Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to speak as both nations have been embroiled in a series of worsening rows with the US and its allies in recent weeks.
Russia is accused of plotting an all-out attack on neighboring Ukraine, which Moscow has consistently denied. Speculation has also swirled that China could order a military operation to take Taiwan, which Beijing insists is its sovereign territory despite being out of its control for the past seven decades.
Xi has previously described Putin as his “best friend” and one of his country’s closest allies on the world stage, with the pair insisting they are united in the face of Western sanctions and political pressure. However, despite increasing military and economic co-operation, a number of analysts have pointed out that the two powers are far less integrated than blocs like NATO.
Earlier this year, Putin claimed that ties between Moscow and Beijing “have reached the highest level in history,” while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi insisted both countries “have always been the pillars of peace and stability in the world.” According to him, “the more unstable and turbulent the world is, the more decisive cooperation between China and Russia will become.”
Speaking ahead of the call, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists it will be an opportunity for “extremely important talks.” He went on to add that Russia expects the discussion to be “a fairly long contact, with a very broad agenda.”
Peskov added that there will be an exchange of views on current international affairs, especially on the European continent, which he described as being now “very tense," and requiring “discussion among allies, between Moscow and Beijing.” Russia has accused Western nations of destabilizing the region by shipping hardware towards its borders, while American politicians have argued that Moscow poses an existential threat to Eastern Europe.
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