Expert: Biden-Xi Meeting 'Black Mark' For Putin
- 15.11.2023, 11:30
The US and China are deciding Russia's fate without its participation.
The meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which began on 15 November in San Francisco, is bad news for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This opinion was expressed by Oleksandr Krayev, an analyst with the Ukrainian Prism Centre, in a commentary for RBC-Ukraine.
According to him, the bad news for Putin is that the US and China are setting new rules and deciding Russia's fate without his participation. According to the expert, it is unlikely that the US and Chinese leaders will be able to agree in San Francisco, but this is a complex and lengthy process.
"But the fact that this process will begin, that within the basic framework they will be able to agree on what can be agreed and what can't, will determine the main points of, let's say, mutual cohabitation - that's for sure. And the key thing is that the process must continue," he says.
Kraev admits to being surprised that it is the Chinese who are publicly showing the most interest in the meeting.
"That is, the Americans are preparing it and publishing it, but it is mainly China that is talking about it. I think that contacts will not end with one meeting and this is a very good signal for the whole world," the analyst added.
Obviously, the expert notes, the meeting of the US and Chinese leaders does not please Moscow. Not that the geopolitical rivals are getting closer, as they remain in a state of "friend-foe" (a combination of friend and foe characteristics), but that Xi Jinping is willing to talk to Biden behind Vladimir Putin's back.
"China is ready to negotiate with the US and not support Russia. In fact, it is ready to trade Russian interests. The Russians have been hoping for Chinese support since March 2022, there were requests for ballistic missiles, operational-tactical level drones, dual-use goods, and the Russians got none of that. Yes, the Russians have received artillery shells, uniforms and some Chinese resources via the DPRK, but this is far from the level of support Moscow was hoping for, Russia is no longer considered a strong state, it is not included in the club of the big and strong. And this is exactly what the Russian Federation dreamed of and one of the reasons why it started the war with Ukraine," Oleksandr Krayev explained.