Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian Preisdent Vladimir Putin emerged from two days of talks yesterday with warm words of friendship. But there was no sign of a breakthrough over Ukraine.
The U.S. was urging the Chinese President to pressure Russia into withdrawing their troops. But China is sticking to its own 12-point plan unveiled last month that calls for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.
Putin noted that the Chinese plan could be used as the basis for peace talks. But the conversation on Ukraine did not go further than that.
Instead, the two walked away with over a dozen agreements mostly on economic issues. These agreements cover topics like soybeans and atomic energy.
But, there was little to no progress on a gas pipeline from Russia to China – something Putin has been wanting for some time.
The two also released a joint statement accusing Washington of undermining global stability and NATO barging into the Asia-Pacific region.