Chinese president Xi plans to hold talks with Zelenskyy, will meet Putin in Russia next week: Reports

After brokering a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, it seems like China has set its eyes on mediating between Ukraine and Russia. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Chinese president Xi Jinping is planning to hold virtual talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Notably, Xi is also set to visit Russia to meet his Russian president Vladimir Putin next week, Reuters reported. According to Reuters, Russia’s Tass news agency reported on 30 January that Putin had invited Xi to visit in the spring, indicating that the trip is happening earlier than expected. The visit comes as the US accuses China of mulling supplying arms to Russia. China has denied the accusations. Last month, Putin hosted China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Moscow and signalled that Xi would travel to Russia. A big backset for US? This will be the Chinese president’s first trip to Russia since the Ukraine war began. It will be a major backset for the United States if China managed to negotiate any kind of peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Such a move will not only strengthen China’s global standing, but it will also reflect the country’s role as an alternative to the US. China has been pushing for negotiations in the conflict- a move that has been met with skepticism by the US and other Western nations. The visit gains more prominence in the context of recent global developments. Earlier this month, Xi became China’s most powerful leader in decades when he was reanointed for another five years at the helm of the world’s most populous nation, in a break with long-standing political precedent. Last week, Beijing brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, in which the two West Asian rivals renewed diplomatic ties. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.