Chinese President Xi Jinping recently visited Russian President Vladimir Putin to solidify their expanding strategic partnership. Recall that it was Putin who visited Xi last year days before he invaded Ukraine. It worth noting that Xi has met with Putin more than any other world leader. Xi recently unveiled a 12-point peace plan in February to end the conflict in Ukraine. Putin has endorsed Xi’s plan because it would solidify Russia’s territorial gains and would largely avoid other contentious issues. Xi is expected to hold virtual talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The fact that Xi does not plan to travel to Ukraine reinforces the fact that he is not a neutral mediator. Moreover, it is not in China’s interest to seek a quick end to the conflict. Regardless, Xi wants to bolster the perception that he is a peacemaker even if he is not sincere in pursuing peace because he wants to boost his international image, which has suffered due to his coverup of the Covid pandemic outbreak and human rights atrocities in Xinjiang. Xi also sees an opportunity to draw a diplomatic contrast with calling for peace compared with U.S. efforts to arm Ukraine to prolong the conflict. The Economist reported that many countries are ambivalent about the war and wonder how it will end. At least 100 countries, accounting for 40% of global GDP, are not fully enforcing sanctions.
The Daily Caller was founded in 2010 by Tucker Carlson, a 20-year veteran journalist, and Neil Patel, former chief policy advisor to Vice President Cheney, The Daily Caller is one of America’s largest and fastest-growing news publications. Our team of experienced, full-time reporters and editors works around the clock to deliver award-winning original reporting, in-depth investigations, entertainment, thought-provoking commentary and up-to-the-second breaking news. Visit https://dailycaller.com