On days like this last year, Russian troops invaded Ukraine with the Russian president Vladimir Putin with their speeches to “adjust” the “special forces operation” 21her And her 24her February.
Recall that Putin’s last trip abroad before the invasion was in Beijing at the beginning of last February (February 4-5, 2022), against their background Winter Olympic Games. Putin And Xi they had already presented from the Chinese capital their vision of a “limitless” Chinese-Russian partnership in the international arena… causing reflections in the West.
Twelve months later the American President Joe Biden suddenly go to war Kyiv meet the Ukrainian leader in person Vladimir Zelenskywhile China’s top diplomat moves to Moscow where he can meet – outside of him Sergei Lavrov And Putin himself.
These trips, however, were not as high-profile as one might expect. The Biden we knew was going to visit this week alone Poland, not Ukraine. And when we wrotea few days ago, about the mini-tour of high-ranking Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Europe, we knew that he had scheduled visits to France, Italy, Hungary And Munichnot in Moscow either.
That all this is happening just a few 24 hours before the 24th anniversaryher February, i.e. week in which one year ends from its start war in Ukraineobviously this cannot be a coincidence.
Americans and Chinese come to send messages – their own – to the international stage with a Ukrainian background.
From the United States side, the message is pretty clear. A year after the Russian invasion, Joe Biden is promising another $500 million in military aid to Ukraine by personally visiting Kiev and — bordering Ukraine — Poland, a country whose role in NATO/defense/geostrategy was to be greatly enhanced last year. in the shadow of the war (as “the coming military superpower of Europe” – Politico presented Poland last November).
US support for Ukraine remains “unwavering” after 12 months of war: a signal that Washington is sending not only to directly involved Ukrainians and Russians, but also to Western allies.
Despite public statements to the contrary by many Western leaders, there are voices in the West that doubt the future of Western support for Ukraine, which at some point may not disappear, but weaken due to fatigue, as well as voices that are considering the possibility of a Ukrainian- Russian compromise through peaceful negotiations.
The Americans continue to support him militarily Ukraine in view of the fierce fighting that is expected on Ukrainian soil in the coming months, however, without giving – at least for now – a good way to send there even more powerful weapons systems, which Kiev is insistently asking for.
The military operation, which began last year with an air “blitzkrieg” from Moscow, now, a year later, has acquired the scale of a long-term and crushing war, testing the strength of both the warring forces and those who support them. militarily, economically and diplomatically.
In this context, the Biden administration still insists… on the Ukrainian language, but knowing that the clock is counting down to the 2024 presidential election. Particularly interesting from a pre-election/U.S.-centric perspective was today’s stance by Florida’s Republican governor – and eventual presidential candidate – Ron De Sandys who, speaking on the Fox News network, criticized Biden’s visit to Kiev, accusing the incumbent Democratic president of being very interested in what is happening on the other side of the world, but indifferent to many problems at home …
From the side USA, so everything is clear with Ukraine so far. But what is her mood? China;
In the past twelve months of the war, Beijing has not sent any lethal/offensive weapons systems to reinforce Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. Speaking Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation, the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sounded the alarm, saying that this could happen in the near future, and Blinken’s meeting with Chinese diplomat Wang Yi last Saturday in Munich on the sidelines of a security conference, according to American reports, did not take place. Fine.
“It is the US, not China, that is flooding Ukraine’s battlefields with weapons. The United States is not in a position to tell China what to do, ”the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman immediately replied, while Beijing urged Washington not to interfere in Sino-Russian relations.
It is the US, not China, that is throwing weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine. The US is in no position to tell China what to do. China will never allow the US to point blame or put pressure on Sino-Russian relations. pic.twitter.com/H6krhOqYtc
— Office Representative (@MFA_China) February 20, 2023
Against the background of Blinken’s statement, as well as recently increased Sino-American tension (against the backdrop of downed balloons, microchips, sanctions, etc.), many are now wondering if Beijing will start arming Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
Weapons or calls for peace?
OUR Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tagianiwho recently personally met with Wang Yi in Rome, would hasten to tell something else… other: that the Chinese president Xi Jinping going to deliver”peaceful speech“in the coming days, on the occasion of the anniversary of the official start of the war in Ukraine … a speech that we assume may not please Kyiv, but probably other countries such as (NATO) Hungary Orban…
Source: Kathimerini
Anna White is a journalist at 247 News Reel, where she writes on world news and current events. She is known for her insightful analysis and compelling storytelling. Anna’s articles have been widely read and shared, earning her a reputation as a talented and respected journalist. She delivers in-depth and accurate understanding of the world’s most pressing issues.