Biden will speak to China’s Xi Jinping on Friday, the two leaders’ first call since Russia invaded Ukraine. China has maintained economic ties with Moscow even as much of the world has shunned Russia.
President Joe Biden will speak to China’s Xi Jinping on Friday, the two leaders’ first call since Russia invaded Ukraine and one that could play an outsize role in determining the trajectory of the war.
Administration officials downplayed the chances for Xi to immediately begin leaning on Putin but felt that the call could be an important step to continue isolating Moscow. Even that Xi agreed to have the call and discuss Ukraine could be interpreted as an ominous sign in Russia, according to the officials.
But Xi did little, if anything, to talk Putin out of the attack. His aides turned down American requests to lobby Putin to call off the invasion; instead, the Beijing officials shared U.S. intelligence with Moscow. American officials have said that Russia, after encountering surprising resistance from Ukrainian forces, asked for equipment and supplies from China, a claim that both nations have denied.
However, if Beijing were to follow the West’s lead and cut off Putin, it would lead to the further isolation of a Russian economy already battered by an array of sanctions. But should it to opt to support Moscow, China would the risk of suffering “consequences” from the West, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this week.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with China’s top diplomat, Politburo member Yang Jiechi, earlier this week in Rome for six hours of talks. Neither side announced any outcome to the talks.
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