It appears c’s entourage got a hankering for some finger-lickin’ good fried chicken during his recent stay in Moscow.
Bags of KFC takeout were seen being delivered to the luxurious hotel where China’s delegation was staying for the leader’s three-day visit.
Russian state-media agency Ruptly, which is an element of the RT network, reported that the delegation went to the five-star Soluxe hotel in Moscow after arriving on Monday.
Following their arrival, a delivery person brought at the least 18 bags of the fast food to the hotel, which was adorned with Russian and Chinese flags.
While the recipients of the food were unknown, the outlet identified that China’s delegation had just arrived.
Xi held two days of talks together with his Russian counterpart this week in Moscow, his first visit since Vladimir Putin unleashed his war against Ukraine in February last yr.
KFC is one in all the franchises that withdrew from Russia after the invasion. The fast-food conglomerate Yum! Brands sold its restaurants to a Russian operator which was purported to have rebranded them under the name Rostic’s.
Nevertheless, based on the footage, the old branding — including the enduring Colonel Sanders logo — was still getting used and was visible on the takeout bags.
Several commentators found it amusing that China’s officials, who’ve held the US chargeable for quite a lot of global issues, may need chosen a US fast-food chain while visiting Russia.
Analysts have claimed there isn’t a sign the visit of the Chinese President to Moscow will rein in Putin in his war on Ukraine, even when it again highlights a lopsided relationship where Russia is clearly the junior partner.
Every aspect of the pair’s body language was scrutinized to try to establish the intentions of the 2 leaders.
Xi, bearing what has been described as a plan to finish the conflict, presented himself as a mediator concerned with maintaining stability.
But Putin could only be heartened by Xi’s expressions of support and the sheer symbolism of an in-person visit, even when Russia faces growing dependency on China as Moscow becomes more isolated from the West.
The visit got here just after the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, the most important legal challenge the Russian leader has faced.
“The visit of Xi has emboldened Putin, especially after The Hague arrest warrant,” said Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe on the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
China’s peace plan was “obviously very strongly in Russia’s favor”, she said, adding that Beijing was ready to offer Moscow “time to finish the war in its favor”, albeit with implicit backing somewhat than proactive support.
“Definitely, Putin would have wished for more — especially on a gas cope with China — however the optics of the visit were so necessary to him that he accepts Russia’s increasing dependence on China,” she said.