Riaan 
Ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa iNkantolo Yamazwe Ngamacala (ICC) ikhiphe incwadi egunyaza ukuboshwa kwakhe, uMongameli waseRussia uVladimir Putin wamukele umholi waseChina uXi Jinping kulokho iBeijing ekubiza ngokuthi “uhambo lobungane” okuhloswe ngalo “ukubamba iqhaza elakhayo ekukhuthazeni izingxoxo zokuthula” impi e-Ukraine.
Kuza ngemuva kokuthi i-China ithole ukunqoba okukhulu kwezokuxhumana ngokudala ukuhlangana okungalindelekile phakathi kweSaudi Arabia ne-Iran, nokusiza lezi zimbangi zombili zibuyisele ubudlelwano. Nokho ngemuva kwamahora kumenyezelwe uhambo lukaXi, i-ICC yakhipha isinqumo incwadi yokuboshwa kaPutin, emsola ngamacala empi ngokudingiswa ngendluzula kwezingane zase-Ukraine eMoscow.
E-United States nasengxenyeni enkulu ye-Europe, ukuvakasha kuka-Xi kuwumbukiso ogqamile wokweseka uPutin olokhu ehlala yedwa, ngesikhathi lapho amasosha akhe ephelelwa yimpahla nomnotho waseRussia udonsa kanzima ngaphansi kwenswinyo yaseNtshonalanga.
Emasontweni adlule, izikhulu zaseNtshonalanga zizwakalise ukukhathazeka ngokuthi iChina icabanga ukunikeza usizo oluyingozi embuthweni wezempi waseRussia. I-Beijing ikuphikile lokho, futhi esikhundleni salokho isole i-US ngokunweba impi “ngokwengeza uphethiloli” enkundleni yempi nokuhlinzeka i-Ukraine ngezikhali.
UPutin uzophatha u-Xi ezinsukwini ezimbili ngemuva kokuvakasha kwakhe kungazelelwe edolobheni eligcwele iMariupol ekhombisa ukudelela iNkantolo Yamazwe Ngamazwe kanye nasentshonalanga jikelele.
‘Menzi wokuthula’
U-Xi uzohamba enkabeni yezokuxhumana eMoscow, njengoba efuna ukwethula iChina njengomdayisi wokuthula ongathathi hlangothi ngenkathi ejulisa ubudlelwano neRussia, ngaphandle kokuqhubeka nokuhlukumeza iYurophu – uzakwethu obalulekile wezohwebo uBeijing ufuna ukuqhela e-US.
Isikhathi somhlangano osulindelwe isikhathi eside asiyona into eyenzeke ngengozi, njengoba sivumela umholi waseShayina ukuthi asebenzise umfutho wokunqoba kwakamuva kweBeijing kwezobunxusa eMpumalanga Ephakathi ukubumba – noma anikeze ukubonakala kokubumba – umsuka wempi yase-Ukraine, uthe.
“Kodwa impi izoba wumsebenzi omude kakhulu. Umbuzo obalulekile wukuthi u-Xi uzama kangakanani ukusebenzisa amandla akhe ukuze alolonge indlela iRussia eziphatha ngayo empini eya phambili,” kusho uBrian Hart, uzakwabo weChina Power Project eCentre for Strategic and International Studies.
“Kuze kube manje, asikaboni u-Xi ethatha izinyathelo ezibonakalayo zokuzama ukuqeda impi.”
Uhlangothi olulodwa futhi alusebenzi
Umkhulumeli weWhite House National Security Council, uJohn Kirby, uthe noma yiluphi uhlaka olunikezwa yiBeijing “luzothatha uhlangothi olulodwa futhi lubonise umbono waseRussia kuphela.”
“Ukumiswa komlilo manje kuwukugunyazwa kokunqotshwa kweRussia,” esho.
“Izwe laseRussia lingakhululeka ukusebenzisa ukumiswa kwezikhali ukuze liqhubeke nokugxilisa izikhundla zalo e-Ukraine ukuze kwakhiwe kabusha, lilungise futhi livuselele amabutho abo ukuze bakwazi ukuqala kabusha ukuhlasela e-Ukraine ngesikhathi abasikhethile.”
UHart uthe ukuvakasha kuka-Xi mancane amathuba okuthi kube nomthelela omkhulu ngesikhathi sempi yase-Ukraine.
“Ayikho iMoscow noma iKyiv ebonakala ikulungele ukwenza isivumelwano esidingekayo ukuze impi iphele, futhi akuyona into iBeijing engashintsha ngokuyisisekelo,” esho.
“IBeijing ingakwazi ukucindezela uPutin ukuthi enze okuthile okuthinta impi emaphethelweni, kodwa kuze kube manje lokho akukenzeki.”
