Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Moscow, his first foreign trip since being re-elected as president, has been overshadowed by the issue of an international arrest warrant being issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges. The announcement of the warrant followed China’s recent announcement that it had brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations and the release of a “peace plan” for Ukraine. These developments, along with China’s aspirations for a greater role on the world stage, have caught the attention of the Biden administration, which is keeping a watchful eye on China’s moves to assert itself more forcefully in international affairs. While US President Joe Biden said he believes the decision by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to charge Putin was “justified”, it is unlikely that the ICC’s warrant will have a major impact on the meeting, since neither China nor Russia is bound by its orders. However, the move could affect Putin’s international status unless the charges are withdrawn or he is acquitted.