Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday touted China’s “balanced position” on his invasion of Ukraine even as he acknowledged the country’s “concerns” about the war, CNN reports.
Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time since the invasion on Thursday at a regional summit in Uzbekistan.
China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion and has boosted economic aid to the Kremlin.
“We highly appreciate the balanced position of our Chinese friends in connection with the Ukrainian crisis. We understand your questions and concerns in this regard,” Putin said. “During today’s meeting, of course, we will explain in detail our position on this issue, although we have spoken about this before.”
Xi vows to work together:
Xi said that China is ready to work with Russia in “extending strong support to each other on issues concerning their respective core interests,” and to deepen cooperation in “trade, agriculture and interconnectivity.”
The two leaders previously met in February, vowing a “no limits” partnership.
United against US:
The two leaders have grown closer in recent years over a shared disdain for the west.
China was one of few major countries to avoid condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine and Russia later backed Beijing in its showdown with the U.S. over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Putin on Thursday accused the US of “provocations” in the Taiwan Strait.”
He accused the US of attempting to “create a unipolar world,” arguing that those attempts have “recently taken an ugly shape and are absolutely unacceptable to most states on the planet.”
