CNN: Xi Jinping pitches China as Ukraine peacemaker on eve of trip to Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Moscow from Monday to Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ahead of his visit, Chinese leader has praised Beijing's growing ties with Moscow while also attempting to present China as a peacemaker in the war, CNN reported. 

In an article published in Russian state media, Xi said China and Russia had “cemented political mutual trust and fostered a new model of major-country relations.”

“The bilateral relationship has grown more mature and resilient. It is brimming with new dynamism and vitality, setting a fine example for developing a new model of major-country relations featuring mutual trust, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation,” Xi wrote.

Last month, China’s Foreign Ministry released a 12-point statement that detailed Beijing’s stance on achieving a “political settlement” to resolve Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The paper also stressed Beijing's opposition to the use of nuclear weapons — a stance Xi communicated to Western leaders in 2022. 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said that China's interest in securing peace in Ukraine was promising, and he wasn't going to rule out the plan before seeing it. "This is the first step, and it is not bad," he added.