While on a two-day visit to China, Russian leader Vladimir Putin dismissed a proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Olympic Games. This was in retaliation to a ban on Russian athletes taking part under their own country’s flag, which Putin viewed as a breach of Olympic ethics.
During Putin’s discussions with Chinese president Xi Jinping, the latter suggested an Olympic truce. The same suggestion had been previously endorsed by Xi during a trip to Paris, on the advice of French president Emmanuel Macron. However, Putin considered the requirement for Russian sportspeople to perform as neutrals in the Games an infringement of Olympic norms.
Putin rebuked critics asking for Russia to abide by norms, considering it paradoxical when the same rules had been bypassed for their disadvantage. He declared the entire discussion unjust.
Scepticism toward the Olympic truce proposition was also voiced by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who considered it impractical. He didn’t dismiss it outright, but expressed doubts on the effectiveness of such a ceasefire that still permits military build up.
Talks on the subject of Ukraine were also held between Putin and Xi at Zhongnanhai, the leadership headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. Xi reiterated China’s aspiration for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, and expressed hope for Russia’s participation in peace talks with Ukraine.
However, a forthcoming peace conference to be held in Switzerland outside Lucerne has not extended an invitation to Russia. It was met with scorn from Putin as discussions are to be focused on the Ukraine peace proposal, which includes Russian military withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory including Crimea.
Putin challenged the foundation of the peace formula, considering it to be unrealistic and not acknowledging the ground realities. He critiqued the organisers’ intent to garner wide support for Ukraine’s conditions before presenting Russia with an ultimatum backed by global endorsement. He questioned the viability of these proposed talks.
Mr Putin concluded his trip to China in Harbin, a city located near the Russian border, where he launched a Russia-China Expo with the opening speech. Economic exchange between both nations has expanded following Ukraine’s invasion in February 2022, as Russian markets started favouring Chinese products over European ones, and China began purchasing energy from Russia at reduced rates.
Both Mr Xi and Mr Putin, in a joint declaration, committed to enhancing their economic ties and bolstering military collaboration. They expressed readiness to further utilize their national currencies over the US dollar for trade between the two nations, as a measure to counteract the effect of Western sanctions.