Chinese President Xi Jinping flew into Moscow yesterday for talks with President Vladimir Putin and a pomp-filled visit that Kyiv has made clear it opposes after Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow shortly before he touched down.
Xi, whose country buys more Russian oil and gas than any other, and which has thrown Moscow an economic lifeline that has helped it navigate Western sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine, landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 airport soon after Russian authorities said they had brought down another Ukrainian drone outside the capital.
It was the third day Ukraine has targeted Moscow with drones and one of Moscow’s main airports was forced to temporarily suspend its activities less than three hours before Xi’s arrival.
When asked during a news briefing about air attacks by both sides on each others’ capitals, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry did not comment on Xi’s trip, saying only that the ‘top priority’ was to avoid an escalation in tensions.
The Kremlin said the attempted Ukrainian attacks on Moscow showed Kyiv’s tendency to commit ‘acts of terrorism’ and that Russia’s intelligence services and military were doing everything necessary to ensure the security of upcoming Second World War commemorations which Xi is due to attend.
Ukrainian officials said that Russia had launched its own air attack on Kyiv overnight, killing a mother and her son. Russia says it only targets military objects.
Xi is the most powerful world leader expected at a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies over Nazi Germany.
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