Putin and Xi vow closer ties as Russia bombards Ukraine again

Vladimir Putin has formally invited his Chinese counterpart to Moscow, as he seeks to deepen ties with Beijing, describing their relationship as the ‘best in history.’

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are looking towards a stronger relationship between Russia and China, with both leaders pledging closer ties as Russia bombards Ukraine again. The two presidents met to discuss strengthening their alliance, something that President Putin described as being “the best in history” – signaling an important milestone for Sino-Russian relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to strengthen their bilateral ties in the midst of Moscow’s 10-month-long war in Ukraine, which has survived another night of drone and rocket attacks after being heavily bombarded by missiles.

In their opening remarks via videoconference, which were made public, Putin and Xi avoided specifically mentioning Ukraine before entering into private discussions.

Despite geopolitical concerns and a tough international scenario, they applauded the deepening of ties between Moscow and Beijing, with Putin expressing his desire to expand military cooperation.

According to Mr. Putin, the relevance of the Russian-Chinese strategic alliance is expanding as a stabilising element in the face of rising geopolitical tensions.

Strong Ukrainian resistance and Western military support have thwarted a Russian invasion of a neighbouring country.

The president of Russia predicted that Xi would go to Moscow in the spring. Such a trip, according to Putin, will show the entire world how strong links between Russia and China are on important problems and turn into the largest political event of the year in the two countries’ bilateral relations.

President Xi responded by saying, through a translator, that Beijing was prepared to deepen strategic ties with Russia, offer each other opportunities for growth, and serve as allies in the face of a complex and far from straightforward international situation for the good of our peoples and the sake of global stability.