In a moment heavy with symbolism and diplomacy, Chinese President Xi Jinping used his visit to Moscow on May 8 to send a pointed message to the world: stop treating symptoms and start treating causes. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, Xi didn’t mince words about the Ukraine conflict.
Rather than offering vague calls for peace or scripted condemnations, Xi zeroed in on the deeper layers beneath the headlines. According to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry, Xi said the world must eliminate the root causes of the Ukraine crisis if there’s any hope for a durable, fair peace. In other words: stop playing geopolitical whack-a-mole and start addressing what’s driving the conflict in the first place.
“China advocates and adheres to the common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable global security concept,” Xi stated—diplomatic jargon, sure, but with a clear takeaway: no one’s security concerns should be brushed aside. Everyone’s got skin in the game, and ignoring one side’s fears just plants the seeds for future chaos.
The talks between Xi and Putin weren’t just for show—they reportedly lasted a full seven hours, according to Russian news agency TASS. That’s more than just a photo op. And behind closed doors, the two leaders didn’t just talk about Ukraine. Their conversation spanned everything from regional tensions to trade, ending with the signing of nearly three dozen agreements aimed at tightening their countries’ strategic cooperation.
Xi expressed hope for a settlement that’s not just slapped together for political optics but one that’s “fair, lasting, binding”—a deal both Moscow and Kiev can live with. Putin, for his part, welcomed China’s balanced approach and repeated Russia’s stated willingness to resume peace talks, no strings attached.
Perhaps the most telling part of Xi’s remarks? His framing of the current moment as a time of “turbulence and change.” But he was clear-eyed about the path forward: as long as China and Russia keep close strategic ties, he said, “no force can stop” their shared vision of national revival.
In a world increasingly split between alliances and adversaries, Xi’s Moscow message was simple but sharp: if peace is the goal, you’d better start by pulling up the roots, not just trimming the branches.
