Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping show their unity against the West

It was their first meeting since the start of the invasion in Ukraine. An opportunity for Vladimir Putin to strengthen his ties with Asia, after Western sanctions, and to show that Russia is not isolated. “Attempts to create a unipolar world have recently taken an absolutely ugly form and are completely unacceptable. We very much appreciate the balanced position of our Chinese friends, regarding the Ukrainian crisis”said the Russian president, who met his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, Thursday, September 15, in Uzbekistan.

However, this balance is precarious. Xi Jinping has always refrained from explicitly supporting the Russian offensive in Ukraine. “China is willing to work with Russia to assume its responsibility as a great power”, said the Chinese president. For some experts, this meeting remains a fragile alliance of circumstance. Faced with Western countries, Moscow and Beijing continue to support each other through joint military maneuvers, particularly in Russia and in the Pacific Ocean.