(CNSNews.com) - It seems like China and Russia are "teaming up" against the United States, Fox News's Peter Doocy observed at Monday's White House press briefing:

"Why did President Biden let this happen?" Doocy asked John Kirby, the spokesman for Biden's National Security Council.

"Peter, these are two countries that have long chafed, as I said to Jeff — long chafed at U.S. leadership around the world and — and the network of alliances and partnerships that we have.

“This is not — this is not something that these two countries just cooked up since President Biden got elected," Kirby said.

Earlier in the press briefing, Kirby told another reporter that Russia and China "have grown closer" because they both "chafe and bristle at U.S. leadership around the world."

They want to challenge the "rules-based order," Kirby said:

"And in China's case in particular, they certainly would like to challenge U.S. leadership around the world. And in — in President Putin, President Xi sees a potential ally in that effort.

"For President Putin, he sees in President Xi a lifeline of sorts for a war that he’s conducting that has clearly not gone in the — anywhere near the direction he wanted it to go and a military that is clearly failing on the battlefield. So, it’s a bit of a marriage of convenience, I’d say, less than it is of affection.

"And, again, we’ll — we’ll see where — we’ll see where this goes after this — after this meeting. But these are not two countries that have, you know, decades-long experience working together and full trust and confidence.  It’s a burgeoning of late based on America’s increasing leadership around the world and trying to...check that."

Doocy noted that President Joe Biden has "talked tough" and "tried to pressure Putin and Xi to act right or risk their standing on the world stage. Does he see now that they don’t care?" Doocy asked Kirby:

"I think if you ask a lot of Russians, they certainly care," Kirby said:

"I mean, this — their economy is — is barely being propped up by some pretty radical measures by — by Mr. Putin.  Their military has been roundly embarrassed inside Ukraine, and they continue to lose ground there.

"And as for China, again, take a look at the way the President (Biden) has really revitalized and restored alliances and partnerships that were let go, if not ridiculed, in the previous administration. We have prioritized them.

"And there’s no other nation around the world that has this alliance and partnership network that we do. Five of our seven treaty alliances are in the Indo-Pacific.  And President Biden has prioritized each and every one of them."

Doocy asked Kirby, "Specific to these two leaders, though, do you think that Putin and Xi fear President Biden?"

"You’d have to ask them whether they fear or they not," Kirby said.

"Should they?" Doocy asked:

"It is not about fear," Kirby said.

"It’s about President Biden advancing our foreign policy goals around the world. It’s about President Biden revitalizing these alliances and partnerships.

"It’s about President Biden and what he’s doing to preserve our national security interests around the world. That’s what we’re focused on," Kirby said.