President of Finland raises Russian aggression in talks with Xi Jinping
Photo: Finnish President Alexander Stubb (vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Finnish President Alexander Stubb raised the issue of Russian aggression in a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is a rare case of Beijing being under public pressure for supporting Moscow, reports Bloomberg.
“Right now we are very much in a situation whereby Russian aggression has violated international law. I look forward to discussing peaceful solutions on that path,” Stubb said in a brief speech before he and Xi Jinping began face-to-face talks in Beijing.
During the talks, Xi Jinping reiterated that China was willing to work with the parties to promote "a peaceful resolution of the crisis", state-run China Central Television reported.
Stubb is on an official visit to China until Oct. 31. This is the Finnish leader's first state visit since 2019. In July, Stubb called on Xi to help end the war in Ukraine, saying that Russia's dependence on China meant that Xi Jinping could solve the issue with a single phone call.
Last week, he said he would tell Xi Jinping that a peace deal is impossible without Ukraine's participation.
Xi Jinping is trying to portray China as a neutral player in the war. His government has accused the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of fomenting the conflict, while Washington and NATO leaders have accused Beijing of aiding Russian aggression through economic and technological support.
Finland joined NATO last year, completing a tumultuous accession process that was triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which upended the European security landscape. The Scandinavian country has provided Kyiv with military support, including air defense and heavy ammunition.
According to a poll by the Razumkov Center, most Ukrainians consider China a hostile country. Only Russia, Iran, Belarus, and the DPRK are viewed worse by Ukrainians.
