Under the gilded ceilings of the Kremlin, the Russian and Chinese presidents have met like good comrades who see each other often, over 40 times since they have been at the helm of Russia and China, while their foreign ministers speak very month on average. On Thursday, May 8, Vladimir Putin welcomed Xi Jinping with a "dear friend," on the eve of the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union and its allies' victory over Nazi Germany. At the start of the working breakfast, there were smiles and handshakes from each side of the table.
The Sino-Russian relationship is firmly established, with President Xi having described it as having "no limits" in the weeks leading up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, the world is evolving, making it worthwhile to ensure the resilience of these ties. Putin reiterated on Thursday his desire to "deepen" an already solid relationship, while Xi said their two countries should be "friends of steel."
The Chinese leader is touted as the most important guest among the 20 heads of state and government who attended Friday's grand military parade on Moscow's Red Square, including Brazilian Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Venezuelan Nicolas Maduro and Serbian Aleksandar Vucic.
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