Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia and China are not forming a military alliance, and their cooperation in the military sector is open and transparent.
This statement came after Putin’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they pledged to strengthen their ties, including in the military domain.
Putin rejected claims that Russia’s increased cooperation with China in areas such as energy and finance would make Russia overly dependent on China. He dismissed these views as the opinions of “jealous people” who seek to divide the two countries.
Putin also accused the United States and NATO of attempting to create a new global axis, which he compared to the alliance of Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and imperial Japan during World War Two.
Putin identified Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea as potential members of this new alliance. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stressed the importance of the Atlantic alliance working closely with partners in the Indo-Pacific region and has called for more military support for Ukraine.
Putin has portrayed Russia’s actions in Ukraine as a defensive measure against an aggressive West, while Kyiv and its Western allies argue that Russia is seeking to seize territory and undermine Ukraine’s independence. Putin announced that Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus as a warning to NATO regarding its military support for Ukraine.
