Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow from May 7 to 10 to participate in Russia's Victory Day celebrations and hold high-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin announced Sunday. The visit marks Xi's third trip to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and underscores growing strategic cooperation between the two powers amid escalating tensions with the West.
"During the talks, the main issues of further development of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, as well as current issues on the international and regional agenda will be discussed," the Kremlin said in a statement published on Telegram. The two leaders are expected to sign several bilateral agreements during the visit.
Xi will attend the May 9 military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Russia's Victory Day is one of the most politically symbolic events on the Kremlin calendar, with several world leaders, including the presidents of Brazil and Serbia and the prime minister of Slovakia, also expected to be in attendance.
President Putin has proposed a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire with Ukraine surrounding the holiday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the short-term offer, instead calling for a 30-day ceasefire and warning that Moscow could exploit the celebrations for military provocation. "Ukraine cannot provide security assurances to foreign officials planning to visit Russia around May 9," Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy has also escalated criticism of Beijing in recent weeks, accusing China of supplying Russia with weapons and critical materials for defense production. China has maintained a stance of neutrality in the conflict while increasing exports of dual-use goods that analysts say have helped Moscow sustain its military campaign.
Xi's upcoming visit follows multiple meetings with Putin over the past two years, including a state visit to Moscow in March 2023 and a bilateral summit in Beijing in May 2024, shortly after Putin began his fifth presidential term. The two leaders have emphasized personal rapport as a key driver of closer Sino-Russian alignment.
Russia's relations with China are “truly strategic in nature, deep-seated," Putin said in a documentary aired Sunday to mark the 25th anniversary of his first presidential inauguration. "Our national interests coincide," he added.
