Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with Pavel Zarubin on Russia 24, said that Russia does not threaten other countries and does not form a military alliance with China.
Earlier, former US national security adviser John Bolton said that Russia and China “formed an axis in which Iran and North Korea would join”. According to him, this is “a real problem for the West, whatever happens in Ukraine.”
Commenting on Bolton’s words, Putin stressed that “this is absolutely not true”.
“Because we are not forming any military alliance with China,” the politician said.
The President of Russia confirmed that Russia and China are developing cooperation, including in the military sphere. “Yes, we have cooperation in the field of military-technical cooperation, we do not hide it. “Everything is transparent, there is nothing secret,” said Putin.
The politician added that Moscow also conducts military exercises with Beijing. “By the way, not only with China, but also with other countries. Despite the events in Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson, we are still going. “We continue with everything, everything is transparent, but this is not a military alliance,” he said.
In an interview with a Rossiya 24 journalist, Vladimir Putin noted that it is the West itself that “builds new axes”.
As an example, he cited the new strategic concept of NATO, which considers, among other things, cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Putin believes that the countries listed in the concept will join the “global NATO” to which the military-political bloc is striving.
Vladimir Putin also described as envious those who talk about Russia’s dependence on China. The head of state said the European economy is much more dependent on China, as trade between China and the EU is growing at such a high rate.
“So the opposite, let them think better of themselves,” said Putin.
At the same time, he emphasized that there are those who have long wanted to turn China against the USSR and Russia: “We understand the world we live in. We highly value our relationships and the level we have reached in recent years.”
On March 20, Chinese President Xi Jinping flew to Moscow for a three-day visit. On the first day, he had an informal meeting with the President of Russia. The next day, they had official talks behind closed doors.
In a joint statement, the parties described relations between Moscow and Beijing as “mature, stable, self-sufficient and strong”. “We passed the test of the COVID-19 epidemic and the turbulent international situation, we were not exposed to outside influence, we showed vitality and positive energy” – says After the meeting, the Kremlin made a statement.
“Russia is interested in a stable and prosperous China, and China is interested in a strong and successful Russia,” it says.
The heads of state also touched upon the conflicts in Ukraine.
They also discussed the peaceful resolution plan of the conflict previously proposed by the Chinese side. According to Vladimir Putin, the Chinese plan could form the basis of negotiations. Putin and Xi Jinping believe that “responsible dialogue is the best way to achieve a sustainable solution to the Ukrainian crisis.”
Commenting on Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin described it as a “wake-up call” and a “signal of support” for Beijing.
“The Putin visit, which lasted for several days, I think is a wake-up call, a signal of support. At the moment, we do not see that they are providing financial support to Russia, but we are watching what is happening very, very carefully,” stressed the US Secretary of Defense.