Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping were set to hold a second day of talks on Tuesday, as the internationally isolated Russian leader said he was open to discussing China’s proposals on the fighting in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Xi’s three-day visit to Moscow is a major coup for Putin — and comes days after a war crimes tribunal in The Hague issued a warrant for the Russian president’s arrest over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Putin and Xi held four and a half hours of talks, calling each other “dear friend.”<\/p>\n
In a rare move, Putin escorted Xi to his car after the talks, and the two were seen smiling together.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, the Russian leader said he was open for talks on Ukraine and praised Beijing’s 12-point position paper on the conflict, which includes a call for dialogue and respect for all countries’ territorial sovereignty.<\/p>\n
China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party, but Washington has warned the world should not be misled by Beijing’s moves, which could be a “stalling tactic” to help Moscow.<\/p>\n
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Chinese leader’s Moscow visit “suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the president accountable for the atrocities committed to Ukraine.”<\/p>\n
“And instead of even condemning, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those great crimes,” he added.<\/p>\n