Putin invites Xi to Moscow, pledges increased military partnership
Mike Brest
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met virtually on Friday, and the two authoritarian leaders reaffirmed their mutual relationship despite international condemnation of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
China and Russia released a communique prior to Moscow’s invasion last February that outlined a wide range of plans for economic and diplomatic cooperation, though their relationship has been put through a heavy burden given the wide-ranging condemnation and international sanctions that the Western world has unleashed in response to the war.
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The Russian leader invited Xi to visit Moscow next spring, and he also called for strengthening the relationship between their armed forces.
“And of course, military and military-technical cooperation, which contributes to ensuring the security of our countries and maintaining stability in key regions, occupies a special place in the entire range of Russian-Chinese cooperation and our relations,” Putin said, per a government readout. “We aim to strengthen cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and China.”
“In the context of growing geopolitical tensions, the importance of the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership as a stabilizing factor is growing. Our relations with dignity withstand all tests, demonstrate maturity and stability, and continue to expand dynamically. As you and I noted earlier, these ties are the best in history, they represent a model of cooperation between major powers in the 21st century,” he said.
In the time since the war began, the Chinese government has said it would promote “peace” between Russia and Ukraine, but it has also been amplifying Russian disinformation claims about the justification for the invasion.
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The two leaders met in September on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Uzbekistan, where they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their relationship and putting their mark on the “global scale.” Before that, they had most recently met in person when Putin went to China for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Winter Olympics.
Xi and Putin’s Friday meeting comes as Russian forces continue to pummel Ukrainian infrastructure across the country. Their aim, according to Western officials, is to weaponize the winter conditions by forcing millions of civilians to face the brutal conditions at times without electricity, heat, or running water. Officials have also described these actions as possible war crimes.