targeted Russian energy exports following the outbreak of the war.
As the world’s largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, Beijing has played a critical role in helping Moscow offset pressure from Western sanctions.
U.S.-brokered negotiations aimed at ending the fighting in Ukraine have largely stalled since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on Feb. 28.
Russia has repeatedly ruled out a ceasefire or comprehensive negotiations unless Ukraine accepts Moscow’s core demands regarding territory and security arrangements.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
