Moscow: Chinese President Xi Jinping supported Russian President Vladimir Putin in his push to get Western security guarantees precluding NATO’s eastward expansion, the Kremlin said Wednesday after the two leaders held a virtual summit.
Putin and Xi spoke as Moscow faces heightened tensions with the West over a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine’s border. In recent weeks, Western nations engaged in diplomatic efforts to prevent a possible invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has denied harbouring plans to storm its neighbour.
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Putin, meanwhile, demanded guarantees that NATO would not expand to Ukraine or deploy troops there.
He told Xi on Wednesday about “mounting threats to Russia’s interests from the US and the NATO bloc, which consistently move their military infrastructure close to the Russian borders,” Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said.
The Russian leader stressed the need to hold talks with NATO and the US on legally binding security guarantees. Xi responded by saying he “understands Russia’s concerns”.