The Russian president is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes during his Ukraine invasion.
He noted that the US is not signed up to the ICC, "but I think it makes a very strong point". However Russian opposition leaders welcomed the announcement. When asked about the ICC's move, US President Joe Biden said "well, I think it's justified". It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported. The ICC relies on the cooperation of governments to arrest people, and Russia is "obviously not going to cooperate in this respect", Jonathan Leader Maynard, a lecturer in international politics at King's College London, told the BBC. [In a statement](https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-prosecutor-karim-khan-kc-issuance-arrest-warrants-against-president-vladimir-putin), the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others.
Judges at ICC accuse Russian president of being responsible for war crimes committed during Ukraine invasion.
“This is a historic decision for Ukraine and the entire system of international law.” “This is a historic decision which will lead to historic accountability,” he said in his nightly video address. “This makes Putin a pariah. “Ukraine has accepted the ICC twice – in 2014 and then in 2015.” Nevertheless, the spokesperson emphasised that the ICC decision was “reached independently”, separate from the US’s own conclusions. How are other countries going to deal with him?” Bays added.
Arrest warrants issued for Russian leader and his children's rights commissioner for 'unlawful deportation' of Ukrainian children.
“Russia is not a party to the Rome statute of the international criminal court and bears no obligations under it.” On 16 February, Lvova-Belova appeared on television telling Putin about the programme and thanking him for being able to “adopt” a 15-year-old boy from Mariupol, the south-eastern Ukrainian city that was devastated and occupied by Russian forces. “The ICC prosecutor is an independent actor and makes his own prosecutorial decisions based on the evidence before him. In a statement on Friday, the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, said: “Incidents identified by my office include the deportation of at least hundreds of children taken from orphanages and children’s care homes.” We cannot allow children to be treated as if they are the spoils of war.” “I don’t think we were expecting to see him travel to France or Ukraine anytime soon, but he’s got to be careful,” Brody said. The US was more guarded in its response. I think this is what international prosecutors have failed to do over the last 20 years, so this is a good focus, as it’s one of the worst crimes being committed.” So I think it’s good to see the prosecutor focusing on children’s rights. But the Russian leader will face limits on his freedom of travel to the ICC’s 123 member states, further deepening his isolation. “My office alleges that these acts, amongst others, demonstrate an intention to permanently remove these children from their own country,” Khan said. Putin is likely to evade justice in the near future:
We'll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Chinese politics & policy news every morning. Chinese president Xi Jinping will pay a state ...
For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Compare Standard and Premium Digital For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital,
Ukraine regards the seizure of children as part of an attempted genocide, but Moscow does not recognize the court's authority.
investigation](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64985009) which said that Russia’s forced deportation of Ukrainian children amounted to a war crime — the Kremlin has [denied](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60690688) it committed any crimes. ” concluding with a toilet paper emoji. It comes ahead of a visit to Russia next week by Chinese President Xi Jinping and will severely limit Putin’s own potential range of diplomatic visits. No need to explain WHERE this paper should be used … Putin is “allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children)” and that of “unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation,” the Hague-based court said in a statement The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant Friday for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the forced transfer of children to Russia after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
China's President Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow next week to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, officials say.
The US is keen for Mr Xi and Mr Zelensky to be in contact. Nor do I think that this visit will result in peace… In an interview with the BBC before President Xi's visit was announced, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said: "I don't think China has reached the moment now when it wants to, when it's ready to arm Russia. The fact the Chinese leader is going to Russia signals Beijing's strong support for Moscow. So the Chinese government definitely has some sway over Russia. This will be President Xi's first visit to Russia since Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
Moscow will host state visit for Chinese president for first time since the start of the war on Ukraine.
[anything but neutral](https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-war-russia-china-negotiations-diplomacy-nato-europe-diplomacy-peacemaker/) in the war, and thus not a good fit to be playing the arbiter. [non-lethal “support”](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64695042) to Russia — and, according to exclusive customs data obtained by POLITICO, Chinese companies shipped [more than 1,000 assault rifles](https://www.politico.eu/article/chinese-companies-are-shipping-rifles-body-armor-to-russia/), drone parts and body armor to Russian entities between June and December of last year. [“no-limit partnership”](https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-hails-new-levels-cooperation-with-china-after-meeting-beijings-foreign-policy-chief-moscow-beijing-sergey-lavrov/) passed with Moscow days before the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Beijing has since sought to position itself as a peace broker, introducing a [12-point plan for peace](https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202302/t20230224_11030713.html). [Beijing](https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202303/t20230317_11043619.html) and [Moscow](http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70696) announced Friday, with “strategic cooperation” on the agenda. [Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-xi-to-speak-with-zelensky-meet-next-week-with-putin-f34be6be) that Xi would use the opportunity to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — in what would be the first communication between the two leaders since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February. “On March 20-22, 2023, at the invitation of Vladimir Putin, president of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia,” the Kremlin’s press service said in a statement.
The court said in a statement that Vladimir Putin "is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of the population (children) and that ...
World leaders will think twice before shaking his hand or sitting with Putin at the negotiating table. A full statement from the ICC reads: "Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on 7 October 1952, President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of the population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said: "Now, if Putin leaves Russia, he would be arrested and surrendered to ICC. No need to explain WHERE this paper should be used [toilet paper emoji]." The International Criminal Court (ICC) said in a statement that Putin bore individual criminal responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children which amounts to war crimes. [Vladimir Putin's ](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/vladimir-putin)war crimes over his involvement in the abduction of children from [Ukraine](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/ukraine).
China says president will meet Russian leader next week with aim of deepening partnership.
China has blocked G20 statements condemning the war and abstained from UN votes on the same matter. It implicitly blamed Nato for provoking the conflict. The invasion seemed to take China by surprise and since then Xi has tried to play the role of mediator while supporting Putin in international forums. [China](https://www.theguardian.com/world/china) and Russia oppose western-led military blocs. The visit will be Xi’s first foreign trip since securing a third term as China’s president at the annual parliamentary session on 10 March. [Vladimir Putin](https://www.theguardian.com/world/vladimir-putin), the Chinese foreign ministry has said.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova for ...
Most countries on Earth – 123 of them – are parties to the treaty, but there are very large and notable exceptions, including Russia. I would like to believe (that the arrest warrant will bring practical results), but to be honest, I have my doubts, because most international organizations are very concerned, they say a lot of things, but I personally do not see any obvious action.” Asked whether the ICC is asking signatory countries to arrest Putin if he travels to them, Hofmanski referred to ICC statute, saying: “All state parties have the legal obligation to cooperate fully with the court, which means that they’re obliged to execute arrest warrants issued by the court. The court, which has 18 judges serving nine-year terms, tries four types of crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and war crimes. Russia does not cooperate with this body, and possible [pretences] for arrest coming from the International Court of Justice will be legally null and void for us,” she said. The year of war has shown that even with all the help, this fight is a difficult one,” Tkachenko said. The court’s warrants are a wakeup call to others committing abuses or covering them up that their day in court may be coming, regardless of their rank or position,” Jarrah said. “This is a big day for the many victims of crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine since 2014. “We consider the very posing of the question outrageous and unacceptable. Some of the children have ended up thousands of miles and several time zones away from Ukraine. And we continue to work.” “In the criminal proceedings being investigated by our law enforcement officers, more than 16,000 forced deportations of Ukrainian children by the occupier have already been recorded.
International Criminal Court says Russian leader is 'allegedly responsible' for deporting children from Ukraine.
For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Compare Standard and Premium Digital For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital,
On March 17, 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria ...
Justice and accountability for crimes against children are crucial to prevent such crimes in the future. [concluded](https://newlinesinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/English-Report-1.pdf) that “the large-scale transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-controlled territory can amount to “[f]orcibly transferring children of the group to another group,” under Art. Putin is not hiding the crime and pledged to help to smoothen the process of adoption of Ukrainian children. As such, among the numerous legal steps taken, by Ukraine and other countries, to investigate and prosecute the crimes perpetrated by Putin, it is crucial that the crimes perpetrated against children are not forgotten. Denysova further added that Russia was “mak[ing] changes to the legislation to organize the accelerated procedure of adoption of children from Donbas.” According to Denysova, “Russia repeats the 2014 scenario when it was taken out of the occupied Crimea of Ukrainian children so-called ‘train of hope’ for their adoption.” Also, removing children from their country, their community, and their culture is not in the best interest of these children. Perpetrators of crimes committed against children are rarely held accountable. Delay in the repatriation of civilians may also amount to a war crime.” The step shows that the ICC is taking seriously the evidence of crimes committed against children. [Magnitsky sanctions](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-sanctions-russian-linked-to-forced-transfers-and-adoptions) on Ms Lvova-Belova for her alleged involvement in the forced transfer and adoption of Ukrainian children. The practice aims to strip them of their Ukrainian identity. Situations concerning the transfer and deportation of children which it has examined amount to war crimes.
The ICC has issued warrants for the Russian president and his children's rights commissioner for alleged war crimes involving accusations that Russia has ...
The U.S. has had a complicated, at times hostile relationship with the international court, especially since 2002 when former President George W. "With these arrest warrants, the ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia's war against Ukraine for far too long." position that the ICC should not be able to prosecute nonmember state citizens," Bosco said. "Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich," Lvova-Belova responded, using the Russian leader's patronymic. The organization also said it expects further arrest warrants for Russian leaders as Ukraine war crimes investigations develop. State Department accused the Russian government of operating a systematic network of custody centers for thousands of Ukrainian children. "It is forbidden by international law for occupying powers to transfer civilians from the territories where they live to other territories," he said. We support accountability for perpetrators of war crimes." He said his office handed more than 1,000 pages of documents over to the ICC regarding the alleged forcible deportation of children to Russia. "The very question itself is outrageous and unacceptable," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Like the United States, Ukraine is also not a party to the ICC.
The Russian President is wanted for "credible allegations" about his alleged role in war crimes in occupied regions. Putin is accused of being responsible ...
She has been unashamed in boasting about what is happening to Ukraine's children. The Russian President is wanted for "credible allegations" about his alleged role in war crimes in occupied regions. Putin is accused of being responsible for the deportation of children from Ukraine into Russia. Josep Borrell, the EU's representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said the warrants are "just the start of holding Russia accountable for crimes and atrocities in Ukraine". [Russian president](https://news.sky.com/topic/vladimir-putin-5972) is "responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of [Ukraine](https://news.sky.com/topic/ukraine-6556) to the Russian Federation". In a press conference, the president of the ICC Piotr Hofmanski said the warrants were "an important moment in the process of justice". "Wheels of justice are turning: I applaud the ICC decision to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over forcible transfer of Ukrainian children," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. We have seen some children resurface in events in Russia some of them presided over by President Putin himself, paraded by the Russians claiming to have saved them from the war and the Ukrainian government that Moscow claims to be run by Nazis. "We have seen Ukrainian children and orphans being paraded at events in Moscow recently and paraded for the Russian population [with Putin] saying we're saving these children, we're doing a good job, trying to to bolster their claim that they are effectively saving the Ukrainians from themselves," Waghorn said. Russia has brought thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia but has presented the programme as a humanitarian campaign to protect abandoned children and orphans in conflict zones. The ICC said its pre-trial chamber found there were "reasonable grounds to believe" that the two suspects are responsible for the alleged war crimes and that Putin "bears individual criminal responsibility". The Kremlin said Russia found the questions raised by the ICC "outrageous and unacceptable".
The ICC accuse Russian president of being responsible for abductions of Ukrainian children.
Work must continue to investigate the atrocities committed.” Russia has been placed under unprecedented Western sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine. "The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law. The court has no police force of its own to enforce warrants. It’s a clear legal procedure.” The ICC say that the Russian president “is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the
International criminal court warrants for Putin and children's commissioner are not recognised by Russia – but send signal to officials.
It sends a signal to senior Russian officials – military and civilian – who may be vulnerable to prosecution either now or in the future and would further limit their ability to travel internationally, including to attend international forums. A good example is Slobodan Milošević, the former president of Yugoslavia, who was indicted on a series of war crimes charges by the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the midst of the war in Kosovo in 1999. [Ukraine](https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) is itself not a signatory to the court in The Hague, it granted the ICC jurisdiction to investigate war crimes committed on its territory.
Supporters of the invasion of Ukraine are portraying the court's decision as a sign of western antagonism to Russia.
Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children’s rights, who was declared a co-conspirator in the case, proudly called it “great that the international community has appreciated this work to help the children of our country”. Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister, called the decision a “step closer to judgment day”. Putin’s strength is in the support of the people and the consolidation of society around him.” “Washington and Brussels have exhausted all possible sanctions and unfriendly actions,” said Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s state duma and a prominent hawk. They are once again seeking a “rally-round-the-flag” effect, this time around the Russian president, by encouraging a siege mentality. “They’re betting on creating a schism inside Russia that wants to remove Putin.”
The international criminal court in The Hague on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
[European Union sanctioned Chibis](https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/life-and-public/2022/12/chibis-sanctioned-involvement-child-kidnapping) for his support to the military onslaught on Ukraine. It is not known how many Ukrainian children have arrived to the north Russian region bordering Norway. “There are credible allegation against these persons for the alleged crimes.” She is also wanted under allegations of unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. ADVERTISEMENT The EU said Chibis was “involved in Russia’s brutal and deliberate missile strikes against civilians, in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children to Russia….” [Norway soon after joined the EU sanctions](https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/life-and-public/2023/01/norway-introduces-sanctions-against-head-neighbouring-russian-region) against the Murmansk Governor.
Although the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague has issued a warrant for President Vladimir Putin's arrest, that is no more than the first step ...
In doing so, it is trying to deter further crimes taking place. As for the ICC itself, it has so far indicted 40 individuals apart from Mr Putin, all from African countries. The ICC does not conduct trials in absentia, so that avenue is closed off too. This statute lays down that it is the duty of every state to exercise its own criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes. Other bespoke bodies have sought to convict those accused of war crimes. Mr Putin could be detained if he leaves the country.
Sky News speaks to experts about what could happen next after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president.
He explained: "The International Criminal Court is not directly part of the United Nations. It's a matter for the United Nations." Mr Rozenberg said while the goal is to get Mr Putin behind bars, it is not going to happen right now, "but who knows what's going to happen". He also said that he is sure this will end with the Russian leader being brought to justice, adding it "looks like Mr Putin will have to learn that this is reality - it is no longer fiction". But he said Mr Putin is "not going to stand trial unless he is arrested - and he's not going to be arrested while he remains running Russia". "Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it."
The Russian president is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes during his Ukraine invasion.
He noted that the US is not signed up to the ICC, "but I think it makes a very strong point". However Russian opposition leaders welcomed the announcement. When asked about the ICC's move, US President Joe Biden said "well, I think it's justified". It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported. The ICC relies on the cooperation of governments to arrest people, and Russia is "obviously not going to cooperate in this respect", Jonathan Leader Maynard, a lecturer in international politics at King's College London, told the BBC. [In a statement](https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-prosecutor-karim-khan-kc-issuance-arrest-warrants-against-president-vladimir-putin), the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others.
Although the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued a warrant for President Vladimir Putin's arrest, that is no more than the first step ...
In doing so, it is trying to deter further crimes taking place. As for the ICC itself, it has so far indicted 40 individuals apart from Mr Putin, all from African countries. The ICC does not conduct trials in absentia, so that avenue is closed off too. This statute lays down that it is the duty of every state to exercise its own criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes. Other bespoke bodies have sought to convict those accused of war crimes. Mr Putin could be detained if he leaves the country.
The brokerage, which has $$7.4tn in client assets, has been caught in a broad sell-off of financial stocks after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Schwab has ...
For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. Compare Standard and Premium Digital For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital,
The Russian President is wanted for "credible allegations" about his alleged role in war crimes in occupied regions. Putin is accused of being responsible ...
She has been unashamed in boasting about what is happening to Ukraine's children. The Russian President is wanted for "credible allegations" about his alleged role in war crimes in occupied regions. Putin is accused of being responsible for the deportation of children from Ukraine into Russia. Josep Borrell, the EU's representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said the warrants are "just the start of holding Russia accountable for crimes and atrocities in Ukraine". In a press conference, the president of the ICC Piotr Hofmanski said the warrants were "an important moment in the process of justice". [Russian president](https://news.sky.com/topic/vladimir-putin-5972) is "responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of [Ukraine](https://news.sky.com/topic/ukraine-6556) to the Russian Federation". "The head of a terrorist state and another Russian official have officially become suspects in a war crime," he said. We have seen some children resurface in events in Russia some of them presided over by President Putin himself, paraded by the Russians claiming to have saved them from the war and the Ukrainian government that Moscow claims to be run by Nazis. "We have seen Ukrainian children and orphans being paraded at events in Moscow recently and paraded for the Russian population [with Putin] saying we're saving these children, we're doing a good job, trying to to bolster their claim that they are effectively saving the Ukrainians from themselves," Waghorn said. Russia has brought thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia but has presented the programme as a humanitarian campaign to protect abandoned children and orphans in conflict zones. The ICC said its pre-trial chamber found there were "reasonable grounds to believe" that the two suspects are responsible for the alleged war crimes and that Putin "bears individual criminal responsibility". The Kremlin said Russia found the questions raised by the ICC "outrageous and unacceptable".
Responding to the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants against Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, ...
The organization found this amounted to war crimes and likely crimes against humanity. We expect the ICC and other justice actors to issue further arrest warrants as their investigations into crimes under international law committed in Ukraine begin to show results.” This doesn’t reflect the plethora of
Chinese 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 Chinese peace plan is a fig leaf to push back against some Western criticism on support for Russia,” said Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In the immediate term, the ICC's warrant for Putin and one of his aides is unlikely to have a major impact on the meeting or China's position toward Russia. In announcing the Xi visit, China's foreign ministry said Beijing's ties with Moscow are a significant world force. In addition, it is highly unlikely that Putin would travel to a country that would be bound by obligations to the ICC. “We need to be aware that such peace talks are a trap for Ukraine and its diplomatic corps,” said Yurii Poita, who heads the Asia section at the Kyiv-based New Geopolitics Research Network. “We highly appreciate the restrained, well-balanced position of the Chinese leadership on this issue,” Ushakov said. Even if China stops short of providing military assistance to Russia as the U.S. And when a country begins its peacekeeping activities or at least seeks to help the parties, not distinguishing this will affect objectivity,” Butyrska said. 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 Putin is officially a war crime suspect, according to two U.S. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the matter publicly, said the administration hopes the warrants will help mobilize heretofore neutral countries to weigh in on the conflict. officials say, is considering supplying Russia with weapons to support the war. But they also revealed the perils of global diplomacy: Hours after Friday's announcement of the trip, an international arrest warrant was issued for Putin on war crimes charges, taking at least some wind out of the sails of China's big reveal.
US President Joe Biden has welcomed the International Criminal Court's issuing of an arrest warrant against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Russian opposition activists have welcomed the announcement. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported. [The United Nations also released a report](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64985009) earlier this week that found Moscow's forced removal of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounted to a war crime. However, it could affect Mr Putin in other ways, such as being unable to travel internationally. "Children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported," Mr Khan told the BBC. President Biden said that, while the court also held no sway in the US, the issuing of the warrant "makes a very strong point".
The Hague-based international court said it was issuing the warrant for the arrest of the Russian leader over the alleged abduction and deportation of ...
One day Putin will face justice: until then, the focus of all who believe in Ukraine’s liberty and freedom must continue to be on ensuring her victory.” [ICC said it was issuing the warrant for the arrest of the Russian leader over the alleged abduction and deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia](/news/world/international-criminal-court-arrest-warrant-vladimir-putin-ukraine-b1068168.html). The Hague-based international court said it was issuing the warrant for the arrest of the Russian leader over the alleged abduction and deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited his international "best friend", China's leader Xi Jinping, to Moscow for a three-day state visit beginning ...
Russia’s damaged economy can never make up for the loss of the European and American markets that would likely ensue if China wholeheartedly took Russia’s side. Still, as Putin and Xi sit down for talks, they seem to agree unreservedly on one thing: both want an end to the post-World War II “liberal world order” guaranteed by the United States. On the crucial issue of sovereignty, Beijing is performing another balancing act by not criticizing Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, while at the same time reaffirming that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be upheld. Even as the Russian president has made multiple thinly veiled threats to China, however, faces a dilemma: it officially opposes economic sanctions but – so far at least – is trying not to violate them, fearing Chinese companies themselves might end up being sanctioned. Russia is making up for that by [third term in office](https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/09/china/china-xi-jinping-president-third-term-intl-hnk/index.html). The Kremlin says the plan deserves “careful attention” but the spokesman for President Joe Biden’s National Security Council, John F. Western sanctions are cutting off Moscow’s access to microchips and other sophisticated technology crucial for Putin’s military industrial complex; China is a leading producer of those components. Kremlin officials say the two leaders will be signing “important documents” that will “deepen relations” and solidify economic cooperation. Putin’s army is burning through military hardware, ammunition – and men. There’s sure to be plenty of glad-handing, champagne toasts, a major press conference and – behind closed doors – serious discussion.
Xi Jinping's first overseas visit since beginning his third term as President of the People's Republic of China (PRC) will be to Moscow next week.
Russia needs China more than vice versa, and Beijing will turn this to the best advantage it can. Putin is already diverting gas destined for the European market to pipelines stretching across taiga and steppe to China’s northern border. But Xi has a different geostrategic hand to play. Even though Beijing can bargain the price down, they will be buying such vast quantities that Russian dependency on their market is assured, and the asymmetric relationship maintained. The Russian economy is around a tenth the size of China’s. Neither side outdoes the other in mutual mistrust. Beijing is also seeking to sanction-proof its own economy. Likewise, despite exaggerated claims of sustainable revival, China’s Covid-depressed, stagnating economy is in trouble. Prospects for reviving growth to pre-pandemic levels hinge on increased foreign energy imports. Spending on social goods is already dwindling and budget deficits will grow. But the reality is somewhat different. His vision does not include a relationship with Russia as a peer, and never will.