Update(10:56ET): Closely on the heels of Reuters reporting that Xi’s trip to Moscow is likely to come as soon as next week, The Wall Street Journal writes that the Chinese leader has accepted Zelensky’s request to meet, albeit virtually. The talk is expected to happen after Xi first meets with President Putin in Moscow.
“Chinese leader Xi Jinping plans to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since the start of the Ukraine war, likely after he visits Moscow next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to people familiar with the matter,” WSJ reports Monday.
“The meetings with Messrs. Putin and Zelensky, the latter of which is expected to take place virtually, reflect Beijing’s effort to play a more active role in mediating an end to the war in Ukraine, some of the people said.”
All of this suggests that Beijing’s role as an influential mediator, at a moment Washington has remained resistant to seriously pursuing peace in Ukraine, is gaining traction in both Moscow and Kiev.
Read more here: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/chinas-xi-visit-russia-soon-next-week
