Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the changing global order in a Tuesday video conference call meant to emphasize the close ties between the two countries as President Trump begins his first full day in office.
Mr. Putin emphasized China’s shared interests, asserting that the two countries are dedicated to creating lasting peace in developing regions of the world. The two leaders signed a broad cooperation pact on the eve of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and U.S. officials have watched the growing closeness of the two authoritarian powers with growing alarm in recent years.
“Joint efforts by Russia and China play an important stabilizing role in global affairs,” Mr. Putin told the Chinese leader. “We jointly support the development of a more just multipolar global order and work to ensure indivisible security in Eurasia and the world as a whole.”
Mr. Xi echoed Mr. Putin’s statements, saying he hoped to take bilateral relations to a “new high,” according to a report by the Russian official Tass news agency Tuesday.
Both leaders emphasized their deep personal connection to each other, with Mr. Xi addressing Mr. Putin as a “dear friend” and the Russian leader repeatedly referencing their “mutual friendship.”
“We build our ties on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support, equality and mutual benefit,” Mr. Putin said. “These connections are self-sufficient, independent of domestic political factors and the current global situation.”
Neither leader directly mentioned the U.S. president’s inauguration, but the conversation loomed over the changes a Trump administration could bring to U.S. foreign policy. As he takes office, Mr. Trump has promised to end the ongoing war in Ukraine and take a tougher line on trade — including new tariffs — with China.
Mr. Putin has not talked with Mr. Trump since he took office Monday but congratulated the president on his inauguration in a televised address. On Monday, Mr. Trump said it would be wise for Russia to accept a peace deal with Ukraine, adding that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already indicated his support for a ceasefire.
The Biden administration had almost no direct negotiations with the Kremlin since the Ukraine invasion, and Mr. Trump has not indicated what he plans to do about the parts of eastern and southern Ukraine now occupied by Russian forces and unilaterally annexed by Mr. Putin in September 2022.
In his Monday remarks, Mr. Putin praised efforts by Mr. Trump to reopen dialogue between the U.S. and Russia, hoping that any future peace talks be made between equals. The Kremlin has said Mr. Putin is open to direct talks with the new U.S. president.
“We hear the statements from Trump and members of his team about their desire to restore direct contact with Russia, which were halted through no fault of ours by the outgoing administration,” the Russian leader said. “We also hear his statements about the need to do everything to prevent World War III. We certainly welcome such an approach and congratulate the U.S. president-elect on taking office.”
Mr. Trump has taken a confrontational stance toward China, promising to impose massive tariffs on Chinese imports. Still, Mr. Xi had a call with the president on Friday where he expressed hope for U.S.-China relations in the next four years.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.