Russia’s Lavrov, who will visit China soon, calls Beijing’s peace plan for Ukraine ‘reasonable’
- Top diplomat will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss Ukraine, the Asia-Pacific and other issues, Russian foreign ministry says
- It could pave the way for a state visit by Vladimir Putin and comes at a sensitive time for the US-China-Russia triangle, according to analyst
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has praised Beijing’s peace plan for Ukraine, a day after it was announced that he will soon visit China.
Lavrov will meet China’s top diplomat Wang Yi to discuss Ukraine, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region and other issues, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
She did not say when the trip would take place.
Li Lifan, an expert on Russia and Central Asia at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said it was a sensitive time for the US-China-Russia triangle, and Lavrov’s trip could pave the way for a state visit to China by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which could happen in May.
Meanwhile, in a message congratulating Putin on his re-election, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to further deepen the “no limits” partnership with Moscow, defying criticism from the US-led West amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“China’s ties with Russia are at a high point and these frequent high-level exchanges will further consolidate their strategic ties against the backdrop of the intensifying US-China rivalry,” Li said.
He expected Beijing and Moscow to strengthen cooperation on security, economic and energy issues as well as on regional and international hotspots through platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that the two countries jointly founded.
Ahead of his China visit, Lavrov on Thursday called Beijing’s 12-point peace initiative on the Ukraine war a “reasonable plan”. He dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plan, which requires Russia to pull back its troops and compensate for its war actions.
“The most important thing for us is that the Chinese document [released in February 2023] is based on an analysis of the reasons for what is happening and the need to eliminate these root causes,” Lavrov told reporters, according to state news agency RIA.
“It is structured in logic from the general to the specific,” he said. “This plan was criticised for being vague … but this is a reasonable plan that the great Chinese civilisation proposed for discussion.”
China’s Ukraine peace plan: what does it say and can it work?
It was also announced on Tuesday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China in the coming weeks, while Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrived in China on Wednesday for a week-long visit.
Relations between Beijing and Washington remain at a low point even after high-level exchanges such as these have resumed following the Xi-Biden summit in November.
The growing alignment between Beijing and Moscow also comes at a tense time in China’s dispute with the Philippines over the South China Sea, with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr set to meet Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington next week.
Meanwhile, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg warned on Wednesday that China was “propping up Russia’s war economy”, while North Korea and Iran provided Moscow with missiles, drones and other weapons.
US sanctions on North Korea target individuals and China, Russia-based firms
China, Russia and Iran conducted five-day navy drills last month in the Gulf of Oman amid regional tensions over the Israel-Gaza war and attacks by Tehran-backed Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea. Beijing and Moscow have also jointly blocked international efforts at the United Nations to impose further sanctions against Pyongyang.
Li said Beijing and Moscow’s efforts to forge closer ties were clearly aimed at countering the US-led alliances.
“The intense interactions and manoeuvring among China, Russia and other major powers are of vital importance, especially in the lead-up to the US presidential election,” he added.
