Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping on Tuesday hailed the start of a “new era” in their “special” relationship with the West, with the Russian president cautiously backing China’s plan to settle the conflict in Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of rejecting it, AFP reported.

The Chinese initiative, which calls for peace talks, contains elements that can “serve as a basis for a peaceful settlement (of the conflict) when the West and Kyiv are ready for it,” Putin said.

“However, so far we do not see such readiness on their part,” he added, and Xi Jinping, in turn, emphasized that Beijing is “for peace and dialogue” in Ukraine.

In Kyiv, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, said that he “invited” China to take part in the settlement of the conflict and is “waiting for a response”, adding that “he is receiving signals, but nothing concrete”.

Putin and Xi spoke after a summit in the Kremlin that, in the absence of progress on Ukraine, was intended primarily to demonstrate the strength of relations between Russia and China amid heightened tensions between those countries and the West.

Thus, the President of the People’s Republic of China recognized that relations between Beijing and Moscow are entering a “new era”, having signed a declaration with his Russian counterpart on “deepening the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership”.

The Kremlin leader, who rolled out the red carpet for Xi during his state visit that ends Wednesday, praised the “special nature of Russian-Chinese relations.”

“Endless Possibilities”

In a Cold War-tinged joint statement, the two leaders also criticized the West, accusing the US of “undermining” international security to maintain its “military superiority”, and expressed “concern” about NATO’s growing presence in Asia.

In another echo of the Cold War, Russia and China said there should “never” be a nuclear war, in a statement signed by Putin and Xi.

The Russian president also threatened “retaliation” if London supplies Ukraine with shells containing depleted uranium, as a British official suggested.

He treated the Chinese host much more warmly, greeting him as a “dear friend” and “comrade Xi.” Both leaders even raised a toast to the “prosperity” of the Russian and Chinese peoples at the state dinner.

“Russian-Chinese cooperation has truly unlimited possibilities and prospects,” Putin exclaimed during the meal.

Xi’s visit to Moscow is an important boost for the Russian leader, who has been under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) since last week.

Treated as a pariah by the West since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Putin can count on Beijing to break the isolation: Xi has invited him to visit China this year.

Kishida in Ukraine

Coincidence of the moment? As Xi demonstrated his support for Moscow, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday, where Zelensky greeted “a strong defender of the international order.”

Kishida visited the martyr town of Bucha near Kyiv, where Russian soldiers are accused of committing atrocities during its occupation, and expressed his “outrage.”

The Japanese leader was the only head of state or government from a G7 country to visit the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022.

Confronted with Chinese mediation on Ukraine, Kyiv’s allies have generally expressed skepticism. Washington has even accused the Chinese authorities of considering the possibility of supplying Russia with weapons, which they deny.

On Monday, the head of the US State Department, Anthony Blinken, said that the world should not be “fooled by any tactical decision by Russia, with the support of China or any other country, to freeze the conflict (in Ukraine) on its own terms.”

Gas agreement

Apart from strategic considerations, the meeting between Putin and Xi strengthened the economic partnership between the two countries, especially in the field of hydrocarbons.

The visit of the Chinese president to Russia is taking place at a time when the latter has massively reoriented its economy towards China in the face of tough Western sanctions against it.

In this context, Putin announced on Tuesday that he had reached an agreement with Xi on the giant Forza 2 gas pipeline project in Siberia, which would allow Russia to supply an additional 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

Earlier, the head of the Russian state, seeking to find new markets for hydrocarbons boycotted by Europe, assured Xi that his country “is capable of meeting China’s growing demand for energy.”

As a symbol, the Russian giant Gazprom announced on Tuesday that the day before it delivered a “record” amount of gas through the cross-border gas pipeline “Power of Siberia”.