‘Dear friend’... Putin seeks backing from Xi over Ukraine war

DESPERATE Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia’s military cooperation with China is to increase following a video call with his ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping.

The Russian president spoke to China’s leader in a bid to show they agree on issues such as the war in Ukraine amid ‘unprecedented pressure and provocations from the West’.

But, behind the rhetoric, the presidents remain divided over the conflict, with China having turned down repeated Russian requests for military support.

During yesterday’s meeting Putin attempted to flatter Xi, describing him as a ‘dear friend’ and ‘respected chairman’.

Putin added: ‘We aim to strengthen cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and China. Coordination in the international arena serves to form a just world order based on international law. Military and militarytechnical cooperation occupies a special place in the entire complex of Russian-Chinese cooperation.’

But, in a blow to Putin, Chinese state television reported that Xi told the Russian president China would continue its ‘objective and fair’ stance over the ten-month conflict in Ukraine.

Putin and Xi did agree to strengthen ties amid increasing ‘geopolitical tensions’ and a ‘difficult international situation’.

This could see Russian and Chinese forces carrying out more exercises together, days after their navies conducted joint drills in the South China Sea.

Xi is also understood to have accepted Putin’s invitation to Moscow on a state visit early next year – an occasion the Kremlin chief boasted would ‘demonstrate to the world’ the strength of Russian-Chinese relations.

Last night Putin was facing criticism from Russian business leaders after pulling out of a New Year’s Eve meeting at which they were expected to tell him the conflict is destroying the Russian economy.