Putin provokes a solvable nuclear crisis

Various interpretations of the course and results of the talks between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, which we heard from the Chinese and American sides, were presented. But, nevertheless, summing up the reports and assessments of official and semi-official statements, one comes to the conclusion that Washington and Beijing have found common ground on issues of mutual interest.

The United States has stated that it is not going to interfere in China's internal affairs (As Joe Biden confirmed, the American side does not claim either a "new cold war" or a reorganization of China's political system. - Xinhua), in particular, on the problems of Xijiang and Taiwan, but provided that Beijing does not use force in settling the conflict over these Chinese territories. The second, no less important point of the conversation is COVID-19, which again showed a sharp increase in China, which is fraught with serious complications for exports, the driving force of the Chinese economy. And finally, the most important issue of the online meeting is Ukraine. Here, as can be seen from the reports, the parties have brought their positions closer, as evidenced by the creation of a joint ad hoc working group that will have to work out a common approach to solving this and other problems. (The heads of state agreed on a constructive conversation and instructed the teams of the two sides to carefully implement the agreements reached and take effective steps to return Sino-US relations to the track of healthy and sustainable development, and also agreed to make joint efforts to properly resolve the Ukrainian crisis. - Xinhua).

The reports did not mention the growing threat of the use of nuclear weapons, provoked by Russia.

President Putin, warning against third-party interference in his conflict with Ukraine, has brought the nuclear arsenal to a readiness phase. And on March 17, on the eve of the Biden-Ci dispute, 7 aircraft and the Russian presidential fleet made a simultaneous flight from Moscow beyond the Urals, two of which turned off the transponders, the signals of which allow you to track the aircraft in flight, and disappeared from the radar. Behind the Urals, underground shelters are concentrated for the Russian leadership in case of a nuclear war.

These gestures of the Kremlin can be seen as a message to the US-China meeting, the essence of which is that Putin wants to bring the rival nuclear powers into direct dialogue with Moscow. For him, this is the most optimal passage to achieve his goals. These could include: slowing down the progress of NATO's infrastructure to the East, especially in the field of missile forces, slowing down the arms race, where Russia is experiencing technological and financial problems, heavily subsidizing the critical Russian economy through investments and loans.

If this package of goals is implemented, Putin will be ready to retreat from Ukraine and moderate his appetite for the post-Soviet republics encircling Russia.

In recent days, there has been a change in China's position regarding the Ukrainian crisis. If earlier Beijing took a more pro-Russian position, maintaining business and allied relations with Moscow, then on the eve of the Biden-Sea meeting, it already expressed its support for Ukraine, while not condemning Russia. China's position has become more balanced and similar to Turkey's. As you know, Ankara skillfully maneuvers between Kiev and Moscow as a potential mutually acceptable mediator.

Putin may be interested in such a position of China, which, in tandem with the United States, can start negotiations with Russia not so much to regulate the Ukrainian crisis, but to prevent a nuclear threat, which the owner of the Kremlin deliberately provokes in order to force the world to bargain with him for international security. In this global bargaining, the topic of Ukraine will not seem so significant.