Xi Arrives in Moscow for State Visit

Facts

• In what both countries described as a deepening of their bilateral ties, Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Russia on Monday for a three-day visit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Xi and Russian Pres. Putin would hold informal talks on Monday before dining together — formal talks on a range of subjects, which would 'inevitably' touch on the war in Ukraine, would commence the next day, Peskov said.¹
• Upon arriving in Moscow, Xi said, '...China is ready to act in concert with Russia to firmly uphold the UN-centric international system.' He added that their countries would work together to 'support true multilateralism' and 'promote multipolarity in the world' — echoing previous remarks from both countries in which they railed against America as a single hegemon, alleging it dictates to others in favor of its self-interest.²
• Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's foreign ministry, said his country is closely watching the visit. 'We expect that Beijing will use its influence on Moscow to force it to stop its aggressive war against Ukraine,' he said.³
• Meanwhile, ahead of Xi's arrival, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that any PRC calls for a ceasefire following the visit would be unacceptable, saying such a move would only 'ratify Russia’s conquest to date.' Kirby added: 'All that’s going to do is give Mr. Putin more time to re-fit, re-train, re-man, and try to plan for a renewed offensive at the time of his choosing.'⁴
• Elsewhere, the EU approved a €2B ($2.14B) plan to boost ammunition deliveries to Ukraine on Monday. Under the plan, €1B of ammunition would be sent from existing European stockpiles while a further €1B would be sourced from new orders with weapons manufacturers. However, some diplomats raised doubts about whether the targets can be hit under tight time constraints.⁵

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Tass, ³Ukrainska pravda, ⁴Reuters and ⁵Euronews.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Dw.com. Coming just three days after an international arrest warrant for Putin, Xi's visit shows he has no desire to hold the Russian leader accountable for his war crimes. Despite being globally isolated, this visit will likely give Putin a political boost, allowing him to play the part of a diplomat and leader.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Xi's visit is a sign of the growing relationship between Russia and China who, together, are shaping a more multipolar world — one where the interests of the US don't come before everyone else's.

Predictions