Xi reaffirms 'unbounded' partnership with Putin in conversation on anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
The leaders of China and Russia reaffirmed their “boundless” partnership in a phone call on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. Putin informed Xi of contacts with the United States, and China supported “positive efforts” to “defuse the crisis.
Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed "unlimited" partnership in a phone call with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on Monday, the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where Putin informed Xi "about recent Russian-American contacts," UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
The two sides held the talks as US President Donald Trump pushed for a quick deal to end the war in Ukraine, raising the possibility that Washington could drive a wedge between Xi and Putin to focus on competing with the world's second-largest economy, the newspaper said.
The call, it is noted, seemed to be aimed at dispelling any such prospects, with Xi and Putin emphasizing the durability and "long-term" nature of their alliance, with its own internal dynamics that would not be affected by any "third party.
"Sino-Russian relations have a strong internal driving force and unique strategic value, and are not directed against or influenced by any third party," Xi said, according to an official report published by Chinese state media.
"The development strategies and foreign policies of China and Russia are long-term," Xi said, adding that the two countries "are good neighbors who cannot be separated.
In recent years, Xi has reportedly told Putin that the two have a chance to bring about "changes the world has not seen in a century," which many analysts see as an attempt to challenge the US-led global order.
China and Russia announced a strategic "borderless" partnership days before Putin sent tens of thousands of soldiers to Ukraine in February 2022. Xi has met with Putin more than 40 times over the past decade, and Putin has called China an ally in recent months.
Putin also briefed Xi "on recent Russian-American contacts," according to a Kremlin statement.
Trump has alarmed Washington's European allies by excluding them and Ukraine from talks with Russia that took place last week in Saudi Arabia.
Xi said that China is "pleased to see the positive efforts made by Russia and all parties concerned to defuse the crisis," noting China's initiatives such as the creation of a group of countries called "friends of peace.
These efforts have focused on portraying China as a neutral peacemaker, but critics say they are unfounded, as the West accuses China of supporting Russia's war effort through the supply of dual-use goods and large-scale purchases of Russian oil and gas.
China denies supporting Russia's military-industrial base. China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, said at the Munich Security Conference last week that China will not stop buying Russian gas.
Instead, Xi instructed bureaucrats to study Trump's policies and respond to his initial tariffs and threats, as China's struggling economy, with high youth unemployment, is ill-equipped to withstand another trade war with Washington.
It was the second call the two leaders have held this year, after they discussed how to build ties with Trump in January.
Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Eurasia Center said that the fact that both sides did so on the third anniversary of the war simply shows how strong this partnership has become. The two sides also discussed preparations to mark the USSR's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Earlier this month, Xi accepted an invitation from Russia to attend the event in May.
Xi Jinping accepts Russia's invitation to visit Moscow on May 910.02.25, 09:59 • 26053 views