Key Points
- Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have held informal talks in Moscow.
- Mr Putin told Mr Xi he respected China's proposals for a resolution in Ukraine.
- China has released a 12-point plan to solve the Ukraine conflict, largely dismissed in the West.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that Chinese proposals could be used as the basis of a peace settlement in Ukraine but that officials in Kyiv are not yet ready.
In a joint statement issued at the end of Mr Xi's state visit to Moscow, the two men cautioned against any steps that might push the Ukraine conflict into an "uncontrollable phase," adding pointedly that there could be no winners in a nuclear war.
Mr Putin accused the United States and its European allies of fighting "to the last Ukrainian" while Mr Xi reiterated China's "neutral position" on Ukraine and called for dialogue.
"We believe that many of the provisions of the peace plan put forward by China are consonant with Russian approaches and can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when they are ready for that in the West and in Kyiv. However, so far we see no such readiness from their side," Mr Putin said.
China's proposal, a 12-point paper calling for a de-escalation and eventual ceasefire in Ukraine, lacks details on how to end the war.
The US has been dismissive of the Chinese proposal, given China's refusal to condemn Russia over Ukraine, and says a ceasefire now would lock in Russian territorial gains and give Mr Putin's army more time to regroup.
The Chinese leader has been trying to portray Beijing as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine, even as he deepens economic ties with Moscow. Source: AAP / Grigory Sysoyev
The Kremlin talks were intended to cement the "no limits" partnership the two leaders announced last February, less than three weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine.
They signed a series of documents on a "strategic co-operation" after what Mr Putin described as "successful and constructive" talks showing China was clearly now Russia's most important economic partner.
"I am convinced that our multi-faceted co-operation will continue to develop for the good of the peoples of our countries," Mr Putin said in televised remarks.
The Chinese leader visited Moscow days after an international court issued an arrest warrant for Mr Putin over Russia's actions in Ukraine, where Russian forces have made little progress in recent months despite suffering heavy losses.
In their joint statement, Mr Xi and Mr Putin also called on the US to stop "undermining global strategic security" and to cease developing a global missile defence system.
While pledging more regular joint military drills, however, the two leaders said their closer bilateral relationship was not directed against any third country and that it did not constitute a "military-political alliance".
Mr Putin said Russia, China and Mongolia had completed all agreements on a planned pipeline to ship Russian gas to China, and that Russia was ready to increase oil exports to China.
He also said Russia was ready to help Chinese businesses replace foreign firms that have left Russia over the Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech as China's President Xi Jinping listens during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on 21 March, 2023. Source: Getty / Pavel Byrkin
Russia put forward the idea many years ago but it has gained urgency as Russia turns to China to replace Europe as its major gas customer.
Russia's Gazprom already supplies gas to China through an existing Power of Siberia pipeline under a 30-year, $A601 billion deal launched at the end of 2019.
That pipeline spans 3000 kilometres.
Russia's gas exports to China are still a small fraction of the record 177 bcm it delivered to Europe in 2018-19.
Mr Putin said on Tuesday Russia would deliver at least 98 bcm of gas to China by 2030.
Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Kyiv on Tuesday in an unannounced trip to Ukraine.
Japan chairs the Group of Seven Nations (G7) this year, and was the only one of the seven whose leader had yet to make a visit to the war-torn country.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has made an unannounced visit to Ukraine. Source: AAP
"The world was astonished to see innocent civilians in Bucha killed one year ago. I really feel great anger at the atrocity upon visiting that very place here," Kishida said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Japan should instead be working to diffuse the war crisis.
"The International community should uphold the position of promoting peace talks and creating situations for the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis," he said.
"We hope Japan could do more things to de-escalate the situation instead of the opposite.”
