Xi tells Putin – do NOT nuke Ukraine
Xi tells Putin – do NOT nuke Ukraine: Chinese president told Vladimir to his face not to use nuclear missiles… in sign Beijing fears Russian escalation
- Beijing in recent years has made moves to strengthen its bond with the Kremlin
- But Chinese officials said to be intent on ending Putin’s nuclear sabre-rattling
Chinese President Xi Jinping personally cautioned Russian leader Vladimir Putin against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine during a state visit to Moscow in March, Chinese officials have claimed.
Beijing in recent years has made moves to strengthen its bond with the Kremlin, with the two parties agreeing a ‘no limits’ partnership just prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Xi then vowed last summer to support Russia’s ‘sovereignty and security’ in the face of Western pressure, despite Putin having ordered his troops to invade a sovereign nation, and moved to increase economic cooperation with Putin in a move that drew widespread condemnation from Western officials.
But in the latest sign that China’s support for Russia could be wavering, a senior adviser to Beijing told the FT that Chinese officials are intent on pushing Putin to back down from nuclear sabre rattling in a bid to repair their lagging relationship with Europe.
This, he said, was a point of particular pride for Beijing’s diplomats, and has been commended by the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell, who in March declared that Xi’s visit to Moscow ‘reduces the risk of nuclear war and they [the Chinese] have made it very, very clear’.
Russia boasts the world’s most fearsome nuclear arsenal (pictrued: Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile test launch)
Though China is evidently opposed to the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, many doubt their sincerity due to Beijing’s close ties with Moscow and outright refusal to publicly condemn Putin’s war.
Beijing on Monday reaffirmed its desire to boost military relations, when Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu told the head of Russia’s navy Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov that Beijing hopes for increased exchanges, joint exercises and other forms of co-operation, according to a release from his ministry.
READ MORE: The West must stop opposing Russia and agree to ‘annihilation’ of democratic Ukraine or face Third World War and ‘nuclear winter’, warns Putin ally in latest chilling rant
The pair met in Beijing for the first formal military talks between the friendly neighbours since a short-lived mutiny by Russian mercenary group Wagner, which analysts say weakened Russian president Vladimir Putin’s position.
‘The Chinese and Russian navies have close exchanges and frequent interactions,’ the ministry quoted Mr Li as saying.
‘It is hoped that the two sides will strengthen communication at all levels, regularly organise joint training, joint patrols and joint war games.’
The military co-operation embodies the Chinese and Russian governments’ informal alliance to oppose the US-led liberal world order.
They align their foreign policies and positions at the United Nations, where Beijing has consistently provided diplomatic cover for Moscow.
While saying it is neutral in the Ukraine war, China has stood solidly beside Russia, accusing the US and Nato of provoking Moscow and of fuelling the bloodshed by helping arm Ukraine.
China has refused to condemn the invasion or to refer to it as one in deference to Moscow but has also said it will not provide Russia with military assistance or weapons for the conflict.
China’s economic support has also been crucial for Russia’s invasion, helping them navigate economic sanctions and acquire vital resources.
Bilateral trade between China and Russia reached an astounding $190 billion last year, demonstrating their deepening ties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping toast during their dinner at The Palace of the Facets, a building in the Moscow Kremlin, Russia, Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu (pictured June 4) told the head of Russia’s navy Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov that Beijing hopes for increased exchanges, joint exercises and other forms of co-operation, according to a release from his ministry
Russia’s navy Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov (second-right) said China and Russia should ‘continue to expand exchanges at all levels of the two countries’ navies’ and ‘continuously push the relationship between the two militaries to new heights’
The Russian president tried to project an image of strength as he addressed leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video link
Putin used his first appearance with other world leaders to send a message of defiance to the West
But the war in Ukraine has isolated Russia in the eyes of many on the world stage and has seen Moscow slip to somewhat of a junior partner to Beijing.
READ MORE: Exiled Wagner chief vows ‘you will soon see our next victories at the front’ as images emerge of the mercenaries’ new camp in Belarus
Devastating losses on the battlefield and months of crippling economic sanctions, followed by the short-lived military mutiny of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group last month, have challenged Putin’s authority.
In light of this, the Russian president sought earlier this week to convince pro-Moscow world leaders that he still has a firm grip on power during his first international conference since the Wagner group‘s aborted mutiny.
He tried to project an image of strength – following the chaos which gripped his country last month – as he addressed leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video link.
Putin insisted to the conference: ‘The solidarity and high responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly demonstrated by Russian political circles and the entire society by coming out as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion.’
Mercenary fighters led by Yevgeny Prigozhin marched towards Moscow on June 23 and 24, demanding the military leadership be replaced in a humiliating 24-hour episode for the Kremlin and the biggest threat to Putin in his 23 years in power.
Since then, Putin has desperately tried to shore up his authority, keeping his defence minister Sergei Shoigu in post, allegedly purging supporters of the mutiny and claiming victories in the war in Ukraine.
Putin used his first appearance with other world leaders to send a message of defiance to the West, insisting without evidence that Russia is growing stronger despite heavy sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine.
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