On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while in Kyiv several European leaders gathered for a summit convened by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Chinese state media reported that Xi reaffirmed their "unlimited" partnership with the Russian leader, a term used by both leaders to define their alliance just a few days before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
This is the second phone conversation between Putin and Xi, at a time when, from Washington, Donald Trump is approaching the Kremlin by pressuring Zelensky to accept a peace deal unfavorable to Kyiv, while also buying into the Russian narrative blaming the Ukrainian president for the start of the war.
"The relations between China and Russia have a strong internal driving force and a unique strategic value, and are not directed or influenced by any third party," Xi said according to the Chinese reading of the conversation. A statement that seems to be aimed at the many comments made in recent days about whether the rapprochement between Trump and Putin could lead to a rift between the Russian and Chinese leaders.
"China and Russia's development strategies and foreign policies are long-term," Xi concluded.
Last year, Putin and Xi held three bilateral meetings. The armies of both countries increased their joint military exercises, and trade between Beijing and Moscow set a new record, rising by 2.9% compared to 2023. Although it is also true that this growth was significantly slower than the 32.7% increase in 2023 when the Asian giant inflated its purchases of much more Russian oil sanctioned by the West.
The Chinese government has not officially supported the invasion of Ukraine (referred to as a "crisis"), but the Beijing-Moscow axis partnership, especially in the economic field, is the Kremlin's main asset to circumvent the impact of Western sanctions. From the United States, the previous Biden administration accused the Chinese government of selling Putin's regime the dual-use technologies necessary to fuel Moscow's "war machine."
Xi and Putin worked last year to promote their shared vision of what their propaganda media have called an alternative "multipolar world order" to the one dominated by the US. To do this, both leaders sought to boost their alliances through groups like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS.