Putin announces plans to attend China’s Winter Olympics in video call with Xi

MOSCOW — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced that helium would be the Opening Ceremonies of Beijing’s Winter Olympics successful February during a video speech with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping connected Wednesday, sending a connection of solidarity amid rising planetary tensions.

Putin’s program to alert to China for the games and conscionable Xi successful idiosyncratic underscored deepening Sino-Russia cooperation, aft Britain, Canada and Australia joined a U.S. diplomatic boycott of the games.

“I would similar to enactment that we person ever supported each different connected issues of planetary sports cooperation, including successful rejecting immoderate attempts to politicize athletics and the Olympic movement,” Putin said. “I person nary uncertainty that the upcoming Winter Olympic Games volition beryllium held connected the highest level. China knows however to bash it.”

He extolled the “deep humanities traditions of relationship and communal knowing betwixt the Russian and Chinese people,” saying relations betwixt Moscow and Beijing were person than they had ever been and were “constantly successful contact.”

Xi, according to a Kremlin translation of his remarks, praised Putin for supporting China’s halfway interests and lasting against efforts by outsiders to “to thrust a wedge betwixt our countries.”

The gathering came 8 days aft President Biden spoke to Putin successful a akin video league and threatened pugnacious sanctions connected Russia successful lawsuit of caller subject aggression against Ukraine. It besides followed Biden’s ideology acme past week successful which 110 countries participated, but Russia and China were excluded.

Moscow and Beijing person been moving unneurotic for immoderate years to antagonistic what they spot arsenic Washington’s planetary dominance. Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council Resolution Monday to dainty clime alteration arsenic a planetary menace that could pb to conflict. China abstained and India besides voted against the question co-sponsored by Ireland and Niger.

“A caller exemplary of practice has been formed betwixt our countries, based, among different things, connected the ground of noninterference successful interior affairs and respect for each other’s interests,” Putin said successful opening remarks televised unrecorded earlier the 2 leaders held a closed meeting.

He said the Sino-Russian “responsible associated attack to solving urgent satellite problems has go a important origin successful stableness successful planetary relations.”

In his reported remarks, Xi said China and Russia relations had “gained a 2nd wind” contempt planetary turbulence.

“China and Russia powerfully enactment each different connected issues related to the captious interests of the different side, defending their nationalist dignity and communal interests,” helium said.

Wednesday’s video gathering signaled to Washington that Russia could trust connected its beardown relations with China should the West enforce pugnacious caller fiscal and economical sanctions successful the lawsuit of an onslaught connected Ukraine.

This past twelvemonth has seen expanding subject practice betwixt China and Russia, with a associated subject exercise, Zapad-Interaction, successful northwest China successful August and the 2 navies participating successful naval exercises successful the Sea of Japan successful October, followed by their archetypal associated naval patrol.

In Putin’s talks past week with Biden, Moscow demanded a caller information woody for Russia successful Europe, including written guarantees that NATO would admit nary caller members connected its eastbound flank, nor presumption weapons successful Ukraine that could endanger Russia. NATO has repeatedly ruled retired a Russian veto implicit which countries tin articulation the alliance.

Russia’s subject buildup connected Ukraine’s borders, the 2nd successful a year, has NATO leaders alarmed that Putin whitethorn beryllium readying a large attack. The United States has threatened sanctions that could spot Russia’s fiscal strategy isolated and its system hit.

Russia meantime has warned of a subject response, including deployment of intermediate scope missiles if determination is nary advancement connected its demands for caller information guarantees.