China Confirms Xi Jinping's Meeting With Putin In Russia Next Week As Beijing Aims To Play Active Role In Ukraine War

Chinese President Xi Jinping will be on a state visit to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin amid Moscow's unprecedented war in Ukraine. 

What Happened: China's Foreign Ministry on Friday confirmed Xi's most anticipated visit to Russia after Beijing late last month presented its 12-point proposal to end the Ukraine war.

Xi's trip to Russia from March 20 to 22 will be his first overseas trip since he won a third term as president earlier this month — and the first to Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine in February last year.

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On his official visit, Xi is expected to discuss China's recently released blueprint, suggesting a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia and a gradual de-escalation of the situation that will pave the way to end the war.

The Chinese proposal to stop Putin’s war in Ukraine has been met with skepticism in the West, given Xi’s diplomatic support for the Russian president.

Meanwhile, Xi is also due to speak with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy via video call soon, a Ukrainian official familiar with the preparations told Bloomberg. This would be Xi's first call with Zelenskyy after rebuffing many requests from the war-torn nation since the onset of the invasion.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a call with his Ukrainian counterpart about bilateral ties and the invasion.

Xi is also due to speak with President Joe Biden soon.

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