By Anietie anii-bassey
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a video call Wednesday that highlighted the accelerating economic and strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing, while also addressing their parallel approaches to relations with the United States and a range of global flashpoints.
During the conversation, Xi invited Putin to visit China twice this year, invitations the Kremlin leader accepted, signaling continued high-level engagement between the two powers.
The exchange came at a moment when Beijing has been hosting a series of Western leaders seeking to stabilize or expand ties with China despite persistent disagreements over Russia’s war in Ukraine. European governments in particular have urged Beijing to curb its support for Moscow, even as China has become Russia’s largest trading partner and a crucial outlet for its economy amid sweeping Western sanctions.
In remarks broadcast by Russian state television, Putin opened the call by reaffirming what he described as the two countries’ shared priorities. He said he wanted to “once again assure you of firm support for our shared efforts to ensure the sovereignty and security of our countries, our socio-economic welfare and the right to choose our own development path.” He added that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing remained a stabilizing force at a time of mounting geopolitical uncertainty.
Putin noted that many U.S. allies have recently sought closer engagement with China after disputes with President Donald Trump over trade tariffs and his controversial demand that NATO ally Denmark relinquish control of Greenland.
The Russian leader pointed to recent visits to Beijing by the prime ministers of Britain and Canada, and to an upcoming trip by Germany’s chancellor expected in February, as evidence of a broader recalibration in global diplomacy.
Xi, speaking through remarks later translated and reported by Chinese state media, said the two leaders would review plans for expanding bilateral ties and “exchange views on major strategic issues.” He urged both sides to seize what he called a historic opportunity to deepen their strategic cooperation.
Marking the first day of spring on the Chinese calendar, Xi suggested the symbolism of renewal could guide the drafting of what he described as a “new blueprint for China-Russia relations.” Putin responded with a flourish of his own, saying that “any season is springtime in Russia-China relations.”
The Russian president highlighted the scope of cooperation between the two countries, praising what he called their strategic energy partnership and collaboration in peaceful nuclear technology, industrial development, advanced manufacturing and space research.
He also singled out China’s recent decision to allow visa-free entry for Russian citizens, a step Moscow has reciprocated, framing it as a sign of growing people-to-people links alongside state-level coordination.
Xi said that over the past year the two leaders had guided their countries’ relationship to a new stage, with trade and economic exchanges continuing to expand steadily. He called for more frequent high-level contacts and pragmatic cooperation, arguing that the two nations should shoulder greater responsibilities as major global powers.
Both leaders also referred to a recent visit to Beijing by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, who met with China’s top foreign policy official, Wang Yi, underscoring the breadth of official channels now active between the two governments.
After the call, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the discussion reflected a broad alignment between Moscow and Beijing. He said the two governments “support each other on key issues concerning national interests in the face of external challenges.”
Ushakov confirmed that Xi had invited Putin to China during the first half of the year and that Putin would also travel there in November to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen.
The leaders also compared assessments of their respective ties with Washington, which Ushakov said were closely aligned, including their views on Trump’s newly proposed international “Board of Peace.” According to Ushakov, both Moscow and Beijing favor cooperation grounded in international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Putin has previously welcomed Trump’s invitation for Russia to consider joining the proposed body and said Moscow was studying the idea. He also floated a proposal to allocate $1 billion from Russian assets frozen in the United States toward rebuilding Gaza.
China has not taken a firm public stance on the initiative, beyond acknowledging that it too was invited to participate. When asked whether the new organization might supplant the United Nations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing would continue to support an international system centered on the U.N. regardless of how the global environment evolves.
Ushakov added that Putin and Xi saw potential openings for dialogue with Trump’s administration and that Xi had voiced support for talks involving Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators currently underway in Abu Dhabi, where a second round of discussions began Wednesday.
During the call, Putin also raised the impending expiration of the New START nuclear arms control treaty, which limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and is set to lapse Thursday unless extended.
Ushakov said Washington has yet to respond to Putin’s proposal for a one-year extension. The Russian leader, he added, stressed that Moscow would act “in a balanced and responsible manner” and remain open to negotiations aimed at preserving strategic stability after conducting what he described as a thorough review of the security environment.
Beyond U.S. relations and arms control, the two presidents discussed tensions involving Iran as well as political and economic developments in Venezuela and Cuba.
Ushakov said they agreed on the importance of maintaining the current level of cooperation with both Caracas and Havana, framing those relationships as part of their broader effort to coordinate policies in an increasingly volatile international landscape.
Taken together, the call underscored how Moscow and Beijing continue to present a united front on major diplomatic and security questions, while pushing forward an economic partnership that has become central to Russia’s strategy under Western sanctions and to China’s ambitions to expand its influence across Eurasia and beyond.
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