How a warrant for Putin puts new spin on Xi’s visit to Russia
The HinduChinese President Xi Jinping's plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week highlighted China's aspirations for a greater role on the world stage. U.S. President Joe Biden said on March 17 he believes the decision by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to charge Mr. Putin was “justified.” Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for his Delaware home, he said Mr. Putin “clearly committed war crimes.” While the U.S. does not recognise the court, Mr. Biden said it “makes a very strong point” to call out the Russian leader for his actions in ordering the invasion of Ukraine. Asked about the Xi-Putin meeting, Mr. Biden said, “Well, we'll see when that meeting takes place.” The Biden administration believes China's desire to be seen as a broker for peace between Russia and Ukraine may be viewed more critically now that Mr. Putin is officially a war crime suspect, according to two U.S. officials. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called Beijing's push for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine a “ratification of Russian conquest” and warned that Russians could use a cease-fire to regroup their positions “so that they can restart attacks on Ukraine at a time of their choosing.” “We do not believe that this is a step towards a just, durable peace,” he said. Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov noted that Mr. Putin and Xi have “very special friendly and trusting personal ties” and hailed Beijing's peace plan.