Samarkand Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday. This was reported by Russian news agencies. The meeting on the sidelines of the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is the first time the two leaders have met since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Regardless of the international outrage over the war of aggression and the economic sanctions imposed, Xi Jinping continues to provide the Russian President with political backing. China has adopted the Russian line of argument, blaming the US and NATO as the main culprits in the conflict. It had condemned Western sanctions against Russia and showed understanding for Putin’s actions.
Vladimir Putin praises China’s president’s ‘balanced’ stance on war in Ukraine. At the meeting with Xi, Putin went on to say that he hopes for a new impetus to deepen the Russian-Chinese partnership.