Ukraine breakthrough hoped as Xi Jinping visits 'old friend' in Moscow

President Xi Jinping heads to Russia today hoping to deliver a breakthrough on Ukraine as China seeks to position itself as a peacemaker.

Reappointed for a third term in power, Xi is pushing a greater role for China on the global stage, and was crucial in mediating a surprise rapprochement between Middle Eastern rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia this month.

Rumors that he may soon hold his first call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since the war have raised hopes in Western capitals that Xi may lean on his "old friend" Vladimir Putin to stop his bloody invasion during the three-day state visit.

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China would "play a constructive role in promoting" peace talks.

"Stopping the war is everyone's wish, given Europe stands to lose such a lot and the United States may not be able to support Ukraine for as long as it thinks it can," said Wang Yiwei, director at Renmin University of China, adding it is a significant move for Beijing.

China, a major Russian ally, has long sought to depict itself as a neutral party to the conflict.

But it has refused to condemn Russia's invasion and has criticized the US support for Kyiv - leading Western leaders to accuse Beijing of providing diplomatic cover for Russia. "China can put forth its views on both sides - it can say it is a trusted friend of both Ukraine and Russia. I think this is very significant."

Xi's trip, which comes after the International Criminal Court last week announced an arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes accusations - aims "to show whatever support for his strategic partner he can provide, short of aid that would result in sanctions," said Elizabeth Wishnick, a professor and Chinese foreign policy expert at Montclair State University in the United States

Seeking to play the peacemaker, China last month published a 12-point position paper on the war in Ukraine and touted its Global Security Initiative, a hallmark Xi policy that aims to "promote durable peace and development." Both documents have drawn flak in the West for dwelling on broad principles instead of practical solutions to the crisis.

Beijing, Wang suggested, could help usher in "an armistice similar to the one formed from the Korean War" that stops the fighting but kicks questions of territorial sovereignty further down the road.

Putin made a surprise visit to Mariupol at the weekend, his first to the city since it was captured. Putin's visit follows his stop at Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the peninsula's annexation in 2014.

The trip comes after the ICC arrest warrant was issued for Putin over Russia's alleged deportation of 16,000 Ukrainian children since February 2022.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said Putin is liable for arrest if he sets foot in any of the court's more than 120 member states.

Editorial: Xi treads a rocky path to peace