Putin to visit China on May 19‑20 after Trump’s trip.

The Kremlin announced that President Vladimir Putin will head to China on 19 May for a two‑day visit, following closely the recent trip of former U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing.

According to the statement, Putin will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to explore ways to deepen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between the two capitals.

The leaders are expected to exchange views on major international and regional matters and to sign a joint declaration once their talks conclude.

During the trip, Putin will also meet with Premier Li Qiang to discuss economic and trade cooperation.

The announcement follows the completion of Trump’s trip, the first by a U.S. president in almost ten years, which was marked by a lavish reception despite lingering trade and geopolitical disputes, notably the Ukraine‑Russia conflict.

While Trump and Xi addressed the more than four‑year‑old conflict and the U.S. stance on the Iran war, the former president departed China on Friday without achieving a clear breakthrough on either issue.

China has consistently urged dialogue to end the fighting but has not condemned Russia for its February 2022 troop deployment into Ukraine, positioning itself as a neutral actor.

The city also denies supplying weapons or military components to Moscow, attributing the prolongation of Europe’s most deadly conflict since World War II to Western nations arming Ukraine.

China, the world’s largest purchaser of Russian fossil fuels, has become a vital economic partner for Moscow, particularly after Western sanctions were imposed on Russian oil and gas due to the conflict.

U.S.‑brokered talks aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict appear stalled since the onset of the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran on 28 February.

Moscow has rejected the possibility of a ceasefire or comprehensive negotiations with Ukraine unless Kyiv accepts the Kremlin’s maximalist demands.

AFP

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