The Presidents of Russia and China spoke on the phone today, which is also the first day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which President Putin will address on June 17. The Kremlin reported in its readout: “The current state of and prospects for trade and economic cooperation, the volume of which is expected to reach record high levels in 2022, were reviewed in detail. It was agreed to expand cooperation in energy, finance, the manufacturing industry, transport and other areas, taking into account the global economic situation that has become more complicated due to the illegitimate sanctions policy pursued by the West. The further development of military and defense ties was touched upon as well.” (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68658)
In light of the urgent efforts of London and Washington to totally isolate Russia internationally, the Xi-Putin reaffirmation of full cooperation, including in the military sphere, takes on added strategic significance.
“Vladimir Putin laid out his principled assessment of the situation in Ukraine and the tasks being tackled during the special military operation,” reported the Kremlin. “The President of China noted the legitimacy of Russia’s actions to protect fundamental national interests in the face of challenges to its security created by external forces.”
The Kremlin read-out spelled out that “During the discussion of the situation in the international arena, it was emphasized that Russia and China, as before, have overlapping or very close positions, consistently uphold the fundamental principles of international law, seek to build a truly multipolar and fair system of international relations.”
