President Vladimir Putin was meeting a close aide to Chinese President Xi Jinping late yesterday, the Kremlin said, underlining Russia’s increased effort to establish closer ties with Beijing as its relations with the West have deteriorated.
The meeting with Li Zhanshu, head of the General Office of the Communist Party of China, is taking place with relations between Moscow and the West at their worst since the Cold War. The European Union and United States have imposed sanctions on Russia over its role in the Ukraine separatist conflict.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said this week the Chinese President had confirmed he would visit Moscow on May 9 to join in commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II in Europe. Other leaders, mainly from Asia, former Soviet republics and Latin America, will also be on hand.
Xi has made a big public show of underscoring the importance of ties with Russia, and Moscow was the first capital he visited after assuming the presidency in 2013. Xi also attended the Winter Olympics in Sochi at Putin’s invitation. But, while the two see eye to eye on many international diplomatic issues, including the conflict in Syria, and generally vote as one on the United Nations Security Council, China has not proved so willing to support Russia on Ukraine.
The two see eye to eye on many international diplomatic issues
China has said it would like to develop “friendly cooperation” with Ukraine, and repeatedly said it respects the ex-Soviet state’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Nonetheless, Chinese officials have said that Western powers should take into consideration Russia’s legitimate security concerns over Ukraine. China is also looking to Russia for help in diversifying its energy supplies. Last year, the two non-Western world powers signed a multi-year deal gas supply that Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom estimated at $400 billion.
Meanwhile President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty with Georgia’s rebel South Ossetia region on Wednesday that almost completely integrates it with Russia, alarming Georgia and the West a year after Moscow took over Crimea. Tbilisi described the “alliance and integration” treaty as a “move aimed at annexation” and the US and EU said they would not recognise the agreement, which the EU depicted as a threat to regional security and stability.
Under the deal, signed in the Kremlin by Putin and South Ossetian leader Leonid Tibilov, a former KGB official, the region’s security forces, military, economy, customs service and border guards will be deeply integrated with those of Russia.
Russia won a five-day war with Georgia in 2008 over the fate of South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia. It formally recognises both regions as independent states and signed a similar treaty with Abkhazia last year.
“Another step is being taken today to strengthen our partnership,” Putin said after signing what he described as a “landmark” treaty in the Kremlin.
Tibilov hailed the agreement, which will make it easier for the people of South Ossetia to gain Russian citizenship, as “the best possible guarantee of state security”. He said EU and US officials should mind their own business.
As they signed the treaty, thousands of people gathered for a concert in the shadow of the Kremlin walls to celebrate the first anniversary of Crimea’s annexation from Ukraine, a show of public support for Putin’s assertive foreign policy.
Under banners declaring “We are together!” and “Crimea is ours!”, young and old alike danced and sang as a military brass band played patriotic music. Other cities across Russia, and in Crimea, also staged marches and rallies, with balloons and Russian flags flying above them.
Putin’s popularity has soared since Crimea was seized by Russian forces.
Western leaders fear Russia is becoming increasingly expansionist and may try to take control of other regions in former Soviet states, including separatist-held territory in eastern Ukraine, though Moscow denies this. Russian troops also protect a self-proclaimed independent region in Moldova.