Topics:
Welcome back to Political Misfits on Radio Sputnik, where we bring you news, politics and culture - without the red and blue treatment. I am John Kiriakou here with Michelle Witte.
We’re joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Call me anytime: Zelenskyy plays the long game with Xi Jinping – POLITICO
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/03/21/latvia-is-going-on-offense-against-russian-culture/
Mark, there isn’t much in the English language press about what’s come out of these two days of meetings between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Today, according to the WSJ, we are expecting to see a joint declaration on economic cooperation adding up to tens of billions of dollars in energy, agriculture and other fields. Have we seen that agreement yet? And what will it do?
These two leaders didn’t need to meet to sign trade agreements though, right? What else is coming out of this meeting? And are the unspoken signals as important as whatever texts we’ll see? What are you watching for?
What can you tell us about what you think both sides wanted out of this meeting?
I would like to offer you a funny NYT headline: “‘The Daily’ looks at whether Xi’s visit signals a new Cold War.” Oh! It’s the visit to Moscow that’s going to signal a new Cold War, and not a US defense posture that explicitly names China as a threat, not a trade war disguised as high minded sanctions, not increasing provocations with Taiwan … but Xi visiting Russia. Got it.
Politico - with an eye for comedy - tells us Volodymyr Zelensky is playing the long game with Xi Jinping. That’s a way of putting it. But it is true that Zelensky has not been as critical of China as of other nations that continue to do business with Russia. And Xi is supposed to speak with Zelensky next week. Any sense of what kind of message he’s going to carry?
I see that Russia also a few days ago held the second Russia-Africa Parliamentary Conference, which saw attendance by representatives of most African nations, and is planning the second Russia-Africa summit in July. How are efforts to deepen cooperation with African nations going? Russia is offering energy projects, military cooperation and agricultural trade - what is Russia hoping for in return?
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Kiev today, a trip that’s being presented as a contrast to Xi’s trip to Moscow. Any comments on how that trip went and the message it’s sending or not sending? Japan last month signed off on a big new aid package to Ukraine - more than 5 billion - but also has not been willing so far to send them weapons. Do you expect any change?
Oh, finally, any thoughts on the near future for France, after Emmanuel Macron’s government only very narrowly survived two no-confidence measures yesterday?
Share this post