German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed hope in Berlin on Tuesday that Xi Jinping will use his current diplomatic platform to pressure Vladimir Putin into ending the unwinnable war in Ukraine.
Diplomatic Expectations
Following a meeting with Swiss President Guy Parmelin, Chancellor Merz stated that while he does not anticipate a fundamental shift in the strategic Moscow-Beijing relationship, he remains hopeful regarding Xi’s potential influence on Putin. Merz emphasized that Russia is suffering heavy daily personnel losses in the ongoing conflict.
The Moscow-Beijing Dynamic
Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in China shortly after a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump. Kremlin officials confirmed that discussions will prioritize energy cooperation, specifically the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline project, with a high-level delegation of Russian banking and energy executives in attendance.
Strategic Alignment
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that while Moscow and Beijing maintain a calculated, transactional relationship, they are drawing closer due to a shared perception of the United States as a common adversary. The publication suggests that this shared opposition continues to unite their respective national interests.