Putin acknowledges China’s concerns over Ukraine as sign of friction


KYIV: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (September 15) he understood China’s Xi Jinping was worried about the situation in Ukraine, a surprise acknowledgment of friction with Beijing over the war after a week of staggering Russian losses on field.

Since Russia’s invasion, China has toed a cautious line, criticizing Western sanctions against Russia, but stopping short of endorsing or assisting in the military campaign.

“We highly appreciate the balanced position of our Chinese friends regarding the Ukrainian crisis,” Putin told Xi during their first meeting since the start of the war.

“We understand your questions and concerns about this. At today’s meeting, we will of course explain our position.”

Xi did not mention Ukraine in his public remarks, nor in a Chinese reading of their meeting, which took place in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of a regional summit.

Beijing’s support is widely seen as essential for Moscow, which needs markets for its energy exports and sources to import high-tech goods as it faces Western sanctions.

The last time the two men met, they signed a “limitless” friendship agreement between their two countries. Three weeks later, Russia invades Ukraine.

The Russian president’s comments suggested a Chinese shift to a more critical stance, at least privately. Ian Bremmer, a political science professor at Columbia University, said they were Putin’s “first public sign acknowledging the pressure to back down”.

“Russia has become a pariah of the G7 because of its invasion. China does not want to be part of it,” he wrote on Twitter, referring to the Group of Seven, the main industrialized nations.

White House spokesman John Kirby says China should reject Russia’s invasion: “The whole world should be aligned against what Mr. Putin is doing,” Kirby told CNN. “Now is not the time to pretend nothing is wrong with Mr. Putin.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later told reporters that the closed-door talks with China had been excellent.

“BY YOUR SIDE”

In Kyiv, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy where she told him that the process of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union was on the right track.

“It’s impressive to see the speed, the determination, the precision with which you progress,” she said.

Ukraine became a candidate for EU membership in June, in a bold geopolitical step that Kyiv and Brussels hailed as a “historic moment”.

Von der Leyen said the European Union would never be able to match the sacrifices made by Ukrainians or reward them for their fight for democracy and humanity, but promised “you have your European friends at your sides for as long as it takes.”

EU sanctions against Russia are having a deep and visible impact, she said, and while providing support is expensive, “freedom is priceless”, she added.