Putin, Xi to hold talks amid tensions with West

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are due to hold a video meeting, as friction in both countries’ relations with the West persists. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the two leaders would discuss tensions in Europe and the “aggressive” United States and NATO rhetoric during Wednesday’s virtual talk. “The situation in international affairs, especially on the European continent, is very, very tense right now and requires discussion between allies,” he added, referring to Moscow and Beijing. “We see very, very aggressive rhetoric on the NATO and US side, and this requires discussion between us and the Chinese.” Tensions between Russia and Western countries have escalated in recent months over a Russian military build-up near the border with Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has accused Moscow of massing tens of thousands of troops in preparation for a possible large-scale military offensive. The Kremlin denies it plans to invade and says the West is gripped by Russophobia. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin mentioned no specific topics for the Xi-Putin talks and said details would be released after the meeting, which was expected to “further enhance the high-level mutual trust between the two sides”. “The two heads of state will give full review of China-Russia relations and cooperation in various fields this year,” Wang said, adding the leaders will also “make top-level designs for the development of bilateral relations next year”. Russia has cultivated closer ties with China as its relations with the West have worsened, and Putin has used the partnership as a way of balancing US influence while striking lucrative deals, especially on energy. He and Xi this year agreed to extend a 20-year friendship and cooperation treaty. The summit comes years after Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula led to a serious rift with its Western partners and a subsequent turn towards its neighbour to the east.

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Putin, Xi to hold talks amid tensions with West