The visit had been a long time coming, Eigenraam says. “During the epidemic, Putin had ups and downs for one day, during the winter games. They normally saw each other at least once a year. Xi often traveled to Russia. Covid has obviously thrown a wrench in the works there.
Parents day
According to Eigenraam, the visit is mainly intended to “radiate that Russia and China propose an alternative world order that is not dictated by the West”. Eigenraam adds that China is certainly “the mother side”.
Without China, according to Eigenraam, Russia “wouldn’t have fared so well” over the past year. Then the correspondent refers to Chinese gas purchases: the country has bought 42 percent more gas. trade between the two countries also grew strongly with 65 billion dollars.
Two scenarios
Eigenraam outlines two possible scenarios that emerge from above. Either it will be a so-called ‘face saver action’ in which Xi convinces Putin to stop the war immediately and stay in the saddle (and then probably through Chinese mediation), or China will rail against it with all its weight by supplying weapons. “I do not know. I think China is very careful to do it openly.’
After all, on the one hand, China is not waiting for an escalation, on the other hand, a defeated and weakened Russia is of no use to China. So China is doing a balancing act.
There is also the possibility of a talk between Xi and Ukrainian President Zelensky. And that would then fit the face-saving scenario. After all, Zelensky doesn’t want to talk to Putin, but Xi would open the back door ajar so Putin can escape without losing face.
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