US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Chinese President Xi Jinping's official visit to Moscow shows that China is preparing a "diplomatic defense" for Russia's crimes in Ukraine, CNN reports.
"Chairman Xi's visit to Russia, days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin, suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for atrocities committed in Ukraine. Instead, they prefer to create diplomatic protection to continue to commit," Blinken said in a speech at the State Department.
Blinken also commented on China's initiative to "solve the Ukrainian crisis by political means". He noted that Beijing's proposals included clauses supported by the US, but that any calls for a ceasefire without the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine "would be tantamount to supporting the ratification of Russia's occupation".
"A ceasefire now, without a long-term solution, will allow President Putin to rest and re-equip his forces, and then resume the war at a more convenient time for Russia. The world should not be fooled by Russia's tactics of freezing the war on its own terms, supported by China or any other country," added Blinken.
Xi Jinping's state visit to Russia began on March 20 and will last until March 22.
On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was personally responsible for the forced deportation of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia.
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