This is how Putin reacted to the meeting between Zelensky and Biden 2:24
(CNN) --
An online meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping began on Friday.
In opening remarks broadcast on Russian television, Putin invited Xi to Moscow in the spring of 2023.
Putin said that against the background of rising geopolitical tensions, the importance of the Russia-China partnership as a stabilizing factor is growing.
He said that relations between the Russian Federation and China were "the best in history and withstood all the tests."
"We share the same views on the causes, course and logic of the ongoing transformation of the global geopolitical landscape."
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"In the face of unprecedented pressures and provocations from the West, we defend our principled positions and defend not only our own interests, but also all those who defend a truly democratic system and the right of countries to freely determine their own destiny," he said. Putin.
The Russian leader also pointed to record growth in trade, despite "unfavorable market conditions", saying they would reach the goal of increasing trade turnover to $200 billion ahead of schedule.
Putin also said that Russia and China would strengthen cooperation between the armed forces.
"We intend to strengthen military and military-technical cooperation with China," Putin said.
ANALYSIS |
Xi Jinping wants China to "win local wars."
Russia's failures in Ukraine show that it is not so easy
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. (Alexandr Demyanchuk/Pool /Sputnik/AP)
The state of relations between Russia and China
Moscow and Beijing have grown closer in recent years, with Xi and Putin declaring the two countries had an "unlimited" partnership weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Since then, China has refused to condemn the aggression, instead repeatedly blaming NATO and the United States for the conflict, remaining one of Russia's main remaining supporters as it becomes increasingly isolated on the scene. world.
But more than 10 months after the war, the world looks very different, and the dynamics between the two partners have changed accordingly, experts say.
Instead of a quick anticipated victory, Putin's invasion has faltered with numerous setbacks on the battlefield, including a lack of basic equipment.
Morale in parts of Russia is low, and many civilians face financial hardship during the harsh winter.
On Thursday, Russia launched what Ukrainian officials described as one of the biggest missile barrages since the war began in February, with blasts rocking Ukrainian towns and cities, damaging civilian infrastructure and killing at least three people.
ANALYSIS |
Putin needs Xi Jinping's help more than ever after his missteps in Ukraine
Russia and China strengthen their relations in a virtual summit 3:34
Ukrainian officials have been warning for days that Russia is preparing to launch an all-out assault on the power grid to shut down by 2022, plunging the country into darkness as Ukrainians try to ring in the New Year and celebrate the Christmas holidays, which for The country's Orthodox Christians falls on January 7.
"China is anxious for (the war) to end," said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center.
"Xi will try to stress the importance of peace for Putin," he added.
"As Russia grows impatient with the lack of progress on the battlefield, in China's eyes the time is ripe for peace talks."
China is also increasingly isolated in its stance towards Russia, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
Wu pointed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an example of Russia's tougher attitudes toward the war.
While India has not condemned Moscow's invasion outright, Modi told Putin in September that now was not the time for war and urged him to move towards peace.
That change means China is now more alone in its relationship with Russia, another reason Xi might be eager to see a quick resolution, Wu said.
Xi had already shown signs of impatience when he last met Putin in September at a regional summit in Uzbekistan.
At the time, Putin admitted that Beijing had "questions and concerns" about the invasion, in what appeared to be a veiled admission of his divergent views.
But, experts say, China's internal situation has also changed significantly in the months since, which might require a different approach from Putin this time around.
The country is currently battling its worst covid outbreak after finally abandoning its strict zero covid policy, with restrictions relaxed and borders partially reopened.
The U-turn came after an unprecedented wave of protests across the country in opposition to Covid zero, which in some cases expanded to include broader complaints against Xi and the ruling Communist Party.
Vladimir Putin
