Even Xi is unimpressed with Putin’s bungling autocracy

To say that Vladimir Putin is giving autocracy a bad name is rather to state the obvious. But it now appears to have dawned even on his ‘old friend’ Xi Jinping that Russian incompetence and cruelty in Ukraine is undermining their joint ambition to re-write the international order.

Putin’s admission that Beijing might have ‘concerns’ about his bungled war was cryptic but striking. ‘We highly value the balanced position of our Chinese friends when it comes to the Ukraine crisis,’ Putin said in remarks ahead of their meeting in Uzbekistan. ‘We understand your questions and concerns about this. During today’s meeting, we will of course explain our position.’

Xi was vague in his response, telling Putin that China was ready to work with Russia, ‘in extending strong support to each other on issues concerning their respective core interests,’ according to Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency. There was no direct mention of Ukraine in either Xi’s public remarks or in official Chinese read-outs of their meeting.