Xi backs Putin requesting security assurances from the West

This year, the presidents of China and Russia held their second video call on Wednesday. This took place to address rising global concerns about uncertainties on the Russia-Ukraine border.

According to Reuters, a Kremlin official said that Xi supports Putin for his request to get urgent security guarantees for Russia from the West.

Russia wants NATO and the United States to ensure the military alliance will not go further.  As well as ensure there will be no use of weapons systems at the Russian border to Ukraine and other countries.

According to a report from Russian state news agency Tass, Putin addressed Xi as his friend. He said connections between their countries have increased.

According to Chinese state media, the two leaders’ video calls lasted more than an hour.

The two presidents last met at the end of June via video call as part of a ceremony dedicated to the launch of a nuclear power reactor project. In August, two leaders also had a conversation by phone after the U.S. withdrew troops and the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

According to Reuters, before the virtual meeting, Dmitry Peskov (Kremlin spokesperson) described the two countries as partners and said the two presidents planned to discuss tensions in Europe.

Meetings

Last week, in a virtual meeting with Joe Biden, Putin said that the US should not permit Ukraine to enter NATO. In return, Russia promised that its troops would not attack. Biden said that the US would not tolerate such a deal. He said that an attack on any member of NATO is regarded as an attack on all members. Ukraine expressed its will to join the alliance in 2002. But Putin objected because it considers such a move a threat to Russian borders.

According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Beijing’s position on Ukraine seems unclear. In July, Xi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy via phone call.