Putin tells China’s Xi that Russia willing to hold talks with Ukraine

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to send a delegation to Minsk for negotiations with representatives of Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday after the Russian leader held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to a statement issued by the Kremlin, Putin told Xi that Russia’s military operation in Ukraine was necessary to protect people against “genocide”, an accusation that the West calls baseless propaganda.

The Kremlin said Xi respected Russia’s actions and was ready for close coordination and mutual support at the United Nations, where both are veto-holding permanent members of the Security Council.  

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website, Xi called for all sides to abandon a Cold War mentality, respect the legitimate security concerns of all countries, and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiation. Xi said China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.

Putin also communicated to Xi that the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation had long ignored Russia’s legitimate security concerns, repeatedly reneged on their commitments, and continued to expand military deployment eastward, challenging Russia’s strategic bottom line.

Russia is willing to conduct high-level negotiations with Ukraine, the statement quoted Putin as saying.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the talks conditional to Ukraine’s military laying down its arms. He said that Moscow did not want “neo-Nazis” to govern Ukraine.

Russia launched its operation on land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. China has refused to call Russia’s action in Ukraine an “invasion” or criticise Moscow.