Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly planning to visit Russia to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming months.
What Happened: The Chinese leader is willing to play a “crucial” role in mediating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine after Putin, in his speech to the Russian parliament, said Moscow would continue its offensive in Kyiv, Wall Street Journal reported, citing Xi's close aides.
Xi's visit to Moscow aims to push Putin for multiparty peace talks and allow China to reiterate its calls that nuclear weapons not be used.
West has been skeptical about Beijing's diplomatic initiative, which was first previewed last week by the Chinese senior diplomat and politician Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, the report added.
According to anonymous sources, the parties are at the initial level of talks and the final arrangements are yet to be finalized.
Xi is expected to visit Russia in April or early May, according to the report, when Moscow will be celebrating its World War II victory over Germany – an event that Putin's administration has used to liken Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Nazis.
Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry said Wang visited Moscow on Tuesday to discuss China-Russia relations and "international and regional hot-spot issues of shared interest."
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