Newsman: The Biden administration is raising alarm that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to call for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, warning that support for such a move would play to the favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin. White House is watching meeting between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin ‘very ,very closely’ as it warns potential ceasefire calls on Ukrine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow shows China’s intent to provide “diplomatic cover” for alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Friday that an unconditional cease-fire halting Russia’s offensive in Ukraine would legitimize Moscow’s hold on an estimated 17 percent of Ukrainian territory that was taken by force. “A cease-fire now is … effectively the ratification of Russian conquest,” Kirby said.
“And of course, it would be another continued violation of the U.N. Charter.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Vladimir Putin shows China’s intent to provide “diplomatic cover” for alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine.
“That President Xi is traveling to Russia days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine, and instead of even condemning them, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those very crimes,” said Blinken at a news conference at the State Department on the release of the 2022 Human Rights Report.
However, Blinken said that “elements” of China’s peace proposal for the war were in line with efforts the US would support.
“China’s proposal includes elements that we have long supported, including ensuring nuclear safety, resolving the humanitarian crisis, protecting civilians and, indeed, the first element calls for upholding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all counties,” said Blinken.
But he said any calls for a ceasefire “that does not include the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest” as it would “allow President Putin to rest and refit his troops, and then restart the war at a time more advantageous to Russia.”
“The world should not be fooled by any tactical move by Russia, supported by China or any other country, to freeze the war on its own terms,” said Blinken.
Xi’s visit to Russia comes following Beijing’s publication of a “12 point peace plan” to end Russia’s war in Ukraine but criticized by the U.S. and its allies as an empty position paper that fails to hold Moscow accountable for its aggression.
Friday, Kirby called for Xi to reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if the Chinese are serious about being a neutral arbiter.
Kirby said it would be “part of the Chinese playbook” for Xi to come out of his meeting with Putin portraying Beijing as a moral arbiter calling for a cease-fire to end fighting that has cost thousands of lives on the part of Russia and Ukraine, without recognizing Moscow as the guilty party.
“The reason why the rest of the world is not calling for that right now is because, as I said, it would effectively ratify Russia’s geographic gains inside Ukraine, and it would put Mr. Zelinsky at a distinct disadvantage.”And the White House has said it has privately and publicly warned Beijing against supplying Putin with lethal military assistance, a move that the U.S. says China is considering, but has not made a decision to carry out.
“We still have the same level of concern that we did last week about the potential for China to supply lethal weapons and lethal capabilities to Russia,” Kirby said. “We still don’t believe they’ve taken it off the table, but we also haven’t seen any indications, any confirmation that they’ve made a decision to move in that direction or have actually provided anything. We don’t believe, we’ve said this privately to the Chinese, as well as publicly to all of you, that this is in China’s best interest.”
